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Something to look forward to: An ambitious modding project to revive classic Call of Duty multiplayer launches later this week. Rising anticipation and positive word-of-mouth have generated a sales spike for Modern Warfare Remastered, which is required for the free fan-made map pack. However, some fear that Activision might kill it with a cease-and-desist order.
At the time of writing, the 2017 remaster of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is ranked second on Steam revenue charts, well ahead of pre-orders for Black Ops 6 and behind only Counter-Strike 2. The ongoing half-price discount doesn't quite explain such a massive surge for a game that hasn't received significant attention in years.
The real reason is that CoD 4 is required for installing an upcoming mod that aims to revive maps and multiplayer features from the original 2009 version of Modern Warfare 2. The modders hope to fulfill a dream fans have harbored for four years.
Modern Warfare Remastered includes the campaign and multiplayer maps from the genre-defining 2007 original with dramatically upgraded graphics. Unfortunately, its 2020 follow-up, Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered, only supported single-player (hence its title), disappointing those wishing to see a revival of the 2009 first-person shooter's beloved online mode.
H2M Mod, launching on August 16, adds updated versions of all Modern Warfare 2 maps and custom multiplayer versions of some story levels from Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered to the roster from the first remaster, resulting in a package of over 50 maps. The modders faithfully rebuilt the 2009 maps to bring them closer to the visual standard of Activision's remasters.
Furthermore, H2M introduces refreshed versions of weapons, attachments, gear, perks, and streaks from the two classic Modern Warfare titles. The mod aims to return players to Modern Warfare 2's killstreak and progression system, which marked a significant departure from Call of Duty 4.
It includes 70 ranks, 10 prestige stages, and up to 1,000 levels. Players can earn special camo skins and emblems. Many nostalgic users likely see the mod as a reprieve from the battle passes, seasons, and microtransactions that have defined modern Call of Duty and other multiplayer games over the past several years.
Players also hope the mod won't face a legal challenge from Activision. Major publishers have killed popular mods before, but Activision might ignore H2M given the sales bump it has generated.