How to Fix COD Warzone 2 Crashes or Freezes with High CPU Usage?

The all-new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0 has been released in the market that includes a lot of improvements, new maps, weapons, and more. However, players aren’t happy with the Warzone 2 release due to its bugs and errors. As a Call of Duty fan or Warzone fan, you’ll always prefer a more stable gaming experience, but somehow, COD Warzone 2 crashes or freezes with high CPU Usage on the PC, which feels frustrating.

Meanwhile, plenty of reports claim that some players are unexpectedly encountering low GPU usage or even 100% CPU usage on the PC while playing Warzone 2. Well, such issues may occur at your end due to several possible reasons, such as the lower system resources on the machine, not running the game with admin access, conflicts with the game files, outdated game versions, outdated graphics drivers, and so on.

1. Run the game as Administrator

Run the game app file on your PC as administrator access to allow the User Account Control (UAC) access to the system. In some cases, your system requires the UAC access permission to run a program which is quite important. By following the steps below you’ll have to allow the admin access for once and it won’t ask you for the same again. To do so:

Go to the installed Call of Duty: Warzone 2 game directory.
Right-click on the game application file on your PC.
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.
Finally, run the game to check for the issue.

Please Note: If you’re using the Steam or Battle.net client on the PC, then perform the same steps for the respective launcher to grant the admin access.

2. Use a Dedicated Graphics Card

It’s highly recommended to use the dedicated graphics card on the PC to run graphics-intensive games like COD MWII smoothly. It’ll basically reduce game stutters, lags, and frame drops apart from GPU not using 100% issues. If you don’t know which settings you need to adjust then follow the steps below.

For Nvidia GPU:

Right-click on the desktop screen > Open Nvidia Control Panel.
Go to 3D Settings > Click on Manage 3D Settings.
Open Program Settings > Select Call of Duty: Warzone 2 from the list.
Select the Preferred graphics processor for this program from the list.
Once done, you can see it as High-Performance Nvidia Processor.
Make sure to save changes and reboot the PC.

For AMD GPU:

Right-click on the blank desktop screen > Open AMD Radeon Settings.
Head over to Additional Settings > Go to Preferences.
Click on Power > Click on Switchable Graphics Application Settings.
Select Call of Duty: Warzone 2 from the list.
- If the game is not visible, select Add Application to include the game.
Once done, select High Performance from Graphics Settings.
Finally, reboot the PC to apply changes.

3. Update GPU Drivers

An outdated or corrupted graphics card driver can trigger multiple issues with the games or system performance while running programs. It’s highly recommended to check the graphics driver update. To do so:

Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
Click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on Display adapters.
Right-click on the dedicated graphics card that you’re currently using.

Device Manager Update Display Adapter

Click on Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
If the latest update is available, it’ll automatically download & install the latest version.
Once done, restart the computer to apply changes immediately.

Alternatively, you can manually download the latest graphics driver version and install it on the PC via the official website. Download the graphics driver file respective to your graphics card model and manufacturer. Nvidia graphics card users can update the GeForce Experience app via the Nvidia official site and AMD graphics card users can visit the AMD website for the same. At the same time, Intel graphics users can visit here.

4. Disable fullscreen optimizations

Sometimes turning off the fullscreen optimizations by the Windows system for your specific game application file should fix the compatibility issues for some PCs. Though it comes disabled by default, you should cross-check it to ensure that the fullscreen optimization isn’t enabled. To do this:

Open the Steam client > Click on Library.
Right-click on Call of Duty: Warzone 2 > Click on Manage.
Click on Browse local files > Head over to the Call of Duty: Warzone 2 installed folder.
Right-click on CallofDutyWarzone2.exe > Click on Properties.
Go to the Compatibility tab > Ensure to click on Disable fullscreen optimizations to checkmark it.
Once done, click on Apply and then OK to save changes.

5. Close Background Running Tasks

Unnecessary background running tasks or programs can eat up a lot of system resources like CPU or Memory usage literally reducing system performance. Hence, the startup crashing, lagging, and not loading issues often appear. Simply close all the unnecessary background running tasks completely. To do this:

Press the Ctrl+Shift+Esc keys to open up Task Manager.
Now, click on the Processes tab > Click to select the unnecessary task.
Click on End Task to close it > Do the same steps for other unnecessary third-party tasks.
Once done, restart your system to apply changes.

6. Use the Best Performance Power Plan

It’s also highly recommended to change the power plan on the computer because the Windows system uses the Balanced power plan by default. But it reduces performance which can be improved by changing the power plan. Keep in mind that the performance plan can consume higher power. To do so:

Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Type Control Panel in the field and click on OK from the search result to open it.
Now, search for Power Options (Power & battery) and open it.

Click on Best Performance > Reboot your PC to save changes immediately.

7. Update COD Warzone 2

In some scenarios, updating the game version is always a better idea because an outdated game patch version can trigger several potential issues on the gaming device that lead to crashes, lags, stutters, CPU/GPU-related issues, and more. To do so:

For Steam:

Open the Steam client > Go to Library.
Click on COD Warzone 2 from the list of installed games on the left pane.
Now, the client will automatically search for the available update.
If an update is available, you’ll see the Update option > click on it.
Wait for a couple of minutes or so until the game update completes. [Depends on the storage space and internet connectivity]
Once done, make sure to close the Steam client.
Finally, reboot your PC to apply changes, and launch the COD Warzone 2 game again.

For Battle.net:

Open the Battle.net launcher.
Click on the Blizzard logo from the top left corner.
Go to Settings > Click on Game Install/Update.
Click on Apply latest updates and download future patch data for recently played games to enable it.
Now, click on Done to save changes > Restart the Battle.net launcher to apply changes.
It should automatically update the game to the available version.

8. Verify and Repair Game Files

Sometimes corrupted or missing game files on the PC may trigger issues with the game launching or running smoothly. Make sure to verify the game files and repair them via the Steam or Battle.net client by following the steps below:

For Steam:

Open the Steam client on the PC and log into the account > Head over to Library.
Right-click on the COD Warzone 2 game from the left pane.
Click on Properties > Click on the Local Files tab.
Then click on Verify Integrity of game files…
Now, wait for the process to complete and close the Steam client.
Finally, restart the PC to apply changes.

For Battle.net:

Open the Battle.net client on your PC.
Click on the Call of Duty: Warzone 2 game.
Now, click on OPTIONS (Gear icon) > Click on Scan and Repair.
Choose Begin Scan and wait for the process to complete.
Once done, close the Battle.net launcher, and restart your PC.

9. Chipset Drivers are Outdated

If in case, your chipset drivers are outdated on the PC, such issues might appear a lot. It’s always better to check for updates and fix the low CPU usage or even not using the CPU while playing games. To do so:

Press the Win+X keys to open the Quick Link Menu.
Click on Device Manager from the list > Double-click on System Devices.
Right-click on the active chipset device from the list.
Click on Update driver > Choose Search automatically for drivers.
If the latest update is available, it’ll automatically download & install the latest version.
Once done, restart the computer to apply changes immediately.

Alternatively, you can directly visit the official chipset manufacturer’s website and grab the latest version of the processor model based on its architecture (64-bit). You can check the links below.

AMD
Intel

10. Try Disabling Overlay Apps

Sometimes a couple of applications may come with an additional overlay app that greatly helps the streamers or gamers. However, these overlay apps can eventually conflict with the game files to run smoothly and may cause several issues like FPS drops, black screen issues, lags, glitches, etc. You should try disabling the overlay apps manually before launching the game again to cross-check whether the crashing issue has been fixed or not. To do so:

Disable Discord Overlay:

Launch the Discord app > Click on the gear icon at the bottom.
Select Overlay under App Settings > Turn on the Enable in-game overlay.
Click on the Games tab > Select COD Warzone 2.
Finally, turn off the Enable in-game overlay toggle.
Make sure to reboot your PC to apply changes.

Disable Xbox Game Bar:

Press the Win+I keys to open Windows Settings.
Click on Gaming > Go to Game Bar > Turn off Record game clips, screenshots, and broadcast using the Game bar option.

Disable Nvidia GeForce Experience Overlay:

Launch the Nvidia GeForce Experience app > Head over to Settings.
Click on the General tab > Disable the In-Game Overlay option.
Finally, restart the PC to apply changes and launch the game again.

Some other overlay apps can cause trouble for you, something as MSI Afterburner, Rivatuner, RGB software, etc. You should turn them off as well.

11. Turn Off Antivirus Protection

You can also try turning off the Windows Defender option on your PC to ensure no antivirus software is 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.

If in case, you’re using any other antivirus program on your PC then make sure to turn it off.

12. Perform a Clean Boot

Multiple users claimed that performing a clean boot on the PC fixed the system boot-up issue because some apps or tasks start initially. These tasks run all the time and consume a lot of system resources. You should follow the steps below to do so:

Press the Win+R keys to open the Run dialog box.
Type msconfig and hit Enter to open System Configuration.
Go to Services > Click on Hide all Microsoft services to enable it.

Now, click Disable all so that the rest of the services are turned off.
Click on Apply and then OK to save changes.
Next, go to Startup > Click on Open Task Manager.
Click on the Startup tab > Ensure to select the specific task with a higher startup impact.
Now, click on Disable to turn it off.

Please Note: Do the same steps for each program with a higher startup impact except for the audio or graphics service.

Finally, make sure to restart your computer to apply changes.

13. Restore Default to Overclocked CPU or GPU

Sometimes overclocked CPU or GPU on the PC might cause conflicts with the other hardware, which may trigger a bottleneck issue. It’s better to temporarily disable or restore the overclocked CPU/GPU to the factory default so that you can check out the potential reason behind the crashing issue. Multiple tools are available online to adjust overclocked CPU or GPU on the PC such as MSI Afterburner, Riva Tuner, AMD Ryzen Master, EVGA Precision X, etc.

14. Reinstall COD Warzone 2

If none of the methods worked for you, try reinstalling the COD Warzone 2 game on the PC to check if that helps you fix the high CPU usage or crashing issue.

For Steam:

Open the Steam client on your PC.
Go to Library > Right-click on COD Warzone 2.
Select Uninstall > Click on Delete to confirm.
Wait for the uninstallation process to complete > Exit the Steam client.
Now, open the File Explorer application > Copy-paste C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common on the address bar and hit Enter to search for the location.
Go to the COD Warzone 2 folder > Delete the folder completely.
Reboot the PC to apply changes > Open Steam Store and Reinstall the COD Warzone 2 game again. [Obviously, this may take enough time but you should try it out]

For Battle.net:

Open the Battle.net desktop app > Select the COD Warzone 2 game icon you want to uninstall.
Select the drop-down menu next to the play button > Select Uninstall.
Once done, reboot the PC to apply changes.
Open the Battle.net client > Select Install for the COD Warzone 2 game.
Wait for the game to install completely and then restart the PC.

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

How to Fix COD Warzone 2 Crashes or Freezes with High CPU Usage?