Why is Modern Warfare 2 $70 Dollars? Full Price Explained

For many, October 28th marks a colossal date, as Activision and Infinity Ward’s latest installment in the annually updated Call of Duty franchise is finally here. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 takes the baton from the 2019 reboot of the fan-favorite series Modern Warfare, giving players something that adds to what the two companies did right in that entry.

But while fans eagerly purchase and download the game in droves, many wonder why there’s been a price hike between this sequel which sells for $70, and the original which sold for $60 at launch. Today we’ll do our best to explain why Modern Warfare 2 is actually $70 at full price.

Why is Modern Warfare 2 $70 Dollars? Full Price Explained

If you’re like me, then there isn’t much that can stand between you and a new Call of Duty game. But most of us gamers have noticed a difference in pricing over the years as more Call of Duty titles have been released, especially since the current-gen consoles made their way into the spotlight. Though this price hike from $60 to $70 dollars seems like a far cry from a just cause, there’s actually a method to the madness, one that you may not expect.

This all actually started back in 2013 when Call of Duty: Ghosts was originally released on the Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles. At that time, the next-gen consoles for its era, the Xbox One and PS4 were mere weeks away, so stores such as GameStop and even digital platforms like the PlayStation store, offered players a chance to upgrade their current version to next-gen for an additional $10. It wasn’t a bad deal.

Related: How to fix Modern Warfare 2 Game Crashing When Resuming the Campaign

Fast-forward to 2020s Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and we’d see the trend start again, with Activision offering players cross-gen bundles that included both the current generation’s version as well as an upgraded version for the upcoming systems for $70. Though they still offered the standard versions for $60 separately. And while this was an optional bundle in both Cold War and Call of Duty: Vanguard’s case, it appears that Activision is taking a different approach this time around.

The $70 price tag on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 isn’t just for the sake of price-hiking new games like Ubisoft has stated that it is doing with its titles, it actually includes the last-gen version of the game and the current-gen. But the caveat is that you cannot purchase either version separately. So while you may think that the standard’s price has increased, it really hasn’t. Activision is just only selling a cross-gen version this time around.

So, now you know exactly why Modern Warfare 2 is $70, and hopefully, this little history lesson gave you a better understanding of this game’s release and possibly future ones as well, since the Xbox One and PS4 keep trucking on. Be sure to check out some of our other Modern Warfare 2 guides for even more insight!