Call of Duty® News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8WcPqtkgTw
The most powerful weapon is team, but it doesn’t hurt to have the right tools for the job.

Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II will usher in a new era of the franchise on October 28 with an incredible amount of day-one content. That offering only gets bigger by pre-ordering the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II - Vault Edition, a special version of the game that includes all standard pre-order bonuses, plus items for immediate use in Modern Warfare® (2019), Vanguard, and Call of Duty®: Warzone™, a day-one Red Team 141 Operator Pack, as well as a Battle Pass and 50 Tier Skips for one season of Modern Warfare II*. For more information on pre-order benefits, check out this blog HERE.

The Vault Edition also comes with a first-ever loadout item ready for a rebuilt and revamped Gunsmith:

The FJX Cinder Weapon Vault**.

A Weapon Vault is the ultimate Weapon Blueprint: a variant of a weapon that keeps its cosmetic properties on all attachments native to its base platform.

And you can customize the FJX Cinder variant in Modern Warfare II… through a rebuilt Gunsmith.

[h2]Introducing the New Gunsmith [/h2]



Created by Infinity Ward, the new Gunsmith revamps this vital Loadout creation tool from Modern Warfare (2019) for a more customizable way to build a weapon.

Based in part on learnings from the community, along with Infinity Ward’s commitment to making a broader and more explorative weapon builder, this Gunsmith’s initial features can be defined by the following bullet points:

• Weapons Platform. Grow and upgrade a weapon far beyond its class to truly customize your loadout. Evolve your weapons platform from an assault rifle to an SMG, DMR, and/or LMG by swapping Receivers on a specific platform, using a full suite of attachments to support your weapon’s role.
  
• Progression Overhaul. Thanks to Weapons Platform and branching progression, attachments are shared within and between Weapons Platform. Depending on the attachment, it is either unlocked for all weapons within a Platform, or unlocked for ALL weapons in the entire game. Expect reduced repetitiveness and reasonable challenges to unlock attachments and camouflage… And if you crave a journey towards Mastery, don’t worry: we have that planned, too.
  
• Firing Range. Test your creation without sacrificing K/D within the Gunsmith. More intel to come at Call of Duty: Next.
  

These new Gunsmith features, and more, will make it easier for you to create a true extension of your personal playstyle while exploring each platform’s strengths.

[h2]Weapons Platforms [/h2]

Tempus Armament’s M4, the first unlocked Weapons Platform in Modern Warfare II, shown within the in-game Gunsmith. All Tempus Armament attachments are shared between every weapon Receiver in its Platform: the M4, M16, 556 Icarus, FTAC Recon, and FSS Hurricane

For this pre-Beta breakdown, let’s focus on Weapons Platform.

Unlike previous years where every weapon is a separate family, Weapons Platform streamlines progression and create attachment pools for easier swaps between playstyles via the Gunsmith. Although some Weapons Platform still contain one weapon – the RPG-7 and Lockwood MK2 “cowboy rifle,” for example – other, more modern Platforms can have three, four, or even five different weapons.

In Modern Warfare II, Operators will receive every base Weapons Platform from each manufacturer on their Military Rank (Rank 1 to 55) progression journey. The first weapon unlocked on a Weapons Platform will be known by its Receiver, the core of a weapon that determines its primary use and strengths.

For example: the above M4, the first unlocked Weapons Platform, is from Tempus Armaments and is classified as an Assault Rifle.

After selecting a Primary or Secondary Weapon and heading to the Gunsmith, you will see the “Receiver” attachment in addition to slots for Muzzles, Barrels, Magazines, and other parts you’re already familiar with.

Here’s how to swap Receivers in the Gunsmith, using the M4 and M16 as an example. Note how all attachments are retained despite this weapon switching to a completely new one.

Just like in previous games, levelling up a weapon unlocks attachments. In Modern Warfare II, these unlocks include Receivers.

Changing a weapon’s Receiver completely alters what the weapon is; it’s considered a “new” weapon when building a Loadout, but it still lives within the same Weapons Platform.

In the case of Tempus Armaments’ M4 Weapons Platform, there are four Receivers in addition to the base M4: the M16, the 556 Icarus LMG, the FTac Racon Battle Rifle, and FSS Hurricane SMG.

Each new Receiver can be seen in its designated Weapon Categories in the Loadout Screen. However, while editing any weapon that is part of a larger Weapons Platform, you can simply swap Receivers in the Gunsmith.

Tempus Armament’s M4 Weapons Platform Progression map. By levelling up each Platform across each of its Receivers, you will unlock attachments that can be used across all weapons within the Platform, as well as attachments across ALL Platforms.

In levelling up a Weapons Platform, you unlock two types of attachments:

The first is for the specific Weapons Platform – Receivers, Barrels, Stocks, Rear Grips, and Magazines. These are sharable within the Platform across all Receivers.

The second are attachments that can be used across ALL weapons that are able to equip them. These are Optics, Ammunition, Underbarrels and Foregrips, and Muzzles. This lets allows you to collect an arsenal of attachments that only need to be unlocked once.

For example, let’s punch into the M4’s Progression track: at Weapon Level 1 and 2, you unlock the SZ Reflex Optic and the Echoline GS-X Suppressor Muzzle attachment.

[h3]Once these are unlocked, these attachments can be used across ANY weapon in the game. [/h3]

So, there’s no need to unlock the SZ Reflex Optic or Echoline GS-X Suppressor 40 different times – you only need to unlock them once through the M4 Progression track to make them available for all weapons in Modern Warfare. Is there another Optic or Muzzle attachment you like? It may be on a different weapon’s Progression track – check around the Gunsmith, use that weapon to unlock them, then feel free to use it on your M4 or any other weapon.

Weapon Levels 3 and 4, meanwhile, contain attachment unlocks that are specific to this Weapons Platform: the 11.5” T-H4 Barrel and the 45-Round Mag. These Platform-specific attachments can be used across all weapons in the M4/Tempus Armaments Weapons Platform.

There is no need to re-unlock these kind of attachments for each individual Weapon in the Platform, but different Weapons Platforms have their own Barrels and Magazines to unlock.

[h2]FJX Cinder Weapon Vault Overview[/h2]

The FJX Cinder Weapon Vault, shown with different Receivers and attachments. Owning the Weapon Vault means having every attachment from an equivalent Weapons Platform ready to use and with the same sleek design.

This new Weapons Platform system shows the resourcefulness of Weapon Vaults, such as the FJX Cinder.

Think of the Weapon Vault as the Ultimate Weapon Blueprint: First of its kind and highly classified, the Weapon Vault instantly unlocks dozens of platform-native attachments from an alternate manufacturer.

A Weapon Vault allows for immediate customization with a collection of Receivers, Barrels, Stocks, Rear Grips, and Magazines. Other attachments – Optics, Ammunition, Underbarrels and Foregrips, and Muzzles – can be outfitted to the FJX Cinder once they unlocked normally.

All Weapon Vault attachments are hand-crafted to with a specific cosmetic appearance in mind; Weapon Vaults are designed for those who care about appearance just as much as effectiveness, especially for a specific Weapons Platform.

In the case of the FJX Cinder Weapon Vault, consider it an aftermarket, bespoke, or rival version of our example Weapons Platform.

Its nearly the exact same Platform right down to camouflage unlocks, but with every attachment ready for immediate use with a red-and-black graphical design maintained no matter the configuration.

And did we mention those who preordered the Modern Warfare II Vault Edition can use the FJX Cinder, as well as all the Red Team 141 Operators, within the Modern Warfare II Open Beta?



The FJX Cinder is a strong introduction to the new Gunsmith you’ll definitely want to experience when Modern Warfare II launches on October 28.

[h2]What’s Next for Intel – Guides Return with the MWII Beta[/h2]



Weapon Platforms and the new Gunsmith are just two of the dozens of new features in Modern Warfare II – and you will be well-prepared to explore them thanks to an unprecedented amount of official intel at your disposal:

We are excited to announce free and Official Guides for Modern Warfare II, covering the game in its entirety.

A prologue to this guide will be released on the same day as Call of Duty: Next, and will cover everything you need to know about the Modern Warfare II Beta.

For example: there’s a dedicated chapter on the Weapons menu that expands on the above Gunsmith information and details the entire process of building a Multiplayer Loadout, including tactics for Equipment, Perks, Field Upgrades, and Meta-minded examples to try out.

All of this lives alongside a full breakdown of every Killstreak and Vehicle (including Customization) in the game within that Weapons menu… Which is just one aspect of this new and improved Official Guides for the next generation for Call of Duty.

Be sure to check all official social channels to see when the Guide Hub page will be available on the Call of Duty website, and as always:

Stay Frosty.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1938090/Call_of_Duty_Modern_Warfare_II/

*One week based on estimated access; Actual play time subject to possible outages and applicable time zone differences.

*Battle Pass and Tier Skips, or equivalent versions, will be accessible in Modern Warfare II once the Season 1 Battle Pass, or equivalent system, is made available in game. Battle Pass redemption applies to one season of Modern Warfare II Battle Pass, or equivalent system, only.

**Weapon Vault design limited to Weapon Vault contents at launch.

© 2019-2022 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, MODERN WARFARE, CALL OF DUTY WARZONE, and WARZONE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com and www.youtube.com/callofduty, and follow @Activision and @CallofDuty on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

We know addressing toxicity requires a 24/7 sustained effort. Since our last Call of Duty® community update, our enforcement and anti-toxicity teams have continued to progress, including scrubbing our global player database to remove toxic users.

• 500,000 accounts banned to date
  
• 300,000 accounts renamed since launching our automated filtering systems
  
• Added additional languages for in-game, text-based chat and name creation moderation bringing the total to 14 languages*

Call of Duty employs the use of new automated technology alongside human moderation to help filter text chat and account names from offensive language.

In part, due to these efforts, we have seen a more than 55% drop in the number of offensive username and clan tags reports from our players, year-over-year, in the month of August alone in Call of Duty®: Warzone™.

We recognize battling toxicity will be an ongoing effort. We will continue to monitor our titles, address player-submitted reports, and expand our technology to combat toxic behavior.



[h2]Call of Duty Values and Code of Conduct[/h2]

Today, we are launching a new unified Code of Conduct for the Call of Duty franchise. This effort is supported by three core values to promote a positive gaming experience for all:

1: TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT

We do not tolerate bullying or harassment, including derogatory comments based on race, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, culture, faith, mental or physical abilities, or country of origin.

All members of our community should be treated with dignity and respect.

Communication with others, whether using text or voice chat, must be free of offensive or harmful language. Hate speech and discriminatory language is offensive and unacceptable, as is harassment and threatening another player.

2: COMPETE WITH INTEGRITY

Competitive integrity is core to the Call of Duty experience.

Progression is earned through good, clean gameplay. Cheating and griefing or other threats to fair play will not be tolerated.

You are responsible for how your account is used. The use of cheats, including third-party software, is unacceptable. Exploiting bugs or engaging in any activity that grants an unfair advantage is considered cheating.

Learn how we combat cheaters with RICOCHET Anti-Cheat™.

3: STAY VIGILANT

Working together we can keep the game fair and fun for all.

To promote an enjoyable gameplay experience, utilize in-game tools to report any incidents or inappropriate behaviors you encounter.

Visit CallofDuty.com/Values to learn more about our new franchise-wide Code of Conduct.

As part of this initiative, players will be presented and asked to acknowledge the new Code of Conduct in-game beginning with the Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II Open Beta.

We know there is still a lot of work to do to combat toxicity and we look forward to making progress together as a community.

Thank you.

*Languages supported: English (EN), French (FR), Italian (IT), German (DE), Spanish (ES), Portuguese (PT), Russian (RU), Polish (PL), Japanese (JA), Korean (KO), Arabic (AR), Chinese - Traditional (ZH), Chinese - Simplified (ZH), Turkish (TR)

Ready up for one of the biggest intel drops in Call of Duty history: The Franchise Showcase Event defining the next era of Call of Duty, is merely days away!

Presented by Infinity Ward, in-depth information on Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II Multiplayer, the next Call of Duty®: Warzone™, and Call of Duty® Warzone™: Mobile is now fully locked and loaded.

Call of Duty: Next is shaping up to be nothing short of spectacular. Here’s a taste of what to expect:

• Key innovations across the franchise will be announced by developers and guest speakers from multiple Call of Duty studios.
  
• More than 150 of your favorite streamers will be in attendance, ready to squad up, drop in, and play.
  
• Key details about the Modern Warfare® II Open Beta will be shared, as well as [[REDACTED]] information and additional surprises.

The broadcast kicks off on Thursday, September 15 at 10 AM PT.



There are multiple ways to watch. You can:

• Watch the Official Call of Duty Twitch® Channel or Call of Duty YouTube® Channel and receive analysis from a variety of expert hosts, as well as a central hub of live feeds from across all the streamers so you’re always kept at the core of the action.
  
• Or, you can drop in on your favorite streamers and watch the event from their perspective.
  

Watching the event? Ready for the Open Beta? Then expect to receive an impressive collection of in-game rewards for participating in the Open Beta:

[h2]Call of Duty: Next: Modern Warfare II Rewards[/h2]

No matter when or how you’re accessing the Open Beta1, get ready: You’re able to earn the biggest collection of free rewards ever in Call of Duty history! A total of ten different reward items — including two Weapon Blueprints and an Operator Skin — can be earned throughout one or both Beta Weekends. These items can be equipped in the Beta as soon as you unlock them, and they are only available to unlock during the Beta itself. Don’t miss out!

These special Beta rewards, available only if you earn them during the Open Beta, then become available at the launch of Modern Warfare II on October 28.

Beta rewards will also be available in the next Call of Duty: Warzone releasing later this year.

In addition, be sure to remember the following key dates, and refer to this blog for more details.

Here’s what to unlock:

• Emblem: “Smashed It”: Unlocks at Operator Level 2
  
• Charm: “Buckle Up”: Unlocks at Operator Level 4
  
• Player Cards: “Passed the Test”: Unlocks at Operator Level 6
  
• Sticker: “Operation First Blood”: Unlocks at Operator Level 10
  
• Weapon Blueprint: “Side Impact”: Unlocks at Operator Level 15
  
• Operator Skin: “Collision”: Unlocks at Operator Level 18
  
• Vinyl: “No Competition”: Unlocks at Operator Level 19
  
• Sticker: “Safety First”: Unlocks at Operator Level 21
  
• Vehicle Skin: “Floor It”: Unlocks at Operator Level 26
  
• Weapon Blueprint: “Frontal Impact”: Unlocks at Operator Level 30
  

[h2]The Countdown has Begun![/h2]



Ensure you have the latest official information about Modern Warfare II by checking the Call of Duty blog in the coming days as we unlock the following:

• An initial overview of the Modern Warfare II Gunsmith and FJX Cinder Weapon Vault(2).
  
• Confirmation of all Call of Duty: Next communications once the event concludes.
  
• Guides, Tips, and Tactics on all aspects of the Modern Warfare II Open Beta.
  

For a full rundown of everything you’ll receive, including all the Vault Edition rewards available during the Beta, as well as content you can use right now in Call of Duty®: Vanguard and Call of Duty®: Warzone™, check out this blog.

Stay frosty.

(1) Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of MP Beta subject to change. See www.callofduty.com/beta for more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only, while Early Access Beta Codes last, at participating retailers. Online multiplayer subscription may be required.

(2) Weapon Vault design limited to Weapon Vault contents at launch.

© 2019-2022 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY VANGUARD, CALL OF DUTY WARZONE, MODERN WARFARE, and WARZONE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com and www.youtube.com/callofduty, and follow @Activision and @CallofDuty on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Twenty-four hours after the pulse-pounding reveal of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, the community got its first look at one of the game’s Campaign levels: Dark Water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISc1orDBziY
The Dark Water video is known as a “vertical slice” in game development: an internal “playable demo” that serves as a major pre-release milestone. It showcases a small game portion in its intended final state, highlighting core features, visuals, audio, and overall player experience for the studio, its publisher and – in this case – millions of fans to see what these developers want to make a reality everyone can enjoy.

In choosing this Campaign level to show off, Infinity Ward set the tone for what Modern Warfare II is: a visually stunning action-packed game that you’ll have fun with this October 28… or up to a week earlier if you digitally pre-order and take advantage of the Campaign Early Access.

[h2]Simply Put: “It’s Way More Complicated Than It Looks”[/h2]



With the help of developers from lead studio Infinity Ward and partner studio Activision Shanghai, this is what went into making the Dark Water Campaign mission, and a glimpse into the creation of Modern Warfare II.

“Dark Water balances being completely realistic while being completely ludicrous,” said Rich Farrelly, Lead Level Designer who worked at Infinity Ward for nearly a decade. “You approach the [oil] rig, get up there, ascend, and that feels like Clean House in the last game [Modern Warfare® (2019)]: military guys doing military stuff. And then the second half of the level, you’re doing a ramp jump into the back of a moving ship – somehow we made it work together to make it pretty badass.”

From a game designer that brings up level ideas, to an artist that draws out a concept scene, to a producer keeping everyone on schedule and collaborating, to the QA tester who identifies critical issues, every member of a game studio is crucial to development.

“The intro of Dark Water is a collaboration across departments that everyone here should be proud of,” said Candice Harris, a Senior Producer at Infinity Ward. She started out as a QA Tester before the release of the original Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2, and steps into her current role after being a Producer on Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® in 2019.

“The animation team has to create the animations for the characters, boats, and faces. The lighting team has to go in there, light everything, and make sure you can see what’s going on. The VFX and Tech Art guys did the water and atmosphere… And even at the beginning, we created a concept paint-over that was our end goal of the look and feel of everything.”

That’s just what we see in the game – what about the audio? That too needs extreme precision and detail, according to Senior Lead Audio Designer Dave Rowe.

“Chris Egert, Sr. Sound Designer, prototyped some hydrophone microphone techniques on a lake and recorded a killer boat [sound] which is used in the intro and middle sections of the mission,” he explained. “We also needed rain, and a lot of it. Chris Staples, Sr. Sound Designer, recorded sounds of precipitation and implemented rain “emitters” throughout the mission. The results are exceptionally immersive as Chris explains: “As you are walking by things you hear and feel the rain around you in a realistic way. We recorded a lot of water movement and other sound design elements, and I got to use some of my own ocean wave recordings throughout the mission.”

If this was a traditional media piece – a film or TV show – the process would end there… But for a video game, it’s about making this realistic world playable, too.



As April Friesen, a Designer at Infinity Ward who helped create this mission, described, the creation of the oil rig was relatively straightforward. Using footage of smaller oil rigs for a layout and speaking to their military consultants on how their teams would clear it, the team had one half of the level down…

“The cargo ship was a whole different beast,” Friesen said. “Almost every department had to help out to make this playable. We had to get [moving] containers to push the player, get AI to react to moving containers and path around them realistically, etc. Not only that, but the gameplay we aimed for required us to rip apart the ship we had already built to make it at least four times bigger, along with redesigning all of the combat to reflect the new space.”

“It’s way more complicated than it looks,” Farrely said. “We’re talking about the physics of these [scenic objects] moving back and forth, making their speeds of them feel right, making it feel like they have proper friction on the deck. That's visual surface level of it. Now we throw AIs in there and we have a gunfight – do they take cover? How do they know where the containers are at any given time? How do we control this whole thing?”

Make no mistake: game development is not easy. But together, this collection of veterans and fresh talent – coming together with experience from past games, film and TV production, and elsewhere – collaborate to make this all possible.

“There is tons and tons of iteration on this level,” said Patrick Hagar, a 16-year Activision veteran and Expert VFX Artist at Infinity Ward. “That work ends up benefitting other levels. Some of the big [water] splashes we put in for Dark Water – elements of that – might show up as boat effects elsewhere.”

“It’s also a lot of sharing where you are at with the team,” said Daniel Stern, an Expert VFX Technical Artist with an extensive commercial, TV, and computer science background. “Everyone chimes in and has different ideas, and that works great for us.”

“One of the great things about this project is that there is not a lot of wasted work,” Farrelly added. “That’s built into the schedule; this time around we said that everything we make is what we’re going to ship. We built mini-milestones into the schedule, and we have enough of those to where we can slowly bring the quality up until the end so we don’t have this steep hill to climb” during the final months of game production.

[h2]Improvements You Can See – and Hear[/h2]



This world-class collection of talent worked together to create Dark Water – and the rest of Modern Warfare II – using its game engine. As mentioned at the game’s reveal, the team is using one unified Call of Duty engine across the franchise, starting with Modern Warfare II and the next iteration of WarzoneTM, and builds upon the engine from Modern Warfare (2019) with the best tech from across the studios to deliver the most advanced engine ever in Call of Duty.

Dark Water shows off “the most advanced Call of Duty” yet; knowing the context behind that statement is as simple as taking a closer look – and listening – to realize how far the franchise has come.

Take Call of Duty®: Ghosts, another multi-generation game that numerous developers, including Farrelly, Harris, and Hagar, remember creating. Nearly a decade ago, Ghosts had its own water-based Campaign mission: “Into the Deep.”

Because of the technology available in 2013, it was well out of scope to create realistic water physics and graphics – along with, of course, that infamous Fish AI – while still having the technical resources and memory space to have the rest of the game run at the Call of Duty standard 60 frames per second.

“It was a cool experience, but it wasn't like real water,” Farrelly said. “So that was kind of a goal set by the team: to be able to create this new gameplay experience that we could spread across the different modes.”

Realistic water was a focus this year for Infinity Ward, and with the help of an updated engine, they were able to create something that would look authentic – as you were careening on an inflatable boat across it – across multiple platforms.

“The biggest thing that helped us with our lightning was the new shadow system,” Krzystof Wójck, Senior Lighting Artist, explained. “This project, the engine helped us introduce something called PCSS [Percentage-Closer Soft Shadows], which allows us to have soft shadows on high-end PCs but also next-gen Hardware too. There is also a lot of improvement in our volumetric rendering system to solve volumetric fog so it renders better with our ambient lights and stuff.”

“We have volumetric particles too,” Hagar added. “Instead of just having like these flat Sprites, which most of our effects have always been, we’re mixing actual volumetric particles to help fill it out. And that's important for us to make those big splashes on the ship.”

This new engine also opens itself up to better sound capture, as Rowe said the audio team can now approach missions and other elements of the game like someone in Hollywood would mix a film.

“The mission is comprised of a lot of water sounds, which typically present mix issues because they are so wide-band and noisy,” Rowe said. “In order to avoid frequency masking of important commands and moments, we can use engine features like real-time mixing and natural limiting to help control the mix and focus the player on the important task at hand. This helps push the narrative and draw the player through the mission.”

But, of course, we know it’s something you just must feel to know this engine is the most impressive yet.

“We push the quality here for every game – we try to just make it more real and perfect,” Wójck said. “People sometimes say, ‘Oh it’s just another Call of Duty game,’ but it’s not. There is so much work that people are not aware of for AI, the environment, scanning, making lighting more realistic.”

[h2]Working Across Time Zones with Activision Shanghai[/h2]



Making a game like Call of Duty takes more than just one studio; for Modern Warfare II, lead developer Infinity Ward partnered with Activision Shanghai among others.

“We don’t just throw some stuff over and say, ‘Do this work,’” Farrelly said. “All teams are invested in it; they give us feedback on what they think would work better. It’s a two-way street.”

Among other features and processes, Activision Shanghai is an instrumental part of getting the game’s textures, built via photogrammetry, into Modern Warfare II.

“All newly made textures were created by using high resolution scanned photos,” said Tigger Liang, Lead Level Artist at Activision Shanghai. “We achieve high quality visual performance by combining them and adding subtle details, but some required materials do not have a one-to-one corresponding basic scan files. Some textures are combined with fine tuning to achieve a higher quality visual performance. But no tool can replace an artist.”

Within the Call of Duty development process, artists from both studios – and others – worked to make Modern Warfare II have high visual fidelity while maintaining 60 FPS. Having developers around the world allowed the team to tackle this task, as Ying Huang, a Producer at Activision Shanghai, points out.

“The time zone difference won’t stop us from actively collaborating; it’s actually not a disadvantage from our point of view,” Huang said. “We take turns so tasks will be finished more efficiently.”

It’s this way of looking at work, spread out across global studios and in home offices during the pandemic, that allows Modern Warfare II to become the finely polished game you’ll be able to experience in less than 80 days.

“I’ve been doing this for over 20 years, and this team is probably the best collection of developers I’ve worked with in all-in-one place,” Farrelly said. “With all of us scattered across the four winds working remote, with the energy of this team, we’ve pulled an incredible game together.”

[h2]Additional Intel to Come — Preorders Available Now[/h2]



You can experience Modern Warfare II’s Campaign a week before the game’s official launch* by digitally pre-ordering or pre-purchasing it now on your platform of choice.

Pre-ordering or pre-purchasing also grants early access to the game’s Open Beta**, early access for PC is set to begin September 22, and is open to all players on September 24 regardless of preorder status.

For a full run-down of everything you’ll receive, including all the Vault Edition*** rewards available during the Beta as well as content you can use right now in Call of Duty®: Vanguard and Warzone™, check out this blog.

For more about the team behind Dark Water, check out https://www.activisionblizzard.com/newsroom tomorrow as they get into the skills, disciplines, and collaborative efforts needed to pull off one of the most challenging Call of Duty missions yet.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1938090/Call_of_Duty_Modern_Warfare_II/
Stay frosty.

*One week based on estimated access; Actual play time subject to possible outages and applicable time zone differences.

**Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of MP Beta subject to change. See www.callofduty.com/beta for more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only, while Early Access Beta Codes last, at participating retailers. Online multiplayer subscription may be required.

***Weapon Vault design limited to weapon vault contents at launch.

For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com and www.youtube.com/callofduty, and follow @Activision and @CallofDuty on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

[h2]Early Campaign Access(1): The Ultimate Way to Play[/h2]

Task Force 141 is expecting you to report for duty up to a week before the official launch of Modern Warfare II. Are you up for the challenge?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkCdEvKUAKA
This intel has been verified: Anyone who preorders a digital edition of Modern Warfare II will receive early Campaign access in addition to a host of other previously announced rewards. This grants you up to a week to complete the incredible multimission, single-player, globe-trotting operation before the full game launches on October 28. Preorder the game here.



Familiar heroes return and new allies are formed as Task Force 141 faces its greatest threat yet — a newly aligned menace with deep, yet unknown connections.

This Campaign features missions in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and is set to be an incredible experience on numerous levels: offshore sieges with underwater combat, all-out explosive assaults from 30,000 feet above enemy strongholds, and high-stakes, low-profile stealth missions in both plain sight and under the cover of darkness. For more information on the game, click here.

[h2]Recap: Modern Warfare II Preorder Benefits[/h2]

As well as gaining early access to the Modern Warfare II Campaign, there’s free content you can use right now in Call of Duty®: Vanguard and Call of Duty®: Warzone™. You also get Beta Early Access and content available in Modern Warfare II at launch, just for preordering the game. For a full rundown, check out this blog. Here’s a quick list of what you can claim:



Preorder Modern Warfare II to receive:

• Up to one week early access to the full Modern Warfare II Campaign, starting October 20(1).
  
• Access to the full game on October 28.
  
• Open Beta Early Access(2).
  
• Final Judgement Bundle(3): Immediate access to the Legendary “Deathknell” Operator Skin and the Legendary “Bloodthirsty” Weapon Blueprint for use in Vanguard and Warzone.

Preorder the Vault Edition of Modern Warfare II to receive:

• All previously listed rewards.
  
• Red Team 141: Four playable Multiplayer Operators — Ghost, Farah, Price, and Soap — each wearing a special masked outfit, which will be available during the Open Beta.
  
• FJX Cinder Weapon Vault(4): At Call of Duty: Next, we plan to share more details on this and the new Gunsmith, which will also be available during the Open Beta.
  
• Season One Battle Pass and 50 Tier Skips(5): If you purchase the Vault Edition after Season One, the free Battle Pass and Tier Skips apply to the current season.
  
• Ghost Legacy Pack(6): 20+ free items celebrating the Task Force 141 icon, for Modern Warfare® (2019) and Warzone, unlocked upon pre-purchase.

[h2]Recap: Modern Warfare II Beta dates[/h2]

Remember your preorder also entitles you to experience early access to the future of Call of Duty Multiplayer combat. The Modern Warfare II Open Beta will be free across all platforms and split into two playable Weekends. Early access is available for those with either digital or retail preorders:



[h2]Time to Play: All Platforms (Crossplay)(2)[/h2]

Beta is coming! An upcoming beta weekend will be available on Steam, and is scheduled to run from Thursday, September 22 at 10 AM PT to Monday, September 26 at 10 AM PT. Crossplay will be active, allowing you to party with friends and the greater community, no matter what hardware they play on.

[h2]Recap: Call of Duty®: Next[/h2]



Mark your calendars for September 15, 2022: Expect a massive intel drop regarding the immediate future of Call of Duty during the Call of Duty: Next franchise showcase event! Expect many more details regarding Modern Warfare II, information on the next Call of Duty: Warzone, and more on the mobile version of Call of Duty: Warzone (also known as Project Aurora). This multi-hour event also features a full Modern Warfare II Multiplayer reveal; a multitude of your favorite streamers at the event, playing the games in real time; and [[REDACTED]] information and surprises! Need more details? Click here.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1938090/Call_of_Duty_Modern_Warfare_II/
Stay Frosty.

(1) One week based on estimated access; actual play time subject to possible outages and applicable time zone differences.

(2) Actual platform availability and launch date(s) of MP Beta subject to change. See www.callofduty.com/beta for more details. Minimum Open Beta duration is 2 days. Limited time only, while Early Access Beta Codes last, at participating retailers. Online multiplayer subscription may be required.

(3) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II on preorder platform required to redeem Final Judgement Bundle. Sold/downloaded separately.

(4) Weapon Vault design limited to Weapon Vault contents at launch.

(5) Battle Pass and Tier Skips, or equivalent versions, will be accessible in Modern Warfare II once the Season 1 Battle Pass, or equivalent system, is made available in-game. Battle Pass redemption applies to one season of Modern Warfare II Battle Pass, or equivalent system, only.

(6) Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® / Call of Duty®: Warzone™ required to redeem Ghost Legacy Pack. Sold/downloaded separately. Must be redeemed by October 28, 2023. All pre-purchase customers are eligible to receive Ghost Legacy Pack rewards at a later date. However, Modern Warfare® (2019) and Warzone are not available on Steam. For more details, please visit the Call of Duty® FAQ.

A mobile phone number must be linked to your Steam Account to play Modern Warfare® II.

© 2019-2022 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY VANGUARD, CALL OF DUTY WARZONE, MODERN WARFARE, CALL OF DUTY LEAGUE, the CALL OF DUTY LEAGUE logo, and WARZONE are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

For more information, please visit www.callofduty.com and www.youtube.com/callofduty, and follow @Activision and @CallofDuty on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.