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 2011's Modern Warfare 3.
• 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. His involvement extended across all Sledgehammer-developed Call of Duty titles, starting with the original Modern Warfare 3 in 2011.

Founded in Foster City, California on July 21, 2009, Sledgehammer Games quickly made its mark, releasing Modern Warfare 3 just two years later. The studio has collaborated extensively with Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software on various Call of Duty releases, including 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 fondly recalls 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 shaping the "boots on the ground" era of Call of Duty, contributing to the gameplay mechanics of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, including boost jumps, dodging, and tactical reloads. He also worked on the game's unique weapon signatures, energy weapons, and multiplayer maps. However, he admits some reservations about the "Pick 13" system, believing that killstreaks should be rewards separate from essential loadout choices.

He also reflected on his work on Call of Duty: WW2, particularly addressing the initial controversy surrounding the game's division system, which initially restricted weapon choices by class. He expressed relief that this decision was swiftly reversed post-launch. His contributions to Call of Duty: Vanguard included the development of its discovery and traditional three-lane maps, a design preference stemming from his enjoyment of fun gameplay over strict military simulation.

Finally, Reisdorf shared his experiences developing multiplayer maps for 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He particularly 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 the development of Modern Warfare 3's live seasonal modes, including Season 1's Snowfight and Infectious Holiday modes. His contributions encompassed over 20 modes throughout the game's post-launch support. He expressed excitement for future opportunities within the gaming industry.