"Call of Duty Studio's Multiplayer Director Departs"

Summary

• Call of Duty multiplayer creative director Greg Reisdorf has left Sledgehammer Games after 15 years of dedicated service.
• Reisdorf played a pivotal role in developing numerous Call of Duty titles, beginning with Modern Warfare 3 in 2011.
• He led the multiplayer development for 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, including its live season modes and content.

Call of Duty multiplayer creative director Greg Reisdorf recently announced his departure from Sledgehammer Games after an impressive 15-year tenure. Throughout his time at the studio, Reisdorf was instrumental in the development of all Call of Duty titles produced by Sledgehammer Games, starting with the groundbreaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, released in 2011.

Founded on July 21, 2009, in Foster City, California, Sledgehammer Games swiftly made its mark in the gaming world by launching Modern Warfare 3 just two years later. Over the years, the studio has collaborated with renowned developers like Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software on various Call of Duty releases, including the latest 2024's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and the fan-favorite Call of Duty: Warzone.

On January 13, Greg Reisdorf took to Twitter to confirm his exit from Sledgehammer Games on January 10. In a heartfelt thread, he shared his significant achievements and experiences as a developer. Reisdorf's journey with Sledgehammer began with his contributions to Modern Warfare 3, where he worked on the Scorched Earth campaign mission. One of his most memorable moments from this game was crafting the intense sequence in the Blood Brothers campaign mission, where Soap is on a gurney, 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 shaping the "boots off the ground" era of Call of Duty with his contributions to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. He developed innovative gameplay systems such as boost jumps, dodging, and tactical reloads, along with unique weapon signatures, energy weapons, and multiplayer maps. However, he expressed mixed feelings about the "Pick 13" system, believing that streaks should not influence essential items like primary and secondary weapons.

Reflecting on Call of Duty: WW2, Reisdorf discussed the initial state of the game at launch, particularly the Divisions system which locked weapons to specific classes and limited player freedom. He was pleased that this decision was quickly reversed post-launch. His work on Call of Duty: Vanguard's multiplayer focused on discovery and traditional three-lane maps, favoring the fun gameplay these maps provided over military simulation.

In his final project at Sledgehammer, Reisdorf led the development of multiplayer maps for 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He relished revisiting classic Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps and adding unique touches, like Shepherd's skull on the Rust map. As the creative director of multiplayer, he directly contributed to Modern Warfare 3's live season modes, including Season 1's Snowfight and Infectious Holiday modes. Throughout the year, Reisdorf worked on over 20 modes for Modern Warfare 3's post-launch support. Looking ahead, he expressed excitement about future endeavors in the gaming industry, signaling his continued commitment to gaming.