Overview

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is publisher Activision's sixth major installment in the Call of Duty franchise, and developer Infinity Ward's fourth. The game is a continuation of the story of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Players cycle through a number of characters including a member of Task Force 141, led by Captain John "Soap" MacTavish, one of the main protagonists of the first game.

Campaign

Overview

The game's plot unfolds over 18 levels (the first one serving as a tutorial) and offers four different difficulty levels, the hardest one being Veteran. Like in previous Call of Duty games, the player switches characters after each level. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, they take control of five different characters: Private Joseph Allen, Sgt. Gary "Roach" Sanderson, Captain John "Soap" MacTavish, an ISS astronaut, and Private James Ramirez. The game also has a bonus mission, the museum. More of a playground than a mission, the game puts the player in a museum where they see statues of every character. By pressing a red button that the game says not to press, all the statues come to life, turning hostile. The museum also holds every weapon that can be found in the game.

Like in the first Modern Warfare, the game's levels are peppered with Intel Items (little laptops). Finding all of them doesn't unlock anything other than an achievement/trophy. The game keeps track of all stats (percentage complete, number of Intel items found, time played) and allows players to replay any level with an indication of how many Intel items are left to find.

Synopsis

Taking place five years after Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the Ultranationalist party ultimately seizes control of Russia with a statue of deceased leader Imran Zakhaev erected in the capital city of Moscow. In spite of their success, a seperatist group led by Vladimir Makarov initiates multiple terrorist attacks throughout Europe demanding the removal of the party from office.

In Afghanistan, United States Army Private Joseph Allen demonstrates how to handle firearms and grenades to the local Afghan security force as well as being tasked to complete an obstacle course under the supervision of Lieutenant General Shepherd, leader of the multinational counter-terrorism unit Task Force 141. Soon Allen and the rest of his unit moves out to an Afghan city controlled by Insurgents. Immediately after taking over a portion of the city, an impressed Shepherd takes and recruits Allen to Task Force 141 with his first assignment a covert operation in Makarov's terrorist group, under the directive of the CIA

Meanwhile in the Tian Shan mountains, Task Force 141 field operators Captain John "Soap" MacTavish and Sergeant Gary "Roach" Sanderson infiltrate a Ultranationalist base to recover an ACS (Attack Characterization System) from a downed satellite. Both Roach and Soap narrowly escape the base with the ACS module after being compromised.

Sent to Russia, Allen is recruited by Makarov to participate in a brutal massacre in Zakhaev International Airport. After fighting through airport security and FSB, Makarov was able to escape the airport. Before fleeing, with Makarov aware of Allen's identity, shoots him for dead causing the Russians to believe it was an American attack; instigating a war between the two countries.

To suppress the situation and reveal that Makarov was the mastermind of the airport attack, Task Force 141 traces a bullet left in the crime scene to a Brazilian arms dealer named Alejandro Rojas. After brutally interrogating Rojas, Roach, Soap, and Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley narrowly escape Brazil from the local militia with a way to expose Makarov; by extracting his arch enemy, known as Prisoner 627, out of a Russian gulag located east of the country.

In the United States of America, the Russians, shortly after the airport attack, launches a massive surprise attack on both the east and west coasts of the country. Private James Ramirez, Allen's former squad members Sergeant Foley and Corporal Dunn, and many Army Rangers are tasked to defend both Virginia and Washington D.C. as well as secure some high valued personnel to safety.

With the help of the United States Navy SEALS and Marine Corps, Task Force 141 initiate the operation to secure Prisoner 627. Prior to invading the gulag, Task Force 141 is to secure a series of surrounding oil rigs containing hostages and anti-air weaponry. During the assault on the prison, it was revealed that Prisoner 627 was Captain Price. Upon freeing Price, he and Task Force 141 now plans to stop Makarov. With stopping the conflict in America as priority, Price plans to infiltrate an Ultranationalist base containing a nuclear weapon. With the weapon inside the sub, Price goes rogue to launch the missile to Washington D.C. but detonates outside the Earth's atmosphere destroying the nearby International Space Station.

With Ramirez, Foley, and Dunn in a last stand against the Russians, they witness the nuclear weapon detonating. The effect creates an electromagnetic pulse causing all electronics and vehicles to cease, giving the Americans a slight advantage. They escape the immediate EMP effect and proceed to The White House only to find out that the city will be carpet bombed to minimize Russian forces. Ramirez, Foley, Dunn, and the Rangers hastily reach the rooftops to signal green smoke indicating that the area is still in American control. At the last second, the planes intended to bomb the city withdrew their attack.

In an attempt to stop Makarov once and for all, Task Force 141 splits up to two different areas Makarov can be hiding. Roach and Ghost are to raid a possible safe house while Soap and Price infiltrates an Afghan aircraft boneyard where an arms deal is likely occurring. Roach and Ghost discover vital intelligence that can benefit taking down Makarov while they narrowly escape Makarov's surrounding men. Near extraction, both Roach and Ghost were shot and left for dead by Shepherd who took the intelligence. Price and Soap escape a battle between Makarov's men and Shepherd's Shadow Company force thanks to associate Nikolai. While in the boneyard, Price engages in a radio conversation with Makarov where he tells Price the location of Shepherd's base in Afghanistan.

Soap and Price now wanted, the infiltrate Shepherd's base of operations in a vengeful suicide mission. They eventually find Shepherd escaping and both Soap and Price give chase through boats. Nearing a waterfall, Shepherd attempts to be extracted through helicopter but was unsuccessful thanks to Price shooting the main rotor. The helicopter crash lands and the boat Price and Soap was on tumbles from the waterfall. Waking up, Soap finds Shepherd and attempts to kill him but he gets the upper hand by stabbing Soap with his own knife.

Shepherd reveals that he was the mastermind of the whole conflict against Russia. Shepherd hopes to have the American public to enlist in the military and fight the Russians after enduring the pressure of losing 30,000 troops during the battle against Khaled Al-Asad in the previous Modern Warfare. At gunpoint, Price stops Shepherd from killing Soap. Shepherd gets the upper hand on Price before being stabbed in the eye by Soap's own knife. Nikolai appears to help extract Price and severely wounded Soap. Nikolai warns about the repercussions of killing Shepherd but knows a safe place to go to help Soap's wounds and be secluded.

IW4 Engine

IW Engine 4.0 is the latest build of their game engine for the Call of Duty series. The framework of the engine is derived from id Tech 3. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 takes advantage of a new graphics engine technology that saves disc space, while adding graphical fidelity. Dubbed "Texture Streaming" it allows the designers to create larger environments without sacrificing object and character detail. The streaming tech also enables the developer to focus development on weather effects and environmental destruction.

Special Ops Mode

Special Ops mode is a standalone mode separate from the campaign narrative. It is inspired by CoD4's "Mile High Club" epilogue, in that the player must complete a specific objective within a set time limit. It can be played solo or co-op with one other player, online or in split-screen. A debriefing screen lists mission type, enemy resistance, and expected completion time before starting the mission. At the start of the missions, there's the option of switching weapons and/or equipment.

Spec Ops mode also has a new enemy type not seen in the campaign. Dubbed "Juggernaut", this enemy's purpose is to flush out the player from entrenched positions. Clad in bomb disposal gear, the Juggernaut's heavy armor makes it tough to kill.

There are different difficulty levels, ranging from Normal to Veteran. By completing missions, the player is able to earn stars that further unlock later mission groups. The harder the difficulty on which one completes a mission, the more stars one gains. There are six mission tiers to unlock, from Alpha to Echo.

Alpha missions

• The Pit - Complete the training course found in campaign mode.
• Sniper Fi - Use sniper rifles, claymores and Predator Drones to hold off waves of enemies.
• Evasion - Use silenced sniper rifles and stealth to slip past enemy patrols.
• Suspension - Push through invading forces on the bridge to reach the safe zone.
• O Cristo Redentor - Based on Takedown (a single player mission), Hunt down and eliminate The Favela Gang, and minimize civilian casualties.

Bravo missions

• Overwatch - Rain down death from an AC-130 gunship to escort a partner. (Two-player only)
• Body Count - Rack up a large enough body count, quick kills = bonuses.
• Bomb Squad - Race through the Favela market place defusing bombs along the way.
• Big Brother - Fire explosive ammunition from the Vulcan gun of a Black Hawk helicopter, providing cover fire for teammates. (Two-player only)
• Race - Speed a snowmobile down the mountain avoiding various obstacles and enemies.

Charlie missions

• Hidden - Evade enemy patrols and Ghillie snipers near Chernobyl.
• Breach and Clear - Breach enemy defenses in Gulag and escape.
• Time Trial - Launch a snowmobile across the chasm before time runs out. Run through flags to gain bonus time.
• Homeland Security - Use sentry guns, thermal sights, claymores, and rocket launchers to defend against waves of enemies.
• Snatch & Grab - Battle Shadow Company and Juggernauts in the airplane graveyard. Grab the intel and escape.

Delta missions

• War Driving - Laze targets for the Striker armored vehicle in suburbia, house to house and room to room. Intel must be collected from three different buildings.
• Wreckage - Use C4, grenade launchers, RPGs, sentry guns, semtex, and more to destroy every vehicle on the bridge.
• Acceptable Losses - Sabotage the remote airbase with silenced weapons and a heartbeat sensor.
• Terminal - Pummel a way through enemy riot shield ambushes.
• Estate Takedown - Eliminate Ghillie Snipers, Elite Mercs, and Juggernauts, defending the estate.

Echo missions

• Wet Work - Breach two rooms full of enemies and hostages to secure the oil rig.
• High Explosive - Kill ten Juggernauts using only explosives and a knife.
• Armor Piercing - Kill all fifteen Juggernauts on the oil rig.

Multiplayer Modes

• Free For All - No teams, every man for himself. Kill or be killed.
• Team Deathmatch - Work with the team to kill opponents and reach the score limit.
• Mercenary Team Deathmatch - Team Deathmatch with random players, no parties allowed.
• Demolition - Two teams are on defense and offense. The offensive team's objective is to plant a bomb, while the defensive team defends a certain area. it is possible to respawn in this mode and during halftime the teams switch sides.
• Domination - Capture and defend three objectives spread across the map.
• Ground War - Large team based games. Consists of Team Deathmatch and Objective game types.
• Headquarters Pro - The objective is to capture and defend the headquarters on a map from enemy forces. After a base is destroyed by the attacking team, a new headquarters will be located on the map. This gives both teams the ability to take over the base first. The longer a base is held, the more points accumulated to win the match.
• Sabotage - A bomb based game mode, where the bomb is neutral and both teams try and destroy the others base.
• Search and Destroy - No respawning. Two factions with one playing defense and one playing offense. Offensive Team has one bomb and two locations to choose from. Defensive team must protect these sites from attackers. There is a short interval and both factions switch sides.
• 3rd Person Team Tactical - Team Deathmatch, Domination, Demolition and Capture the Flag in 3rd Person view.
• Hardcore Ricochet SD - Search and Destroy with friendly fire, limited HUD and ricochet damage for team killing.
• Hardcore Team Deathmatch - Team Deathmatch with friendly fire on and a limited HUD.
• Team Deathmatch Express - Team Deathmatch with shortened wait time between matches.
• Barebones Pro - Team Deathmatch and Free For All game modes with killstreak rewards disabled.
• Objective Barebones Pro - Mix of objective game types consisting of Capture the Flag, Domination, Demolition, and Headquarters Pro with killstreak rewards disabled.
• Hardcore Ricochet: Headquarters Pro - Headquarters with friendly fire, limited HUD, extra bullet damage and ricochet damage for team killing.
• Resurgence - Mix of team game modes on the maps in the Resurgence map pack.
• Hardcore Resurgence - Resurgence with limited HUD, extra bullet damage, and ricochet damage for team killing.

Hidden Modes:

(These game modes were found hidden within the game's files, however never made it into the actual game. There were occasionally hacks that would put these modes into public lobbies.)

• Global Thermonuclear War - Two teams must battle against each other to gain the most control over a central nuke. Once the maximum points is reach by one team, it detonates and the game ends.
• Arena - A single flag is spawned in the map. The team to capture it, or eliminate the other team first, wins. The rules are incredibly similar to Search and Destroy, in that each team member has one life, and must wait for the round to end to respawn.

Multiplayer Maps

Map	Description	Screenshot
Afghan	Wide open, expansive desert map with mountainous terrain and a downed AC-130. The rocky terrain and cliffs provide plenty of sniper positions while the downed AC-130 provides temporary cover. There are also several underground caves that allow for flanking.
Derail	Snow map with three primary building structures (One at each end and one slightly off the middle) A derailed train runs from one spawn to the off middle building providing limited cover from sniper advance. A frozen river bed bisects the map and provides high visibility for snipers. NB: Thermal is less effective but still usable with white targets blending well with the snowy terrain.
Estate	A Mountain chalet tends to host the majority of the action on this map. It is somewhat defendable but can be approached and breached from three sides. A few outlining buildings also provide good views of the approach to the estate. Watch for enemies in the boathouse region if leaving via the front door. The map is taken from the single player mission "Loose Ends".
Favela	A Brazilian shantytown with tight confined spaces. The map is a small village with various buildings and tight alleyways. Expect plenty of close quarters combat.
Highrise	Rooftop of a highrise office building. Both teams starts on opposite ends of two separate office buildings and converge on a central rooftop. The central rooftop has small huts and shacks with a helicopter perched on a helipad. An open trench links bases and runs underground to the across the map. Watch for snipers on the cranes both in and outside the map (especially at the apex of the cranes outside the map which command a near perfect view of the battlefield) Also be aware players can access the roof of one base and the upper level of the other.
Invasion	Alleys and buildings, some of which are scaleable, make up this map. Taking place in an Afghan city, the many streets make for some intense encounters and several building make for excellent flanking maneuvers.
Karachi	Karachi is a remake of map called "de_karachi" that was designed for Counter-Strike 1.6 by CompoSITe (aka Geoffrey Smith) who now works for Infinity Ward at the Design & Scripting department.
Quarry	Set in a stone quarry, this is the map with the biggest difference in elevation. Players can snipe each other from high and low, take positions inside warehouses that have windows overlooking the battlefield. The huge marble blocks littering the area is perhaps Quarry's most distinguishing feature.
Rundown	A small and very open Brazilian town with a river crossing the town in the middle of the map, resulting a intense fire fights from all angles.
Rust	An old abandoned mining facility. This is the smallest map of all the multiplayer map, which makes the scaleable crane in the middle a highly contested area. Players can also seek refuge in small containers around the map.
Scrapyard	Set in an airplane scrapyard where multiple airplane hulls litter the middle of the map. Two main buildings sit on each side of the map and provide starting points for each team. Some parts of the map are obscured by smoke that is a result of oil tanks burning.
SkidRow	This map has many narrow alleys that provoke a lot of close combat. In the middle of the map is a two-leveled building with windows overlooking both sides of the battlefield, making it the most contested area of the map.
Sub Base	A snow based map set at a nuclear submarine base. Most of the action takes place in a "courtyard" in the middle of the map. There are multiple structures with staircases and high visibility for sniping.
Terminal	Based on the single player campaign mission "No Russian", this level occurs inside and outside of a Russian airport terminal. This is a small-medium size map with plenty of close quarters combat. The map also features an airplane, the inside often being a contested area.
Underpass	This rainy map takes place underneath a ruined underpass. Featuring buildings, narrow alleys and a wide channel cutting through the map, it makes up for some interesting player decisions in regard to weapon load-out.
Wasteland	Wasteland is a remake of Brecourt from the original Call of Duty and Call of Duty 2 MP maps and locations, with slight differences in this version.

Stimulus Map Pack

Map	Description	Screenshot
Bailout	Overrun apartment complex. Long sight lines with great flank routes.
Crash	Downed Sea Knight in a desert town originally in Call of Duty 4. Fantastic team games.
Overgrown	Large overgrown Russian area this was a fan favorite from the original Modern Warfare. Sniper ghillie suits make for good cover.
Salvage	A snow-covered junkyard. Lots of fast paced action.
Storm	Stormy warehouse district. Intense team games.

Resurgence Map Pack

Map	Description	Screenshot
Strike	This map is a remade version of the Call of Duty 4 map of the same name. It has a large open road through the center, a courtyard, and various buildings and walls, making this map ideal for all sorts of play styles.
Vacant	Previously seen in Call of Duty 4, Vacant is set in a Russian office complex, this is a fairly small map with extensive inside and outside areas.
Fuel	A "sniper haven" according to Robert Bowling. Fuel is set in an oil refinery and is one of the largest maps.
Carnival	Set in an abandoned amusement park, Carnival has a lot of the things anyone might expect, from rollercoasters to funhouses to bumper cars and many, many snack stands. Oh, yes, and clowns.
Trailer Park	A maze of trailers and tight corridors, with long sight lines along the edges.

Weapons

Primary

Primary weapons is the standard weapon the player will start with every match. Each Weapon has a maximum amount of damage per bullet and a minimum, stated below, which varies depending on attachments and range. Sniper rifles do the same damage each bullet but depending on the rifle they have different multipliers for certain areas on the body. For every other weapon a headshot gives a 1.4 damage multiplier.

Assault Rifles

Weapon	Specifications	Appearance
M4A1	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Automatic Damage - 30 - 20
FAMAS	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Three-shot Burst Damage - 40 - 30
SCAR-H	Unlocked - Level 8 (Specialist I) Fire Mode - Automatic Damage - 40 - 30
TAR-21	Unlocked - Level 20 (Sergeant First Class I) Fire Mode - Automatic Damage - 40 - 30
FAL	Unlocked - Level 28 (Sergeant Major) Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Damage - 55 - 35 (55-40 with holographic sight)
M16A4	Unlocked - Level 40 (Captain) Fire Mode - Three-shot Burst like the FAMAS Damage - 40 - 30
ACR	Unlocked - Level 48 (Lieutenant Colonel II) Fire Mode - Automatic Damage - 30 - 20 Very accurate with almost no recoil.
F2000	Unlocked - Level 60 (Major General II) Fire Mode - Automatic Damage - 30 - 20
AK-47	Unlocked - Level 70 (Commander) Fire Mode - Automatic Damage - 40 - 30
M14 EBR	Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Non-Multiplayer Assault Rifle
G3	Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Non-Multiplayer Assault Rifle

Sub Machine Guns

Weapon	Specification	Appearance
MP5K	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Automatic Damage - 40 - 20
UMP45	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Automatic Damage - 40 - 35
Vector	Unlocked - Level 12 (Corporal II) Fire Mode - Automatic Damage - 25 - 20
P90	Unlocked - Level 24 (Master Sergeant II) Fire Mode - Automatic Damage - 30 - 20
Mini-Uzi	Unlocked - Level 44 (Major I) Fire Mode - Automatic Damage - 30 - 20

Light Machine Guns

Weapon	Specification	Appearance
L86 LSW	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Fully Automatic Damage - 40 - 40 Silenced Damage - 30 - 30
RPD	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Fully Automatic Damage - 40 - 40 Silenced Damage - 30 - 30
MG4	Unlocked - Level 16 (Staff Sergeant) Fire Mode - Fully Automatic Damage - 30 - 30 Silenced Damage - 20 - 20
AUG HBAR	Unlocked - Level 32 (Sergeant Major I) Fire Mode - Fully Automatic Damage - 40 - 40 Silenced Damage - 30 - 30
M240	Unlocked - Level 52 (Colonel II) Fire Mode - Fully Automatic Damage - 30 - 30 Silenced Damage - 20 - 20

Sniper Rifles

Weapon	Specification	Appearance
Intervention	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Bolt Action Damage - 70 Damage Multipliers - Head 1.5 Chest 1.5 Stomach 1.1 Can kill enemies in one (body shot) hit if Stopping Power is used.
Barret .50cal	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Damage - 70 Damage Multipliers - Head 1.5 Chest 1.5 Stomach 1.1
WA2000	Unlocked - Level 36 (2nd Lieutenant II) Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Damage - 70 Damage Multipliers - Head 1.5 Chest 1.5 Stomach 1
M21 EBR	Unlocked - Level 58 (Major General) Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Damage - 70 Damage Multipliers - Head 1.5 Chest 1.1 Stomach 1 the M21 EBR is the best sniper rifle for two shot kills.
SVD Dragunov	Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Non-Multiplayer Sniper Rifle

Shields

Weapon	Specification	Appearance
Riot Shield	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Bullet resistant Shield Bash

Secondary

Secondary weapons functions as the sidearm weapon of a player. They consists of weapons often used in rare occasions only, such as Rocket Launchers and close-quarter weapons like Shotguns

Machine Pistols

Weapon	Specification	Appearance
PP2000	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Fully Automatic Damage - 40 - 20
G18	Unlocked - Level 22 (Major Sergeant) Fire Mode - Fully Automatic Damage - 30 - 20
M93 Raffica	Unlocked - Level 38 (1st Lieutenant I) Fire Mode - Three-shot Burst Damage - 40 - 30
TMP	Unlocked - Level 58 (Major General) Fire Mode - Fully Automatic Damage - 30 - 20

Shotguns

Weapon	Specification	Appearance
SPAS-12	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Pump Action (Single fire)
AA-12	Unlocked - Level 18 (Staff Sergeant II) Fire Mode - Fully Automatic
Striker	Unlocked - Level 34 (2nd Lieutenant) Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire)
Ranger	Unlocked - Level 42 (Captain II) Fire Mode - Double Barrel
M1014	Unlocked - Level 54 (Brigadier General) Fire Mode - Semi Automatic (Single Fire)
Model 1887	Unlocked - Level 67 (General I) Fire Mode - Lever Action (Single fire)
W1200	Fire Mode - Pump Action (Single fire) Non-Multiplayer Shotgun

Handguns

Weapon	Specification	Appearance
USP .45	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Damage - 40 - 25
.44 Magnum	Unlocked - Level 26 (First Sergeant I) Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Damage - 50 - 35
M9	Unlocked - Level 46 (Lieutenant Colonel) Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Damage - 40 - 30
Desert Eagle	Unlocked - Level 62 (Lieutenant General) Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Damage - 50 - 40
M1911	Fire Mode - Semi-Automatic (Single fire) Non-Multiplayer Handgun

Launchers

Weapon	Specification	Appearance
AT4-HS	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Fire Mode - Single Fire Doesn't need a lock-on, can be very effective if used well.
Thumper	Unlocked - Level 14 (Sergeant I) Fire Mode - Single Fire Can be a good alternative to a Grenade Launcher aka "Noob Tube"
Stinger	Unlocked - Level 30 (Sergeant Major II) Fire Mode - Single Fire (Lock-On Required) Needs a vehicle (Killstreak air-support) to lock on.
Javelin	Unlocked - Level 50 (Colonel) Fire Mode - Single Fire (Lock-On Required) Needs a vehicle or area lock on.
RPG-7	Unlocked - Level 65 (Lieutenant General III) Fire Mode - Single Fire Doesn't need a lock on to fire.

Equipments

Explosives and Grenades

Equipment	Specification	Appearance
Frag Grenade	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Has a time delay that can be user controlled(cooking) and rolls on the ground depending on the slope. Can be thrown back and can kill a player with a direct impact.
SemTex Grenade	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Has a set time delay and sticks to surfaces, including enemies and teammates. A blinking red light is visible from the thrown SemTex grenade. Can be used to easily 'dispose' of a Riot Shield user.
Flash Grenade	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Temporarily disables the enemies vision and hearing. Can kill a player if hit (direct impact) twice (once on Hardcore mode).
Stun Grenade	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Temporarily restricts enemy movement, causing them to move very slowly. Can blind target for a bit and can even kill a player if hit (direct impact) twice (once on Hardcore mode).
Smoke Grenade	Unlocked - Level 4 (Private First Class) Ejects a cloud of smoke, impairing sight in a thrown location. Good for snipers with a Thermal Sight.
Claymore	Unlocked - Level 31 (Sergeant Major) Motion triggered explosive where the explosion is directional. The 'back' of the claymore faces the player deploying the claymore, with two red light emitted from the front. One player can deploy two at once. When a third is deployed, the first claymore deployed will explode. Can be shot, can be jumped over and it can be ran past with Marathon and Lightweight.
C4	Unlocked - Level 43 (Major) A manually triggered explosive. Unlike singleplayer, the player does not need to equip the C4 switch to detonate it. Can be shot to kill people, can even be used for an assisted suicide.

Misc.

Equipment	Specification	Appearance
Throwing Knife	Unlocked - Level 7 (Specialist Has an arced trajectory like a grenade. Can be picked up over and over by anyone who has Throwing Knife equipped as their equipment. Bounces off some hard surfaces. The Throwing Knife is a one hit kill weapon, like the standard knife attack. It does not disable a Sentry Gun in a single hit however.
Tactical Insertion	Unlocked - Level 11 (Corporal I) Allows players to create their own spawn point. Can be destroyed by enemies players. Emits a noise that can be heard by other players when spawned using the Tactical Insertion. Can be destroyed by either smashing it or with a grenade (Semtex or Frag, even C4 can destroy it) but bullets cannot destroy it. Usually best to kill the player and then stand next to the Tactical Insertion and kill the player again as smashing a Tactical Insertion doesn't give exp.
Blast Shield	Unlocked - Level 19 (Sergeant First Class) When wearing the Blast Shield, less damage will be taken from explosives. Creates a slight tunnel vision for the user with a dark border, blocking out radar and the rest of the HUD.

Attachments

Attachment	Specification	Appearance
Grenade Launcher	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge Two grenade rounds that explode on impact. It's possible for the grenades to not explode if there isn't sufficient impact with an object. Can also kill an enemy by hitting them with the projectile directly, which is indicated by a different kill icon. Needs to be used to get Shotgun, 20 kills with grenade launcher attachment.
Shotgun	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge, get 20 kills with Grenade Launcher.
Silencer	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge Gunfire makes less noise and does not betray position on enemy minimaps. Shortens the range of the gun and can often make sniper's two shot killers, even with head shots.
Grip	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge. Reduces recoil and muzzle rise. Can make the gun's range longer (not shown on stats) because recoil is reduced.
Tactical Knife	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge. Like the regular knife attack, but is quicker and has less delay between attacks. This attachment works only with handguns.
Heartbeat Sensor	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge Attaches a screen to the gun being used and indicates the location of other players in front of the user. Enemies using the Ninja perk does not show up on the sensor.
Red Dot Sight	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge. Note: Some weapons uses the MARS Sight instead of the Red Dot Sight.
Holographic Sight	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge.
ACOG Scope	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge. A gun scope with a small amount of magnification. This scope is very sensitive to recoil.
Thermal	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge. A gun scope with magnification and infrared thermal vision. Enemies using Cold Blooded perk does not show up in thermal vision. An EMP will cause the thermal scope to have the same affect as a magnification scope.
Akimbo	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge. Equips two weapons that can be fired independently, but disables the option to aim down sight.
Rapid Fire	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge. Increases the rate of fire for guns, but increases recoil and muzzle rise.
FMJ	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge. Improves damage when bullets hit enemies through objects. Much easier for bullet penetration, and is needed to unlock Extended Mags.
Extended Mags	Unlocked - Weapon Challenge, get 40 bullet penetration kills with FMJ (Full Metal Jacket).

Killstreaks

It is possible to customize killstreak rewards to player preference. There are a total of 15 to unlock but the limit is three every game. Once every few levels a point will be earned to unlock a killstreak award.

Killstreak	Description	Kills Required	Icon
UAV	Deploys a UAV to scan the map and reveal enemy locations on the minimap. Enemies with Cold Blooded perk will not be revealed. The deployed UAV can be shot down by enemies rockets or small arms fire.	3 kills
Care Package	Deployed by throwing a red smoke grenade. The airdropped package contains a random killstreak or ammo (except Care Package, Emergency Airdrop and Tactical Nuke). The care package can be picked up by anyone once it hits the ground, including the enemy team, although picking up the package takes much longer for those whom the package does not belong to.	4 kills
Counter-UAV	Temporarily disables the enemy's minimap, regardless of whether they are using UAV or not. Also disables the map screen for other kill streaks such as airstrikes.	4 kills
Sentry Gun	Deployed by throwing a red smoke grenade. The airdropped package contains a placeable Sentry Gun. The Sentry Gun automatically fires at enemies in its line of sight, but it can be destroyed by enemy fire, or temporarily disabled by enemy Stun and Flash Grenades. The owner of the Sentry Gun can pick up and relocate it at anytime as long as it's not disabled. Can be destroyed by a single knife attack, but not a throwing knife. It has 1000 health.	5 kills
Predator Missile	Fires a remote controllable missile via laptop at a designated target area, leaves the user of the missile defenseless for the time being. Its speed can be boosted by pressing the fire button. Can also be used to shoot down enemy air support in a single shot, as flares do not affect the missile.	5 kills
Precision Air Strike	Three planes drops an airstrike on a targeted area. The user can control the direction of which the airstrike comes from.	6 kills
Harrier Strike	Calls in three harriers on targeted area. The first two will fly over to drop a small cluster of bombs. The third will remain hovering over the battlefield, gunning down enemies. The harrier does not move around, but instead spins to target enemies while hovering. It has 3000 health and cuts player damage against it in half.	7 kills
Attack Helicopter	Calls in a support helicopter to attack enemy players. The helicopter moves around the map, occasionally stopping and change direction. It has 1500 health.	7 kills
Emergency Airdrop	Deployed by throwing a red smoke grenade. Like the Care Package, the airdropped packages contains killstreaks or ammo. However, the Emergency Airdrop drops four packages instead of the Care Packages' single drop. These packages are also less accurate than the single version, requiring an open area to make sure all packages dropped are accessible. The packages dropped by the Emergency Airdrop have a greater chance to have higher tier killstreaks than the Care Packages.	8 kills
Pave Low	Calls in a heavy armored assault helicopter, far better equipped than the Attack Helicopter. Can deploy two anti-missile flares. Once the flares have taken two or more hits the Pavelow will be vulnerable. It has 3000 health.	9 kills
Stealth Bomber	Calls in a Stealth Bomber to drop a large carpet of bombs. The Stealth Bomber cannot be shot down or stopped, even using EMP. Like the airstrike, the direction of the bomb drop can be chosen.	9 kills
Chopper Gunner	Deploys an Apache gunship, of which the player controls its gun via a laptop, leaving the user defenseless for the time being. Equipped with a single flare. It has 1000 health.	11 kills
AC-130	Deploys an AC-130 plane, of which the player control its 105mm, 40mm and 25mm cannons, leaving the user defenseless for the time being. Equipped with 2 flares. Like the UAV it is invisible on the minimap to enemies, but can in fact be shot down by a Predator missile. It has only 1000 health.	11 kills
EMP	Calls in an Electromagnetic Pulse bomb, which disable all electronics (including claymores, C4, etc.), crashing all helicopters and airplanes (except the Stealth Bombers), disabling Sentry Guns and Red Dot or Holographic Sights (except F2000 red dot). Does not stop a Tactical Nuke. The opposing force hit with an EMP will also see screen distortion slightly impairing the team's entire HUD and visual line of sight.	15 kills
Tactical Nuke	This nuclear bomb is dropped by a plane and causes instant death for anybody on the map. Results in an instant win for the activator's team. A ten second countdown is initiated when the tactical nuke is called in. A tactical nuke stops the current match's time the instant it's initiated, halting any score additions to the match's total, however, XP can still be obtained within the ten second countdown. Any killstreaks that are in the air at the time of the blast get destroyed and the player who launched the nuke receives the XP for it.	25 kills

Deathstreaks

Similar to killstreaks, deathstreaks are provided to players for dying a number of times in a row without acquiring any kills.

Deathstreak	Description	Deaths Required	Icon
Copycat	Unlocked - Level 4 Allows the player to copy the class of the player that killed him.	3 deaths
Painkiller	Unlocked - Level 6 Double health for ten seconds after respawn.	4 deaths
Martyrdom	Unlocked - Level 27 Drop a live grenade when killed.	4 deaths
Final Stand	Unlocked - Level 39 Final stand allows the player to crawl around with their primary weapon before dying, with the possibility to recover.	4 deaths

Perks

Blue Perks

Perk	Standard	Pro	Standard Icon	Pro Icon
Sleight of Hand	Unlocked - Level 4 Faster Reloading	Unlocked - 120 kills using sleight of hand. Quicker sight aiming.
Marathon	Unlocked - Level 4 Unlimited sprint	Unlocked - Sprint 26 miles. Enables faster climbing over obstacles.
Scavenger	Unlocked - Level 13 Get ammunition, including claymores, grenade launcher rounds and frag grenades from dead bodies	Unlocked - Resupply 100 times using scavenger Starts with extra magazine clips.
Bling	Unlocked - Level 21. Allows two attachments for primary weapon.	Unlocked - Get 200 kills using a weapon with two attachments. x2 attachments for secondary weapon.
One Man Army	Unlocked - Level 45 Switch classes in-game (while alive).	Unlocked - Get 120 kills using one man army. Quicker in game class swapping.

Red Perks

Perk	Standard	Pro	Standard Icon	Pro Icon
Stopping Power	Unlocked - Level 4 Increased Bullet Damage.	Unlocked- Get 250 kills with stopping power. Increases bullet damage on helicopters and vehicles.
Lightweight	Unlocked - Level 4 Increased Mobility.	Unlocked - Sprint 30 miles using light weight Quick aim after sprinting.
Hardline	Unlocked - Level 9 One less kill required per killstreak.	Unlocked - Get 40 killstreaks with hardline Deathstreaks requirements reduced by one.
Cold Blooded	Unlocked - Level 25 Invisible to UAV, sentry guns, thermal imagery, and air support.	Unlocked - Destroy 40 enemy killstreak rewards using cold blooded. No red crosshair or name shown when targeted.
Danger Close	Unlocked - Level 33 Increases explosive weapons damage.	Unlocked - Get 100 kills with explosives using danger close. Adds extra damage to killstreak explosions (such as airstrikes, predator missile, and AC-130).

Yellow Perks

Perk	Standard	Pro	Standard Icon	Pro Icon
Commando	Unlocked - Level 4 Increased Melee Range.	Unlocked - Get 20 melee kills using commando No fall damage.
Steady Aim	Unlocked - Level 4 Increased Hip Fire Accuracy.	Unlocked - get 80 kills from the hip Extends steady sight aiming with scopes.
Scrambler	Unlocked - Level 17 The ability to jam nearby radar.	Unlocked - Get 50 close range kills using scrambler Puts a delay in enemy claymores.
Ninja	Unlocked - Level 29 Invisible to heartbeat sensors.	Unlocked - Get 50 close range kills with ninja User footsteps are heard at 25% of normal sound.
SitRep	Unlocked - Level 37 Shows enemy explosives and tactical insertions deployed.	Unlocked - Destroy 120 enemy devices Enemy footstep sounds are heard 400% louder while ally and user footsteps are 25% of normal but only to the user.
Last Stand	Unlocked - Level 41 Use the secondary weapon while crawling around on the ground until bleeding out.	Unlocked - Get 20 kills while in Last Stand Use of equipment while in Last stand.

Prestige Mode

After reaching level 70, players can give it all back to earn a little something special. Upon entering Prestige Mode, they are reset to level 1 of the next prestige, losing everything but titles and emblems. They also get exclusive prestige challenges.

Unlocks

• Prestige 1: Extra Custom Class Slot(6 Total), New Emblem, New Title.
• Prestige 2: New Emblem, New Title.
• Prestige 3: Extra Custom Class Slot(7 Total), New Emblem, New Title.
• Prestige 4: New Emblem, New Title.
• Prestige 5: Extra Custom Class Slot(8 Total), New Emblem, New Title.
• Prestige 6: New Emblem, New Title.
• Prestige 7: Extra Custom Class Slot(9 Total), New Emblem, New Title.
• Prestige 8: New Emblem, New Title.
• Prestige 9: Extra Custom Class Slot(10 Total), New Emblem, New Title.
• Prestige 10: New Emblem, New Title.

Callsigns

Modern Warfare 2 introduced Callsigns (Titles and Emblems) to the franchise. In an interview with Giant Bomb, Robert Bowling explained that Callsigns were designed to personalize the experience of players by rewarding them for their style of play. There are 512 Titles and 350 Emblems in the game. The systematic rewarding of players is a concept that has since been used in many other competitive online shooters and games in general.

Glitches, Bugs & Patches

Since its' release Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has encountered numerous in-game glitches and bugs

• The Javelin - An exploit in which the player equips a Javelin (or any launcher) and the second they are killed set off the launcher killing those in the blast radius.
• Care Package/Emergency Airdrop - An exploit in which the player is able to call air drops infinitely.
• Infinite Ammo - A 360 specific bug which enables infinite ammunition in online multiplayer matches.
• Prestige Mode - A PS3 specific bug that grants Prestige Status, unlocking all emblems, titles, etc.
• Private Matches - Allows Private Matches with custom rulesets to be joined via Matchmaking.
• Model 1887 - Many have complained about the range and firepower of these shotguns even when dual wielded.
• Ice Skating Glitch - Speeds up player movement significantly and reduces friction when sprinting.
• Negative XP - A 360 specific bug that causes people to lose millions of XP whenever they kill someone that has the hack on their console
• Forehead bullets - Although not technically a glitch, it is a problem that has plagued the Call of Duty series from the start. The issue is that bullets come out of the top of the players head as opposed to their gun. This means players are able to hide behind objects almost completely out of site from the enemy yet still be able to see them clearly and shoot in clear space above the cover.

In response, Infinity Ward has been constantly updating the game to fix these issues. Here is a list of fixed issues so far:

Dec '09 Fixes

• 1887s Balanced.
• Public "private" Match fix.
• Infinite Ammo fix.
• Prestige Hack on PS3 fix.
• Texture Hack on PC fix (eliminates any edits to IWD files also)

Playlist Update: Prevention for "Chopper Gunner Ammo" Hack

You may notice a playlist update today on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for Xbox 360 and PS3. This update adds preventative measures that restrict a recent "Chopper Gunner ammo for all weapons" hack from spreading into public matchmaking.

We'll continue to monitor and work to keep games as cheating free and fair as possible.

This specific hack isn't on PC, however banning cheaters via VAC on PC is a continual effort and focus of ours nonetheless.

Patch 1.05 (PS3)

• Improves matchmaking on the PS3

Patch 1.06 (PC, PS3 and Xbox 360)

Released on Jan 18, '10 for the PC version

• Care Package, Emergency Airdrop, and Sentry Gun marker grenades sprint speed normalized.
• Sentry Guns: Improved placement detection, preventing cases of Sentry Guns inside geometry.
• Model 1887: Bling using Akimbo and FMJ combination now has same range and damage as non-Bling Model 1887s
• Improved player collision removing cases of getting into geometry and 'elevators'
• Mouse latency tweaks for more mouse movement consistency.
• Fixes to prevent various texture and XP hacks.

Production & Marketing

Los Angeles Times reported that Activision and Infinity Ward spent roughly "$40-50 million" on development of MW2. The launch budget, which included marketing and the production & distribution of the physical discs, was significantly higher at $200 million. From promos during the NBA playoffs to showing demos to movie stars, Infinity Ward was keen on hyping Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 well into its' November release date.

Primetime Promotion

Flexing their muscle and pull, Activision started this commercial onslaught with an NBA playoff reveal trailer. Essentially two minute video about the campaign. The trailer itself was cut short only after 30 seconds and wasn't shown until the end of the basketball game.

The next commercial though, titled Infamy, fared better than their first attempt and was shown in its' full two minute running time. It was aired during Sunday Night Football with the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. The most notable images from the video were of Washington, D.C.; specifically locations of a Capitol Building and White House burning after a terrorist attack that garnered controversy from the public.

Nearing its release date and seeing another prime time sporting event it was time for the launch trailer. The trailer was shown during game 6 of the World series. It used Eminem's "Till I Collapse" and was mostly recycled footage from previous videos but also featured new video of the player in outer space.

MW2: Ghost Comic

There will be a new series of comics based on a character named " Ghost". The series is simply titled MW2: Ghost and will be worked on by David Lapham. It is a six issues series that will tell the origins of the character and how he got his nickname. The series will take place across the world from Mexico, Afghanistan to the United Kingdom.

The Name

When the first teaser trailer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was revealed, the Call of Duty brand was missing. For a long time, the game was just called Modern Warfare 2. This was in part due to the fact that Infinity Ward wanted Modern Warfare to stand out as its own IP and to show that this was a direct sequel to the first Modern Warfare.

However, the Call of Duty name still ended up on the game's box. This is due to a study conducted by the research firm OTX, showing that brand awareness for the game dropped 20% when it didn't have the Call of Duty name on the box. In their report, OTX stated this:

The Call of Duty brand association essentially doubles the awareness for the game.

The game's official cover was revealed on Robert Bowling's Twitter. An Activision spokesperson came out and explained the name change to Kotaku:

Infinty Ward's Modern Warfare 2 is the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. We have focused our attention on Modern Warfare in order to most effectively communicate the fact that this is the first true sequel in the Call of Duty series. Infinity Ward, the original creators of the Call of Duty franchise, has said from the beginning Modern Warfare 2 resides in the Call of Duty universe. This is reflected in the title's package .

Despite this comment, the Modern Warfare 2 logo can be found on parts of the collector's edition without the Call of Duty brand name over it.

Seeing Stars in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

It has been confirmed that rapper 50 Cent will have his voice featured as a squad leader in MW2's multiplayer Special Ops mode. Also, rock group Good Charlotte were seen with 50 Cent during the gameplay session. Other well known testers of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have included comedian Dane Cook and The Office star Rainn Wilson.

Monster Energy Drink MW 2 Edition

Monster Energy and Activision have partnered together bring a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 branded beverage to the US. This will hit store shelves in four packs beginning in October. Included in each package is a code that can be redeemed online for a chance to win one of several prizes. The giveaway list is as follows:

• 100 copies of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for Xbox 360 or PS3
• 5,000 Map pack codes - planned release Spring 2010
• 10,000 codes for a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 dashboard theme
• Free cans of Monster Energy drinks

Release Versions

Standard Edition

• Includes the game disc and manual.
• Priced at $59.99.

Hardened Edition

• Includes everything found in the Standard Edition in addition to:
• Special metallic and holographic limited edition packaging.
• Token to download Call of Duty Classic on XBL Arcade and PSN.
• Hardbound art book, “Behind the Lines” with concept art from the game.
• Priced at $79.99.

Veteran Edition

• Special Edition only available in the UK and exclusive to British online retailer Game.co.uk.
• Includes everything found in the Hardened Edition in addition to:

• Captain MacTavish ARTFX Statue sculpted by Kotobukiya as seen in the "Cliffhanger" mission.

• Priced at £119.99 (roughly $174.99).

Prestige Edition

• Includes everything found in the Hardened Edition.
• Fully functional night vision goggles branded with the Modern Warfare 2 and Infinity Ward logo.
• Soap MacTavish Sculpted head designed to display the night vision goggles when not in use.
• Priced at $149.99.

Limited Edition Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360

This special edition Xbox 360 shipped on November 10, 2009 for $399.99 It included the following

• Detachable 250GB HDD
• 2 Black wireless controllers
• Black headset (not the Madcatz throat mic)
• Regular edition of Modern Warfare 2
• 1 Ethernet Cable
• 1 Xbox 360 Composite A/V cable
• Free one month subscription to Xbox LIVE Gold
• Free Netflix trial offer

Sales & Piracy

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 achieved record-breaking sales following its release, with nearly 5 million copies sold within the first 24 hours in the USA and UK.After crossing $550 million in revenue during the first 5 days, Activision declared it the biggest entertainment launch in history. According to NPD numbers, the game sold more than 6 million copies during November 2009 in the US alone. As of August 2010 combined PS3 and Xbox 360 sales of MW2 total over 19 million.

Apart from being the best selling game of 2009, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 also earned the unfortunate title of being the most pirated game of the year. Torrentfreak released a report on Dec 27 '09, saying that over 4.1 million copies of the game had been illegally downloaded through BitTorrent services.

Controversy

PC Issues & Lack of Dedicated Servers

Robert Bowling, community manager at Infinity Ward, announced on the BASH podcast that the PC version of MW2 will be taking a more console-like approach towards multiplayer and would use the IWnet matchmaking system. He also confirmed that the PC version won't support any fully dedicated servers or mods. This sparked a huge outcry from the PC community, who started a petition directed at Infinity Ward to reconsider their decision. The petition garnered over 240,000 signatures but Infinity War still successfully launched the PC version in Nov '09.

During a promotional Best Buy web-chat with Infinity Ward on November 3rd, a representative of Infinity ward confirmed details of previous IW PC announcements and made a controversial comment concerning the PC version of MW2.

Ignoring IW.net, is the PC version a direct port of the console version?

Mackey-IW

No, PC has custom stuff like mouse control, text chat in game, and graphics settings.

On November 5th, Vince Zampella of Infinity Ward indirectly confirmed the fact that players of the PC version will not allow players to access to the dev console so change settings such as FOV, weapon damage etc.

Party Chat Disabled

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 does not support party chat on the Xbox 360. When entering a multiplayer game with party chat on, the game automatically asks to switch party chat off or quit the game. This was meant to encourage team work in multiplayer.

Viral Video

A couple weeks before the game launched, a viral video was released by Infinity Ward to promote the game. In this video, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels starts telling the viewer about the dangers of grenade spam. The video is set up as if it were a public service announcement with the pitcher telling us how spamming grenades is bad and for "pussies". The ad ends with the name of the fake organization that promotes this message: Fight Against Grenade Spam (or F.A.G.S.).

Many people criticized the ad, calling it a proof of bad taste and an acceptance of the homophobic behavior of some players on Live. Some thought of better acronyms that wouldn't offend like F.R.A.G.S. The problem was finally resolved on Twitter between the freelancer Michael Dyer and Infinity Ward's Robert Bowling. After reacting to the video and arguing with a viewer about it, Dyer ended up talking to Bowling when Robert saw Michael's complaints about the video. Robert Bowling told Michael Dyer this:

I think it was more of a social commentary joke of that stereotype than it was a fist-bump of acceptance to it.

To which Dyer answered:

The problem is that it was so poorly handled/executed that it looks derogatory. It seems to enforce the asshole-ry.

Finally, Bowling responded to this, deciding to pull the video:

I agree. I think the core gag is great, the end is a bit too far from the intent of the joke & can appreciate the concerns. Pulled.

The video was later parodied in a Battlefield Bad Company 2 ad where Sweetwater and Yankee's CC Sabathia promote "Friends Really Against Grenade Spam" (F.R.A.G.S.).

This wasn't the last time Infinity Ward would make an edgy joke about homosexuality. In the game's tutorial level at the army camp, there's an easter egg where the player can overhear a conversation between two soldiers, one asking the other one if he's ever seen a grown man naked and if he's still gay. The dialog ends with the soldier saying "don't ask, don't tell". This is a reference to the US military's former policy that barred openly homosexual men and women from joining the military unless they kept their sexual orientation a secret.

Objectionable Content

Additional controversy arose when a video was posted on the internet that leaked gameplay footage of one of the "No Russian" mission, which set the player as an undercover CIA-operative in a Russian airport alongside Makarov and other terrorists as they gun down civilians. Infinity Ward later confirmed the chapter's authenticity and claimed that it can be skipped by the player at anytime after a displayed warning via the pause menu.

Since the game's release reactions to the sequence have been mixed; some point out that it allows the player to have a genuine reason to hate the main villain and they don't have to partake in the massacre whereas others have found the scenario to be in poor taste.

Due to this level, the Russian government recalled all copies of the game, and banned its further sale. Infinity Ward has responded to the banning by promising to make a version of the game with the level completely omitted. Activision quickly cut the scene for Russian retailers and released this statement to Eurogamer:

"Other countries have formal ratings boards that we regularly work with. However, Russia does not have a formal ratings entity. As a result, we chose to block the scene after seeking the advice of local counsel."

Japanese version

The Japanese version is published by Square Enix, it has both Japanese language but also subtitles, which many Japanese gamers complained about for being wildly inaccurate. For example, during the No Russian mission Makarov says "Remember - no Russian", but in the Japanese version of the game the translation comes out to "Kill them - they are Russians", which is the exact opposite of his intentions.

Soundtrack

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Original Soundtrack

The music heard in the game is all orchestral and sounds a lot darker than in previous games. The game's main themes were composed by Hans Zimmer who also produced the score (this was the first time he worked on a video game). The rest of the score was also composed by Lorne Balfe. The soundtrack was released on June the 1st, 2010 for 10 US dollars.

PC System Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• OS: Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7
• Processor: Intel Pentium 4 3.2 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 3200 processor or better
• Memory: 1 GB RAM
• Graphics: ATI Radeon 1600XT or better or 256 MB NVIDIA GeForce 6600GT or better
• DirectX: Microsoft DirectX(R) 9.0c
• Hard Drive: 12GB of free hard drive space
• Sound: 100% DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card
• Internet: Broadband connection required for Multiplayer Connectivity. Internet Connection required for activation.
• Co-op/Multiplayer Hosting: To host Co-op or MP matches, a 2Ghz dual-core or better processor is recommended.

Xbox 360 Hard Drive Install

Installing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on a Xbox 360 hard drive takes up 6.8 GB of space.