CoD Modern Warfare 2: All info, leaks, new features & release (UPDATE)

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We have a lot of information about the campaign, gameplay, setting and technology of the next Call of Duty MW 2. In the meantime there are also longer game scenes to see.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is coming: The next installment in the shooter series has been officially announced, and will be a direct successor to Modern Warfare of 2019. But this time the shooter will probably live longer: In 2023, for the first time in 17 years, no sequel will come, instead longer support for Modern Warfare 2 is planned!

In this overview we collect all information about release, gameplay, weapons and so on. We will update the article regularly as soon as news become known. Use the table of contents to get to certain information quickly:

  • Where does the information come from?
  • Trailer & Reveal of CoD Modern Warfare 2
  • When is it coming out? Release date of CoD Modern Warfare 2
  • When will the open beta be released?
  • Platforms: What systems will MW2 be released for?
  • Technology: What engine does CoD: MW 2 use?
  • The Setting: What scenario can we expect?
  • Campaign: All info on the single player of CoD MW2
  • Gameplay: What changes compared to the predecessors?
  • Multiplayer: The new official info
  • Multiplayer: SBMM will probably be changed a lot
  • Multiplayer: The brand new DMZ mode in MW2
  • Multiplayer: Modes available for release
  • Multiplayer: New Attacker vs Defender Mode
  • Maps: What else do we know about the maps?
  • Warzone 2: What we know about the new Battle Royale

Where did the information come from?

At the beginning of June we got a lot of official info about Modern Warfare 2 at a preview event. All information that does not come from Activision itself, we got from known leakers and industry insiders who have been correct with leaks many times in the past.

  • (Tom Henderson): The well-known industry insider is well connected and has published leaks on many titles that have turned out to be true.
  • (TheGhostOfHope): TheGhostOfHope is especially well known in the CoD community and has, for example, leaked the Champions-Hill mode in advance even before Vanguard came out.
  • (RalphsValve): Ralph Valve is not quite as well known as yet. However, his information has again been confirmed by Tom Henderson.
  • (CharlieIntel): Is known for being rather critical of the CoD franchise, but still has good sources and has been right many times.

    Nonetheless, leaks are not official statements from the developers or the publisher. Therefore, please take the information with a grain of salt.

    CoD: Modern Warfare 2 beta postponed? Leak gives cause for concern

    As a leak has revealed, the Modern Warfare 2 beta is set to be pushed back a whole month

    Bad news for all the fans who were hoping for an early beta access to the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 – as the beta is reported to be delayed.

    CoD beta in September instead of August?

    After the recent leaks about weapons, maps and game modes in Modern Warfare 2, now comes the next big news – but not good news. The beta of the new CoD title is to be pushed back by a whole month. The leaker RalphsValve has shared in a report on (whatifgaming.com) the dates for the release of the various beta phases and these are not, as previously assumed, in August, but mid to late September.

    RalphsValve has always proven to be a reliable source for Call of Duty news and has usually been right with his leaks.

    The beta phase is scheduled to kick off from September15 and is split into two sections. First, PlayStation users will get to enjoy MW2, followed a week later by all other platforms.

    Weekend 1 (PlayStation exclusive) 

    • Early Access: September 15-16 (for pre-order customers)
    • Open Beta: 17 to 19 September

    Weekend 2 (Cross-play Beta, all platforms) 

    • Early Access: 22nd to 23rd September (for pre-orderers)
    • Open Beta: 24 to 26 September

    Community feedback? Nah, thanks

    The community reacted to the bad news with concern and insiders (Tom Henderson) already expressed their concerns. Modern Warfare is scheduled to be released on 28 October, which means that there is just one month between the beta phase and the release. As leaker TheGhostOfHope correctly pointed out on Twitter, there is too little time to react to any player feedback between beta and release. At this point in the development, it is at most possible to fix bugs, but not to respond to criticism or suggestions for improvement from the community.

    It’s entirely possible that Modern Warfare 2 will be released on a “take it or leave it” basis. Normally, the beta phase not only serves to find bugs, but is also used to collect feedback from the community and implement it into the game, if necessary, in order to guarantee an optimal game experience for the release. At the moment, we can only hope that MW2 will have a multiplayer alpha in which the basic gameplay elements in multiplayer mode will be extensively tested in order to prevent a disaster at release.

    Officially, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be released on 28 October. At the moment we assume that the release date will be kept, even if the late start of the beta phase might suggest otherwise.

    Reveal: Is there already gameplay to see?

    After a long period of mini-teasers for CoD MW2, there is now certainty about the Reveal schedule. Here are the most important stages at a glance:

    • On June 8 at 7pm the Reveal trailer premiered. The video shows that Modern Warfare 2 is quite a fireworks display graphically, and both the campaign and multiplayer maps offer a lot of variety. Here you can see Team 141 in action:

      • On 9 June from 8pm  we continued with a gameplay walkthrough: At the grand opening show of the Summer Game Fest a level section from the story was shown, which should give a deeper insight into the campaign and the setting. You can watch the video right here:

      • August 2022 will be followed by the full reveal of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer with deeper details on gameplay mechanics, according to leaks. The alpha is also expected to launch then and include Gunfight mode (2vs2).

      Release: When will Modern Warfare 2 be released?

      The next Call of Duty will be released on 28 October 2022, the franchise’s official Twitter account announced:

       

      According to reports, development at Infinity Ward is progressing well and is even ahead of schedule. Previously, it was Sledgehammer’s turn with Vanguard (2021) and Treyarch’s turn with Black Ops Cold War (2020).

      Beta: Will there be a play-on version?

      Yes, a free open beta has been confirmed to us, it will be unlocked across all platforms. Pre-orderers will again get access first, but an exact date is not yet known.

      In the past, there was always a trial version that only PlayStation players could access at first, such as the Champion Hill mode for Vanguard. According to Twitter insider CharlieIntel, this will also be the case for Modern Warfare 2:

      When will the open beta be released?

      The open beta will probably start on 15 August. Amazon apparently accidentally announced the date of the open beta. Resourceful Twitter user Shotzz shared a screenshot of the English-language product page on Twitter, according to which the open beta is dated August 15, 2022

      The exact date has since been removed again, but you can still see on the product page that the open beta is scheduled for August.

      Platforms: Where will Modern Warfare 2 be released?

      As usual for Call of Duty, a wide range of platforms will be served. The release for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S is confirmed, clearing away rumours that Modern Warfare 2 may be leaving the old console generation behind.

      On PC also via Steam: The last CoD spin-offs could only be played exclusively on the Battle.net platform. Modern Warfare 2, however, will once again also be available via Steam

      Technology: Which engine does Modern Warfare 2 use?

      Infinity Ward further developed the engine of CoD MW 2019 Among other things, a new water technique was written, which includes physical elements and special lighting effects.

      Special beyond CoD MW 2 and Warzone 2: this engine will power all new CoD games in the future, so also the titles of the developers Slegdehammer Games and Treyarch.

      New Anticheat Tool: The relatively new in-house anticheat technology Ricochet is also used in CoD Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.

      Setting: Where is Modern Warfare 2 set?

      In the preview event we found out what Modern Warfare 2 is actually about – and the leaks were spot on. This time, Task Force 141 takes on powerful drug cartels who are in cahoots with terrorists and are making sinister plans against the USA. We get support from the Mexican secret service.

      The story campaign will take you around the world, from American cities to scorching deserts to night missions in overgrown ruins. The following well-known characters will probably play a role:

      • Captain John Price (officially confirmed)
      • Kyle Gaz Garrick (officially confirmed)
      • Simon Ghost Riley (officially confirmed)
      • Soap MacTavish (officially confirmed)
      • Kate Laswell (officially confirmed)
      • Alex (Echo 3-1)
      • General Shepherd
      • Vladimir Makarov

      The first official character images already reveal some parts of the setting:

      Gameplay: diving, driving, climbing

      Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s campaign brings entirely new gameplay mechanics.

      Diving: One innovation is the underwater gameplay. You go diving with your character. As the developers explain, firing weapons under water even has an influence on the ballistics, which manifests itself, for example, in reduced damage due to reduced projectile speed. Boats also appear. The specially developed water technology is to play an important role in all modes, including Warzone 2.

      Climbing: One mission also offers a climbing passage on the outer façade of a high-rise building. Players must rappel down and have the choice of either going head first or legs first to the entry point on the building. Such choices are intended to allow for different approaches.

      Driving: Vehicle missions have long played a role in Call of Duty, but we weren’t behind the wheel ourselves. A mission lets you drive yourself in a convoy, jump from car to car, kick out the driver and finally take the wheel yourself. Then you can steer, ram if necessary and also shoot out of the side window.

      By the way, you can see new pictures of CoD MW 2 here:

      What is known about the multiplayer?

      New Gunsmith

      (Weapons are particularly customisable in Modern Warfare 2.)
      (Weapons are particularly customisable in Modern Warfare 2.)

      The Gunsmith’s already relatively complex functionality in Modern Warfare 2019 will be further expanded in CoD MW 2. In addition to the numerous attachments such as the visor and shoulder brace, players unlock new weapons via a kind of platform family tree.

      So after one weapon, players unlock the next weapons based on the same platform. These weapons share certain modifications, which accordingly only have to be unlocked once, but also have unique components, which in turn have to be unlocked.

      It gets even more complicated: In addition, players can also fine-tune the individual accessories. For example, the length of the barrel can be adjusted via a slider, making the weapon either more dynamic to use or more stable. The same applies to the weight, which favours either recoil control or target speed. This is intended to give their own designs more individuality and flexibility on the battlefield.

      Multiplayer Maps

      Infinity Ward categorizes the maps of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 into two groups:

      Small maps that serve the classic multiplayer: Here, well-known 6vs6 modes such as Team Deathmatch and Conquest play. Less of the sandbox mechanics described in the next paragraph are to be used. As examples, the developers name these maps around the globe:

       

        • Museum: An architecturally modern building in Spain.
        • Grand Prix: A race track in Asia.
        • Farm 18: A secret training facility.

        Larger Battle Maps: Exploration is also to be writ large here. The large maps were used in the Battlefield-like Ground War mode in the predecessor. Here the developers give two examples:

         

          • Said: The city map with a lot of urban combat is supposed to combine multiplayer with sandbox gameplay.
          • Sarrif Bay: A fishing village with tourism that is supposed to offer a large water playground in particular.

          New gameplay mechanics

          Also away from the campaign, new sandbox gameplay elements will play an important role in multiplayer. These include swimming/diving, throwing yourself to the ground and hanging from edges. The developers explain that these elements are meant to reflect the typical play styles of different types of players.

          Hanging from ledges: In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, players will not automatically pull themselves upwards as soon as they hit a ledge and may find themselves in the middle of the fire. Instead, they can also get stuck on the ledge and use a pistol or revolver to defend themselves.

           In Call Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

          Swimming/Diving: In deep waters on multiplayer maps, players can dive to hide from the view of enemies (above a certain depth). Or even shoot from below the water’s surface. Boats and amphibious vehicles are also to appear, as well as special equipment.

          Throw to the ground: In addition to the slide mechanic, a new movement manoeuvre is also available in Modern Warfare 2 when you want to quickly throw yourself forward to the ground.

          Vehicle Gameplay: Vehicles also offer new mechanics. For example, players are allowed to lean out of windows, climb on rooftops, shoot out tyres and break down doors.

          New Game Modes

          In addition to the CoD classics, Modern Warfare 2 also wants to introduce new multiplayer modes. The developers named these:

          Knockout: The mode is supposed to marry Gunfight with 6vs6 multiplayer. There’s no respawn in the rounds. Both teams have to secure a bag. Whoever carries the bag becomes recognisable and the target of all opponents. And whoever carries the bag or remains after one minute has elapsed wins the round.

          Prisoner Rescue: There’s a bit of Rainbow Six: Siege going on here. One team has to barricade themselves and guard a hostage while the opponents have to rescue the prisoner. This mode is played on the large maps.

          Infinity Ward showcased new gear in Call of Duty: MW 2. Specifically, the developers showed three examples:

          Tactical Camera: The device can be thrown and pinned to walls. In viewing mode, players can spy on areas, but also switch between other players’ placed cameras – also a feature strongly reminiscent of Rainbow Six: Siege.

          Drill Charge: The drill charge brings even more victories. Placed on a wall, it drills a hole and then shoots a grenade to the other side to attack hidden enemies there.

          DDOS: A type of EMP device that sends out a pulse and can take out enemy electronics, as well as vehicles.

          Inflatable dummy: The device can be placed on the ground where it ejects a rubber soldier designed to irritate opponents.

            Car tyres and water?

            If we had expected big new features that would stand out like a beacon from the usual CoD gameplay and completely freak out genre fans, we would have been disappointed by the presentation. Instead, there was talk of the new water engine, improved AI, fixing car tyres and splitting the multiplayer maps into “battle maps” and “core maps.”

            Wait, car tyres            ? Water? Not exactly the stuff explosive game magazine headlines are made of! At least one would think so. But behind all the deep stuff lies a potentially clever strategy that could pay off much later – for developers and MW fans alike. In this article, we therefore classify what the innovations of MW2 really mean.

            The crucial difference

            Modern Warfare 2 sees itself as the logical consequence of Modern Warfare 2019. On the one hand, this means: action bombast in the campaign with heaps of explosions, wild chases, stealth missions with night vision and tough sayings in Special Forces slang.

            Task Force 141 is back, of course, chasing evil terrorists across the globe and of course uncovering a vast military conspiracy. So far, so Call of Duty. The announcement trailer says it all in this regard:

            On the other hand, we can once again expect a multiplayer potpourri of Spec-Ops co-op, classic competitive 6-versus-6 matches and ground war with many players, vehicles and the sandbox feeling that Battlefield once had. And then there’s Warzone 2.0, a new Free2Play version of the incredible Battle Royale success.

            Of course, none of this is new. Instead, Infinity Ward wants to tighten the screws exactly where the predecessor ran out of steam. Here are the most important improvements, which may not sound like much on paper, and the reasons why they could make a decisive difference in the final game!

            The new Battle Royale game has been improved.

            The vehicles

            In 2019’s Modern Warfare, vehicles always seemed a bit like they were kind of crammed in as an afterthought, despite all the technical hurdles. They sometimes controlled clunkily, often reacted questionably to collisions and had a rudimentary damage model at best – not even tyres could be shot.

            Warzone players suffered most from this: Time and again, the developers had to partially or even completely disable vehicles to stop glitches, bugs and exploits. Modern Warfare 2 now seems to include the integration of vehicles from the beginning. Multiplayer lead designer Joe Cecot tells us:

            “We wanted to do so much more with vehicles. You can now lean out of cars on all the seats and shoot, or climb onto the roof to jump onto other vehicles, or activate the parachute as you drive over a cliff!“

            And the physics are also supposed to play along better now: “You can destroy doors, rear-view mirrors or the bumper and tyres burst when shot at. And that also has an effect on the handling. You can even repair destroyed tyres on your vehicle,” says Cecot. The wreckage of destroyed vehicles will also remain as cover elements this time around, rather than simply disappearing.

            In addition, the vehicle fleet is set to grow: Infinity Ward has already announced a large transport helicopter and new amphibious vehicles that should enable new tactical options. If all this pans out in Modern Warfare 2, Battlefield may finally get some real competition in terms of Combined Arms missions through Ground War, where infantry, tanks and air vehicles fight in tandem.

            The AI

            One of the biggest criticisms of Modern Warfare 2019 in our original review was the lack of intelligence in the AI enemies. Especially in the Spec-Ops co-op, enemies only became a challenge through their sheer mass and let the missions degenerate into dull bot matches that hardly anyone was interested in soon after release. But in MW2 everything is supposed to be different and better, promises Jack O’Hara, Game Director at Infinity Ward.

            “Our new AI is not meant to be cannon fodder, but to really bring Modern Warfare to life and instil respect in players – in all game modes. They will coordinate with each other, check their surroundings and look more natural in their animations,” O’Hara explains.

            (SpecOps co-op returns and is expected to benefit greatly from the AI improvements. In the predecessor, enemies looked unnatural and stupid, and only became a real danger in large crowds.)
            (SpecOps co-op returns and is expected to benefit greatly from the AI improvements. In the predecessor, enemies looked unnatural and stupid, and only became a real danger in large crowds.)

            To illustrate the point, animation director Mark Grigsby shows us a short demo of an AI soldier from MW2 moving autonomously and without a given script through a training area: he takes cover behind objects on his own, peeks carefully around corners and secures his surroundings seemingly consciously and purposefully with his weapon.

            This is quite impressive and makes the character look like a trained operator who proceeds methodically and knows exactly what he is doing. The developers are so confident with their new AI that they plan to use it en masse: Up to 300 NPCs will be on the map at once in some game modes, Jack O’Hara tells us. And yes, in this context the makers also explicitly mention Warzone 2!

            The Maps

            Maps were one of the biggest construction sites at the release of Modern Warfare in 2019, as their convoluted and asymmetrical layout became a camper’s dream in some cases, while others degenerated into a dull endurance run due to their sheer size. To quote from our review:

            “One round of Headquarters on the huge map Aniyah Palace turned into a marathon for us because the mission objectives appeared far too far apart. Despite continuous sprinting, our team had no chance of capturing an HQ“.

            The locations for Grond War, on the other hand, were chaotic and poorly balanced because they had simply been ripped from the large warzone map Verdansk and thrown into multiplayer. The concept of “every mode on all maps” just didn’t quite work.

            (In missions in the dark, Task Force 141 relies on high tech equipment, like these NVGs. Night vision was one of the big marketing buzzwords for the 2019 predecessor, but then played more of a supporting role).
            (In missions in the dark, Task Force 141 relies on high tech equipment, like these NVGs. Night vision was one of the big marketing buzzwords for the 2019 predecessor, but then played more of a supporting role).

            With updates and DLC maps, remedies were soon found, but Modern Warfare 2 promises to clean up all these problems. So, what’s it going to be: classic and clearly readable 6-vs-6 maps for CoD’s core community, or big sandboxes for climbing, exploring and vehicle driving? “Both!” is the surprising answer from Geoff Smith, the design director for the multiplayer.

            “We now basically divide our maps into two broad categories: Battle Maps for higher player numbers with lots of walkways, walkable buildings and space for vehicles. And core maps for classic 6vs6 with clean lanes and less climbing “

            With this logical separation, Infinity Ward kills two birds with one stone and appeases players from the competitive corner, who had loudly criticised the map design of 2019, and at the same time can continue with larger and more winding concepts that many MW players now know, love and also expect from MW2. The battle maps here come from Warzone 2.0, but were explicitly designed for Ground War and regular multiplayer, Geoff Smith assures us.

            The Gunsmith

            One of Modern Warfare’s greatest strengths was the Gunsmith, where we were able to rebuild our arsenal beyond recognition: Different calibre, new barrel, better sights – more was possible here than ever before in Call of Duty. Game Director Jack O’Hara now promises: That was just the tip of the iceberg. In CoD Modern Warfare 2, the weaponsmithing feature is to be massively expanded:

            “There will be more attachments and a wider scope of features on how to customise weapons. Add to that the all new attachment tuning that almost works  its own game in the game. Once you have levelled up a weapon in MW2, you can tune each attachment individually, which has both positive and negative effects. Players can therefore adjust their arsenal even better to their needs and modify it to fit their play style “

            As an example, O’Hara shows us a barrel for the MP5 whose weight and length we can adjust with a slider. Depending on the setting, we sacrifice stability when aiming or speed when putting the gun on, in favour of less recoil. This gives an idea of how much depth and complexity there could be in the weapon system of Modern Warfare 2.

            Never touch a running system

            The new water engine in CoD Modern Warfare 2 is particularly highlighted during the presentation. Players can now swim, dive and use water vehicles – in the campaign as well as in multiplayer and Warzone 2. For this purpose, an elaborate new engine was created that calculates currents, reflections and even ballistics in and around the water.

            New game modes and gadgets are supposed to provide more tactical depth: Infinity Ward shows us a spy camera that sticks to walls and a kind of mini-drill that spits out deadly grenades on the other side of a wall. Both should look strikingly familiar to players of Rainbow Six: Siege.

            (The movement of MW2 will be expanded by three cornerstones: swimming in water, pike jumps as evasive manoeuvres and hanging from ledges or ladders (from where you can then completely use your pistol).)
            (The movement of MW2 will be expanded by three cornerstones: swimming in water, pike jumps as evasive manoeuvres and hanging from ledges or ladders (from where you can then completely use your pistol).)

            And then there are the two new game modes: In Knockout, two teams without respawn option fight for possession of a money bag in just one minute, and in Prisoner Rescue, a team of attackers tries to overcome the defenders’ lines, free prisoners and bring them to a landing zone. What all this makes clear: Infinity Ward isn’t shaking the MW framework. And it doesn’t have to, because Modern Warfare was already such a really damn good shooter and catapulted the CoD brand to new heights.

            Instead of reinventing something that worked well a few years ago, they’re now ironing out quirks, introducing a few new ideas here and a few new tactical options there. The stupid AI, the faltering map design, the haphazard ground war, in short, the problem areas of the predecessor seem to be the main focus. Modern Warfare 2 is despondent, lacking in innovation – on the one hand, one could certainly accuse the title of that. On the other hand, MW2 could be exactly what fans want.

            Editor’s verdict

            I admit that I was briefly disillusioned right after talking to Infinity Ward. Swimming through water is now MW2’s new flagship feature? Not exactly overwhelming! But the longer I thought about what I, as a fan of the first Modern Warfare of 2019, would want from a sequel, the more it dawned on me: this is the logical path for fans and the studio. Modern Warfare was extremely popular. Why experiment now and risk it all again? Why now fundamentally change the formula that propelled Call of Duty back to the top as a shooter brand a few years ago?

            Instead, the developers are tackling everything that I myself criticised in the review from back then: the stupid AI, the poor vehicle integration, the faltering map design. All in all, it reads like the checklist for “Modern Warfare, but this time without blunders and quirks”. No, Modern Warfare 2 will not win any innovation prize and is guaranteed not to convince anyone who has been shouting “Call of Duty is always the same recycled crap!” for years anyway.

            But Modern Warfare 2 could end a dry spell for all those who couldn’t do anything with Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard. Whether it really works, however, can ultimately only be judged once we have been able to play MW2 ourselves.