Verify Modern Warfare II through Battle.net or Steam, launch with overlays and conflicting performance utilities closed, and stay at the main menu until Shader Preloading completes. Confirm the PC meets the supported Windows and hardware requirements. Do not use a universal firewall bypass, image-scaling override, or Windows compatibility mode as a black-screen fix.
Check that the installed title is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) and that the PC meets its minimum requirements. Activision supports Windows 10 and 11 for this guide, not Windows 7 or 8.
2
Repair the game files
In Battle.net, select Modern Warfare II, open the gear menu, and choose Scan and Repair. In Steam, open Properties > Installed Files and choose Verify integrity of game files. Wait for the check to finish.
3
Launch without known conflicts
Close overlays, recorders, input remappers, and unneeded performance utilities for one launch. Activision specifically lists NZXT CAM, MSI Afterburner, and Razer Cortex as possible conflicts and advises updating Razer Synapse when installed.
4
Finish shader preloading
When the main menu appears, stay there until Shader Preloading completes. Activision warns that navigating away stops the process and can lead to performance problems.
5
Verify a normal second launch
Close and reopen Modern Warfare II with the same clean setup. The task is complete when the main menu renders normally and shader preloading completes without a black screen.
If it does not work
If the main menu appears only after closing an overlay or utility, update that app or leave it closed while playing.
If the entire display loses signal or other games also show a black screen, troubleshoot the graphics driver, monitor cable, and Windows display path rather than continuing MWII-only changes.
If MWII alone remains black after file verification, use Microsoft's clean boot as an isolation test and give Activision the launcher, GPU, Windows version, and exact failure time.
ⓘ Sources and verification
Checked against official documentation on . Scope: Windows PC.
This page covers Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022), not Modern Warfare (2019) or the original Modern Warfare 2 (2009).
