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There is no confirmed one-size-fits-all fix for Dev Error 6036: Activision’s public support pages do not define the code as a single known issue. First check whether Activision or your platform is having an outage; then use the symptom and platform to decide whether to check game content, repair PC files, or troubleshoot your network. These steps differ between the 2019 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, current Warzone, and other Call of Duty releases.
What Dev Error 6036 means—and what it does not
Dev Error 6036 is a game error code, not proof that your account has been banned. Activision’s public support material does not give the code a definitive technical explanation or a dedicated fix. It can appear with different symptoms, including a crash, a return to the menu, failed matchmaking, or an inability to join a multiplayer lobby. The right troubleshooting path depends on which of those is happening.
Start by identifying the exact game and setup: the 2019 Modern Warfare, Warzone, or a newer Call of Duty installation; PC on Battle.net or Steam; or PlayStation or Xbox. Activision lists these as distinct products, and their menus and network ports are not interchangeable (Activision’s Call of Duty support navigation).
Fix the problem in the order most likely to save time
1. Check Activision and platform service status
Open Activision Online Services, select the relevant Call of Duty title, and check its platform status. Also check PlayStation Network, Xbox, Battle.net, Steam, or Epic Games, depending on where you play. Look for alerts, maintenance, or recently resolved incidents. Activision recommends checking game and platform status before proceeding with local connection troubleshooting (Modern Warfare connection guidance; Warzone connection guidance).
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If other players are reporting the same failure at the same time, wait for the service to recover before reinstalling the game or changing router settings.
2. Restart the game, system, and router
- Close Call of Duty completely. On PC, exit Battle.net or Steam rather than leaving the launcher running in the background.
- Restart your PC or console.
- If your modem and router are separate, unplug both. Wait about 60 seconds, reconnect them, and allow the connection to stabilize.
- Start the launcher or console and try multiplayer again. Pause large downloads and streaming on your network while testing.
Activision recommends restarting the router and limiting bandwidth-heavy activity; it also recommends wired Ethernet when possible because Wi-Fi reliability and available bandwidth can vary during online play (connection guidance).
3. Confirm updates and multiplayer content are installed
- Make sure the game and its launcher are fully updated, and that your PC or console system software is current.
- Check that there is sufficient storage space and that all required multiplayer or content packs are installed.
- Confirm you are signed into the intended PlayStation Network, Xbox, Battle.net, or Steam account.
- If you can enter the game but cannot join friends, check cross-play and privacy settings, and confirm that you and your friend are using compatible game versions and the same title.
For the 2019 Modern Warfare on PS5, inspect Manage Game Content or the equivalent installation screen for Multiplayer Packs. Activision’s known-issues page records reports of suspended installation and unavailable Multiplayer Packs on PS5 (Modern Warfare known issues). Missing packs may explain installation or multiplayer-access trouble, but Activision has not established them as a universal cause of Error 6036.
Repair a PC installation or rule out software conflicts
Battle.net: Scan and Repair
- Open Battle.net and select Call of Duty.
- Open the gear or options menu beside the Play button.
- Select Scan and Repair, start the scan, and let it finish.
- Relaunch the game and test multiplayer.
Steam: verify game files
- Open Steam and go to Library.
- Right-click the game and select Properties.
- Open Installed Files and select Verify integrity of game files.
- When verification finishes, relaunch the game.
Activision recommends these launcher repair functions for PC troubleshooting (Modern Warfare PC troubleshooting). Repair can replace damaged or missing files, but it will not resolve a server outage, an account problem, or a router issue. Try it before deleting the installation, especially if the error began after a patch.
Temporarily test without overlays and background utilities
Close overlays, monitoring tools, and nonessential background applications that might conflict with the game. Examples include Discord overlay, Xbox Game Bar, GeForce Experience or AMD overlays, MSI Afterburner or RivaTuner, NZXT CAM, Razer Synapse, and Razer Cortex. Activision specifically names NZXT CAM, MSI Afterburner, Razer Cortex, and other interfering applications in its PC guidance.
If the error stops, re-enable utilities one at a time to identify the conflict. If it continues, Activision suggests a Windows clean boot as a way to isolate background software; re-enable services in groups afterward. Update Razer Synapse if you use it. If you changed Windows ASLR settings, Activision advises re-enabling ASLR.
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Do not leave antivirus protection disabled. If you suspect it is blocking the game, use a narrowly scoped exception for the legitimate game installation folder and restore normal protection after testing. Avoid unofficial DLLs, registry cleaners, “error-fixing” utilities, and modified game files.
Let shader preloading finish
If the game reaches its menu but is unstable or crashes as multiplayer loads, let shader preloading complete before starting a match. Avoid repeatedly cancelling and restarting the process; if instability remains after it finishes, restart the game and continue troubleshooting. Activision says shader preloading is important during first boot and that entering a game before it finishes can affect performance. That guidance does not establish shaders as the specific cause of Error 6036 (PC troubleshooting).
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PlayStation
On PS4, Activision’s older Modern Warfare instructions use Settings > Network > Test Internet Connection. PS5 menus may differ; use the current Network settings and the available connection-test option. A successful internet test does not by itself prove that multiplayer services or your NAT are working correctly.
Xbox
- Press the Xbox button.
- Open Profile & system > Settings > General > Network settings.
- Select Test network connection.
- Also run Test multiplayer connection, if available.
The multiplayer test can reveal service or NAT problems that a basic internet test may not. Menu wording can vary by console generation. Activision’s Warzone connection guidance provides the Xbox test path (Warzone connection guidance).
PC and home network
- If you are on Wi-Fi, test with Ethernet if practical.
- Pause downloads and other bandwidth-heavy activity while testing.
- As a diagnostic only, compare your home connection with another network, such as a phone hotspot.
- Check whether other devices can use the home network normally, and whether a VPN, proxy, school, corporate, or public network may restrict game traffic.
If multiplayer works on a hotspot but not at home, focus next on the home router, ISP, NAT, firewall, or network policy. A hotspot is a comparison test, not necessarily a suitable permanent connection.
Check NAT and router settings if lobbies still fail
Try the least invasive router change first. If your router already has manually configured Call of Duty port forwarding, remove or disable those rules for the initial test rather than combining them with UPnP.
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Test UPnP first
- Sign in to your router’s administration page.
- Disable existing manual Call of Duty port-forwarding rules for the test.
- Enable UPnP, save the change, and restart the router.
- Restart the game and test multiplayer again.
Router labels and locations vary by manufacturer. Activision’s connection guidance recommends testing UPnP before moving on to manual forwarding (Modern Warfare connection guidance; Warzone connection guidance).
Use manual port forwarding only if needed
If UPnP fails, disable it before setting up manual forwarding. Give the PC or console a stable local IP address, then use Activision’s port list for the exact game and platform. Do not use ports for one Call of Duty release as though they applied to every release.
| Game and platform | TCP | UDP |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Modern Warfare, PC | 3074, 27014–27050 | 3074, 3478, 4379–4380, 27000–27031, 27036 |
| 2019 Modern Warfare, PlayStation | 1935, 3478–3480 | 3074, 3478–3479 |
| 2019 Modern Warfare, Xbox | 3074 | 88, 500, 3074, 3075, 3544, 4500 |
| Warzone, Modern Warfare II, Modern Warfare III, Black Ops 6, and Black Ops 7 | Use the current title-and-platform entry in Activision’s grouped listing; values vary by platform and launcher. | Use the current title-and-platform entry in Activision’s grouped listing; values vary by platform and launcher. |
The 2019 Modern Warfare values are not a universal Call of Duty port list. Activision’s current grouped listing for Warzone and newer titles uses different combinations, including additional ranges for PC and Steam (ports used for Call of Duty games). Check that page for the exact game and platform before creating rules.
Consider double NAT, shared networks, and DMZ carefully
If the problem began after changing routers or ISPs, check whether your console or router is behind another router, whether the NAT is strict or unavailable, and whether UPnP or firewall rules changed. Carrier-grade NAT or restrictions on a school, corporate, public, or shared network may require help from the ISP or network administrator; Activision directs users on shared networks to their administrator and recommends contacting the ISP when connection tests fail (connection guidance).
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsActivision lists DMZ after UPnP and port forwarding as a final diagnostic option for consoles. It exposes a device more broadly, so do not treat it as a routine fix, and do not place a Windows gaming PC in the router’s DMZ. If you temporarily test a console in DMZ, remove it afterward, as Activision instructs.
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The game crashes before multiplayer loads
Prioritize PC file repair or verification, disabling conflicting background utilities, checking antivirus interference, system and graphics-driver updates, and allowing shader preloading to finish. Use a clean boot to isolate persistent software conflicts. Reinstall only after these checks; reinstalling takes time and will not fix an outage, account issue, or network fault.
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Menus work, but you cannot join a friend
Check platform service status, NAT, UPnP, cross-play and privacy settings, and whether both players are on the same title and version. Try a different party host. If only one account has the problem on the same device and network, check account sign-in and linked accounts, and look for any separate enforcement notice. Error 6036 alone does not establish a ban.
Campaign or solo play works, but multiplayer does not
Check required multiplayer content first, then platform and Activision service status, account access, NAT, and firewall or security software. A single-player mode working does not establish that online services or multiplayer packs are available.
The problem started after an update
Confirm the update completed and that required content packs are installed. On PC, verify or repair the files before reinstalling. Then check service status in case the update coincided with an outage.
Only one account or platform is affected
Compare with another account on the same device, if available, and check platform sign-in, Activision account linking, privacy settings, and any enforcement notices. If the problem remains account-specific, contact Activision rather than changing router settings repeatedly.
Port forwarding made things worse—or DMZ seemed to fix it
Forwarding may fail if UPnP is also active, the rule points to the wrong local IP, another device competes for the same ports, the router sits behind another router, or you used another title’s port list. Revert the manual rules and test UPnP alone. If DMZ changes the result, that points toward a router or NAT path worth investigating; remove the console from DMZ after the test.
A VPN appears to help
A VPN changes the route your traffic takes, so it may bypass a particular ISP path problem, but it can also add latency or packet loss and may violate a network’s rules. Treat the result as a clue about routing, not as a standard Error 6036 fix.
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When to contact support—and what to include
Stop making local changes while an outage is active. If the problem persists after the relevant file, content, account, and network checks, contact Activision Support. Contact your ISP or network administrator if connection tests fail, NAT remains unavailable or strict, or the problem is limited to a shared or institutional network.
Include the exact error text and a screenshot, the game title and edition, platform and launcher, region, date the problem began, whether friends or other accounts are affected, NAT type, and the troubleshooting steps already tried. Share your Activision ID or platform ID only through official support channels; never send a password or security code.
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