How to Fix Campaign Locked in Call of Duty: Vanguard

Installing Call of Duty: Vanguard is an unexpectedly complicated process, and getting it wrong will see you with the locked Campaign error. Let's take you through how to fix Vanguard's locked campaign.

Vanguard campaign locked
Is Call of Duty: Vanguard installed correctly? | © Activision

Call of Duty: Vanguard's campaign was one of the most hyped in the series' history, and even if it under-delivered in almost every department, it's worth checking out, even if only for Polina's missions. The problem is that many players are experiencing an issue which sees the campaign locked and unable to be accessed.

You see, it might seem a little obvious to some, but Vanguard is split into multiple separate downloads on console. There's the base-download, which includes both the multiplayer and Zombies content, and then there's the campaign download. The latter is split into three different downloads, the base, the first, and the second. All-in-all, it equates to approximately half of Vanguard's overall size. It's neat to be able to download the game's different sections separately, but can lead to some confusion.

Fixing Vanguard's Campaign Locked Error

If you're trying to play Call of Duty: Vanguard's campaign, and it seems to be locked for some reason, it's probably because you didn't install the game correctly. Now, don't feel bad, it's a very easy mistake to make. Vanguard was split into four separate downloads, and it is easy to download some without the others. Let's take you through how to resolve this problem.

Make Sure Call of Duty: Vanguard is Fully Downloaded

You should be able to hover over the locked campaign option in the menu and select the option to download and install it. Now, if the game doesn't give you this option, there are a number of different ways to make sure that the game is fully downloaded, depending on your platform.

How to Download & Install Vanguard on PlayStation 5

  • Go to Game Library from the Games section of the home screen.
  • Take a look at "Your Collection" and select Call of Duty: Vanguard.
  • Select Download, and make sure that all the separate download options are in the queue.

How to Download & Install Vanguard on PlayStation 4

  • Navigate to Library from the home screen.
  • Jump-on over to the Purchased folder, and select Call of Duty: Vanguard.
  • Select Download and make sure that all the separate download options are in the queue.

How to Download & Install Vanguard on Xbox Series X|S

  • Go to My Games & Apps, and select "See All".
  • Select "Full Library" and then "All Owned Games".
  • Now Select Call of Duty: Vanguard and choose "Install All".
  • Make sure that all the separate download options are in the queue.

How to Download & Install Vanguard on Xbox One

  • Go to My Games & Apps, and select "See All".
  • Select "Full Library" and then "All Owned Games".
  • Now Select Call of Duty: Vanguard and choose "Install All".
  • Make sure that all the separate download options are in the queue.

How to Download & Install Vanguard on PC

  • Launch the Battle.net app and log in.
  • Select Call of Duty: Vanguard.
  • Click on the Install button.
  • Make sure that all the separate download options are in the queue.

Even if you follow the above steps to install the game in-full, you can still experience the Campaign Locked error in Call of Duty: Vanguard if it won't allow the game to install properly. There are a number of other options available to you if this happens.

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What to Do if Vanguard Won't Install

If Call of Duty: Vanguard won't install properly, you need to both make sure that the download hasn't paused and check if your system has enough available Hard Drive Space. In addition, you need to check that your internet connection is working correctly. Once you have checked all of these things, we would recommend reaching out to Activision's Customer Support people, as this might be a more complicated issue.

Check if the Download Has Paused

Navigate to the Downloads page on your respective system and check if the download has been paused. If it has, click resume and check what the problem is. It is quite possible that your system doesn't have enough remaining hard drive space.

We hope that we've helped you resolve the Campaign locked error in Call of Duty: Vanguard and install the game correctly. If not, remember to check in with Activision Support, and try a complete reinstall of the game before repeating the processes above, just to rule out any other possible issues. We wish you luck!

Evan Williams

Australian gamer, musician, and journalist at EarlyGame. Currently living in Germany so no, I don't ride a Kangaroo to work. I am currently hard at work making our CoD and Rocket League pages the best on the internet. Lofty ambitions,...