Modern Warfare 2 is one of, if not the most beloved entry in the Call of Duty series, due in no small part to its iconic maps. With CoD 2022 all but confirmed to be MW2, here are the five maps we’re dying to see make a comeback.
We’re still waiting for an official reveal, but CoD 2022 is expected to be titled Modern Warfare 2, a follow-up to the 2019 reboot of the iconic sub-series. Infinity Ward is leading the development, meaning that expectations are extremely high.
The original Modern Warfare 2 is the stuff of legend among the CoD community, and players will be hoping the team can recapture that magic. MW2’s maps were a huge part of what made the game special, and this is the perfect time to bring some of the best back into the limelight.
With that in mind, here are the five Modern Warfare 2 maps we want to see in this year’s Call of Duty.
5. Wasteland
As the CoD franchise has moved on, we see fewer and fewer maps built purely with sniping in mind. Wasteland’s murky open spaces practically forced players to become a ghillie in the mist and embrace long-range combat.
Its inclusion in CoD 2022 would make for a refreshing change of pace from the frantic action that has become the series’ trademark. Matches on Wasteland were slow, tense affairs, as players debated whether to break cover and run through no man’s land or stay hidden on the outskirts.
The underground bunker in the center of the map offered up a small dose of close-quarters gameplay, but this map was really about testing a sniper’s mettle. It provided a totally unique CoD experience that hasn’t been captured since, and it’s high time we see it return.
4. Terminal
Not only was Terminal the setting for Modern Warfare 2’s most infamous mission, it quickly became one of its most popular multiplayer maps too. While we did see a futuristic revamp in 2016’s Infinite Warfare, it’s a crime that it’s been this long without it making a real comeback.
In terms of CoD maps, it has everything you could possibly want. Plenty of cover for tense shootouts? Check. An explorable plane with narrow seats to hide behind? Check. Burger Town? Check. We can still feel the fear of a rouge Semtex landing next to you in the cockpit.
This arena really delivered on the promise of an airport shootout, and it has quite rightly become a source of nostalgia for fans. It’s hard to imagine a Modern Warfare 2 game without Terminal on the rotation.
3. Estate
Despite such a simple premise – a house sat on a hill – there was something special about Estate. It suits every player, whether you’re run and gunner, or someone who prefers to kick back with an Intervention.
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This balance of both playstyles meant you never know what sort of match you’re dropping into on Estate. It could be a lowkey war of well-placed sniper shots, or a mad scramble to seize and hold the house.
Large open spaces and small windows make it another sniper’s paradise for sure. But those intense battles for control of the cabin overlooking the map make for some of the most chaotic and memorable firefights in the entire game.
2. Favela
Modern Warfare 2’s maps had a way of transporting you to another place better than any other game in the series. Nowhere is this more on display than with Favela, which lets players take to the slums of Rio De Janerio in the shadow of Christ the Redeemer.
Although the map is fairly large, the narrow streets and density of the buildings led to close quarters fights time and time again. But if that isn’t your bag, you can quickly head to the rooftops for more long-range shootouts.
The CoD series has had many attempts at recreating the success of Favela, but none have struck the balance so perfectly. We think it’s time to bask in the South American sun once again in 2022.
1. Highrise
On the face of it, Highrise looks pretty unremarkable. A pair of offices separated by a raised helipad and a huge crane certainly doesn’t have the wow factor that some of the other maps on this list have.
But what it lacks it in an obvious hook, it makes up for it with the most balanced and perfectly poised gameplay of any map Modern Warfare 2 has to offer.
The two lanes on either side, as well as the crane, are ideal for flexing your sniping muscles. But the small offices and hotly-contested area around the parked helicopter mean any weapon is viable here.
Above all else, this is a throwback to the golden age of the franchise, and some of the old camping spots found here will have long-time fans feeling like a kid again. Nostalgia alone would make a Highrise remake an instant hit with the fans, and it’s our number hope for CoD 2022.
Those were our picks for the top five maps we want to see in Modern Warfare 2 this year, be sure to let us know which ones you want to see on socials. For all of the latest news on the new game, head over to our dedicated Call of Duty page.