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IW4x (MW2 2009)

Required: You must own Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) on Steam. Install it first, then follow this guide.

IW4x (Modern Warfare 2, 2009) — Windows Setup

Read this first

  • You must own Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) on Steam and have it installed.
  • This guide uses the official IW4x Launcher.

Official quickstart: https://docs.iw4x.io/get-started/quickstart/#installing-iw4x

1) Locate your game folder

Default Steam paths (yours may differ):

  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
  • C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (2009)

You’re looking for the folder that contains iw4mp.exe (or the Steam MW2 2009 files) and main/.

2) Download the IW4x Launcher (Windows)

3) Install with the launcher (recommended)

  1. Move iw4x-launcher.exe into your MW2 (2009) game folder from Step 1.
  2. Double‑click the launcher to start installation.
  3. Follow the prompts; the launcher will download and install required IW4x files.
  4. Use the launcher to start IW4x Multiplayer going forward (it can also keep files updated).

4) Join servers

  • Server browser: Launch IW4x and use the in‑game browser to find and join servers.

  • Direct connect: Press ~ to open the console, then run:

    /connect ip:port

Replace ip:port with the server address you want to join.

5) Troubleshooting tips

  • “Game not found” or wrong path: Ensure you placed the launcher in the actual MW2 (2009) folder and not a parent directory.
  • Antivirus/SmartScreen prompts: Click “More info” → “Run anyway” and add an allow‑list exception if needed.
  • Stuck on updates: Close the launcher, verify your Steam MW2 (2009) files, then relaunch the IW4x launcher.
  • Still stuck? See the official quickstart linked above for platform‑specific notes and support.

References

Official quickstart and docs
Open IW4x Quickstart