Call of Duty Studio's Multiplayer Director Departs

Summary

• Greg Reisdorf, the creative director of Call of Duty multiplayer, has left Sledgehammer Games after a 15-year tenure.
• He played a significant role in developing several 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, overseeing live season modes and content creation.

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

Greg Reisdorf, the creative director behind the multiplayer experience of Call of Duty, has announced his departure from Sledgehammer Games after dedicating 15 years to the studio. His journey began with the development of the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, released in 2011, marking the start of his influential career at Sledgehammer Games.

Founded on July 21, 2009, in Foster City, California, Sledgehammer Games quickly made its mark in the gaming industry by launching its first Call of Duty title just two years later. Over the years, the studio has collaborated with renowned developers like 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 popular Call of Duty: Warzone.

On January 13, Reisdorf took to Twitter to confirm his exit from Sledgehammer Games on January 10. He shared a thread detailing his accomplishments and experiences. Starting with Modern Warfare 3, Reisdorf contributed to iconic moments such as the Scorched Earth campaign mission and the memorable sequence with Soap on a gurney in the Blood Brothers mission, which he described as one of the most fun and chaotic parts of his work.

Throughout his career, Reisdorf played a pivotal role in shaping the "boots off the ground" era with Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. He developed key gameplay systems like boost jumps, dodging, and tactical reloads, along with unique weapon signatures 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 implementation of Divisions, which restricted player freedom by locking weapons to specific classes. He was relieved when this decision was swiftly reversed post-launch. His contributions extended to Call of Duty: Vanguard, where he focused on multiplayer, emphasizing discovery and the classic three-lane map design, which he favored for its fun gameplay over military simulation.

Reisdorf's final major project at Sledgehammer was the 2023 release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He enjoyed revisiting and enhancing classic maps from Modern Warfare 2 (2009), adding unique details like Shepherd's skull on the Rust map. As the creative director of multiplayer, he directly managed the development of live season modes, including Season 1's Snowfight and Infectious Holiday modes. Over the year, he worked on more than 20 modes for Modern Warfare 3, expressing enthusiasm for future endeavors in the gaming industry.