Modern Warfare 2 teases us with a crumb of Rust

Call of Duty Rust map
(Image credit: Activision)

The fan-favorite Rust map is in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - kind of. 

Eagle-eyed players spotted parts of the iconic Rust in the near-distance of a Modern Warfare 2 map, but others have dropped in and right onto the towering structure. 

If you drop into Taraq on Ground War and head to the B flag, you can jump right onto what is clearly the central part of Rust. Unlike the original map, however, there's no close-quarters combat as the exterior walls have been removed. It's more like the central tower and the ramps leading up to and off of it are there, but all of the claustrophobic ground areas around it are gone. 

Now this could very well be a sign of what's coming in Modern Warfare 2, as rumors have been swirling for months that the game will be getting a greatest hits map pack as DLC sometime in the future. And with more recent news suggesting a big Modern Warfare 2 expansion will be the only Call of Duty installment coming in 2023, it's not unreasonable to suggest that this little piece of Rust is just a little tease until the full map drops.

Rust is by and large one of the most popular Call of Duty maps thanks to its close-quarters combat and serious elevation differences. It was first introduced in the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but was brought back in 2020 during one of the Modern Warfare 2019 seasons. Even though that was just a few short years ago, players can't enough of Rust - I can already hear the echoes of "1v1 me" coming through my headset. 

If and when Rust proper drops, here's hoping you figure out how to find it, as the Modern Warfare 2 menus are confusing the hell out of players.

Alyssa Mercante

Alyssa Mercante is an editor and features writer at GamesRadar based out of Brooklyn, NY. Prior to entering the industry, she got her Masters's degree in Modern and Contemporary Literature at Newcastle University with a dissertation focusing on contemporary indie games. She spends most of her time playing competitive shooters and in-depth RPGs and was recently on a PAX Panel about the best bars in video games. In her spare time Alyssa rescues cats, practices her Italian, and plays soccer.