Modern Warfare 2 debuted in October last year, with claims of a two-year life cycle set to accompany it. However, new rumours allege that developer Sledgehammer Games will return for COD 2023, casting doubt on previous claims of an MW2 premium expansion pack. With the potential loss of the MW2 premium pack, hopes for remasters of classic maps could be set to disappear with it – leaving players with an alternative in Warzone 2’s Al Mazrah map.
According to a report from Insider Gaming, it claims that Call of Duty players will see the release of a brand new COD game later this year. The report corroborates a claim from Bloomberg, that alleges COD Vanguard developer Sledgehammer Games will oversee the forthcoming project. However, if this report comes to fruition, this dispels the notion of the heavily rumoured MW2 premium expansion pack. Bloomberg’s prior report claims that Sledgehammer Games was set to develop a “premium annual release” for year two of MW2, which could add an assortment of remastered maps and more for the game’s multiplayer.
The choice of Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 maps illustrates the game’s ongoing map problem, with lacklustre content taking place in the upcoming roadmap. Now, the fear is MW2’s future content drops are going to decrease in quality even further. With remastered maps off the table, these only leave the disappointing choice of cutting Warzone 2’s Al Mazrah map into tiny pieces. We’ve already seen it across the game’s multiplayer modes in the form of Al Bagra Fortress and more.
Iconic locations like Highrise, Quarry, Afghan, Rust, and Terminal all reside in Al Mazrah. Despite Dome making its way into MW2 Season 2, the rest of these maps are seemingly destined to sit on the sidelines, much to the frustration of avid COD fans.
Highrise has appeared elsewhere outside of Modern Warfare 2, though. Notably, the beloved map was last seen in COD Mobile, making its way into standard modes like Team Deathmatch. Rust made an appearance in 2019’s Modern Warfare reboot, while the rest of the aforementioned maps are yet to receive any kind of remastered love.
Like previous titles, COD 2023 is expected to hold a two-week beta phase and campaign early access will be made available at an undetermined point, according to Insider Gaming’s report. With the Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 release date looming, it is looking grim ahead for the game’s map variety.