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As a nostalgic gamer, I always find myself drifting back into old releases of my favourite franchises. My love for Call of Duty started way back in 2007, with Modern Warfare, and it blossomed from there on out. Now, I’m eager to re-explore the best Call of Duty maps I’ve ever experienced.
And yes, they’re all from the Modern Warfare franchise.
Best Call of Duty Maps: Modern Warfare (2007)
Let’s start at the beginning, and reminisce about the game that quite literally changed it all – Modern Warfare. This was the first truly great Call of Duty multiplayer title, and it kicked off a trilogy that would be a staple favourite for FPS fans the world over.
BLOC
Bloc was a dingy, grey, and miserable map, but it made for some fantastic combat. Whether you were exchanging longshots from balcony to balcony, or getting up close and personal in the center square, there was something for everyone. It was a particularly versatile map that stretched out much further than you initially thought. And, with the exception of beaming down the corridors, there was almost nowhere to really hide.
WET WORK
Wet Work was such a memorable map – and it was one of the first-ever Call of Duty maps set at night. If you were a sniper, you took the top platforms and the upper windows. If you were an AR or an SMG, you pounded the deck and always made sure to check those corners. It was a traditional three-lane map that never disappointed, and it made for some frantic combat.
Best Call of Duty Maps: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Modern Warfare 2 was probably my all-time favourite Call of Duty title. It had it all, and it was a superb, flawless multiplayer title that I poured thousands of hours into. It ignited my passion for competitive Call of Duty, and it was just so balanced!
HIGHRISE
When I was a sniper, Highrise was one of the best maps to ever come up in rotation. Once upon a time, I picked up two, back-to-back, triple headshot collaterals, right off spawn. As a map, it boasted unparalleled verticality, meaning trickshots were commonplace. This three-level, three-lane map will always have a place in my heart.
SCRAPYARD
You can’t name the best Call of Duty maps without mentioning Scrapyard. It was so good that, like a few other maps from the series, it was remade for 2019’s Modern Warfare. There was something about Scrapyard that made it irresistible. It was the perfect mix of open ground and tight spaces, and it didn’t matter what class you ran, you had a clear opportunity to dominate.
Best Call of Duty Maps: Modern Warfare 3 (2011)
RESISTANCE
Resistance, that charming French map with a beautiful setting and vicious, close-to-mid range combat. There were some long lines, but the bulk of the combat here took place around the road in the image above – particularly at the ends. In almost every game, you’d find pockets of enemies in chokepoints that made for fantastic combination kills or hotspots for killstreaks.
DOME
Dome was perfectly balanced, as all things should be – fifty percent inside, fifty percent outside. In one moment, you were battling in the open ground, using a tank for cover, but in another, you’d be face-to-face inside a darkened building. If you were a fast-moving SMG player, like I often was, Dome was an incredible experience.
Best Call of Duty Maps: Modern Warfare (2019)
And finally, we come to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – the reboot. I’ll end this breakdown of the best Call of Duty maps with these two picks.
SHOOTHOUSE
It’s one of those maps that you either love or hate, and I adore it. When Activision pushed out that Shoothouse 24/7 or Shoot the Ship playlist, you best believe I was right there. I found this map to be flawless – a perfect three-lane construction with the potential for some huge streaks and feeds. If you’re a sniper, head down the middle, otherwise, let’s push scrap off spawn.
ST. PETROGRAD
Finally, we come to St. Petrograd, a gritty, urban map with sweeping lines and plenty of interior action. In fact, it has more interiors packed into it than most of the original Modern Warfare franchise’s maps combined. It’s an absolute marvel where Search and Destroy is concerned, and its open size and versatility mean it’s a perfect map for almost any other game mode.
