MW2 Recompiled (Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 recompilation)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 came out in 2009 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, so unlike most games on this site it already has an official PC version on Steam. MW2 Recompiled is something else: it takes the Xbox 360 build and makes it a native PC program. The repository was created on 26 September 2026, the first build (0.1.0) followed the next day, and more than a dozen releases came out in the following three weeks.

Looking for the browser game? Modern Warfare 2 Browser Port (OVZ) is a different project, a browser remake of the multiplayer that was taken down after a DMCA request.

This site is not affiliated with PaulCombal, Activision, Infinity Ward or Microsoft.

What it is

• A static recompilation: the disc’s two programs, the campaign (default.xex) and the multiplayer (default_mp.xex), are translated from PowerPC to C++ with XenonRecomp and compiled for x86-64. It is not an emulator.
• Based on the patched game: the launcher applies title update 6 to your disc’s executables during install, the way the console would.
• What’s in the download: the release archives hold the two game programs and a launcher, about 20 MB each. As with other prebuilt static recompilations, those programs contain the game’s code translated for PC; the README says no game code or data is in the repository, and all maps, models and sound come from your disc.

Background: our recompiled games list.

Why play the Xbox 360 version on PC?

The project doesn’t explain why its author chose the console version, so we can’t confirm a reason. What it offers, going by its README and docs:

• the Xbox 360 game as it was, with split screen for extra controllers and system link;
• 60 fps (or higher with the FPS limit raised), MSAA, any window size, and drawing at 720p, 1440p or 4K;
• a field of view slider from 65 (the console’s value) to 120;
• a native Linux build next to the Windows one;
• a launcher profile editor that sets your rank and prestige or unlocks everything.

If you want the PC version with mouse and keyboard, the official Steam release is still there; MW2 Recompiled covers the menus only with the keyboard and wants a controller.

Current status

Works, per the README: the campaign and multiplayer, private matches and system link, a 360-style controller with rumble. Not supported: public matchmaking and ranked playlists. Special Ops is untested.

Version 0.6.0 added a step that compiles all the game’s shaders for your graphics card before the first start (about a minute) to avoid stutter, and raised the CPU requirement to SSE4.2.

Known problems: on 20 October 2026 there were 13 open issues, among them heavy stutter in the campaign on some PCs, low frame rates on Steam Deck, especially in four-player split screen, and reports of the game not starting. We didn’t play it ourselves.

Online play

• Steam build: with Steam running, the game shows up as Spacewar, and you invite friends to a private match from the friends list. Only your Steam friends can join.
• LAN build: system link finds games on the same network, without Steam. Anyone on that network can reach the game.
• There is no public matchmaking, so strangers can’t join.

The project says it fixed the known security holes in the 2009 network code, listed in its security notes, but its advice stands: it is still old code, so play online only with people you trust.

What you need

• An ISO or extracted folder of your own Xbox 360 disc, version 1.0.557 (USA/Europe). The launcher checks it and copies the game files beside itself. We don’t explain how to obtain or copy game data.
• 64-bit Windows or Linux on a processor with SSE4.2 (Intel Core from 2008, AMD from 2011).
• A Vulkan 1.2 graphics card and 8 GB of free disk space.
• A controller. The keyboard only covers the menus.

How to install

At a high level, from the README: download the Steam or LAN build for your system from the project’s GitHub Releases page and extract it anywhere. Start mw2-launcher, choose INSTALL GAME and point it to your disc image; it copies the files and applies the title update. Then start the campaign or multiplayer from the launcher. The launcher can also check for and install new releases.

Other Modern Warfare 2 projects

• Android forks: several repositories build on MW2 Recompiled to make Android versions or PC-Android crossplay. They are separate, little-used projects and not from PaulCombal, so we don’t link them.
• Modern Warfare 2 Browser Port (OVZ): the browser remake of the multiplayer, offline since October 2026.

Is it official, and is it safe?

• MW2 Recompiled is an unofficial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Activision, Infinity Ward or Microsoft.
• Get it only from the official GitHub repository. Online, play only with people you know.
• Legality depends on where you live; the project requires files from a copy you own.

Not working?

• Stutter on the first start or after a driver update: the launcher recompiles the shaders then; let it finish.
• The game won’t start on an older PC: 0.6.0 needs a CPU with SSE4.2; check that first.
• Your disc is rejected: only version 1.0.557 is supported.
• Something else: the launcher’s REPORT A BUG button writes a report file and opens a new issue on GitHub. More Xbox 360 recompilations: GTA IV on PC and Forza Motorsport 4 on PC.

Unofficial. This page is written by an independent directory. It is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with Activision (developed by Infinity Ward) or PaulCombal (MW2 Recompiled (Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 recompilation)'s author). We do not host any files, and we never link to game files, ROMs or ISOs.