Call of Duty, the ever-expanding first-person shooter franchise published by Activision, is one of the few games that players can consistently count on for a reliable release schedule. 2022 doesn’t seem to be an exception to that rule, as Infinity Ward revealed that a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare reboot was in the works for a fall release while on a call with content creators about the state of the game.
After a series of less-than-subtle hints, Infinity Ward finally revealed the logo and confirmed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (not to be confused with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which was released in 2009) will be released next on this year. While official details are yet to come, there’s no shortage of leaks, rumors, and speculation to keep us busy until the game’s full reveal.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II: First Look, Reveal, and Release Date
On May 25, 2022, the Call of Duty franchise unveiled players’ first look at Modern Warfare II by maneuvering a massive cargo ship with a 90,000-square-foot wrap that showcases key art of the fan-favorite character. which returns “Ghost”. The freighter was then docked at a port in Long Beach and lined with a second vinyl wrap to reveal a giant puzzle. In addition to revealing the members of Task Force 141, the event also revealed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will launch on October 28, 2022.
While there has yet to be an official trailer for the game, eagle-eyed fans spotted J-8-22 spray-painted bright green on a shipping container in the trailer. This led to speculation that a trailer or other details related to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II can be expected on June 8, 2022. This timing lines up with the June 9 start date for Summer Games Fest, for which Activision has been confirmed as a partner.
A trailer with the tagline “The ultimate weapon is the team” was released on June 2 which further confirmed the early reveal date. The trailer shows the Task Force 141 squad in the back of an armored vehicle as they prepare for combat.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II — How We Got (Back) Here
Initially finding its footing as a WWII-era shooter exclusively developed by Infinity Ward, Call of Duty’s popularity has led to a massive collection of spin-offs spanning multiple timelines. As the franchise grew, it required support at one point or another from every studio under the Activision banner. Original development studio Infinity Ward began staggering annual releases with Treyarch Studios and eventually Sledgehammer Games, allowing each team more time to work on the more successful titles.
2007 saw the introduction of Modern Warfare spin-offs, starting with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. This was the first Call of Duty title to ditch the WWII setting instead of a more current timeline. The series went on to include two follow-up entries with record sales numbers that further cemented the Modern Warfare legacy. In 2016, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was remastered and packaged alongside Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare at launch. Reception to Infinite Warfare was tepid, at best, and finally Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered released on its own.
In the mid-2010s, Call of Duty titles took a turn towards more futuristic gameplay mechanics and even leaned into sci-fi territory. Fans were becoming more critical of the over-the-top motion gimmicks like jet packs and grappling hooks that introduced titles from this period. However, the adoption of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered showed that there was still an appetite for boots in ground combat in a modern setting. In 2019, Infinity Ward released a freshly modernized and rebooted Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) is a retelling of the events leading up to the creation of Task Force 141 in the Call of Duty: Black Ops timeline, but features the return of the franchise’s main character, the Captain John Price. After the events of the game, players see Price briefing CIA controller Kate Laswell on potential threats while requesting a few agents whose names players are sure to recognize: John “Soap” MacTavish, Kyle “Gaz” Garrick, and Simon “Ghost” Riley. A new character, Mexican Special Forces operative Colonel Alejandro Vargas, was revealed through key art showing members of Task Force 141.
Call of Duty: Warzone, the free-to-play battle royale that was released as a tie-in to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), featured events tied to the Modern Warfare storyline. However, Infinity Ward has stated that Modern Warfare II will be a direct sequel to the 2019 reboot.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II — Gameplay, DMZ and Warzone 2
Modern Warfare II’s campaign is expected to take place in Latin America, with Task Force 141 participating in special operations related to Colombian cartels. Call of Duty leak RalphsValve has suggested that a morality system may be part of the campaign, which could mean a potential departure from Modern Warfare 2019’s linear storytelling.
With no official reveals, everything about Modern Warfare II gameplay comes down to speculation and rumours. Insider and notorious leaker Tom Henderson It has been reported that Modern Warfare II will feature a new mode titled DMZ that will be similar in gameplay to Escape from Tarkov. Players are expected to work together as a squad while acquiring loot on the map before extracting it as a team. The DMZ is expected to feature multiple large-scale maps and has reportedly been in development since early 2018.
Along with DMZ mode, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II has been confirmed to launch with an all-new battle royale, Call of Duty: Warzone 2. However, no official release date for Warzone 2 has been confirmed, nor is there official teasers. or information revealed beyond confirmation of its existence during a conference call between content creators and studio leaders in February 2022.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II — Where and how to play
While Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II has been touted as a “next generation of Call of Duty,” the game may end up being available on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. Studio leaders have previously confirmed that next-gen consoles are still being the most installed. basis for Call of Duty: Warzone. The risk of leaving behind such a large install base amid Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 shortages makes it unlikely to see a release of Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2 exclusively for the current generation of consoles despite having been developed on a new IW engine. .
Alongside the potential release for next-gen consoles, it’s possible that the PC release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will hit the Steam market. Following the reveal of key game art highlighting Ghost, a reddit user shared that Steam page for Call of Duty it had been updated to also include an image of Ghost. The image has since been removed from the Steam market. The franchise has been exclusive to Activision’s Battle.net launcher for the past seven years.
In January 2022 it was announced that Microsoft will acquire Activision; however, PlayStation currently owns the merchandising rights to Call of Duty, and PlayStation players will receive early access to the Modern Warfare II beta. While there may be limited cosmetic rewards for players who purchase Modern Warfare II on PlayStation, there doesn’t seem to be an exclusive game for the platform like we saw in 2019’s Modern Warfare and 2020’s Black Ops Cold War.
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision is not expected to be complete until mid-2023, and they have committed to honoring all currently existing contracts with PlayStation following the merger. It’s unlikely we’ll see details related to Modern Warfare II at Xbox Showcase on June 12. The game is also not expected to launch on Game Pass on day one.