Modern Warfare 2 devs tease return of a classic map CDL pros tested ahead of launch

Modern Warfare 2 developers teased in our recent interview that one particular fan-favorite Call of Duty map is on its way back to the spotlight and one that pro players already tested it out months ago.

With the launch of Modern Warfare 2 last October, CoD fans got to explore 10 brand new maps never before seen in the iconic FPS franchise. Some have certainly gone down better than others, but through all the feedback, devs have continued rolling out more and more fresh locations.

Season 1 saw the return of Shipment alongside Modern Warfare 2019’s Shoot House. Season 2 saw the reintroduction of Valderas Museum following some legal issues, along with the return of Dome and a new locale in the Himmelmatt Expo. Most recently, Season 3 brought with it Alboran Hatchery, Black Gold, and Pelayo’s Lighthouse, all as standard 6v6 multiplayer maps.

So with a mix of classics back in rotation, revamped layouts in focus for a new generation of players, and entirely original layouts to top it off, we spoke with two senior devs at Infinity Ward to find out how they strike a balance while keeping all sides of the community satisfied. In their response, they shared a subtle teaser on what fans can expect from one particular addition in the near future.

“We’re bringing an older one back that some CDL guys, they really liked when they were at our office. We pivoted around and that’s coming pretty soon,” Multiplayer Design Director Geoff Smith told us.

Now exactly what this map might be, we couldn’t quite get them to spill the beans. But given the comment, it’s safe to assume fans won’t have to wait all too long to find out. Given Season 4 is just around the corner, set to kick off on June 14, this could mark the re-debut of said classic map.

Though given the delay from when pro players tried it out pre-launch last year, all the way through to today, it begs the question why Infinity Ward held off on its release for so long. It turns out, it boils down to strategy and perception more than anything.

“There’s power in nostalgia of bringing those back,” Smith continued. “To be honest, there’s good, fun gameplay there. It’s kind of silly to not use into those and lean into the strengths of those maps. Kind of a broken record but it’s also this balance between brand new stuff and something that’s familiar.

“Even when we do new maps, people will say ‘Oh I didn’t like this, this other map was way better.’ It feels almost like it takes some time to get used to something new. Then suddenly two years later they’re like ‘oh man, Hackney Yard was a great map,’ but during the launch of it you’re like ‘that was a piece of crap.’ You build those memories with your friends and eventually, you have these rose-tinted glasses of these maps.”

As part of their mission with the revamped Modern Warfare series, devs didn’t want to simply rely on old staples from top to bottom. While there’s certainly a spot for them to exist in today’s games, the team strived to establish “a new stable” of maps above all, Co-Design Director of Multiplayer Joseph Cecot explained.

“Make sure we’re leaning in and trying new things [at launch]. Then post-launch is when we look at bringing old maps back. We brought back Shoothouse and Shipment. But really, it’s important we’re bringing something new, we’re evolving, we’re making new content, it’s a new game, and it’s not just a bunch of remastered maps.”

For now, we’ll simply have to wait and see what classics are left on the roadmaps ahead for the remainder of the Modern Warfare 2 cycle. Rest assured, we’ll keep you posted right here with any further details as they emerge.