MODERN WARFARE 2 FIELD GUIDE

Modern Warfare 2 Story

Campaign spoilers ahead. Six illustrated beats recap the original 2009 Modern Warfare 2, from the undercover assignment to the final confrontation.

Captain MacTavish during the snowy airbase operation in the original Modern Warfare 2 mission Cliffhanger. — Campaign scene: Soap leads the snowy airbase operation in Cliffhanger. Picture source

STORY BEAT 1 OF 6

A new task force and a stolen satellite module

Five years after the first Modern Warfare, General Shepherd recruits Ranger Joseph Allen for an undercover assignment. Captain Soap MacTavish now leads Task Force 141 operators, including Roach and Ghost. Soap and Roach recover a stolen American satellite module from a Russian-held airbase.

S.S.D.D. — Call of Duty Guide · Cliffhanger (mission) — Call of Duty Guide · Joseph Allen — Call of Duty Guide

Makarov’s group standing inside the elevator before the airport attack in the original Modern Warfare 2. — Campaign scene: Makarov’s group in the elevator before the airport attack. Picture source

STORY BEAT 2 OF 6

Makarov frames the United States

Posing as Alexei Borodin, Allen joins Makarov’s group at Zakhaev International Airport. Makarov’s men massacre civilians, then Makarov kills Allen and leaves his body to be identified as American. The evidence implicates the United States, giving Russia a pretext for invasion.

No Russian — Call of Duty Guide · No Russian/Transcript — Call of Duty Guide

Russian paratroopers descending during Wolverines! in the original Modern Warfare 2. — Campaign scene: Russian paratroopers descend over Virginia during Wolverines! Picture source

STORY BEAT 3 OF 6

America is invaded; Price is found

Russia invades the United States. Ramirez, Sergeant Foley and Corporal Dunn defend Virginia and Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Task Force 141 captures arms dealer Rojas in Brazil. His information leads them to a Russian gulag, where Prisoner 627 turns out to be Captain Price.

Wolverines! — Call of Duty Guide · Takedown (mission) — Call of Duty Guide · The Gulag — Call of Duty Guide · James Ramirez — Call of Duty Guide

The nuclear detonation above Earth that causes the EMP in the original Modern Warfare 2 mission Second Sun. — Campaign scene: the detonation viewed from orbit during Second Sun. Picture source

STORY BEAT 4 OF 6

Price’s EMP changes the battle

Price boards a Russian submarine and launches a nuclear missile. Its high-altitude detonation creates an EMP that disables American and Russian electronics over the battlefield. Surviving Rangers retake the White House and signal with green flares, stopping a planned American bombing run.

Contingency (mission) — Call of Duty Guide · Second Sun — Call of Duty Guide · Whiskey Hotel — Call of Duty Guide

The computer and data-transfer equipment in Makarov’s safehouse in the original Modern Warfare 2 mission Loose Ends. — Mission detail: the safehouse computer equipment used to retrieve intelligence in Loose Ends. Picture source

STORY BEAT 5 OF 6

Shepherd turns on his own men

Roach and Ghost recover valuable intelligence from Makarov’s safehouse. At extraction, Shepherd shoots them, takes the data and has their bodies burned. Soap and Price escape another attack. Makarov, also fighting Shepherd’s forces, reveals the general’s location, enabling their pursuit.

Loose Ends — Call of Duty Guide · Loose Ends/Transcript — Call of Duty Guide · The Enemy of My Enemy — Call of Duty Guide

Original in-game model of Soap holding a knife during the Modern Warfare 2 finale. — Original in-game model: the wounded Soap holding the knife during Endgame. Picture source

STORY BEAT 6 OF 6

Soap and Price confront Shepherd

Soap and Price pursue Shepherd through Afghanistan. Shepherd stabs Soap, then fights Price. Soap pulls out the knife and throws it, killing Shepherd. Nikolai arrives to evacuate the wounded Soap and Price. They leave as fugitives, while Makarov remains free.

Endgame (Modern Warfare 2) — Call of Duty Guide · Endgame (Modern Warfare 2)/Transcript — Call of Duty Guide

References

Covered edition: Original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), including the Stimulus and Resurgence multiplayer map packs. This wiki covers the original PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 game and its Mac port. Campaign Remastered (2020), Modern Warfare II (2022) and the separate DS game Mobilized are outside this wiki.