The third major pillar of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare blends together the storytelling of Campaign with the online community of Multiplayer under one familiar name: Special Ops. Under the name Co-Op in the main menu, this reimagining of Special Ops connects multiple intricate Operations together to continue the story of the game’s Campaign. It also includes Classic Special Ops, shorter experiences that should feel familiar to veterans of the franchise. After selecting the Co-Op option in the game’s Main Menu and watching the opening cutscene, here’s what you can expect from Special Ops:

The Story of Special Ops The city of Verdansk has been taken over by a greater evil. Indiscriminately wiping out all who try to stop their corrupt dealings, a global terror organization has gained a surplus of access to funding, intelligence, hardware, and weapons, some of which could threaten the entire world. Despite their differences, Kate Laswell of the CIA and FSB Sergeant Kamarov have agreed to align the Allegiance and Coalition operators to form one global task force: Armistice.

A Breakdown of Operations As the Allegiance and Coalition Operator of your choosing, you will drop into Verdansk alongside three other Operators as a strike-team to carry out Operations, multi-stage missions that can be tackled in a variety of ways. At launch, your strike-team will: · Infiltrate, expose, and eliminate the terrorist network of Almalik, Al-Qatala’s slumlord-in-chief, in Operation Headhunter · Assault Almalik’s base of operations and mark his weapons for airstrike, spiking the Al-Qatala foothold in Verdansk in Operation Kuvalda · Go behind enemy lines and extract Dr. Linda Morales, and use her intel to hunt “Mr Z, a benefactor and source of Al-Qatala’s new arsenal in Operation Paladin · Infiltrate the Al-Qatala occupied Verdansk Airport, board the hijacked 747, and recover its deadly cargo in Operation Crosswind And the story doesn’t just end with these four Operations; as we head into future seasons, more missions will become available in this ever-evolving mode, offering new challenges while advancing the story of our heroes. Within these Operations, you will have a custom loadout – which is shared between Multiplayer and Special Ops, as well as three Munitions and a role. Munitions: Similar to Killstreaks in Multiplayer, before an Operation you can equip three Munitions to spawn in with by using points, which are earned in-game. Initially your Munitions options are an Ammo Crate, Grenade Crate, and Armor Crate. As you play Operations, you will earn points and be able to spend them – during a match through the pause menu or in between Operations – on more powerful munitions, such as a UAV, Gunship, or even Juggernaut armor. Plus, additional Munitions will be strewn throughout each Operation for players to find and use. Roles, meanwhile, are like Field Upgrades; an Operator can be one of six Roles, each with a unique passive ability, as well as an active ability that charges over a set period of time. One example role is the Heavy, who has 100% more ammo in launchers as a passive, and can give the entire squad heavy Team Armor as an active ability.

Quick Tips for Operations Operations revolve around a strike-team of four players working in tandem to complete the mission however they see fit. That simple description is the biggest tip we can give for Operations: it may be extremely difficult to get far in Operations by being a lone wolf. Whether you are a group of four friends, or four community members that just met in the Public Match lobby, solid communication and teamwork can do wonders in Special Ops. This is especially important whenever a teammate is reduced to zero health, as the rest of the squad has a chance to revive them before they die. Knowing where to revive a teammate – and when not to, such as during a firefight in open space – could be crucial to finishing the Operation. Another reason why Operations are unique is because they give you freedom of choice. Whether you and your team are more comfortable with a smashmouth, guns blazing approach or a tactical, stealthy attack, it is wise to ensure your loadout, Munitions, and Role compliment your agreed upon strategy. Speaking of Munitions and Roles, composing a well-rounded strike-team could lead to a successful Operation before the mission even begins. Because Munitions and roles can benefit all sides of gameplay – from offensive capabilities to reconnaissance – it may be good to align with your squadmates to ensure your fireteam is well-equipped and well-rounded.

Missions: Aim for the Best Time! Special Ops also includes Missions, more structured experiences similar to what veterans of the franchise may remember playing in Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2 or Call of Duty®: MW3. Whereas Operations give you the widest breadth of strategic and tactical choice, Missions is where your proficiency with specific weapons, Killstreaks, and other tools with be tested. During a Mission, you may not have access to your loadout, Munitions, and role in order to further test your overall skill. Missions can be tackled either solo or with up to four players and are extremely re-playable due to their ranking system. Based on your performance and time, you or your team will be ranked on a 3-star ranking system, with bragging rights tied to achieving 3-stars on all available Missions. If earning 3-stars on a Mission was too easy, try going for the “Infinity Ward time.” This is a time to beat, set by the developer’s best in-house Operators. Plus, more Missions will be coming in the post-launch season! There is also an option for Special Ops Survival Mode, a wave-based horde mode, exclusive to PlayStation 4 Modern Warfare players until Oct. 1, 2020.

Cross-Progression: Sharing XP Between Special Ops and Multiplayer Special Ops shares custom loadout slots with Multiplayer AND progression. Any Operator rank or weapon experience earned in Special Ops will carry over to Multiplayer and vice versa. You can see your progress in Barracks and customize your Identity, view challenges, see Records, pick an Operator, and create loadouts just as you would in Multiplayer. Cross-progression might be a big reason to explore Special Ops if you’ve only played Multiplayer; everything you’ve earned is waiting for you here. Plus, the experience gained within Special Ops carries right back over to Multiplayer. So, whether you have been excited for the return of Special Ops, a Campaign player looking to finish the fight, or a Multiplayer Operator wanting to try some new experiences, Special Ops has something for all players. Assemble your strike-team and get ready for the fight to save Verdansk and, by proxy, the world. Stay frosty.