The Call of Duty series is one of the largest video game franchises in history, with hundreds of millions of copies sold and nearly 20 billion dollars in revenue generated. While each game features an extensive single-player campaign, for many players, it’s the multiplayer experience that temps them into purchasing.
With this in mind, the quality of a game’s multiplayer maps can have a huge bearing not only on its success, but also how enjoyable it is for players. Over the years there have been some fantastic maps, but more than a few duds to go along with them. Striking the right balance is not always easy, but some of the series’ entries have done a much better job than others.
10 Call of Duty: WWII
Even the best maps that Call of Duty: WWII has to offer are distinctly average when compared with the ones found in other entries in the series. Ardennes Forest and Flak Tower are the game’s only saving graces, but neither could really be described as good. There are more than a few that fall into the ‘bad’ category though.
Gibraltar is terribly designed and full of head-glitching spots and campers. Things can often become gridlocked and spawn-killings are common. Aachen manages to be worse still, suffering from all of the aforementioned problems but to a much greater degree. Sledgehammer Games really dropped the ball on this one.
9 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Hackney Yard was one of the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare maps that Activision showed off and it’s easy to see why. Its three lane design offers the kind of experience that players have come to expect from Call of Duty and it has some great lines of sight for those who like to hang back with a rifle. Gun Runner also stands out thanks to its mixture of enclosed and outdoor spaces.
On the other hand, Euphrates Bridge can be incredibly frustrating due to how open it is and how easy spawn-killing can be as a result. Piccadilly also has a lot of issues with spawn-killing and its layout makes it terrible for objective based game modes. Together, these two maps are not just the worst in Modern Warfare, but perhaps the entire series.
8 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
As things stand, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War‘s biggest problem isn’t really with the maps that it has, but with how few of them there are. More will undoubtedly arrive as time passes, but right now the lack of variety can lead to things getting stale quite quickly. Moscow and Armada are the two standouts so far though.
The former sticks to the tried and tested three lane design and its Metro Station provides a nice setting for combat. Armada, on the other hand, is an incredibly unique map with a lot of different rush routes and some clear lines of sight. Cartel and Satellite are the front-runners for the game’s worst maps thanks to their camper-friendly tall grass and broken spawns respectively.
7 Call of Duty: Ghosts
Although the map selection in Call of Duty: Ghosts is a little disappointing, some make great use of their dynamic elements. The mortar strike in Warhawk is one of the most interesting and the map’s narrow alleyways and numerous buildings allow for some enjoyable close combat. Freight is another great map, with interactable ladders and container doors potentially opening up additional routes. Not all of the game’s maps work though.
While the worsening storm in Stormfront is a nice idea on paper, it can make things incredibly annoying. Reduced visibility and malfunctioning equipment aside, at its worst, the storm forces players inside allowing savvy campers to pick them off one by one as they enter. Overlord, on the other hand, is just dull. There’s nothing remotely interesting about it and the base itself is a camper magnet.
6 Call of Duty: Black Ops 4
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 brings back many of the best maps from earlier entries in the series and, when it comes to design, it’s these ones that top the pile. Unfortunately, this is the the third or fourth time that some of them have featured and a few of them don’t play as well as they have in the past due to the game’s combat mechanics.
Icebreaker and Morocco are the best new maps, but only the former really comes close to the returning maps in terms of quality of design. When it comes to poor maps, there are quite a few to choose from, although Arsenal and Militia are particularly bad.
5 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is far from the best Call of Duty game, but it does feature a great selection of maps. Terrace is a multi-teared masterpiece with some decent rush routes while Detroit offers a bit of everything. Its huge open areas have numerous good lines of sight and its enclosed indoor areas allow for some solid close quarter combat.
For as good as some of the maps are though, it does have its fair share of weaker ones too. Instinct offers very little shelter from aerial scorestreaks and shooting them down can be challenging due to the heavy foliage. Greenband has similar flaws in its design, with each of its three lanes forcing the player outdoors.
4 Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Perhaps the last good Black Ops game when it comes to its multiplayer maps, Call of Duty: Black Ops III features a fairly decent selection. Some might argue that it leaned too heavily on its past entries though, with the maps found in the Back in Black map pack some of the game’s best. Redwood and Combine are two of the better new maps, although it can be tough to shoot down killstreaks in Redwood.
The game’s weakest maps are Breach and Metro. The former, because it has some poor sightlines and a fair few camping spots. Metro, on the other hand, wastes much of its potential due to its clunky layout. Its routes all gravitate towards the center of the map, leading to chaotic combat that few will enjoy.
3 Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare features quite a few large maps, which can often encourage players to take a more tactical approach. Retaliation is one of its largest and also one of its best designed. Not only does it look great, but its three lanes offer enough variety to cater to many different playstyles. Frost is another strong map and is both visually stunning and great for close quarter combat.
Scorch, on the other hand, could perhaps have done with a bit more work. Although its size isn’t necessarily an issue, its lack of a centralized point for combat can lead to players camping in random spots and small skirmishes breaking out all over the map. One map that does have an issue with size is Mayday, which is hands down the worst in the game. It’s far too small and also features some pitfalls that are sure to frustrate players.
2 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Although not as good as the maps featured in its predecessor, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 offers a great selection of maps with plenty of variety. Dome’s intimate size provides some wonderful close quarter combat while the larger map, Mission, accommodates pretty much every style of play. Some of the maps are a little too big though.
Downturn’s size and poor layout can lead to some frustrating matches due to the underground areas being full of potential camping spots. The weakest link is undoubtedly Outpost due to how sniper friendly it is and the poor visibility. Traversing the map without taking fire is near impossible, especially if enemies have thermal scopes equipped.
1 Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Call of Duty: Black Ops II features some incredible new maps and brought back some of the best ones from the original Black Ops as DLC. The novelty of returning maps may be wearing thin these days, but, at the time, they served as a great addition and complimented the newer maps incredibly well.
Slums and Grind are perhaps the pick of the bunch, although there really are plenty of great maps from which to choose. Drone and Aftermath do let the side down a little, although they’re still considerably better than some of the maps found in other Call of Duty titles.
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