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.
Greg Reisdorf, the creative director behind Call of Duty's multiplayer, has announced his departure from Sledgehammer Games after a remarkable 15-year tenure. Throughout his career, Reisdorf played a pivotal role in developing several Call of Duty titles, beginning with the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, released in 2011.
Sledgehammer Games, established on July 21, 2009, in Foster City, California, launched its first Call of Duty game, Modern Warfare 3, just two years after its founding. 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 recent 2024's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and the fan-favorite Call of Duty: Warzone.
On January 13, Reisdorf confirmed his exit from Sledgehammer Games on January 10 through a Twitter thread, where he detailed his significant contributions and experiences. Rising through the ranks at Sledgehammer, Reisdorf's journey began with the development of content for Modern Warfare 3, such as the Scorched Earth campaign mission. One of his most memorable contributions to this title was the dramatic sequence in the Blood Brothers mission, where Soap is on a gurney, which Reisdorf fondly recalls 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, contributing to the gameplay systems of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, including boost jumps, dodging, and tactical reloads. He also developed 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 influence essential items like primary and secondary weapons.
Reflecting on his work on Call of Duty: WW2, Reisdorf discussed the game's initial state and the controversial Divisions system, which restricted player freedom by locking weapons to specific classes. He was relieved when this system was quickly reversed post-launch. His contributions to Call of Duty: Vanguard's multiplayer included the game's discovery and traditional three-lane maps, which he favored 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 and enhancing classic maps from Modern Warfare 2 (2009), such as adding Shepherd's skull on Rust. As the creative director of multiplayer, he directly oversaw 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, and he expressed excitement about his future endeavors in the gaming industry.
