PC players can finally return to the battlefield. After a nearly two-month outage triggered by a serious hacking threat, Call of Duty: WW2 is officially back online on PC, and it’s playable again for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
The RCE hack that took WW2 offline
Let’s backtrack a bit. In late June, as part of Microsoft’s ongoing push to enhance its Xbox Game Pass library post its $69 billion acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, Call of Duty: WW2 quietly dropped onto the service. For console users, this was a welcome blast from the past. But PC players? Not so lucky.
Users on PC quickly ran into a terrifying issue: rampant RCE (Remote Code Execution) hacks. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill cheats: these are severe exploits where hackers can potentially take control of players’ PCs. Not exactly a relaxing multiplayer session.
Almost immediately following the reports, Activision pulled the title from the Microsoft Store and took the servers offline. And while the publisher never officially confirmed the cause, it was clear enough to the community what was going on. The hacking had gotten out of hand.
WW2 marches back online
Now, the tide has turned. As of this week, Call of Duty: WW2 is back online and available again via the Microsoft Store for PC users. That means players on Windows and with a Game Pass subscription can jump back into 2017’s gritty, boots-on-the-ground World War II shooter, at least, cautiously.
Here’s the thing: Activision has not officially stated whether the RCE vulnerabilities have been fully addressed. That’s left players feeling a bit uneasy, and understandably so. The word of the day here is caution. Until there’s black-and-white confirmation from the studio, it’s smart to tread carefully and maybe avoid public lobbies with randomly matched players.
A return to classic CoD
When Call of Duty: WW2 originally launched in 2017, it marked a rare return to the series’ historical roots. After the jetpack-heavy space combat of Infinite Warfare the year prior, WW2 felt like a homecoming for many fans. Developed by Sledgehammer Games, it might not rank among the absolute greats in the franchise, but it earned a respectable place with solid campaign moments and grounded multiplayer action.
MORE CALL OF DUTY
The game’s addition to Game Pass came as part of a larger Activision-led push to bring classic Call of Duty titles to the service. Modern Warfare 2 (2022), Modern Warfare 3 (2023), and even the upcoming Black Ops 6 (released Day One) are all on Game Pass now. And there’s more coming.
What’s next? Black Ops 7 and beyond
With Microsoft steering the ship, the Call of Duty franchise is fast becoming a staple of Game Pass — and it’s showing no signs of slowing. In fact, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, a direct sequel to 2012’s Black Ops 2, is set to launch on November 14. The game will be available Day One on Xbox Game Pass.
Between this and legacy additions like Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Diablo, the Game Pass library is starting to feel like the definitive hub for Activision-Blizzard titles, a dream come true for long-time fans of the publisher’s franchises.