Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 players on PS5 and PS4 can rest easy as Infinity Ward and Activision have confirmed that the SMS Protection Policy only applies to PC players. This means that all Modern Warfare 2 console players, whether they are on PS5, PS4, or Xbox, will be able to play the game without attaching a phone number to their account.
Why is the Modern Warfare 2 SMS Protection Policy not on PS5 or PS4?
The SMS Protection Policy is meant to stop players from having multiple Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 accounts for the purpose of trolling opponents at a lower skill level. The practice known as “smurfing” has been a problem in the Call of Duty PC community for a while, so much so that Call of Duty: Warzone PC players were introduced to SMS Protection in May 2020. Activision did clarify that a mobile phone number is required to play Modern Warfare 2 “on PC”, so players on PS5, PS4, and Xbox are exempt from the policy.
New players hoping to try Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 on PC will also need to submit a text-enabled mobile phone number when that game is released. Once again, players on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One will be exempted from needing a phone number to be able to play the game. Warzone players who had previously verified their account on PC would not need to provide any additional information either.
