Summary
Recently, there has been a huge surge in purchases for the 2016 titleCall of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, but the potential reason behind it suggests another game in the long-running shooter series should get a re-release. As its name would suggest, the title was a remastered version of 2007’s acclaimedCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfareand featuredgraphical enhancements, updated animations, and both new and revised sound effects with new multiplayer content and additional single-player achievements.
The following year, 2009’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2also received the remaster treatment, butbizarrely,this was only for its campaign, and none of its multiplayer components were included, leaving many fans disappointed. The originalModern Warfare 2was a staple of the FPS genre when it launched back in the Xbox 360/PS3 era, and while it has a memorable campaign - with particularly controversial missions such as “No Russian” still being talked about to this day - a huge reason for its longevity was its multiplayer.
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A Mod Was Due To Bring Back The Classic Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Experience
But Activision Shut It Down
One mod from Watchful Wolf calledH2Mwas set to rectify this, withover 50 maps being added toModern Warfare Remastered- including all ofModern Warfare Remastered’s and the originalModern Warfare 2multiplayer maps,as well as some conversions of the campaign’s levels into multiplayer maps. It would also have featured weapons with attachments, perks, pro perks, and equipment from both titles and implemented the classicModern Warfare 2’s progression system and Killstreak perks for a nostalgic experience.
Sadly, despite the hype around the mod, which would have launched on August 16,the team involved was sent a cease and desist by Activision Publishingon August 15. The modders have complied with this order and shut down all operations “immediately and permanently.” A similar thing happened with theSM²mod, which was set to overhaulCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2with over 100 weapons and revamped gameplay systems before the team received a cease-and-desist letter in May 2023, and players have grown disappointed with Activision’s practices when it comes to the modding community, especially when many other studios such as Bethesda have been welcoming to mods over the years and have even offered official tools to build them with.
Of course, Activision’s reasoning is most likely that unofficial mods such asH2Mwould have pulled players away from its official multiplayer in titles such as the free-to-playWarzoneor the upcomingBlack Ops 6.However, it’s not as if the company wasn’t receiving any revenue from the hype surrounding the mod, as it required a copy ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare Remasteredto play, and this is likely the reason for the title’s increase in sales on Steam, where it ranked nine places higher in the Best Selling charts thanCall of Duty: Black Ops 6prior to the mod being canceled.
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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Should Be Re-Released With Full Multiplayer Restored
It’s Clear That Fans Are Nostalgic For The Game’s Multiplayer Experience
ManyCall of Dutyplayers agree that the originalModern Warfare 2features some of the best multiplayer mapsin the series. For example,RustandTerminalare often cited as highlights due to their close confines that allowed players to rack up kills incredibly quickly and unleash pure chaotic destruction with explosives and the game’s killstreaks. These maps aren’t just referred to as some of the best maps inCall of Duty, but in the wider FPS space as well.
The originalWarzone- which launched alongside theModern Warfarereboot in 2019 - became incredibly unbalanced by trying to tie in theCall of Dutytitles that followed,Black Ops Cold Warand the World War 2-setVanguard, resulting in a variety of guns from different eras and duplicates for some weapon types, such as different AK-47s from the modern day, the early 80s, and the 1940s. This was likely one of the reasonsWarzonerebooted with the newModern Warfare 2in 2022, and with the only title to have been released since then beingModern Warfare 3, which had similar weaponsto its predecessor, it hasn’t got as varied yet.
This was never an issue with the originalModern Warfare 2’s multiplayer, asthe game was extremely well-balanced for the most part by being focused solely on the weapons included in the base game, rather than the constantly updating live service modelswith storefronts and battle passes constantly trying to fleece players for more money to get an advantage. The originalModern Warfare 2’s approach provided plenty of variety in strategies as almost every gun is designed to work together. Unlocking these weapons, along with other items such as camos, titles, and emblems, was also extremely satisfying with a well-built-in progression system.
As for the aforementioned Killstreaks, these rewards were in place for playing well and gave players a further incentive to defeat their enemies tactically while avoiding death themselves. Unlocking each new item was exciting because it added a further sense of chaos when it appeared across everyone’s screens, especially when unleashing a Stealth Bomber to carpet bomb an area of the map or the Tactical Nuke to simply wipe out everybody.
But ultimately, the originalModern Warfare 2was made in a time when DLC wasn’t completely essential yet -The Elder Scrolls 4:Obliviononly added the infamous Horse Armor Pack DLC three years earlier, in 2006, so the rot of microtransactions hadn’t become as common yet - soplayers got a full experience out of the box. It was made with a level of polish and it was clear its developers cared about the product they put out. With the backlash to the likes of 2023’sModern Warfare 3calling out the title forfeeling like a half-baked DLCfor 2022’sModern Warfare 2that was listed at full price and the mainCall of Dutymultiplayer experience being a live service title, it’s understandable why fans want to go back to simpler times.
Unfortunately, re-releasing the originalCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer with a remastered treatment likely won’t ever happen because there is simply too much money at stake. While it would undoubtedly sell, live-service titles are a more regular, steady stream of revenue than a one-off purchase, and that’s why nearly every studio wants to have a piece of the format and is likely why mods such asH2Mare seen as a threat.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the 2009 sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Modern Warfare 2 follows Task Force 141 as they track the leader of the Russian Ultranationalist Party, Vladimir Makarov. The sixth entry to the Call of Duty franchise was critically acclaimed and was one of the best-selling video games of 2009.
