Some Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 players have taken to the internet to voice their desire for the Valderas Museum map, which was included in the game’s multiplayer beta, to be added to the full release. The calls for the return of the controversial multiplayer map come just as Modern Warfare 2 players discover an Easter egg potentially teasing a new Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 map.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, released in October 2022, is developer Infinity Ward’s latest entry in the long-running franchise. The game features the return of several characters from 2019’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot in the campaign mode, as well as the series’ trademark online multiplayer modes. Receiving generally positive reviews from many critics and fans upon release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has been plagued by a number of issues present in both the campaign and multiplayer modes since the game's launch. Issues frustrating gamers range from bugs preventing player progression in campaign mode, to confusion after details about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s Vault Edition bonuses were hidden away in fine print.
In a post on r/ModernWarfareII, user Lew1989 shared a picture of the Valderas Museum map along with the sentiment that it would be “a breath of fresh air” when the map returns. The multiplayer map, included in the map rotation during the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beta, proved controversial with many players due to large areas of open space that were underutilized in some game modes. Some users responding to the post quickly noted that there was no certainty that the map would return, even as others expressed a sincere desire for it to be added to the full game.
One of the biggest complaints about the Valderas Museum map during the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beta was that its expansive size could sometimes make it hard to find other players to fight during matches, a sentiment echoed by some responses to Lew1989’s post. Some commenters speculated that the map's removal could be due to legal issues arising from its remarkable similarity to the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. Infinity Ward has already faced controversy for using real-world locations in the game after Amsterdam’s Conservatorium Hotel appeared in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s “Breenbergh” level without permission from the hotel’s owners.
It remains to be seen if the Valderas Museum map will eventually return to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Although the map proved popular with some players, a combination of possible legal issues and complaints about map layout could mean that the beta was the only chance players will have to explore its sprawling grounds. If Valderas Museum does eventually return to the map rotation, though, it could prove to be a great setting in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s ranked mode when it launches in 2023.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.