Modern Warfare 2 Season 4 patch notes: New maps, weapons, Ranked Play changes, Spec Ops, and more

The Season 4 patch for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is currently live on all platforms, and it has brought several changes. Alongside the usual set of buffs and nerfs that refresh this title's meta each season, S4 offers several content improvements. From new maps and weapons to the last Atomgrad Raid episode, Season 4 has a lot to offer.

All of these new changes and content updates have been listed in the Season 4 patch notes of Modern Warfare 2.

Modern Warfare 2 Season 4 patch notes

Here is the Season 4 patch note of Modern Warfare 2 as mentioned in the official Call of Duty blog.

GLOBAL

Welcome to Season 04!

We’ll dive deep into all of the new content coming this Season below, but just a few highlights include:

1) Run this town: welcome to Vondel, our all-new medium-sized map!

Jump into the Assault on Vondel Event at Launch

2) Fight your way through six new Multiplayer Maps, including new Core, Gunfight, and Battle Maps

3) Update your Loadouts with three new weapons:

Tempus Razorback Assault Rifle
ISO 45 SMG
Tonfa Melee Weapon

4) The introduction of DMZ’s new Forward Operating Base (FOB), a centralized hub for all communications and Operator upgrades within DMZ

Keep reading for all the intel on this update, including new content, balance updates and bug fixes! For regular updates about live issues, patch notes and status updates from all studios and studio partners, follow @CODUpdates, launching with Season 04.

STABILITY

This update contains several fixes to reduce the number of known crashes. We continue to prioritize increased stability and crash fixes across all platforms.
Studio teams have made meaningful progress in deploying several server-related fixes and upgrades over the last few weeks. We have seen significant performance improvement in several areas of concern including crashes. We remain committed to tracking and pursuing these issues and will continue to share progress.

OPERATORS

New Operators

Nikto

The former FSB deep-cover agent was first spotted in Modern Warfare® (2019), using his menacing signature black mask to cover the disfiguration of his face caused by Mr. Z. A methodical and calculated soldier, Nikto is a natural-born leader who appears to fear nothing, with next to no gaps in his skill set as the ultimate soldier of fortune.

Ana Vega

The daughter of paramedics and Army reservists with family roots in Cuba, Ana Vega never had the opportunity to get to know her parents. Both were killed during rescue operations in the early days of the Urzikstan conflict. The Gold Star child followed in their footsteps in attempt to reconnect with her fallen parents, graduating with top honors from the United States Military Academy and enlisting in the Army’s Combat Medic Specialist Training Program (CMSTP). Proving her exemplary proficiency in combat and as a medic, she eventually caught the attention of her commanding officer, who fast-tracked her to a position on a prestigious Special Forces unit with the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Io (BlackCell)

IO of Modern Warfare 2 (Image via Activision)

[[REDACTED]].

WEAPONS

New Weapons

Tempus Razor Back: Assault Rifle

Tempus Razor Back Modern Warfare 2 (Image via Activision)

A masterclass in exceptional manufacturing, this Tempus Armament assault rifle features a bullpup design and frame-vibration control, resulting in a smooth and controllable full-auto 5.56 weapon.
Unlock in Battle Pass Sector D13

ISO 45: Submachine Gun

ISO 45 of Modern Warfare 2 (Image via Activison)

The ISO Platform’s answer to room clearing. This SMG dominates with a high fire rate and the stopping power of .45 Auto rounds.
Unlock in Battle Pass Sector D19

Tonfa: Melee

Tonfa of Modern Warfare 2 (Image via Activision)

This hard-polymer, edgeless melee weapon delivers blunt trauma without risk of dulling or breaking. Versatile, comfortable, and lethal in the right hands.
Unlock via Assault on Vondel Event

General

Shotgun

Pellets now use damage priority
If more than four pellets hit a target, the highest damage among those hit pellets will be used

Melee

Fist Lunge Range decreased
Gunbutt Lunge Range decreased
Gunbutt Damage decreased | Warzone Only

Weapon Balancing

These changes to Player Health and the application of Armor Damage ultimately result in the Time to Kill feeling slower, more consistent, and more reactable at every engagement distance.

While a select few Weapons are listed below, it is important to note that most Weapons will see their effectiveness altered as a result of the change to Armor Damage. For now, we will be retiring the term “Armor Damage” and any future changes that are Warzone specific will be followed by “Warzone Only.”

Battle Rifles

Cronen Squall

Full-Auto

Bullets to Kill increased by 2 | Warzone Only
Maximum Damage increased | Warzone Only
Minimum Damage added | Warzone Only

Semi-Auto

Bullets to Kill increased by 1 | Warzone Only
Maximum Damage decreased | Warzone Only
Minimum Damage increased | Warzone Only

Shotguns

Bryson 800

Minimum Damage decreased | Warzone Only
Head Multiplier increased
Neck Multiplier increased
Upper Torso Multiplier increased
Arm Multipliers increased
Leg Multipliers increased

Bryson 890

Minimum Damage decreased | Warzone Only
Head Multiplier increased
Neck Multiplier increased
Upper Torso Multiplier increased
Arm Multipliers increased
Leg Multipliers increased

Expedite 12

Minimum Damage added | Warzone Only
Leg Multipliers increased

KV Broadside

Mid Damage decreased

Lockwood 300

Minimum Damage decreased | Warzone Only
Head Multiplier increased
Neck Multiplier increased
Upper Torso Multiplier increased
Arm Multipliers increased
Leg Multipliers increased
Hip to ADS Spread transition speed increased
Becomes accurate faster after aiming down sights
Mid Damage Ranges increased
Mid Damage decreased slightly

Submachine Guns

Fennec 45

Bullets to Kill decreased by 1 | Warzone Only

Attachments

FTAC Siege

Akimbo FTAC Siege (NEW)
Unlock through in-game Challenge: 25 Hip Fire Operator kills with the FTAC Siege

Kastov-74u

KSTV-17 Barrel (NEW)
Added to Kastov-74u progression, replaces 5.45 Tracer at Level 9
Players who have progressed beyond this level will have it retroactively granted to their account following the launch of Season 4

KV Broadside

12 Gauge Dragon’s Breath
Close-range Damage increased slightly

Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue with the SZ Aggressor-IR Optic where its ADS penalty was higher than intended
Fixed an issue with 12-Gauge Dragon’s Breath residual damage where it would be counted as a headshot for scoring
Fixed an issue that caused Death Effects to intermittently occur on incorrect bodies
Fixed numerous incorrect Attachment unlock criteria
Fixed an issue where the in-game challenge completed overlay for the KL40-M2 Drill underbarrel Attachment showed a placeholder name
Fixed an issue causing the .300 BLK Overpressured +P ammunition to remain locked without unlock requirements, despite the Weapon being at max level
Fixed an issue where Bipod Attachments were not blocked on some Weapons when using the canted iron sights

EVENTS

NEW: Assault on Vondel

Your mission is to fight back against Nikto’s clandestine army, and reclaim the city in our seasonal event. The Assault on Vondel begins at the launch of Season 04 and goes through July 7. Earn rewards through two types of challenges during the event:
Community Challenges: All Players must work together to gather medals through classic challenges, unlocking gameplay rewards such as the Taxi Boat and Trams, Reinforcement Flare Field Upgrade, the Favorite Supply Box and a brand new Tonfa melee Weapon.
Mastery Challenges: Individual challenges that are directly tied to a cosmetic reward while also contributing to the Community Challenge. The most efficient way to get all cosmetic rewards is to land on Vondel, but playing across the game is also supported.

BATTLE PASS

Battle Pass

Unlock 100 tiers of content in this season’s Battle Pass, featuring 2 new weapons, Nikto and more! Check out the Season 04 Battle Pass blog for all the intel, including BlackCell.

GAMEPLAY

Movement

Parachute: Weapon Quick Raise is now always used when cutting your parachute or landing for improved responsiveness on landing

PERKS

Adjustments

Bomb Squad now scales both explosive damage and clamps the maximum damage unless the damage was a direct impact

FIELD UPGRADES

Bug Fixes

Field Upgrades now refund properly when shocked by a shock stick mid-deployment
Throwing Star kills now properly extend Battle Rage and Dead Silence

AUDIO

Adjustments

Added ability for War Tracks to play in 3D positions from Vehicles in the world, rather than only to Players riding in a Vehicle

UI/UX

New Features

Multiple Attacker Notifier Quality of Life

When a Player is downed while simultaneously under fire from multiple enemy Players, a text notifier will appear near their crosshair indicating the total number of recent attackers.

Adjustments

Added a new splash that calls out when a Player is downed or killed by more than one attacker
Players can now view Skins for locked Operators
Added the ability to select Skins for Tacticals and Lethals… check out the new Wumpa grenade!
Added the ability to remove all of your equipped attachments on your weapon by pressing and hold RT/R2 in Gunsmith.
Improved clarity on which Attachments have Skins, are Tunable, or are Pro-Tuned
Added the Pro-Tuned tag to the loadout preview widget for Blueprint-tuned Weapons
Added Pros and Cons for all Attachments
Improved usability of Loadout select
Perk Packages now use a double-stacked row
Additions and improvements to the HUD for Search and Destroy and Rescue Modes
Added reticles and tracers to the Loadout preview in Gunfight
Added a POI label under the Compass in Gunfight
General visual improvements to the HUD in Gunfight
Redesigned AAR and Scoreboard to accommodate 6v6 and larger matches

Global Bug Fixes

Fixed an issue where exiting the Tactical Camera would sometimes leave a blurry screen
Fixed an issue where the Player would have their controls locked if they tried to re-enter a Recon Drone as it dies, while looking through a Spotter Scope
Fixed an issue where the Wheelson could be deployed on top of other vehicles
Fixed an issue where the Player’s FOV would remained zoomed in after leaving control of the Gunship
Fixed an issue that prevented bots from being able to revive downed teammates
Fixed an issue where Weapon progress trackers could become misaligned with their Weapons in the Weapon Challenges menu
Fixed an issue where the Buy Battle Pass menu launched abruptly when accessed for the second time while on View Map in the Battle Pass tab
Fixed an issue where the Operator could disappear when the Player enters the Emblem or Calling Card tab and goes back
Fixed an issue where Players could experience dropped frames when switching Calling Card tabs
Fixed an issue where loot could be destroyed if a Player died on top of an exploding vehicle
Fixed an issue where the Player would exit the Light Helo but still remain inside of it
Fixed an issue that could cause Players to end up in a broken state when performing a roof exit on a vehicle as it blew up
Fixed an issue where vehicles didn't collide with Players reviving other Players
Fixed an issue where collision sounds on the armor of the armored pickup truck didn’t play
Fixed an issue causing a number of missing vehicle icons in Ground War's Tac Map legend

SPECIAL OPS

COOPERATIVE

Added display information when interacting with previously-claimed intel fragments
The number of intel fragments remaining for you in this missions
The distance to the nearest unclaimed intel fragment

BUG FIXES

Fixed an issue with timers conflicting with one another during the puzzle in Atomgrad Raid Episode 01
Fixed an issue where Players could crash if they used the Restart from Checkpoint feature in the maze in Atomgrad Raid Episode 01
Fixed an issue where Players could crash if they lingered at a puzzle for a long time in Atomgrad Raid Episode 01
Fixed an issue where the Oxygen Tank would disappear while ledge hanging in Atomgrad Raid Episode 01
Fixed an issue where enemies would plant bombs in the wall in Defender: Hafid Port
Fixed an issue where Players that have not made a Custom Loadout will see overlapping default Loadout UI

MULTIPLAYER

MAPS

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Kunstenaar District (Core 6v6)

Located west of the Museum in Vondel, the Kunstenaar District (translation: Arts District) features a row of townhouses, boutique shops, a central plaza, and a swimmable canal along its west flank.

Showdown (Core 6v6)

Showdown map of Modern Warfare 2 (Image via Activision)

The iconic map returns! It’s a great place to practice for those hot drops . . . or just drop airstrikes and helicopter Killstreaks with Gold weapons just like old times.

Mawizeh Marsh (Battle Map)

Mawizeh Marshlands is from the region of the Al Mazrah map containing the infamous River Diamond Luxury Resort . . . or what’s left of it.

Ahkdar Village (Battle Map)

Ahkdar Village of Modern Warfare 2 (Image via Activision)

Action is mostly contained in the village (where Showdown is also located), and its most notable borders are the railroad to the south and the stepped farms and base of the mountain to the north. Vehicular combat may be frequent within the city walls, although infantry can take to the battlements, rooftops, and alleyways to counter them.

Mercado (Gunfight)

The Mercado is a section of Las Almas cleared out for Gunfight and Face Off battles. Combat within this large, covered structure will be frenetic on multiple levels, so get ready to stay close to your duo or trio, get in, and get out.

Penthouse (Gunfight)

Penthouse map of Modern Warfare 2 (Image via Activision)

Time to take Gunfights all the way up to the top. The Penthouse, situated in the heart of Chicago, features a lap pool, an outdoor firepit, and a tight-angled modern interior.

Bug Fixes

Fixed various collision and/or geometry issue on MultiPlayer maps
Fixed an issue on Guijarro where the Overwatch Helo would drop from the sky when leaving the Map

PLAYLIST

Added Battle Map (12v12) Search and Destroy
Added Battle Map (12v12) Prisoner Rescue

Added to Quickplay:

10v10
3rd Person
Infected
Gun Game
Drop Zone
Grind

GENERAL

Adjustments

Tuned spawns for Breenbergh Hotel, Black Gold, Exhibit, and Himmelmatt Expo
Updated the rate at which UAV sweeps are performed for the infected team in Giant Infected:
One sweep every 20 seconds by default
One sweep every 3 seconds when less than 24 survivors remain
Updated class tables to include Blueprints through Season 03 Reloaded
Moved the bag locations from the top of barrels to the ground on Black Gold in Knock Out
Added “Score Limit” and “Time Limit” options for Bounty
Adjusted Weapon locations on Blacksite in Gunfight O.S.P.

BUG FIXES

Fixed several exploits with the Tactical Camera
Fixed an out of bounds issue with the Recon Drone
Fixed an issue where Players would sometimes not receive the proper rewards when killing Players downed in Last Stand
Fixed a connection timeout issue some Players would encounter in Drop Zone
Fixed a bug where some melee kills would not count as one-hit-kills in One in the Chamber
Fixed an issue where some in-game Weapon challenge camo unlock text was cutoff and did not include the Weapon name
Fixed an issue in Private Matches where the Player could not earn Killstreaks properly with the “Retain Streaks on Death” and “Persistent Streak Progress” options tuned on

MWII RANKED PLAY

Season 4 brings multiple changes to Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Play (Image via Activision)

MWII Ranked Play continues in Season 04, featuring NEW Seasonal Rewards including the Pro Re-Issue Vaznev-9k! Whether you’re jumping into your first Ranked Play match or continuing your grind, there’s more to unlock and competition to face. Below are the Season 04 specific details to keep in mind for returning competitors and further below is a full refresher for all players.

Season 04 Highlight Changes

Here are the highlights for returning Season 03 competitors.

Competitive Game Modes, Maps, and Settings

Updated Minimum Level requirement for Ranked Play entry: Level 45

New Season 04 Restrictions

Assault Rifles

Tempus Razorback

SMGs

ISO 45

Melee

Tonfa

SR (Skill Rating) and Divisions

End of Season Skill Setback Update: At the end of each Season, your ending Skill Division will determine where you start the following season:

Bronze through Crimson I players are set back three Tiers below where they finished in the previous season.
Example: A player ending Season 03 in Gold III will begin Season 04 in Silver III.
Players Crimson II and above will start Season 04 in Diamond I.

Season 04 Rewards

Season 04 Win Rewards
Throughout the Season 04, players can earn the following rewards:
5 Wins: ‘Season 04 Competitor’ Weapon Sticker
10 Wins: Pro Re-Issue Vaznev-9k Weapon Blueprint
25 Wins: ‘Please Rotate’ Weapon Charm
50 Wins: ‘Lock it Down’ Large Weapon Decal
75 Wins: ‘MWII Ranked Play Season 04’ Loading Screen
100 Wins: ‘MWII Season 04 Ranked Veteran’ Weapon Camo

End of Season Division RewardsAt the end of each Season, players will be awarded Skill Division rewards that represent their highest attained Division that Season.

Division Skins: Earn a Skill Division Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions to represent your highest Skill Division. Once the Skins from one Skill Division have been unlocked they can be permanently used in following Seasons and anywhere you play:

Top 250: Unlock the ‘Top 250 Competitor’ Skin by finishing a Season in the Top 250 Skill Division. Players must be in the Division at the end of the Season to qualify for this reward.
Gold - Iridescent: Earn the applicable ‘Gold Competitor’, ‘Platinum Competitor’, ‘Diamond Competitor’, ‘Crimson Competitor’, or ‘Iridescent Competitor’ Skin based on your highest Skill Division reached over the course of the Season.

Seasonal Division Rewards

Each Ranked Play Season features a unique set of Division Rewards awarded at the end of the Season to celebrate the player’s highest Skill Division reached that Season.

The Season 04 rewards are as follows:

Top 250: ‘Season 04 Top 250’ Weapon Charm, Emblem, and Calling Card
Iridescent: ‘Season 04 Iridescent’ Weapon Charm, Emblem, and Calling Card
Crimson: ‘Season 04 Crimson’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
Diamond: ‘Season 04 Diamond’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
Platinum: ‘Season 04 Platinum’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
Gold: ‘Season 04 Gold’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
Silver: Emblem
Bronze: Emblem

Ranked Play First Place: The player who finishes Season 04 in the #1 position on the Top 250 Leaderboard will receive a unique, one-of-a-kind Calling Card and Emblem for the ultimate bragging rights.

Complete MWII Ranked Play Refresher

Here’s a complete overview of MWII Ranked Play for new Season 04 players!

Competitive Game Modes, Maps, and Settings

Ranked Play continues in Season 04! Play competitive, 4v4 matches using the same maps, modes, and settings used in the Call of Duty League 2023 ruleset.

Updated minimum Level requirement for Ranked Play entry: Level 45

Select Weapons, Attachments, Equipment, Perks, Field Upgrades, and Streaks are restricted.

New Season 04 Restrictions

Assault Rifles

Tempus Razorback

SMGs

ISO 45

Melee

Tonfa

Game Modes and Maps:

CDL Search and Destroy

Al Bagra Fortress
Breenburgh Hotel
El Asilo
Embassy
Mercado Las Almas

CDL Hardpoint

Al Bagra Fortress
Breenburgh Hotel
Embassy
Mercado Las Almas
Zarqwa Hydroelectric

CDL Control

Breenburgh Hotel
El Asilo
Himmelmatt Expo

SR (Skill Rating) and Divisions

Test yourself against your peers and track that progress with a visible SR (Skill Rating) that determines your place across 8 Skill Divisions.

All new Ranked Play players begin their journey in Bronze I with 0 SR.
Players increase their SR by winning matches and lose SR whenever they lose matches.
Both individual and team performance will impact how much SR you gain or lose per match. In higher Skill Divisions, team performance has a bigger impact on SR gained or lost so that all winning playstyles are more consistently rewarded.

Players can progress through eight Skill Divisions by reaching SR milestones:

Bronze – Starting Division
Silver – 900 SR
Gold – 2,100 SR
Platinum – 3,600 SR
Diamond – 5,400 SR
Crimson – 7,500 SR
Iridescent – 10,000 SR
Top 250 – 10,000+ SR

End of Season Skill Setback: At the end of each Season, your ending Skill Division will determine where you start the following season:

[Updated] Bronze through Crimson I players are set back three Tiers below where they finished in the previous season.
Example: A player ending Season 03 in Gold III will begin Season 04 in Silver III.
Players Crimson II and above will start Season 04 in Diamond I.

Ranks and Rewards

MWII Ranked Play is the most rewarding competitive Call of Duty experience ever, with a variety of valuable rewards available to players at launch and Season after Season.

Unlocked Rewards can be used in Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty®: Warzone™ 2.0. Unlock what the mode has to offer to show off your Rank and Skill wherever you play.
Ranked Play now features brand new Season 04 Rewards!
Ranks and Rank Rewards
Separate from the player’s SR and Skill Division is Rank. Rank persists across Seasons to celebrate the player’s lifetime win total across their Ranked Play career.

All players start at Rank 1 and can progress to Rank 50.

Players increase their Rank by winning matches to earn Stars. Each win grants one (1) Star. Win enough matches and you’ll earn enough Stars to reach the next Rank.

Every 5 Ranks players will progress their Rank icon and unlock a set of Rank rewards:

Rank 5: Ranked Competitor Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions.
Rank 10: ‘Press F’ Emblem
Rank 15: Pro Issue X12 Weapon Blueprint
Rank 20: ‘Ace’ Weapon Charm
Rank 25: ‘Turn It Up’ Emblem
Rank 30: ‘Ranked Win Tracker’ Gun Screen that displays the player’s lifetime Ranked Play win total.
Rank 35: ‘I’m Cracked’ Large Weapon Decal
Rank 40: Pro Issue Combat Knife Weapon Blueprint
Rank 45: ‘Sweep’ Weapon Charm
Rank 50: Ranked Veteran Emblem & Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions.
Each Rank Milestone also unlocks a Calling Card that represents the player’s achieved Rank.

Season 04 Rewards

In addition to Rank Rewards, each Ranked Play Season will give players the opportunity to earn exclusive limited-time rewards.

Throughout the Season 04, players can earn the following rewards:

5 Wins: ‘MWII Season 04 Competitor’ Weapon Sticker
10 Wins: Pro Re-Issue Vaznev-9k Weapon Blueprint
25 Wins: ‘Please Rotate’ Weapon Charm
50 Wins: ‘Lock it Down’ Large Weapon Decal
75 Wins: ‘MWII Ranked Play Season 04’ Loading Screen
100 Wins: ‘MWII Season 04 Ranked Veteran’ Weapon Camo

End of Season Division Rewards

At the end of each Season, players will be awarded Skill Division rewards that represent their highest attained Division that Season.

Division Skins:

Earn a Skill Division Skin for use with both CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions to represent your highest Skill Division. Once the Skins from one Skill Division have been unlocked they can be permanently used in following Seasons and anywhere you play:
Top 250: Unlock the ‘Top 250 Competitor’ Skin by finishing a Season in the Top 250 Skill Division. Players must be in the Division at the end of the Season to qualify for this reward.
Gold - Iridescent: Earn the applicable ‘Gold Competitor’, ‘Platinum Competitor’, ‘Diamond Competitor’, ‘Crimson Competitor’, or ‘Iridescent Competitor’ Skin based on your highest Skill Division reached over the course of the Season.

Seasonal Division Rewards

Each Ranked Play Season features a unique set of Division Rewards awarded at the end of the Season to celebrate the player’s highest Skill Division reached that Season.

The Season 04 rewards are as follows:

Top 250: ‘MWII Season 04 Top 250’ Weapon Charm, Emblem, and Calling Card
Iridescent: ‘MWII Season 04 Iridescent’ Weapon Charm, Emblem, and Calling Card
Crimson: ‘MWII Season 04 Crimson’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
Diamond: ‘MWII Season 04 Diamond’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
Platinum: ‘MWII Season 04 Platinum’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
Gold: ‘MWII Season 04 Gold’ Weapon Charm and Emblem
Silver: Emblem
Bronze: Emblem

Ranked Play First Place: The player who finishes Season 04 in the #1 position on the Top 250 Leaderboard will receive a unique, one-of-a-kind Calling Card and Emblem for the ultimate bragging rights.

Competitive Integrity Features

From Start to Finish: Players who disconnect or quit matches will receive SR penalties as well as temporary suspensions, with escalating penalties for repeat offenders.

SR Forgiveness: If a player disconnects or quits in the middle of the match, all team members outside of that player’s party will not lose ANY SR.

It is still possible to earn SR if players can overcome their disadvantage, but a loss at a numerical disadvantage will not yield SR loss for players outside of the leaving player’s party.

Fair Fights, Even Teams: If a player quits or disconnects before the start of a match, the match will be canceled and will not count. The remaining players will be returned to the main menu.

Professional Conduct Only: Friendly Fire is enabled in Ranked Play per CDL rules. Repeated Friendly Fire will result in players being kicked from games and receiving penalties and suspensions.

Demotion Protection: After advancing to a higher Skill Division, players will be granted temporary Demotion Protection and will not lose any SR within the first three games in the new Division. Following that initial protection, if players were to lose enough SR to be demoted, they will first be dropped to the minimum threshold of their current Skill Division instead of being demoted. Losing their next match will result in a demotion.

Demotion Protection is also applied for the player’s first 3 games of each Ranked Play Season.

Party SR Restrictions: To ensure competitive fairness and balance of matches in higher Skill Divisions, players in certain Divisions can only party up with players around their current SR. The player with the highest Skill Division in the party determines which Party SR Restrictions are used:

Iridescent (Including Top 250) & Crimson: Can party with players within 1 Skill Division
Diamond: Can party within 2 Skill Divisions
Bronze - Platinum: Can party up without any restrictions

There were the patch notes for Modern Warfare 2 Season 4.