The first plot details for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have allegedly leaked, and it will apparently focus on the war on drugs. This is a rather dramatic change in the story in comparison to both the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot and the original Modern Warfare 2 from 2009. As of right now, Activision hasn't officially announced Modern Warfare 2 as it's laser-focused on the upcoming launch of Call of Duty: Vanguard this November.

It's not exactly a secret that Call of Duty 2022 will be MW2 given the success of the last entry and the fact Infinity Ward is on deck for next year. That said, following a massive leak of various game titles from NVIDIA, insiders confirmed that one of the leaked games, Project Cortez, is the codename for Moden Warfare 2. No further details were offered up at this time, meaning the news wasn't totally consequential, but a new report has trickled out with plot details.

A new report from VGC indicates that Modern Warfare 2, as its tentatively known, will focus on Columbian drug cartels. The game will reportedly be about US special forces combatting Columbian drug cartels, which may lend credibility to the Project Cortez codename. VGC speculated the codename may be in reference to the film Clear and Present Danger which has a similar premise and features a villain named Colonel Félix Cortez. It's unclear if characters like Captain Price will return in the sequel given the fact many of the characters aren't American, though the newly-assembled Task Force 141 seems to be a multi-national group of spec-ops soldiers.


Previous rumors have suggested Modern Warfare 2 is ahead of schedule, so it seems like the game is shaping up quite nicely. Fans still likely won't get any sort of official look at it until next summer, as that's when Activision tends to reveal the next entry in the annualized franchise. Either way, it's a pretty unique direction to take the series as it's always focused on huge global conflicts with massive stakes, such as the potential decimation of entire countries. Modern Warfare 2 seems to be more aligned with something like Sicario, another film about the United State's ongoing drug war.

Infinity Ward's last go at the Modern Warfare series was very popular, so it'll be interesting to see if the developer can retain that with a more subdued premise that may not include things like nuclear bombs. The last game seemed to set up a story regarding yet another conflict with Russians, but it has seemingly been resolved via the Warzone storyline. It's unclear if Modern Warfare 2 will have levels set in the United States itself or if it'll remain in international waters, but the series has featured missions in America before, such as a battle for New York in 2011's Modern Warfare 3.