Activision didn't have a huge presence at E3 2019, but Infinity Ward did appear at the E3 Coliseum to announce Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Spec Ops, confirming the rumoured return of the fan favourite mode. While there were other details on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019, the cooperative focused multiplayer mode Spec Ops coming back was undoubtedly the biggest news.
Spec Ops will no doubt be taking the place of the undead-shaped shape hole in the overall package. There won't be a Modern Warfare Zombies mode because, as Infinity Ward revealed in a recent interview, it is "trying to create an authentic, realistic feeling world". Apparently, pushing players to slaughter waves of the walking dead while taking on the role of a celebrity zombie hunter don't really fit that whole "realism" vibe the studio is striving for – funny that.
Still, Spec Ops should more than make up for it. If you don't remember the co-op mode, it's essentially a collection of quick-fire missions that get you working in tandem with a buddy to overcome increasingly challenging shooting gallery scenarios.
Campaign gameplay director Jacob Minkoff has stated that "the single-player storyline goes directly into the co-op storyline," while studio narrative director Taylor Kurosaki said during the Coliseum to expect a "unified experience". So Spec Ops' multiplayer action and the main campaign will tie together in some way – be it narratively or thematically – although we are still waiting for further details on that front.
That wasn't the only good news. The studio also offered up two Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019 multiplayer screenshots, confirming that both the Juggernaut and Ghillie suits will be returning. While no footage of the multiplayer has surfaced online yet, it surely won't be long before we see it in action. Modern Warfare is, after all, set to launch on PC, PS4, and Xbox On on October 25, 2019.
Here is every Modern Warfare story detail, level and character we got from our time at Infinity Ward after seeing the upcoming reboot in action
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
Josh West is the Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 15 years experience in online and print journalism, and holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Prior to starting his current position, Josh has served as GR+'s Features Editor and Deputy Editor of games™ magazine, and has freelanced for numerous publications including 3D Artist, Edge magazine, iCreate, Metal Hammer, Play, Retro Gamer, and SFX. Additionally, he has appeared on the BBC and ITV to provide expert comment, written for Scholastic books, edited a book for Hachette, and worked as the Assistant Producer of the Future Games Show. In his spare time, Josh likes to play bass guitar and video games. Years ago, he was in a few movies and TV shows that you've definitely seen but will never be able to spot him in.