How to fix Modern Warfare 2 “failed fetching crossplay friends list” error

Modern Warfare 2 players are encountering an error that’s causing the friends list not to work. If you’ve come across this problem then here’s how to fix the Modern Warfare 2 “failed fetching crossplay friends list” error.

With Season 3 in full effect, Modern Warfare 2 players are hopping into the game to check out every new addition that arrived in the seasonal update, such as the Intervention Sniper Rifle and various weapon balancing changes.

Playing Modern Warfare 2 is a lot more fun when your friends join the game with you, and crossplay allows you to play across platforms. However, a strange error has popped up that’s preventing players from accessing their friends list.

How to fix Modern Warfare 2 “failed fetching crossplay friends list”

Players that attempt to access their friends list are coming across a message that reads failed fetching crossplay friends list.” As a result, they’re unable to invite their buddies to join them in a Modern Warfare 2 match.

This could be due to server connectivity issues, outdated game files, or other reasons. While this is unfortunate, the good news is that there are a few workarounds that you can use to fix the Modern Warfare 2 “failed fetching crossplay friends list” error.

Restart the game

The easiest solution for getting rid of the “failed fetching crossplay friends list” error is to restart Modern Warfare 2. This has been shown to work for a few players as they were able to access their friends list after trying this.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Press the home button on either your Xbox or PlayStation controller, and head back to your console’s main screen.
2. Select Modern Warfare 2.
3. Press Start.
4. Select Close Application.
5. Restart Modern Warfare 2.

Check your internet connection

Another reason that you may encounter this error is if you have a poor internet connection. If this is the case then the solution is to try unplugging your router for approximately 20 seconds before restarting it.

Check the Modern Warfare 2 server status

Modern Warfare 2 may not be able to load your friends list if there is an issue with the servers. In this situation, the problem is not on your end, and all you can do is check the Modern Warfare 2 server status.

This can easily be done by just visiting the Activision Support Twitter page or the Infinity Ward Twitter page. If the issue is with the servers then all that’s left to do is wait for the developers to implement a fix.

Disable then enable Crossplay

Temporarily disabling crossplay may resolve this issue. However, you can only turn off crossplay on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Xbox and PC users need to have the feature enabled in Modern Warfare 2.

Here’s what you should do:

1. In the main menu, head to the game’s Settings.
2. Now select Account & Network from the tabs.
3. You should see an option that reads “Crossplay and Crossplay Communication”.
4. Simply pick the option that says Disable, and Crossplay will now be turned off.
5. Wait a bit and then set it to Enabled.

Verify the Modern Warfare 2 game files

If your Modern Warfare 2 game files on PC have become corrupted or damaged then you might encounter the “failed fetching crossplay friends list” error. Luckily, Steam allows you to verify the integrity of the game files.

Here’s what to do:

1. Open Steam and visit your Library.
2. Select Modern Warfare 2.
3. Right-click the game and select Properties.
4. Select Local Files.
5. Click on Verify Integrity of Game Files.

Disable anti-lag software

If you have anti-lag software installed on your system, particularly Exitlag, then you should disable it as this has been reported to work for some players.

Here’s how you can get this done:

1. Visit the Exitlag website.
2. Access your user panel.
3. Go to the My Account section.
4. Click Disable.

Invite your friends manually

In case none of these solutions fixed the “failed fetching crossplay friends list” error then you can try manually inviting your friends to a Modern Warfare 2 match. This can be done through the in-game channels option.

Here’s how to do this:

1. Launch Modern Warfare 2.
2. Click the headphone icon on the top right of the screen.
3. Select My channel.
4. Click the Invite button.

After you’ve successfully invited your friends to your channel, you can have them join your game by right-clicking on their names. This solution will work if you’re still unable to get past the “failed fetching crossplay friends list” message.

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For more on Modern Warfare 2, check out our other guides:

Best Modern Warfare 2 PC settings | Best Modern Warfare 2 controller settings | Best guns in Modern Warfare 2 | Best Assault Rifles in Modern Warfare 2 | Best audio settings for Modern Warfare 2 | Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Play rewards | Best Ranked Play loadouts for Modern Warfare 2 | Best SMGs in Modern Warfare 2

Image credit: Activision