Modern Warfare 2 - How To Fix Dev Error 6039
"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2," despite being highly anticipated, hasn't had the greatest go of it since its release. Players were already upset about crossplay issues, connectivity issues, and the tiny disc file size (which subsequently meant they'd be downloading most of the game anyway despite purchasing a physical copy). To top it all off, the sequel title seems to have inherited a dreaded bug that tenaciously plagued its predecessor: dev error 6039.
Reports of this issue go back to 2019 with the release of the first "Modern Warfare," with very few substantial solutions that were proven to work for everyone. And it's not just this series that's having issues, either. Judging from the posts by players of other "Call of Duty" (CoD) games like "Vanguard" and "Warzone: Pacific," dev error 6039 seems to be happening across the franchise regardless of platform.
Despite the fact that this issue has been ongoing for some years, there's very little consensus on what this error is caused by and even fewer working solutions. Possible fixes encompass a wide variety of troubleshooting methods that tap into different parts of the game's functions with varied results based on the player. If you've been getting this error, buckle in for what might be a painless system restart, or multiple stages of wrestling with your PC or console to fix the issue: Here's every known method of fixing dev error 6039 in "Modern Warfare 2."
Possible easy fixes for dev error 6039
Let's start with a few solutions that won't take more than a few minutes at most. First is to restart every single part of "MW2" — on PC, this means shutting down the Battle.net launcher and Steam as well. If that doesn't help, power off your entire computer or console and then wait at least two to five minutes before turning it back on again.
Second is to check that your game is up to date. Make sure your game is fully closed before you try updating on any platform. For Xbox and PlayStation users, you can go into your library and open up the options/settings for "MW2" — the options are "Check for update" on PlayStation and "Manage game," then "Downloads" on Xbox.
PC users will be going to the "MW2" menu in the Battle.net launcher, opening up the settings via the cogwheel icon next to the "Play" button — from there, you can either update your game or "scan for repairs." EarlyGame recommends doing both if a simple update doesn't seem to fix the problem.
You should update any other relevant software while you're at it, including for the entire PC/Console system itself and graphics drivers. PC users should also try temporarily disabling the anti-virus program (via GamerTweak) or going into the game's graphics settings, then disabling "Cache Spot" and "Cache Sun Shadows" under the quality menu (per EarlyGame).
Cache clearing and reinstalling on PC
If that didn't work, it's time to do a clean reinstall. Delete the game, clear your cache to completely wipe the game data (which will also delete save files that aren't backed up in the cloud, so make sure to secure any files you need), then reinstall the game. Note that if you have a less-than-excellent internet connection and would rather not have to redownload the huge game, you can skip uninstalling and just clear the cache for similar effects. However, if this doesn't work, you might have to try the entire process with a full uninstall anyway.
If you're only hoping to do a cache delete without getting rid of the entire game, there are two ways to do so on PC. According to Activision, Steam's "Verify Cache Integrity" function under "Properties," then the "Local Files" tab will take care of the job. For Battle.net users, the process is a little more complicated: you have to first shut down "agent.exe," any game processes, or any variation of "Blizzard Update Agent" through Task Manager, then navigate to the file directory using the "Run" function opened by pressing the Windows key and R together. From there, you either input "%ProgramData%" in the Run field and delete any "Blizzard Entertainment" folder to delete the cache, or input "C:ProgramData" into the Open field and delete the "Battle.net" folder. Running the launcher and updating your games should solve any problems caused by corrupt or missing files.
Cache clearing and reinstalling on Xbox One and Series X|S
Manually managing files can be complicated on consoles, but thankfully not impossible. There are two main ways: doing a hard shutdown and reboot of the console, or using software options instead. The former works for both Xbox One and Series X|S and involves shutting the console off with the power button, waiting until all indicator lights and other parts have stopped completely, then unplugging it — after that, you wait at least 30 seconds for Xbox One and 2 minutes for Series X|S before powering it back up again.
The Series X|S has a few extra software options to try (via Last Error Fixer). Pressing the menu button over "MW2" will bring up a small list where you'll find "Manage game and add-ons." Click it, then scroll down and select "Saved Data" to bring up "MW2"'s data — you'll want to select both your account data and the reserved space data and press "Delete from console" and "Clear reserved space" when prompted.
The next step is to clear the console's general cache as well — you'll follow the menu path of "Profile and System," then "Devices and Connections," then "Blu-ray," then "Persistent storage," and then, finally, "Clear persistent storage." After that, return to the main "Profile and System" settings menu, then go to "Network Settings" under the "General" option. Go to "Advanced Settings," then "Alternate MAC Address," then press "Clear" and restart the console when prompted.
Cache clearing and reinstalling on PS4 and PS5
The PlayStation 4 and 5 have a similar process to the two Xbox consoles. First is to shut down — instead of entering Rest Mode — then unplug the console once all the lights have stopped. Analogous to the Xboxes, the PS4 should be left unplugged for at least 30 seconds while the PS5 needs at least one to two minutes, two to be safe (via Activision).
You can alter this process somewhat for the PS5 in what some call the "Safe Mode Method" (via YourSixStudios), though you'll need your controller to be plugged into the console via USB wire in order to operate the console. Pressing and holding the power button when booting it back up until it beeps twice will trigger Safe Mode, where you can select "Clear Cache and Rebuild Database," then "Clear System Software Cache." Once you press "OK," your PS5 will restart with a clear cache, hopefully resolving any persistent errors.
One final note for all platforms is that sometimes dev error 6039 is caused by connectivity issues (per Last Error Fixer) — doing a simple reboot of your router, deleting and re-adding your Steam/Microsoft/Sony accounts to your "MW2" profile, and other network-related troubleshooting might also be worth a try.