SteamDB reveals the underlying technical reality. The game’s main app (ID 292730) includes multiple language depots, each containing the text and audio assets for a specific language. Depot 292733 is explicitly labeled “EnglishCall of Duty: Infinite Warfare English”. However, not every regional package granted access to that English depot. If your copy was assigned a package that did not include Depot 292733, Steam would simply not download the English files to your computer, leaving you unable to select English even if you understood how to change the language settings.
A post on the official Call of Duty forums captured the frustration perfectly: “I just installed my IW Digital Deluxe Edition, which I had pre ordered earlier this year. The problem is that the game is in Chinese and there is no option for English in the language options inside the game”. This complaint would echo across forums, Reddit threads, and support boards for months after launch. SteamDB reveals the underlying technical reality
: The in-game settings menu completely lacks an option to change text or voice localization. However, not every regional package granted access to