Two-dimensional materials have been extensively applied because of their unusual electronic, mechanical, and optical properties. In this paper, the electronic structure and optical properties of Hf 2 CO 2 MXene under biaxial and uniaxial strains are investigated by the Heys-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE06) method. Monolayer Hf 2 CO 2 can sustain stress up to 6.453 N/M for biaxial strain and 3.072 N/M for uniaxial strain. Monolayer Hf 2 CO 2 undergoes the transition from semiconductor to metal under −12% strain whether it is under biaxial or uniaxial strain. With the increasing biaxial compressive strain, the blue shift of Hf-d, O-p, and C-p orbitals in valence band maximum results in the metallization of monolayer Hf 2 CO 2 , while the red shift of Hf-d and O-p orbitals in conduction band minimum results in the metallization of monolayer Hf 2 CO 2 with increasing uniaxial compressive strain. The analysis of optical properties indicates that uniaxial strain weakens the reflectivity and refractive index of monolayer Hf 2 CO 2 in the visible-light range. In addition, the effective mass and the charge distribution under biaxial and uniaxial strains are also explored.