Summary

• Call of Duty multiplayer creative director Greg Reisdorf has left Sledgehammer Games after 15 years of dedicated service.
• He played a pivotal role in developing numerous Call of Duty titles, beginning with Modern Warfare 3 in 2011.
• Reisdorf spearheaded the multiplayer development for the 2023 release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, including its live season modes and additional content.

Greg Reisdorf, the creative director behind the multiplayer experience in Call of Duty, has announced his departure from Sledgehammer Games after an impressive 15-year tenure. Throughout his career at the studio, Reisdorf contributed significantly to every Call of Duty title developed by Sledgehammer Games, starting with the iconic Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, launched back in 2011.

Founded on July 21, 2009, in Foster City, California, Sledgehammer Games quickly made its mark by releasing Modern Warfare 3 just two years after its inception. Over the years, the studio has collaborated with other renowned developers like Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and Raven Software on various Call of Duty projects, including the recent 2024 release, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and the highly popular Call of Duty: Warzone.

On January 13, Reisdorf took to Twitter to share that he had left Sledgehammer Games on January 10, reflecting on his journey and achievements through a detailed thread. His career trajectory at Sledgehammer began to soar following his work on Modern Warfare 3, where he contributed to memorable content such as the Scorched Earth campaign mission. One of his standout contributions was the gripping sequence in the Blood Brothers campaign where Soap is on a gurney, a moment Reisdorf described as "one of the most fun and chaotic" he had ever worked on.

Call of Duty Multiplayer Creative Director Greg Reisdorf Leaves Sledgehammer Games After 15 Years

Reisdorf was instrumental in shaping the "boots off the ground" era of Call of Duty, particularly through his work on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. He played a key role in developing its innovative gameplay systems, including boost jumps, dodging, and tactical reloads, as well as unique weapon signatures, energy weapons, and multiplayer maps. However, he expressed mixed feelings about the "Pick 13" system, believing that streaks should not influence the choice of primary and secondary weapons.

Reflecting on Call of Duty: WW2, Reisdorf noted the initial restrictive nature of the Divisions system, which locked weapons to specific classes and limited player freedom. He was pleased that this decision was swiftly reversed post-launch. His contributions extended to Call of Duty: Vanguard, where he focused on multiplayer, emphasizing the importance of discovery and the classic three-lane map design, favoring fun gameplay over military simulation.

Finally, Reisdorf shared his experiences with the development of multiplayer maps for the 2023 release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. He relished the opportunity to revisit and enhance classic maps from Modern Warfare 2 (2009), adding subtle details like Shepherd's skull on the Rust map. As the creative director of multiplayer, he directly oversaw Modern Warfare 3's live season modes, such as Season 1's Snowfight and Infectious Holiday modes. Throughout the year, Reisdorf worked on over 20 modes, ensuring robust post-launch support. Looking ahead, he hinted at continuing his journey in the gaming industry, eager to explore new opportunities.