Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 takes place five years after the events of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. During the single-player campaign, the player controls five different characters from a first-person perspective.

The game is a part of 2024's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and 2024's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, but does not require purchase of any of the parent titles. It was introduced during Season 1 of Modern Warfare II content. The game features cross-platform play and a new extraction mode titled DMZ.