DOWNLOAD · WINDOWS

IW4L Mobile for PC

IW4L-Mobile-1.0-windows.zip34 MB

Extract the ZIP, then run IW4L Mobile.exe from the folder.

Requirements: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), a DirectX 12 or Vulkan capable graphics card, and MW2 (2009) installed through Steam, on your own account, on that PC.

You need your own licensed copy of MW2 (2009) on Steam. See what you need before you start

LEGAL NOTICE IN SHORT

Legal notice in short

All game content (maps, models, textures, sounds, code) belongs to Activision Publishing, Inc. and its licensors.
IW4L Mobile does not include, distribute, upload or host any game files. Every player provides their own copy.
You need to own MW2 (2009) on your own Steam account. Pirated, cracked or copied game files are not supported.
You are responsible for following the license of your game and the Steam Subscriber Agreement. See Legal for the details.

GAME FILES

How you get the game files

IW4L Mobile never gives you game files. They always come from your own Steam copy:

Where they come from: Read from your existing Steam install of the game
How ownership is checked: You install the game through Steam yourself

In every case, the files go from Steam to your own device and stay there. They are never sent to IW4L's servers or to other players.

STEP 01

Install MW2 (2009) in Steam

If it is not installed yet: open Steam, go to your Library, select the game and click Install. On PC, IW4L only reads the files of that install. It does not download any game files itself and never asks for your Steam password.

Only use a copy that Steam installed from your own library. Copies from other sources (downloads from other websites, files copied from someone else) are not supported.

STEP 02

Install IW4L Mobile

Download IW4L-Mobile-1.0-windows.zip (or the newest version you were sent).
Right-click the ZIP and choose Extract All…. Put the folder anywhere, for example in Documents or on the Desktop.
Open the IW4L Mobile folder and double-click IW4L Mobile.exe.
If a blue "Windows protected your PC" window appears, click More info, then Run anyway. (This version is not yet signed with a Windows certificate.)

STEP 03

Choose your game folder (first launch)

A welcome message asks you to choose your MW2 (2009) folder. Click OK.
A folder window opens. If Steam has the game, it is already selected: just click OK. Otherwise find the folder yourself; it is the one that contains main and zone, usually: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
IW4L checks that it is the original MW2 (2009) and remembers the folder.

IW4L only reads the original game files. It never changes, adds or deletes anything in your game folder, and other mods or third-party clients in or next to that folder are ignored.

STEP 04

First start of the game

Read the "not affiliated" notice, choose your name, and you are in the main menu.

Updates: replace the IW4L Mobile folder with the new one from the ZIP. Your settings and progress are kept (they are stored separately, see below).

PLAYING

Playing

1v1 online: main menu → 1V1 RUST (SNIPERS). IW4L connects to the nearest relay server (Europe, Asia or the US) and finds an opponent; you see who you play, then a Starting in 5 countdown. You are matched with players on the same server.
Against bots: Create Game, pick a map, add bots and choose their skill. Works fully offline.
Trickshot Training: practise trickshots with a dummy bot and explosive bullets.
Classes and progress: Create a Class, Barracks (challenges, prestige). Items unlock as you level up, as in the original game.

How online play works: matches are hosted by one of the players. Our relay servers only pass match traffic (like movement and shots) between players. No game files are ever sent over the network: every player loads the maps, models and sounds from their own copy. IW4L Mobile never connects to Activision's official servers and can't be used to play on them. More details: How multiplayer works.

Play fair: cheating, hacking or modifying game files is not supported or allowed in IW4L Mobile.

PRIVACY

Your data and privacy

No IW4L account and no tracking. IW4L Mobile does not create an account for you and has no ads or analytics.
Steam sign-in (iPhone and Mac only): your password is sent encrypted directly to Steam, is never stored, and never reaches IW4L's servers. The sign-in is revoked after the download.
Online play: like any online game, our relay servers (in Ashburn USA, Singapore and Falkenstein Germany) need your IP address to deliver match traffic. The name you choose is visible to other players, so don't use your real name if you'd rather not. Offline modes send nothing.
Log files stay on your device unless you choose to send them to us.
Where your progress is stored: %LOCALAPPDATA%\IW4L Mobile

Questions about your data: iw4mobile@gmail.com.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Troubleshooting

"Windows protected your PC": Click More info, then Run anyway.
"This is not a Modern Warfare 2 folder": Choose the folder that contains main and zone (see the game folder step above). Only the original Steam install is supported.
Choose a different game folder: Delete game-folder.txt in %LOCALAPPDATA%\IW4L Mobile and start IW4L again.
Steam sign-in fails: Check the account name (not your email) and password, and approve the sign-in in the Steam app. If you have signed in many times in a row, Steam may ask you to wait a few minutes.
1v1 search takes long: You are matched with players on your nearest server; while there are few players, waiting is normal.
Something else: Send a description and the newest log file: %LOCALAPPDATA%\IW4L Mobile\logs. Never send us game files, and never share your Steam password with anyone, including us.

LEGAL

Legal

Game content. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and all of its content, including maps, models, textures, sounds, music and code, are owned by Activision Publishing, Inc. and its licensors. IW4L Mobile does not include, distribute, upload or host any of it.

Your own copy. IW4L Mobile only works with game files from your own licensed copy of MW2 (2009) on Steam. On iPhone and Mac, the files are downloaded directly from Steam to accounts that own the game. On PC, they are read from your own Steam install. Pirated, cracked or copied game files are not supported.

Your responsibility. When you bought the game, you agreed to Activision's license for it and to the Steam Subscriber Agreement. Using IW4L Mobile does not change those agreements, and you are responsible for following them. Use your own Steam account only.

Free and non-commercial. IW4L Mobile is free, will never be sold, and has no ads, donations or paid features. It is an independent fan project made for personal use.

No changes to the game. IW4L Mobile never modifies, patches or replaces any official game files, and does not connect to Activision's official servers.

No warranty. IW4L Mobile is experimental software provided "as is", without warranty of any kind.

Rights holders. If you represent Activision, its licensors or Valve and have any concern about this project, please contact iw4mobile@gmail.com. We respond promptly.

IW4L Mobile is based on the IW4L game runtime by vladtrc and contributors. It contains no game content and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Activision Publishing, Inc., Infinity Ward or Valve Corporation. Call of Duty and Modern Warfare are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. Steam is a trademark of Valve Corporation. Apple, iPhone, Mac and TestFlight are trademarks of Apple Inc. Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.