Call of Duty Studio Loses Multiplayer Development Director

Summary

• After 15 years at Sledgehammer Games, Call of Duty multiplayer creative director Greg Reisdorf has departed.
• His contributions spanned numerous Call of Duty titles, beginning with Modern Warfare 3 (2011).
• Reisdorf spearheaded the multiplayer development for 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, including its live seasonal content.

Greg Reisdorf, Call of Duty's multiplayer creative director, recently announced his departure from Sledgehammer Games after a 15-year tenure. Reisdorf's involvement extended across all Sledgehammer-developed Call of Duty titles, starting with the original Modern Warfare 3 in 2011.

Sledgehammer Games, established on July 21, 2009, in Foster City, California, delivered its first Call of Duty title, Modern Warfare 3, just two years later. Collaborating with Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software, the studio has contributed to numerous Call of Duty releases, most recently 2024's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and the enduringly popular Call of Duty: Warzone.

On January 13th, Reisdorf confirmed his January 10th departure via Twitter, sharing a thread detailing his accomplishments and experiences. His journey began with contributions to Modern Warfare 3, including the Scorched Earth campaign mission. He highlighted the Blood Brothers mission sequence featuring Soap on a gurney as "one of the most fun and chaotic moments" of his career.

Call of Duty Multiplayer Creative Director Greg Reisdorf Leaves Sledgehammer Games After 15 Years

Reisdorf played a key role in the early days of Call of Duty's "boots on the ground" era, contributing to the gameplay systems of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, including boost jumps, dodging, and tactical reloads. His work also encompassed unique weapon signatures, energy weapons, and multiplayer maps for Advanced Warfare. He expressed some reservations, however, about the "Pick 13" system, believing that streaks should be rewards separate from essential items like primary and secondary weapons.

Reisdorf also reflected on his work on Call of Duty: WW2, acknowledging the game's initial challenges. He noted the initial class-restricted weapon system in Call of Duty: WW2, expressing relief that this limitation was quickly addressed post-launch. His contributions to Call of Duty: Vanguard included the design of discovery and traditional three-lane maps, a style he prefers for its focus on fun gameplay over strict military simulation.

Finally, Reisdorf recounted his experiences developing multiplayer maps for 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He enjoyed revisiting and enhancing classic Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps, adding subtle details like Shepherd's skull to the Rust map. As multiplayer creative director, he directly oversaw Modern Warfare 3's live seasonal modes, including Season 1's Snowfight and Infectious Holiday modes. Having worked on over 20 modes for Modern Warfare 3 throughout its post-launch year, Reisdorf expressed anticipation for his future endeavors within the gaming industry.