Still, players hoping for a new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare can rest assured that it is on the way. Not only have leaks said as such, but the ending of the first game made a sequel obvious — as did its sales success and popularity with the Call of Duty fan base. With the franchise having a predictable release schedule and a clear pattern for its releases, narrowing down a potential launch window for the game is easy enough. Further, fans can predict when the game will be revealed and what it will be about when it does finally happen.
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When Modern Warfare 2 Might Release
Since 2005’s Call of Duty 2, the series has been released on a yearly basis, with Activision never skipping a beat and delaying an entry in the series. For better or worse, Call of Duty games have always released each and every year, and they will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. With the immense profit that each game brings in, and Call of Duty’s record-breaking releases consistently proving that the strategy is successful, there is no reason for a change. As such, this makes narrowing down a release window significantly easier.
Another helpful thing to keep in mind is that Call of Duty is seemingly returning to the three-year development cycle that started back in 2014 with Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. In this pattern, 2015 saw Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 release, while Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare followed suit in 2016. 2017 saw Sledgehammer make Call of Duty: World War 2, with Treyarch and Infinity Ward following up via Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. While Sledgehammer Games’ development struggles saw Treyarch taking over the 2020 slot and releasing Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the 2021 game will reportedly see the schedule returning to normal.
With this schedule in mind, Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games will have each released a Call of Duty game in the past two years, with the studios’ projects launching in 2020 and 2021 respectively. This sees Call of Duty: Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward stepping up next in the batting order, with 2022 seemingly set to be the year for an Infinity Ward Call of Duty game. With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 rumored to be launching in the year already, everything seems to be lined up for the series to make a return in 2022. Further, players can expect a release month of October or November based on when the previous entries in the series were dropped.
How And When Modern Warfare 2 Could Be Revealed
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s reveal was a big change from the usual Call of Duty style, though there is reason to believe that it will become the norm going forward. Revealing the game late allows players to stay hyped right up to release, as a beta arrives shortly after the reveal. While previous reveals happened months before release, this slow burn often saw excitement dwindling due to a lack of consistent news. With the new format, that is not a problem Activision or Call of Duty developers have to worry about.
As such, players can expect a reveal closer to the months of October or November, with August seeming to be the most likely contender for a reveal. If Call of Duty 2021 follows this same pattern, than gamers can expect Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to be revealed around the month of August in 2022. Beyond that, the game will likely be revealed in Call of Duty: Warzone. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s unique reveal event gained plenty of attention, and leaks have suggested that a Call of Duty: Warzone reveal for this year’s game is likely. As such, it seems unlikely that the pattern changes.
It is also worth noting how closely associated Call of Duty: Warzone is with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. After all, the battle royale game was built using the same engine, mechanics, and weapons from the 2019 game. The Modern Warfare narrative was also expanded through intel and easter eggs inside of Verdansk, giving it even more of a connection to the popular reboot. As such, players may see something extra special if Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 gets a reveal inside Call of Duty: Warzone. With a new Call of Duty: Warzone map supposedly coming in 2022, the same year that the next Modern Warfare will likely release, this could be how Raven Software and Infinity Ward make the game’s launch even more memorable.
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What Modern Warfare 2 Could Be About
At the end of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Soap meets with Kate Laswell about forming his own Task Force. An exciting moment for longtime Call of Duty: Modern Warfare fans, the scene is essentially a huge bit of fan service. First, Kyle Garrick is confirmed to be the classic character Gaz, while Captain Price name drops Soap MacTavish and Simon “Ghost” Riley. He also uses the name Task Force 141 for the group, which was also seen in the original Modern Warfare trilogy.
In the sequel, players would likely see all these fan favorite characters reuniting, with gamers controlling different members of Task Force 141 on various missions. As for the villain, players could very well see the return of General Shepherd or Vladimir Makarov in the next game. Shepherd is mentioned by name in the same Task Force 141 cutscene, and while it is possible that the character remains on the side of good in the reboot, it is equally likely he goes rogue like in the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 campaign. As for Makarov, it is hard to imagine the terrorist being anything but a villain, and his existence is referenced in some big easter eggs during the main story.
Regardless of who Task Force 141 is going up against, though, seeing them in action again is understandably exciting. Unfortunately, Modern Warfare fans will likely be waiting until October or November of 2022 to see the nostalgia-fueled story play out. While a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 campaign remaster may come in the meantime, gamers have a long road ahead before they see Captain Price’s next original adventure.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is not confirmed to be in development.
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