Call of Duty Studio Loses Multiplayer Development Director

Summary

• Greg Reisdorf, Call of Duty's multiplayer creative director, departed Sledgehammer Games after a 15-year tenure.
• His contributions spanned numerous Call of Duty titles, beginning with Modern Warfare 3 in 2011.
• 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, announced his departure from Sledgehammer Games after a remarkable 15-year journey. His involvement extended across all Sledgehammer-developed Call of Duty titles, starting with the 2011 release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Sledgehammer Games, established on July 21, 2009, in Foster City, California, swiftly delivered its first Call of Duty title, Modern Warfare 3, just two years later. The studio collaborated extensively with Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software on various Call of Duty releases, culminating in 2024's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and the ongoing success of Call of Duty: Warzone.

On January 13th, Reisdorf confirmed his departure from Sledgehammer Games, effective January 10th, via a Twitter thread detailing his accomplishments and experiences. His career trajectory began with contributions to Modern Warfare 3, including the Scorched Earth campaign mission. He fondly recalled the "Blood Brothers" campaign 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 the evolution of Call of Duty's "boots on the ground" era, contributing to the gameplay systems of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, including boost jumps, dodging, and tactical reloads. His work also encompassed unique weapon signatures, energy weapons, and multiplayer map design within Advanced Warfare. However, he expressed some reservations about the "Pick 13" system, believing that streaks should be rewards independent of essential equipment choices like primary and secondary weapons.

Reflecting on his involvement in Call of Duty: WW2, Reisdorf acknowledged the initial challenges presented by the game's class-based weapon restrictions. He expressed relief that this system was quickly revised post-launch. His contributions to Call of Duty: Vanguard included the design of discovery and traditional three-lane maps, a preference driven by his focus on enjoyable gameplay over strict military realism.

Finally, Reisdorf shared his experiences developing multiplayer maps for 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He enjoyed revisiting and enhancing classic Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps, adding subtle details like Shepherd's skull in 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 work encompassed over 20 modes throughout the game's post-launch support, and he expressed anticipation for his future endeavors within the gaming industry.