"Call of Duty Studio's Multiplayer Director Departs"

Summary

• Call of Duty multiplayer creative director Greg Reisdorf has left Sledgehammer Games after 15 years.
• He was a key developer on various Call of Duty titles, starting with Modern Warfare 3 in 2011.
• Reisdorf led development of multiplayer for 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, including live season modes and content.

Call of Duty multiplayer creative director Greg Reisdorf announced his departure from Sledgehammer Games after a remarkable 15-year tenure. Reisdorf played a pivotal role in all the Call of Duty titles developed by Sledgehammer Games, beginning with the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, released in 2011.

Founded on July 21, 2009, in Foster City, California, Sledgehammer Games launched its first Call of Duty game, Modern Warfare 3, just two years later. Over the years, the studio has collaborated with Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software on numerous Call of Duty releases, including the latest, 2024's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and the ever-popular Call of Duty: Warzone.

On January 13, Greg Reisdorf confirmed via Twitter that he left Sledgehammer Games on January 10. In a detailed thread, he highlighted his significant contributions and experiences as a developer. Reisdorf's career at Sledgehammer Games took off after his work on Modern Warfare 3, where he developed content such as the Scorched Earth campaign mission. One of his most memorable contributions to Modern Warfare 3 was the sequence featuring Soap on a gurney in the Blood Brothers campaign mission, which he described as "one of the most fun and chaotic moments" he worked on.

Call of Duty Multiplayer Creative Director Greg Reisdorf Leaves Sledgehammer Games After 15 Years

Reisdorf played a crucial role in ushering in the "boots off the ground" era of Call of Duty with his contributions to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare's gameplay systems, including boost jumps, dodging, and tactical reloads. He also worked on unique weapon signatures, energy weapons, and multiplayer maps for Advanced Warfare. However, he expressed mixed feelings about the "Pick 13" system, believing that streaks should not impact essential items like primary and secondary weapons.

Reflecting on his work on Call of Duty: WW2, Reisdorf discussed the game's state at launch. The Divisions system in WW2 initially locked weapons to specific classes, limiting player freedom—a decision that was quickly reversed post-launch. Reisdorf significantly contributed to Call of Duty: Vanguard's multiplayer, focusing on the game's discovery and traditional three-lane maps, which he prefers for their fun gameplay over military simulation.

Finally, Reisdorf shared his experiences developing multiplayer maps for 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He enjoyed revisiting classic Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps and adding subtle details, such as Shepherd's skull on Rust. As the creative director of multiplayer, he directly worked on Modern Warfare 3's live season modes, including Season 1's Snowfight and Infectious Holiday modes. Throughout the year of post-launch support, Reisdorf contributed to over 20 modes in Modern Warfare 3. He expressed excitement about his future in the gaming industry, hinting at continued involvement in game development.