"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 service.
• He played a pivotal role in developing various Call of Duty titles, beginning with Modern Warfare 3 in 2011.
• Reisdorf led the multiplayer development for 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, including live season modes and content.

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

Founded on July 21, 2009, in Foster City, California, Sledgehammer Games quickly made its mark by launching Modern Warfare 3 just two years later. Over the years, the studio has collaborated with industry giants like Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software on numerous Call of Duty titles, including the recent 2024 release, 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 journey and the significant contributions he made to the franchise. His career at Sledgehammer began with notable work on Modern Warfare 3, including the Scorched Earth campaign mission and 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 at the forefront of the "boots off the ground" era of Call of Duty, contributing significantly to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare's gameplay systems such as 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 Call of Duty: WW2, Reisdorf discussed the initial limitations of the Divisions system, which locked weapons to specific classes and restricted player freedom. He was pleased that this decision 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.

In his final project at Sledgehammer, Reisdorf led the development of multiplayer maps for 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He relished the opportunity to revisit and enhance classic Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps, such as adding Shepherd's skull to 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. Over the year, Reisdorf worked on more than 20 modes for Modern Warfare 3's post-launch support and expressed excitement about his future endeavors in the gaming industry.