The 2022 Call of Duty title has received several leaks and rumors over the past month. The newest is that the new game’s developer will take map design inspiration from Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
The name of the game is rumored to be Modern Warfare II, a direct sequel to Modern Warfare 2019. Players know it’s being developed by Infinity Ward, which has taken some flak for their map design in previous games. It seems they’re looking to rectify that in 2022, though, according to one Call of Duty leaker.
Modern Warfare II map design could resemble that of CS:GO
The leaker in question, @RalphsValve, claims that Modern Warfare II will take inspiration from CS:GO’s level design. CS:GO features some of the most famous maps in multiplayer gaming history. Classics such as Dust 1 and Dust 2, Mirage, Train and more are considered some of the best maps in the FPS genre.
While some fans might be skeptical of this claim, Infinity Ward did hire at least one community CS:GO map designer after MW 2019 was released. This doesn’t make the leak a surefire certainty, but it does give credence to it.
From what I understand, the 2022 title is likely to remain in favour of its ‘parkour’ component seen in Modern Warfare (2019)
— Ralph (@RalphsValve) January 9, 2022
RalphsValve continued by saying the maps in MWII will keep the parkour style of design that Modern Warfare implemented. However, the developers also aren’t giving up on the destructible environments featured in Vanguard, either. The leaker claims that the developers are taking feedback on breakable walls and doors in Vanguard and adapting accordingly.
The leaker’s final piece of information is that the developers are focused on making “memorably unique and diverse maps, catering for replayability.” While this is a good sign for the game’s future, it could also lead to fewer maps at launch compared to Vanguard. There were 16 multiplayer maps launched with Vanguard in 2021. However, if Infinity Ward is taking more time with each map, they likely can’t repeat that output with Modern Warfare II.
To compare, Modern Warfare 2019 launched with 10 standard multiplayer maps.
