Call of Duty: Modern Warfare season 2 started on Feb. 11, kicking off a brand-new season of content for the game. But while the upcoming maps and operators may be exciting, they’re nothing compared to the hints that Infinity Ward has dropped that a battle royale mode could be on the way to the game.
Speculation about the new mode started shortly after the season began when Call of Duty YouTuber PrestigeIsKey tweeted about a changed to the Modern Warfare menu. While there used to be four options on the menu, there was now a new option that simply read “Classified.”
While this doesn’t mean much on its own, speculation ramped up when players saw the season 2 in-game cinematic trailer. The trailer opens on a group of three soldiers wandering through a large building. Out of nowhere, one is shot, a brief firefight ensues, and the remaining squad members take out their assailant. One mentions something about a gas closing in, and the two take their leave. After that, a rope appears from the roof and Ghost, a new operator added to the game for season 2, repels down.
Ghost informs Price that something is wrong and the camera pulls back to reveal a giant map. The map has dozens of different locations, with firefights happening everywhere. Finally, a plane flies past the camera, and four soldiers jump out and parachute down to the massive map. In the background, a giant wall of green gas slowly seems to be encroaching on the map.
With all that in the trailer, it’s no wonder players think battle royale might be coming to Modern Warfare. Between the map itself, the closing wall of gas, and the iconic images of players jumping out of a plane, it certainly seems possible. But these aren’t the only evidence Call of Duty players have. Back in December 2019, a random bug in Modern Warfare seemed to reveal a massive battle royale-style map that bears more than a passing resemblance to the map we see in this new trailer.
Unfortunately for fans, there’s been no official word on what all these shenanigans might mean. Of course, 2018’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 had a battle royale mode, so the idea isn’t totally alien to the series, but we’ll likely have to wait at least a few more days before we know for sure if Modern Warfare is joining the battle royale fray.