Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is due for release on the 25th of October, now just over a month away. With the ongoing second Beta weekend, players are getting an early look at more and more of the Modern Warfare maps which will be available upon release; everything from the huge Karst River Quarry map to the compact Pine and Stack maps designed for Gunfight. Thus far, Infinity Ward has revealed ten different maps, two of which have day and night variants.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Maps – Standard Size
At present, there are four Modern Warfare maps available in the Beta which are designed for relatively standard-size matches. The first of these is Azhir Cave, which features both a day and a night variant. This map is set in and around an ammunition factory in Urzikstan. With roughly one-third of the map underground, the map lends itself to close-quarters engagements, especially in the night variant.
The Hackney Yard map also features two variants for day and night. Set in a run-down industrial park in London, Hackney Yard is a dense urban map with numerous climbing points. Indeed, between shipping crates and multi-storey buildings, verticality is key here. The Grazna Raid map, by comparison, is somewhat more open. This map is set in a derelict Russian town and trainyard, with more open, outdoor spaces. (Though there are still many buildings and train cars to break up lines of sight.)
Finally, there is also the Gun Runner map, set in a remote mining complex. While there are narrow areas between buildings here, there are also more open sections in warehouses and the unloading area. “Venture into the middle of the map to weave through the ground level of the towering mine shaft itself,” writes Activision; “adjacent to ‘chimney 34’, belching smoke and with an interior of pipes and a huge furnace, control, and valve chamber allowing access across the middle of the map.”
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Maps – Larger Size
In addition to the four standard-sized maps listed above, Infinity Ward today added the Karst River Quarry map. This much larger map is designed for the Ground War game mode, which features two teams of 32 players. Because this size is 3-5 times larger than most of the other game modes (which generally have 6v6 or 10v10), it requires a larger map. Due to the size of Karst River Quarry, this map offers a significant amount of variety when it comes to layout and gameplay options.
“It is one of the biggest maps in the Modern Warfare Beta,” explains Activision; “and features two vehicles – the Infantry Assault Vehicle and ATV – to help you travel from one side of the riverside open-pit mine to the other. […] With the deep stone pits and multiple buildings for refinery and extraction, the quarry has plenty of verticality. There are multiple vista points that can be accessed by snaking up several staircases inside and outside of buildings, as well as up ladders that span dozens of feet upwards. Just be careful when taking the climb to see the quarry from a birds-eye view, or at least, pack a parachute for the potential hundred-foot drops you may take with a few missteps.”
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Maps – Gunfight Size
In addition to the four standard-size maps and Karst River Quarry, Modern Warfare also features at least five smaller maps which are designed for the 2v2 Gunfight mode. It’s currently unknown whether these maps will only be available for Gunfight, or whether other modes might also make use of them. Three are currently available in the Beta (King, Pine, and Stack). However, a further two were also playable in the preceding Alpha (Docks and Speedball).
The King map takes place in a training warehouse willed with concrete and plywood barricades which break up line of sight. A raised stage dominates the centre of the arena. Pine, meanwhile, takes place outdoors in a forested area (hence the name). Due to the short time limit and small scale of Gunfight, lines of sight on the Gunfight maps are generally short. Even Pine makes use of trees, shipping containers, and other obstacles to stop players shooting each other too quickly.
Stack is the third map currently available in the Beta, and is set in a desert training range. (This appears to be a theme with Gunfight maps, that they generally take place in training areas of some sort.) Stack has a central stage, like King, with two side paths. The Dock and Speedball maps were only available in the PS4 Alpha event which took place last month. However, they were relatively similar to the other three maps.
More Modern Warfare Maps Coming at Launch
In all likelihood, these ten maps are only a selection of what will be available at launch. It’s currently unknown exactly how many Modern Warfare maps will be in the game when it releases. However, fans should expect at least a few more than what has been available in the Beta. While the five Gunfight mode maps may be the full extent of maps for that mode, only four standard-size maps have been revealed so far; that is unlikely to be the complete amount. Additionally, Karst River Quarry is unlikely to be the only larger map available for modes like Ground War. For now however, fans will have to wait for more reveals from Infinity Ward. Stay up to date with Call of Duty news and announcements on our Call of Duty topic page, available here.