Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023)
Reveal Trailer
Description: I began working on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III soon after joining High Moon Studios in 2022. The bulk of my efforts were focused on the game’s “Modern Warfare Zombies” multiplayer mode. I developed a content engine specifically designed to support hundreds of activities simultaneously existing together in a large open-world map.
Modern Warfare III also provided me the opportunity to work on multiple campaign levels, primarily “Frozen Tundra” and “Trojan Horse”.
Languages: C++, GSC Script, Python
Tools: Radiant Level Editor, Perforce, Visual Studio, PS5 Dev Kit
Open World Zombies
The “Modern Warfare Zombies” (MWZ) game mode was designed to be a 24-player PvE extraction shooter where player choice was paramount. To support our ambition of developing a large open-world zombies experience, it quickly became clear that our designers would require new tools to create hundreds of unique yet consistent activities spread across the world map. We also needed a system that would act as the “glue” to manage these activities by providing an interaction layer with dependent subsystems (AI, UI, sound, physics, etc.) while meeting our performance and memory requirements.
In response to the needs of the MWZ game mode, I developed an Activity Engine that not only made it easier for designers to create content for the game but also ensured high quality and performance standards for the multitude of content being produced. All of MWZ’s activities (from the roaming armored convoy vehicles to the quest-like “Contracts” and even the Warlord Fortress) were created and are managed with this new Activity Engine.
Changing the Franchise
Although this was not an entirely new concept for the Call of Duty franchise (game modes like “Warzone” and “DMZ” also feature large maps with activities), the scope in which the MWZ Activity Engine operated set it apart. This is especially true considering that the MWZ Activity Engine was designed to be both cross-mode and cross-game compatible, meaning it could be shared across the Call of Duty franchise. None of our previous activity solutions had attempted to do this, so they were isolated to specific environments.
I was selected to give a talk about the Activity Engine at the “Activision Studio Summit,” where I had the opportunity to share my work with peers from around the globe. The response was electric and sparked numerous discussions about how this system could be used in future Call of Duty projects.
I continue to support and improve the MWZ Activity Engine even a year after Modern Warfare III’s initial release and am excited by the impact my work will have in the future.
Me presenting my work on the Activity Engine at the Activision Studio Summit.