Finally announced a few weeks ago, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been one of the most rumored games in recent memory. Just yesterday, Modern Warfare 2 received its very first trailer, showcasing some of the explosive firefights players will find themselves in on the game's October 28 release date. During Geoff Keighley's impressive 2-hour Summer Games Fest showcase, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's gameplay was finally revealed.
For fans of 2019's Modern Warfare, this new Call of Duty trailer probably looked pretty familiar, with gameplay that seemed directly lifted from its predecessor, albeit with some marked technical improvements. Along with some intense cargo ship gunfights, and an oil rig stealth mission highly reminiscent of the original 2009 Modern Warfare 2, this latest trailer also showcased the team at the heart of the game, Task Force 141, filled with some familiar faces, and a newcomer.
Meet the New Task Force 141
Long-time fans of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series will remember Task Force 141 pretty vividly. Introduced in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's epilogue mission, "Mile High Club," Task Force 141 has been a mainstay of the Modern Warfare franchise ever since, appearing in both Modern Warfare 2, and Modern Warfare 3.
While Task Force 141 were the central characters of the series, only Captain Price and Russian ally Nikolai made the cut for 2019's Modern Warfare, which acted as a reboot for the entire series. However, during the post-credits scene of the game's campaign, Captain Price can be seen perusing some classified files, all while discussing his desire to create a new team of special operatives. Eagle-eyed fans will have spotted a few familiar names, and in the last two trailers, it's been confirmed that Modern Warfare 2 is in fact bringing back some of Call of Duty's most beloved characters.
Showcased one-by-one in suitably dramatic fashion, Modern Warfare 2's trailers revealed that John "Soap" MacTavish, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, Simon "Ghost" Riley, and Captain Price are all returning to the franchise that made them household names. While Captain Price played a central role in 2019's Modern Warfare, the rest of the Task Force hasn't been seen properly since 2011's Modern Warfare 3.
2022's Modern Warfare 2 is also set to introduce a new member to the Task Force. Named Alejandro Vargas, this Mexican special forces operative is a brand-new character to the franchise. While he may not have the same brand recognition as the rest of the crew, Vargas' presence on the team serves to show fans that this Modern Warfare 2 is standing apart from its 2009 counterpart.
Based on the footage released so far, it seems as though Task Force 141 will once again be doing what they're best at: facing insurmountable odds and coming out on top. Even since its very first entry, Call of Duty has always had a team aspect, but it's never taken center stage quite like this before.
Though Modern Warfare 2's visuals and technical prowess has been the at the forefront of the recently released trailers, the game's characters have very much been the main focus of its marketing. It seems as though Infinity Ward really wants to push this concept of teamwork, and brotherhood, even going as far as to include the tagline, "The ultimate weapon is team" at the end of the game's first trailer. Hopefully Infinity Ward's marketing actually ties in with Modern Warfare 2's gameplay, and players find themselves being encouraged to care about these characters beyond their nostalgia for them.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 releases on October 28 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.