Activision assures Building 21 in DMZ is still free amid Modern Warfare 2 purchase bug

Activision appeared to have silently changed the rules surrounding Building 21 in Warzone 2’s DMZ mode. Where previously, anyone could access this loot-rich area, it became locked off for those who hadn’t yet purchased Modern Warfare 2 in full However, it now seems this was nothing more than an in-game error.

When it comes to high-tier loot in Warzone 2’s DMZ game mode, few locations come close to rivaling Building 21. As one of the most highly regarded areas in Al Mazrah, this POI contains an abundance of supplies and in general, serves as one of the hottest combat zones on the map.

Since its arrival in Season 1 Reloaded, it’s been one of the most popular fighting spots and a must-visit area for those looking to make the most of their DMZ runs. However, the rules of engagement just temporarily changed.

Seemingly without any public acknowledgment in patch notes, official dev blog posts, or on social channels, Building 21 suddenly functioned differently in DMZ. Rather than being open to all players, it became inaccessible for those playing the F2P version of Warzone 2.

Dexerto’s sister site CharlieIntel revealed as much on May 1, sharing that both early reports and conversations directly with Activision Support have all but locked in the news. “Infinity Ward quietly updated Building 21 in DMZ to no longer be accessible unless you purchased Modern Warfare 2,” the post read.

Attaching a thread from ‘WarzoneTacMap’ on Twitter, this player shared their recent conversation with Activision Player Support. In the conversation, a representative confirmed that in order to open the door and access Building 21, you indeed must own Modern Warfare 2. Without a premium copy of the game, “only regular DMZ is available to you,” they added.

Shortly after this news circulated, however, Activision broke its silence and issued a statement on the controversy. With a definitive stance, the devs at Infinity Ward clarified Building 21 is still indeed free for all players.

“DMZ’s Building 21 is intended to be free to play for all Warzone 2.0 Players. We have been tracking an issue that placed components of this particular map in a Multiplayer DLC pack, resulting in it being inaccessible for Players who do not own MWII. This will be addressed in an upcoming update.”

Currently, this key issue regarding Building 21 is flagged on the game’s official Trello board, though an exact ETA on the fix is yet to be made clear.