"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 several Call of Duty titles, beginning with Modern Warfare 3 in 2011.
• Reisdorf spearheaded the multiplayer development for the 2023 release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, including live season modes and additional content.

Greg Reisdorf, the creative director behind Call of Duty's multiplayer experience, recently announced his departure from Sledgehammer Games after a remarkable 15-year tenure. Throughout his time at the studio, Reisdorf contributed to every Call of Duty game developed by Sledgehammer, starting with the iconic Modern Warfare 3, which hit the shelves in 2011.

Founded on July 21, 2009, in Foster City, California, Sledgehammer Games quickly established itself in the gaming industry by releasing Modern Warfare 3 just two years after its inception. Over the years, the studio has collaborated with other major developers like Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software on various Call of Duty titles, including the latest 2024 release, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and the highly popular Call of Duty: Warzone.

On January 13, Reisdorf took to Twitter to confirm his exit from Sledgehammer Games, which occurred on January 10. In a detailed thread, he shared his journey and numerous achievements at the studio. His career at Sledgehammer kicked off with significant contributions to Modern Warfare 3, including the creation of the Scorched Earth campaign mission and the memorable sequence in the Blood Brothers mission where Soap is on a gurney, which Reisdorf described 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 crucial role in shaping the "boots off the ground" era with his work on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. He developed key gameplay systems such as boost jumps, dodging, and tactical reloads, and introduced unique weapon signatures, energy weapons, and multiplayer maps. However, he expressed mixed feelings about the "Pick 13" system, believing 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 Divisions system that locked weapons to specific classes, which he felt restricted player freedom. Fortunately, this decision was quickly reversed post-launch. He also made significant contributions to Call of Duty: Vanguard's multiplayer, focusing on discovery and the classic three-lane map design, which he prefers for its emphasis on fun gameplay over military simulation.

In his final project, Reisdorf led the multiplayer development for the 2023 release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He relished the opportunity to revisit and enhance classic maps from Modern Warfare 2 (2009), adding subtle details like Shepherd's skull on the Rust map. As the creative director of multiplayer, he directly oversaw the creation of live season modes such as Season 1's Snowfight and Infectious Holiday modes. Throughout the year following the game's launch, Reisdorf worked on over 20 different modes for Modern Warfare 3.

Looking forward, Reisdorf hinted at continuing his career in the gaming industry, excited about future endeavors beyond Call of Duty.