[GameSpot] - CoD: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Won't Include A "No Russian"-Style Mission

[343iBot]

Don't expect to see the return of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's highly controversial No Russian mission from the 2009 game in the upcoming title of the same name.

The upcoming Modern Warfare 2 is the sequel to 2019's hit reboot of the first Modern Warfare game. It may bear the same name as 2009's game that featured the infamous mission, but Infinity Ward confirmed with GamesBeat that nothing like it will be included in the reboot.

Among the most significant revelations from the interview is the announcement that there will be no missions similar to No Russian, a level that was originally included in Modern Warfare 2's original 2009 debut (and the 2020 remaster). Designed by Respawn Entertainment co-founder and former Apex Legends Narrative Design Director Mohammad Alavi, the single-player campaign mission requires players to gain the trust of a Russian terrorist by participating in a mass shooting at an airport in Moscow. The mission's title comes from directions given to the player character just before the mission begins: "Remember, no Russian." This order is meant to remind members of the terrorist cell to maintain their anonymity by not speaking their native language while participating in the shooting.

"To me, we’re very deliberate about what we’re putting in. If we feel like it serves the story, or it serves what we’re trying to do, we’ll put something in, something that might be more edgy." Infinity Ward game director Jack O'Hara explained in the interview when asked about the violent mission in the original game. "But if we don’t, then there’s no need to be gratuitous with that kind of thing. There’s always a part of it where we want people to think about the story. We don’t want them to just be on a ride, essentially. Right now there’s nothing that I would say matches No Russian, though, in terms of what we’re trying to do."

No Russian is easily one of--if not the most--violent mission in the original Modern Warfare 2 and its remastered edition. But it's worth noting that players can complete the mission without firing a single shot--players can simply walk through the airport without firing their weapon, and wait for the massacre to end. There is also an option to skip the level entirely, and players will not receive a penalty for doing so.

Still, those who do choose to participate in the mission will be exposed to a horrific scene: innocent civilians running for their lives as victims who have been shot crawl towards cover--often being killed before they can make it to safety. Long trails of blood are smeared across the floor as the screams of the injured echo through the airport's terminal. Bodies lie in piles. It is undeniably hard to watch, and for some, hard to play. One playtester--who had served in the military in real life--refused to play the level at all, and this is what prompted developers to add the penalty-free option to skip the mission. Still, many players criticized the mission's intense, gruesome violence, with some arguing that the remaster had, in fact, made the mission even more traumatizing.

Infinity Ward and Activision have revealed a lot about Modern Warfare 2 this week, including what to expect from its campaign. The game won't feature a Zombies mode or much environmental destruction in multiplayer. It's scheduled for release for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on October 28. The PC version will be available on Steam, where it'll cost $70.

Preorders are live now and provide early access to an upcoming open beta.

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