How to Fix Black Screen Glitch in Modern Warfare 2 (MW2)

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, some players are reporting a — wholly unintended — permadeath bug that results in a black screen after death. As eerie as that is, it should not be happening, so let’s examine some possible fixes for this bug/glitch. It can be very annoying to deal with problems like this when you simply want to play the game. So: what can you do to prevent this black screen glitch?

How to Fix Black Screen Glitch in Modern Warfare 2 (MW2)

It would seem that this problem does not discriminate between PC and console players. But, most of these fixes are only possible on PC. So, if you’re experiencing this glitch on console, our best bet is to uninstall and reinstall the game. Ideally, that will flush out the problem and you won’t have to deal with it anymore. But, on PC, there are a couple other possible fixes to discuss.

You can try to change the display settings from borderless to full screen and then back to borderless. It’s possible that will shake things up and resolve this glitch. Likewise, you can also try pressing ALT, then TAB, which will instantly minimize the window. Re-expand the game window and see if that makes a difference. It could have something to do with your monitor or monitors. Whether you’re using more than one monitor or not, make sure everything is plugged into your tower securely.

OK — so, if none of that worked, let’s shift focus to fixes for the game itself. You can try to repair the files via the Battle.net client. To do this, find Modern Warfare 2 in your game list, click OPTIONS, SCAN & REPAIR, then BEGIN SCAN. You’ll then need to reload the game and check for any differences. But, aside from that, and whitelisting the game in your antiviral program and/or disabling your antiviral program, I refer back to the advice I had for console gamers: uninstall and reinstall. It’s also important to verify that this isn’t just a problem that’ll need to be patched, which you can check by going to the Modern Warfare 2 support site, courtesy of Activision-Blizzard.

We hope this guide helped you get back into Modern Warfare 2. Please check out Gamer Journalist on Facebook to find more guides just like this one, and to participate in the conversation. You might also find our guides on How Does the Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Compare to the Original? and Is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II a Remake? interesting.