Of course, Modern Warfare 2 is a reboot of the original title of the same name, which originally released in 2009. While aiming to innovate the Call of Duty gameplay experience, the upcoming title is sure to borrow the largest fan-favorite elements from the original MW2 to achieve the aforementioned level of fan expectation. Of all these prior elements, the iconic Nuke killstreak would be a perfect re-addition.
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A History of the Nuke Killstreak in Call of Duty
Nuke-type killstreaks are an iconic staple of the franchise, being the highest and most difficult to attain killstreaks in many Call of Duty titles. To provide a proportional reward to how hard these killstreaks are to get, they often offer massive game implications, such as instantly ending a match or forever altering the landscape of a map for the rest of a game.
Crucially, the Nuke killstreak was first introduced in the multiplayer of the original Modern Warfare 2, and it was a revolutionary addition. Players who were bold enough to equip the Nuke as one of their three killstreak options could activate it upon tallying up 25 kills in a single life, which required quite a commendable display of skill. Upon activation, a ten-second timer would start, after which the Nuke would detonate and end the round, not before killing all players within a match.
While appearing in several other CoD titles, the functionality of Nuke-type killstreaks has changed over time. For example, in the multiplayer of Call of Duty: Ghosts, the Nuke was known as a K.E.M Strike, which would not end the game but would instead transform the map into a bombed out wreckage for the remainder of a match. Some Call of Duty titles choose to omit a Nuke-type killstreak entirely, with more recent installments of the franchise being less likely to feature this type of killstreak in the same way Modern Warfare 2 did.
Why Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Deserves a Nuke Killstreak
As previously mentioned, the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 will be taking elements from the original game, while of course still striving to develop its own unique identity. Considering that the original Modern Warfare 2 pioneered the Nuke killstreak, it only seems logical that the upcoming title re-introduces the Nuke to the reboot in the same way it was originally implemented.
Despite the multiplayer of 2019’s Modern Warfare being very well received by fans, its Nuke was limited in being a hidden killstreak that required a more unrealistic 30 kills to achieve. Due to being hidden, the Nuke played a comparatively weaker role within Modern Warfare, with less buzz and acclaim being placed on it. With the revealed gameplay footage of Modern Warfare 2’s campaign showing the elite Task Force 141 on the hunt for what is most likely a nuclear warhead, the killstreak would even fit thematically with the game’s singleplayer.
A Nuke in the upcoming game should thus be at the forefront, being a choosable killstreak that players actively set out to achieve in the same way they did in the original title. While being a perfect homage to its source material, the introduction of a more classic Nuke killstreak into the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 will set apart the title from its predecessor, building upon the reboot’s gameplay to be more high-octane in the same way the original MW2 was a more fast-paced follow-up to 2007’s Modern Warfare.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 launches on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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