Fix: Modern Warfare 2 Stuck on Press A to Start Screen on Xbox

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) is now fully available across all major gaming platforms, a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare. It also includes Warzone 2.0 online battle royale gaming experience to make the title more suitable for an action FPS game. Well, some reports are claiming that the Modern Warfare 2 Stuck on Press A to Start Screen error on Xbox is troubling a lot.

According to multiple reports on Reddit, the “MWII press A to start not working” issue is appearing on Xbox consoles which prevents players from getting into the game. Even after pressing the A button on the Xbox controller, the stuck screen issue doesn’t remove, which is frustrating for all. Now, if you’re also one of the victims to encounter such an error, then make sure to follow this guide to fix it.

Fix: Modern Warfare 2 Stuck on Press A to Start Screen on Xbox

There might be several possible reasons behind the COD MWII stuck on press A to start screen error on Xbox consoles that we’ve mentioned in brief. It looks like that issues with the controller connectivity or the temporary system glitch on your Xbox console can cause such an issue. Whereas conflicts with the Xbox account, problems with the Xbox subscription, etc can be another reason.

Luckily, you can follow the potential workarounds below that should come in handy. Now, without wasting any more time, let’s jump into it.

1. Power Cycle Your Xbox Console

First of all, you should try performing a power cycle method on your Xbox console by following the steps below to ensure there is no issue with the system glitch or cache data. It’s quite common and can be easily fixed.

• Just shut down your Xbox console completely.
• Once it’s turned off, unplug the power cable from the console and power source.
• Now, wait for around a minute > Then plug the power cable back in.
• Power on the console and run the game to check for the issue.

2. Reconnect the Xbox Controller

You should try disconnecting and reconnecting the Xbox controller to ensure there is no issue with the console connectivity. Sometimes controller might not get properly connected and eventually trigger multiple issues with the key actions.

3. Check for Xbox Software Updates

We’ll highly recommend you check for system updates on the Xbox console before jumping into any other getting into any other workarounds because an outdated system version can trigger controller connectivity or action-related issues. To do so:

• Press the Home button on the console to open the Dashboard.
• Select Settings from the bottom menu > Select All Settings.
• Choose System > Select Updates.
• Select Update Console (if available) > Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update process.
• Once done, make sure to restart the console to apply changes.

4. Check for COD MWII Updates

You can also check for the game update manually by following the steps below because an outdated game version can mostly trigger game launching or gameplay issues.

• Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide menu.
• Now, scroll down to the right, and select Settings.
• Scroll down until you see Updates & downloads.
• From the next page, select Keep my console up to date and Keep my games & games up to date to enable the checkbox.

5. Ensure controller firmware is up-to-date

If your Xbox controller’s firmware becomes outdated, it may trigger connectivity issues as well as key action issues. You can follow the steps below to do so:

• Press the Xbox button on the controller.
• Open the Settings menu on your Xbox console.
• Go to the Devices & streaming tab > Select Accessories.
• Select the three dots icon under the controller.
• Choose Firmware version > Select the Update now button.
• Wait for the process to complete and then reconnect the controller.

6. Ensure Your Xbox Subscription is Active

Make sure to check whether your Xbox subscription is active or not. If in case, your Xbox subscription is expired or has some issues with the verification then you may encounter game purchasing as well as game starting issues whatsoever. Head over to the profile and check the same.

7. Remove Your Xbox Account

Try removing the Xbox account from your console by following the steps below to ensure there is no temporary glitch with the profile.

• Press the Xbox button on the controller > Open the guide menu.
• Select System > Choose Settings > Select Account.
• Go to Remove accounts > Select the account that you want to remove.
• Select Remove and hit Close.

8. Add the Xbox Account Again

Once you’ve removed your existing Xbox account from the console, it’s time to add a valid Xbox account again by following the steps below.

• Press the Xbox button on the controller > Open the guide menu.
• Select the gamer pic in the upper-left corner of the screen.
• Then scroll and select Add new > Enter your email address and password.
• Select Microsoft service agreement and privacy statement.
• Follow the on-screen steps > Then add your Microsoft account to your Xbox console.
• Once done, restart your Xbox console to check for the issue.

9. Select Offline and Enter a Multiplayer Lobby

It’s worth recommending going ‘Offline’ and then entering a Local Multiplayer Lobby. Wait for a while and then go back to the main Call of Duty dashboard. This trick might work for some players which is suggested by other COD MWII players recently.

10. Uninstall and Reinstall COD MWII

You can also try uninstalling the Call of Duty Modern Warfare II game and reinstalling it again to resolve the issue. It might help in restoring the default configuration and other necessary resources to run the game properly. To do that:

• Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu.
• Select My Games and Apps > Hit See all > Choose Games.
• Then select the Ready to install tab > Select Queue.
• Select the COD Modern Warfare II game that you’re trying to reinstall.
• Now, press the Menu button on your controller.
• Select Manage game & add-ons or Manage app.
• Choose Call of Duty Modern Warfare II > Select Uninstall all.
• Make sure to select Uninstall all to confirm the task.
• Wait for the uninstallation process to complete.
• Reboot the system to apply changes.
• Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu again.
• Hit My Games and Apps > Select See all > Go to Games.
• Select the Ready to install tab > Hit Install for COD MWII.
• Wait for the installation process, and then restart the console.

11. Reset the Console

If none of the above methods didn’t work for you then make sure to follow the steps below to reset the Xbox console manually. By doing so, you can easily clear out system glitches or cache data issues from your console whatsoever. To do so:

• Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the guide menu.
• Select Profile & system > Go to Settings > Select System.
• Go to Console info > Select Reset console.
• You’ll get a prompt like Reset your console.
• Here you should select Reset and remove everything. [This will delete all user data, including accounts, saved games, settings, all installed apps & games, etc]
  • Although you can choose to Reset and keep your games & apps, it may not resolve the issue in most cases.
• After you select the option, your Xbox console starts deleting and resetting the system to the factory default settings.
• Wait for the process to get completed, then reboot the console.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For further queries, you can comment below.