Call of Duty Studio Loses Multiplayer Development Director

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

Greg Reisdorf, the creative director for Call of Duty's multiplayer, recently announced his departure from Sledgehammer Games after a 15-year tenure. Throughout his career at Sledgehammer, Reisdorf contributed to every Call of Duty title the studio developed, starting with the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which hit the shelves in 2011.

Founded on July 21, 2009, in Foster City, California, Sledgehammer Games released its debut Call of Duty title, Modern Warfare 3, just two years after its inception. Over the years, the studio collaborated with other renowned developers such as Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software on numerous Call of Duty projects, including the recent 2024 release, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and the widely acclaimed 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 insights into his significant contributions and experiences as a developer. Reisdorf's journey at Sledgehammer began with his work on Modern Warfare 3, where he crafted content such as the Scorched Earth campaign mission. One of his most memorable contributions to this game was the sequence featuring Soap on a gurney in the Blood Brothers campaign mission, which he described as "one of the most fun and chaotic moments" he had 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 significantly to the gameplay systems of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, including boost jumps, dodging, and tactical reloads. He also worked on distinctive 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 the selection of primary and secondary weapons.

Reflecting on his involvement with Call of Duty: WW2, Reisdorf highlighted the initial state of the game at launch, particularly the divisive "Divisions" system that locked weapons to specific classes, thus limiting player freedom. He was pleased that this decision was swiftly reversed post-launch. Additionally, Reisdorf made significant contributions to Call of Duty: Vanguard's multiplayer, focusing on the game's discovery and traditional three-lane maps. He favored these maps in Vanguard, prioritizing engaging gameplay over military simulation.

Lastly, Reisdorf shared his experiences developing multiplayer maps for the 2023 iteration of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He relished the opportunity to revisit classic maps from Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and add subtle enhancements, such as Shepherd's skull on the Rust map. As the creative director of multiplayer, he directly influenced Modern Warfare 3's live season modes, including Season 1's Snowfight and Infectious Holiday modes. Throughout the year, Reisdorf contributed to over 20 modes for Modern Warfare 3 during its post-launch support phase. He expressed excitement about his future endeavors in the gaming industry following his departure from Call of Duty.