Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 · Xbox, PS5 · version Beta, early accessEndless "checking for updates" loop at launch
ConfirmedPartially patchedUpdated
On Xbox and PlayStation the game can keep checking for updates, or asking to exit for an update, without ever starting; some players get an error or crash to the dashboard. In the Beta on Xbox it came from missing content packs, and the installer was changed to prompt for them. In Early Access players on Xbox and PS5 report the loop again, including when launching DMZ. On PC, launching can stop on repeated "Update Requires Restart" prompts; Infinity Ward's Trello board said connection timeouts caused them, and on October 25 moved that card to Resolved (Fix Released); no patch notes list that fix.
Lifecycle
Partial · stage 4 of 5
69days open
Since first report
- Reported (reached)
- Confirmed (reached)—
- Acknowledged (reached)
- Partial (reached) · now
- Patched (not yet)next
- Game
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
- Platform
- Xbox, PS5
- Affected version
- Beta, early access
- Kind
- Bug
- Confirmation
- Confirmed
- Patch status
- Partially patched
- First reported
- Last updated
- Latest fix or workaround
- Fix, : The Xbox installer was improved so players are prompted automatically to install every pack the Beta needs. Source
How we label issues
Kind
- Exploit: Repeatable and clearly advantageous to the player using it; essentially cheating.
- Bug: Everything else: crashes, launch errors, broken features, visual or audio faults.
Confirmation
- Confirmed: A developer or official account acknowledged it, an official known-issues board lists it, it appears in official patch notes, or 100+ corroborating posts on X were actually counted.
- Unconfirmed: None of the above yet. Press articles are reports and never confirm an issue on their own.
Patch status
- Unpatched: Known and open; no fix has been claimed.
- Reported as unpatched: Players credibly report it persisting, including after a fix claim that never appeared in patch notes.
- Partially patched: Official patch notes list a fix, but credible later reports say it still happens, or the notes only cover part of it.
- Reported as patched: A developer, official account or player says it is fixed, but no official patch notes list it.
- Patched: Official patch notes (a Steam news post or the publisher's patch notes page) list the fix, and nothing credible says it still happens.
Active means still affecting players: Unpatched, Reported as unpatched or Partially patched. Patched and Reported as patched issues are closed.
Estimated impact runs from 0.1 to 9.9 with one decimal. xploitr sets it from the rubric below. Factors: advantage to other players, reach, play blocked or progress lost, frequency, and whether a reliable workaround exists. Patched issues keep their historical impact.
Signed-in community members can report new issues and suggest status changes, such as Fixed or Still unpatched, with their platform, version and a source. Every report and suggestion is reviewed by an editor before anything on the record changes. A new issue is published only when the report has at least three independent sources (distinct accounts, or distinct sites for web pages, after blocked sources are removed), unless the owner approved that issue by hand. Approved input appears as a dated Update from the xploitr community source on the issue's timeline, credited to the member's username (reports can opt out and stay anonymous); nothing is counted or published automatically.
Impact bands
- 0.1–2.9 Low: Cosmetic, audio, text and UI glitches with no effect on play.
- 3.0–4.9 Moderate: Narrow gameplay bugs or small exploits, rare or with a workaround.
- 5.0–6.9 Elevated: Bugs most players in a mode notice: hit registration, desync, balance-breaking damage.
- 7.0–8.4 High: Widely abused competitive or economy exploits; crashes many players hit.
- 8.5–9.9 Severe: Launch blockers, widespread progress or item loss, exploits that break the game for everyone.
Each issue has a dated timeline of updates (report, acknowledgement, announcement, fix, workaround). Update summaries are our own words; quotes and excerpts are the source's words, or our English translation when marked.
Updates · 14
- Workaround
Xbox players stuck on "checking for updates" may not have installed all the Beta content; installing the Campaign, Multiplayer and Warzone packs from Manage game and add-ons fixes it.
@CODUpdates on X ·
@CODUpdates on X · · View post
- Report
Beta on Xbox Series X stops at "checking for updates", then shows a disc read error and crashes to the dashboard.
@jcriver442 on X ·
@jcriver442 on X · · View post
- Fix
Beta patch notes for August 23: the Xbox installer now prompts players to add any content packs the Beta needs.
Infinity Ward on Publisher patch notes ·
“Improved the installation process for XBOX players who are missing any content packs required to play the Beta. Players will now be automatically prompted to include these packs during installation.”
Infinity Ward on Publisher patch notes · Open source - Fix
Beta notes: the Xbox installer now prompts for missing content packs (the cause of the Beta update loop).
Publisher patch notes ·
“Improved the installation process for XBOX players who are missing any content packs required to play the Beta. Players will now be automatically prompted to include these packs during installation.”
Publisher patch notes · Open source - Fix
The Xbox installer was improved so players are prompted automatically to install every pack the Beta needs.
@CODUpdates on X ·
@CODUpdates on X · · View post
- Report
Same on PlayStation: the game keeps asking to exit for an update over and over.
@iMaybeSad on X ·
@iMaybeSad on X · · View post
- Report
Early Access on Xbox consoles is stuck in an endless loop of checking for updates: an error appears and the process starts over.
@aleksanderAwer on X ·
@aleksanderAwer on X · · View post
- Report
DMZ crashes on launch or loops on "Validating files" / checking for updates and never starts.
@ii7uss on X ·
@ii7uss on X · · View post
- Report
Thread '"Checking for Updates..."' (Steam/PC, Oct 21): 'Does this happen to anyone else?'
Don_Gordon · Steam · Forum thread ·
“Does this happen to anyone else?”
Don_Gordon · Steam · Forum thread · Open source
- Report
Oct 21: the prompt is still appearing under new wording after the latest update.
Deadite · Steam · Forum reply ·
“wait for the new version of "update requires restart" ...........its now "restart required by update" different wording, the same bollocks .... 10/10 ...... *slow clap*”
Deadite · Steam · Forum reply · Open source - Report
Oct 22: 'Update requires restart' is still in the game.
@ItisKennyKane on X ·
@ItisKennyKane on X · · View post
- Report
Oct 22 (Steam, PC): a new player cannot get past the "Checking for update" message despite verifying files, changing DNS and restarting.
barf symptoms · Steam · Forum thread ·
“Bought the game and already running into problems, typical CoD. Can't get past the "Checking for update" message: verified game files, changed DNS, restarted - nothing.”
barf symptoms · Steam · Forum thread · Open source - Acknowledged
Infinity Ward's Trello card (PC): "Update Requires Restart" prompts come from connection timeouts and are to be addressed in an upcoming patch.
Infinity Ward on Trello ·
“Some players may encounter 'Update Requires Restart' prompts due to connection timeouts. We are monitoring the situation and are looking to address this in an upcoming patch.”
Infinity Ward on Trello · Open source - Acknowledged
Oct 25: Infinity Ward's Trello card for the PC "Update Requires Restart" prompts, now under Resolved and marked Fix Released. No patch notes list the fix.
Infinity Ward (Trello) on Trello ·
“Some players may encounter 'Update Requires Restart' prompts due to connection timeouts.”
Infinity Ward (Trello) on Trello · Open source
Sources · 146 Official8 CommunityInfinity Ward · Publisher patch notesOfficial+ 8 similar community reports and 5 official postsHide
“Improved the installation process for XBOX players who are missing any content packs required to play the Beta. Players will now be automatically prompted to include these packs during installation.”
- Publisher patch notesOfficialOpen
“Improved the installation process for XBOX players who are missing any content packs required to play the Beta. Players will now be automatically prompted to include these packs during installation.”
- @CODUpdatesOfficialView post
“📢 Call of Duty: #ModernWarfare4 Beta Xbox players stuck on the "checking for updates" message may have not installed all of the Beta content correctly. To fix, go to the application -> press start -> manage games and add-ons -> select game installed -> install Campaign, Multiplayer and Warzone …”
- @CODUpdatesOfficialView post
“📢 Call of Duty: #ModernWarfare4 Beta The installation process on XBOX has been improved in today's update. Players will now be automatically prompted to install any packs required to play the #MW4 Beta.”
- Infinity Ward · TrelloOfficialOpen
“Some players may encounter 'Update Requires Restart' prompts due to connection timeouts. We are monitoring the situation and are looking to address this in an upcoming patch.”
- Infinity Ward (Trello) · TrelloOfficialOpen
“Some players may encounter 'Update Requires Restart' prompts due to connection timeouts.”
- @ii7ussView post
“@CallofDuty I am experiencing a persistent issue with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 , DMZ , Whenever I try to launch the game, it crashes or gets stuck in a loop saying "Validating files" (or checking for updates), and the game fails to start properly.”
- @ItisKennyKaneView post
“@MattCoze Update requires restart still in the game Purple sky glitch requiring a shaders reload Server crashes losing my collected DMZ kit EBMM SBMM that we haven't even seen yet Aim Assist is for low skilled players Only shills look pathetic, criticism is normal.”
- @jcriver442View post
“Modern warfare 4 beta not working for me. Stops at checking for updates then gives a disc read error then crashes to dashboard. Xbox series x @ATVIAssist”
- @iMaybeSadView post
“@CODUpdates PlayStation too not working it keeps saying exit for update over and over again”
- @aleksanderAwerView post
“@CallofDuty @InfinityWard @CODUpdates Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is not working on Xbox consoles. The game is stuck in an endless loop of checking for updates. An error appears, and then the whole process starts all over again.”
- Don_GordonSteam · Forum threadOpen
“Does this happen to anyone else?”
- DeaditeSteam · Forum replyOpen
“wait for the new version of "update requires restart" ...........its now "restart required by update" different wording, the same bollocks .... 10/10 ...... *slow clap*”
- barf symptomsSteam · Forum threadOpen
“Bought the game and already running into problems, typical CoD. Can't get past the "Checking for update" message: verified game files, changed DNS, restarted - nothing.”