"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 has announced his departure from Sledgehammer Games after a dedicated 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.

Sledgehammer Games, established on July 21, 2009, in Foster City, California, achieved its first major milestone with the release of Modern Warfare 3 just two years after its founding. Over the years, the studio has collaborated with Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software on numerous Call of Duty projects, including the latest releases such as 2024's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and the highly popular Call of Duty: Warzone.

On January 13, Greg Reisdorf took to Twitter to confirm his exit from Sledgehammer Games on January 10. He shared a thread detailing his significant contributions and memorable experiences throughout his career. Reisdorf's journey at Sledgehammer began with the development of Modern Warfare 3, where he contributed to iconic content like the Scorched Earth campaign mission. One of his standout achievements from this game was the gripping sequence in the Blood Brothers mission where Soap is on a gurney, which Reisdorf 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 was instrumental in the inception of the "boots off the ground" era with Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, where he helped develop gameplay systems such as boost jumps, dodging, and tactical reloads. His contributions extended to unique weapon signatures, energy weapons, and multiplayer maps. However, he expressed mixed feelings about the "Pick 13" system, arguing that streaks should not impact 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 restrictive Divisions system that locked weapons to specific classes. He was pleased with the quick reversal of this decision post-launch. For Call of Duty: Vanguard, Reisdorf significantly contributed to the multiplayer aspect, favoring the game's discovery and traditional three-lane maps for their fun and engaging gameplay.

In his final project, 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Reisdorf relished the opportunity to revisit and enhance classic maps from Modern Warfare 2 (2009), such as adding Shepherd's skull to Rust. As the creative director of multiplayer, he was directly involved in developing 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 during its post-launch support.

Looking forward, Reisdorf hinted at his continued involvement in the gaming industry, expressing excitement for his future endeavors.