Modern Warfare 3 Disc Required Error [FIX]

Activision Blizzard has given early access to their newest release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, by allowing players who have pre-ordered to play the whole campaign earlier than the release date. However, users on PlayStation 5 have run into an error stating that a Modern Warfare 2 disc is required to access the campaign.

It’s a very strange error that asks the players for a PS4 disc of last year’s Modern Warfare 2 game. It’s a problem originating from the improper build of the game or some bug in your MW3 game.

When you try launching Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the error will be shown as “Disc Required: You own the Cross-Gen play disc version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for PlayStation 4, which requires a play disc to play the game on your PlayStation 5 console. Please insert a play disc for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and retry.”

Modern Warfare 3 Disc Required Error. (image by eXputer)

Key Takeaways

Here are some working fixes that solve the issue:

Restarting the game or console.
An alternative path for the campaign access.
Waiting for an official fix by Activision Blizzard.
Reinstalling the entire game.

Restarting The Game Or Console

I know this sounds a bit basic, but trust me, it’s working for players. One of the most effective methods is simply restarting the game or the console itself. This refreshes the state of the game and console, which can rectify any minor glitches or errors that may be causing the problem.

First, try restarting Modern Warfare 3. If it doesn’t resolve your error, try power cycling the console by turning it off, removing the power plug for 1-2 minutes, and then turning it on again. This removes any problematic cache that might have built up in your console and hopefully resolves this issue.

Verifying Game Licenses

Due to the early access nature of Modern Warfare 3, there’s a possibility that your game’s license wasn’t fully registered. This is a common issue, and Playstation also has a guide to addressing it. Ultimately, you’ll just have to verify licenses for all your games in the library, which includes Modern Warfare 3.

Here’s what you need to do to verify licenses:

From the main menu > Head over to settings.
In settings > Go to Users and Accounts > Others > Restore Licenses section.
Restore Licenses PS5 (Image by eXputer)
Here, you’ll have to select the Restore option.

This process will take a few minutes to several, depending on the number of games you have installed on your Playstation 5. Once the process is done, try launching Modern Warfare 3 again to see if the issue is resolved.

Reinstalling the Game

As a last resort to fixing this error, you’ll need to uninstall Modern Warfare 3 and reinstall it again. It’s a shame that the consoles don’t have a feature like verifying installation files that PC game clients have, which fixes game files without there being a need to download them again.

Once you’ve uninstalled the game, redownload it back up and try launching it again to see if the issue has been resolved.

My Thoughts

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, released on early access by utilizing the Modern Warfare 2 game, has certainly given a bad reputation and a frustrating experience among the community for the newest release. Activision did acknowledge this error, and they have also successfully patched it up with a fix.

🛠️ #MW3 Campaign

An update has gone live to address an issue causing some Players to encounter a "disc required" error. Please restart the game for the update to take effect. https://t.co/6lFdnV8ZUH

— Call of Duty Updates (@CODUpdates) November 2, 2023

But just in case you’re still facing this issue, you can try the workarounds I mentioned above will help you get MW3 started. You can also visit the Modern Warfare 3 support page and report your issue.

FAQs

Why does Modern Warfare 3 require the Modern Warfare 2 disc?

Modern Warfare 3 most probably requires the Modern Warfare 2 disc because the Modern Warfare 3 campaign early access was released by utilizing Modern Warfare 2.

How can I fix the Modern Warfare 3 disc require error?

You can fix the Modern Warfare 3 disc required error by using the alternate path through the settings.