Right-click the game in Steam, go to Properties > Updates , and disable automatic background updates. Avoid running the "Verify Integrity of Game Files" tool, as doing so reverts your manual language patch. To help tailor these steps further, let me know:
Clear voiceovers for Easter Eggs and essential callouts.
Open localization.txt and verify that the text matches the exact folder name inside your zone directory. If the text says english , you must have a folder path that reads Call of Duty Black Ops II/zone/english/ containing the relevant .zone files. Game Text is English but Voices remain Foreign english+language+pack+for+cod+black+ops+2
To fix this, you must change your console's system language and region, and then reinstall the game:
Most modern Black Ops 2 players use the launcher to avoid cheaters and access dedicated servers. Plutonium has built-in language switching, but if that fails: Right-click the game in Steam, go to Properties
Ensure you have copied over all the heavy localized_english_iwXX.iwd files into the main folder. These archives house the English voice-over tracks for characters and multiplayer announcers. Steam Overwrites English Files Automatically
Go to your system settings and set your console location/language to English (United States or UK). Open localization
To get running in English, the method depends on whether you own the game on Steam or are dealing with a region-locked version (common in Russian or Polish retail copies). Official Steam Method
Open your Steam Library.
Game crashes on startup after replacing files. Fix: Verify file integrity (Steam) or restore original backup. Mismatched zone files cause crashes.