Fix: MW2 and Warzone 2 Timed Out Waiting for Datacenters Error

The Call of Duty franchise has been known for its action-packed first-person shooter titles for around two decades or so and it’s still counting. Recently, Infinity Ward released Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0 Season 5 with a lot of additional content as well as improvements. But somehow players got no chill and had several issues or bugs with the latest season from crashing to server errors to stutters and so on. Meanwhile, MW2 and Warzone 2 players face the timed out waiting for datacenters error in multiplayer.

Though Infinity Ward and Activision trying their best to deliver better results with the server connectivity across the globe, it seems that multiple players are still having issues with the unexpected bugs and server connectivity errors in the multiplayer sessions whatsoever. To be precise, the “Timed Out Waiting for Datacenters” error has been occurring to the players in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2 eventually preventing them from getting into the gameplay sessions.

Fix: MW2 and Warzone 2 Timed Out Waiting for Datacenters Error

The specific “Timed Out Waiting for Datacenters [Reason: WOLTERS – FRANCIS]” error is mostly related to the Activision servers which might be down or have maintenance when you’re trying to join the game in the particular region. The best part is that not everyone is getting this error which is a sigh of relief. If we consider the Activision servers and the huge fanbase of the Modern Warfare 2 or Warzone 2 title then such an error seems common these days due to the overload of active players.

Luckily, there are a couple of workarounds mentioned below that should come in handy. Make sure to follow all troubleshooting methods until the error has been fixed. So, without further ado, let’s jump into it.

1. Restart the PC or Console

Before going into any other workaround, it’s recommended to simply restart your gaming device to ensure there is no temporary system glitch or cache data issue. A normal reboot of the system mostly fixes several issues whatsoever.

2. Check the Internet Connection

You can also check the internet connection at your end whether it’s working fine or not. A slow or unstable network connectivity can trigger several issues with the matchmaking or server connectivity. In some cases, too many devices are connected to the same network which can also reduce the data speed. If you’re using Wi-Fi, try using an ethernet connection for better stability. Otherwise, try using a different connection instead.

3. Run the Game as an Administrator

Ensure to run the Modern Warfare II or Warzone 2 application as an administrator on the PC by following the steps below to ensure there is no conflict with the system permissions while running the game.

• Go to the installed game directory on the PC.
• Right-click on the COD MWII.exe or Warzone2.exe application file.
• Click on Properties > Click on the Compatibility tab.

• Click on the Run this program as an administrator checkbox to enable it.
• Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save changes.

4. Check the Activision Online Services

You can check for Activision Online Services here to ensure there is an issue with the server downtime or outage. Sometimes the server unavailability or downtime can trigger several issues for the players. If the online status seems active or operational for all platforms then nothing to worry about. Keep retrying at your end. But if the online status seems problematic then wait for a couple of hours and try again. Visit the page and select Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II or Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 from the drop-down menu depending on what you’re playing.

5. Update MW2 or Warzone 2

It’s always recommended to check for the Call of Duty Modern Warfare II or Warzone 2 game update on your PC manually by following the steps below. An outdated game patch version might trigger several issues with the game launching or server connectivity in most cases.

Battle.net:

• Open the Battle.net client.
• Select Modern Warfare II or Warzone 2.0 from the library.
• Click on the cog wheel icon next to the game.
• Click on Check for Updates.
• If an update is available, just download and install it.

Steam:

• Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
• Right-click on Modern Warfare II or Warzone 2.0 > Select Properties.
• Click on Updates > From Automatic Updates, select Only update this game when I launch it.
• Now, launch Modern Warfare II > Wait for it to download whenever available.
• Go back to the Updates section and select High Priority – Always auto-update this game before others (if you want).

For PlayStation:

• Turn On your PS4/PS5 console > Go to the Home screen.
• Now, navigate to the main menu on top.
• Head over to the Games tab.
• Select Call of Duty: MWII or Warzone 2.0 to highlight it.
• Press the Options button on your controller.
• Finally, choose Check for Update from the drop-down menu.

For Xbox:

• Turn On your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S gaming console.
• Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the menu.
• Now, scroll down to the right > Choose 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.

6. Scan and Repair the Game Files

Sometimes corrupted or missing game files on the PC might also trouble you while starting the game or conflict with the server connectivity. It’s always better to verify and repair the game files by following the steps below on your PC to avoid errors.

Battle.net:

• Open Battle.net > Click on Modern Warfare II or Warzone 2.
• Select the Cog Wheel icon next to the Play button.
• Now, select Scan and Repair > Wait for the repair to complete.

Steam:

• Open Steam > Go to Library.
• Right-click on Modern Warfare II or Warzone 2 in your library.
• Go to Settings and select Properties.
• Click on Local Files > Select Verify integrity of game files.
• Wait for the process to complete.
• Finally, run the game to check for the error.

7. Power Cycle the Console

You can try performing the power cycle method on your Xbox or PlayStation console to avoid temporary system glitches or cache issues. To do that:

• First of all, shut down your console completely.
• Once turned off, unplug the power cable from the console.
• Now, wait for around 30 seconds, and then plug the cable back in.
• Finally, power on the console, and check for the issue again.

8. Power Cycle the Wi-Fi Router

We’ll also recommend you perform a power cycle to your Wi-Fi router by following the steps below to easily clear networking glitches or temporary cache issues.

• Just Power Off the Wi-Fi router.
• Once the LED indicator stops blinking, unplug the power cable from the power source.
• Now, wait for around 30 seconds, and then plug back the power cable in.
• Then Power On the router and check for the issue again.

9. Try Using VPN

Make sure to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service on the router or the gaming device directly to check if the server connectivity issue still appears or not. One thing you should keep in mind is that though VPNs can be useful for connecting to the game servers or accessing online content quite easily, it can increase buffering in content loading or ping delay in video games.

10. Flush the DNS Cache

It seems that your system has stored unnecessary DNS cache data which are related to the internet configuration. It might trigger several issues with the internet connectivity or reaching to the game servers up to some extent. You can follow the steps below to easily connect with the game servers after removing the DNS resolver cache data from the system.

• Open the Start menu > Type Command Prompt and search for it.
• Now, right-click on Command Prompt > Select Run as administrator.
• Click on Yes to run with the admin access > Once the command prompt window opens, type the following command and hit Enter:

ipconfig /flushdns

• A successful message will appear that says, Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.
• Finally, close the command prompt window, and restart the PC to apply changes.

11. Update the Network Driver

It may also be possible that somehow your networking driver becomes outdated for a while and that’s why you’re encountering issues with the server connectivity. To do this:

• Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
• Select Device Manager > Double-click on Network adapters.
• Now, right-click on the active network adapter.

• Select Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
• If there is an update available, it’ll automatically download and install the update.
• Once done, you can restart your computer to apply changes.

12. Turn Off Windows Firewall

Windows Firewall basically prevents unauthorized ongoing connections from the PC to online servers. You can try turning it off temporarily to check for the issue again.

• Open the Start Menu > Type Windows Firewall.
• Click on Windows Defender Firewall to open from the search result.

• Now, click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off from the left pane.

• Make sure to turn off all the Private, Domain, and Public Network Settings options.
• Finally, click on OK to save changes.

13. Disable Antivirus

You can also try turning off the Windows Defender antivirus protection on your PC to ensure there is no antivirus software blocking the game files from running properly.

• Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
• Click on Update & Security > Click on Windows Security from the left pane.
• Now, click on the Open Windows Security button.
• Go to Virus & Threat Protection > Click on Manage Settings.
• Next, you’ll need to Turn Off the Real-time Protection toggle.
• If prompted, click on Yes to proceed further.

Please Note: If you’re using any other third-party antivirus program on your PC then just turn off the real-time protection feature.

14. Use a Public DNS

Sometimes a custom DNS server address specified by your ISP (Internet Service Provider) might have issues with the game server connectivity. You should always try changing the DNS server address to a public domain such as Google DNS or Cloudflare DNS for better reachability across the globe and speed. Make sure to follow the steps below to easily add the Google Public DNS address on your PC and console to fix the particular issue.

Google DNS Value: Primary = 8.8.8.8 and Secondary = 8.8.4.4

Cloudflare DNS Value: Primary = 1.1.1.1 and Secondary = 1.0.0.1

For PC:

• Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialogue box.
• Now, type control and hit Enter to open Control Panel.
• Click on Network and Internet > Select Network and Sharing Center.
• Go to your Connections to select Ethernet, Wi-Fi, etc.
• Next, click on Properties > Double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP /IPv4) to open a new window.

• Click on Use the following DNS server addresses and input 8.8.8.8 as a Preferred DNS server.
• Enter 8.8.4.4 as the Alternate DNS server > Click on the checkbox of Validate settings upon exit.
• Click on OK to confirm the changes > Reboot the PC to apply changes.

For Xbox:

• Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the Guide menu.
• Go to the System tab > Select Settings.
• Choose Network > Select Network Settings.
• Select Advanced Settings.
• Select DNS Settings > Select Manual.
• Enter 8.8.8.8 for the Primary DNS Address and 8.8.4.4 for the Secondary DNS Address.
• Once done, reboot the console to apply the changes.

For PlayStation:

• Go to the Settings menu from the PS4/PS5 home screen.
• Select Network > Go to Set Up Internet Connection.
• Choose Custom > Select Automatic to IP Address Settings.
• Select DHCP Host Name to Do Not Specify.
• Now, select DNS Settings to Manual.
• Go to Primary DNS > Set the 8.8.8.8 value.
• Then set the Secondary DNS to the 8.8.4.4 value.
• Select Next > Choose MTU Settings to Automatic.
• Next, choose Proxy Server to Do Not Use.

Please Note: If the Google DNS value doesn’t work then make sure to use Cloudflare DNS to check for the improvement.

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