Captain Price's Fate in Modern Warfare 4: Dead or Alive?

So you've finished Modern Warfare 4's campaign and you're wondering: is Captain Price actually dead? You're not alone. After that mid-credits scene, it's the question on everyone's lips. We spoke to Infinity Ward to get some clarity, and while we didn't get a straight yes or no, we got something almost as revealing.

Let's recap that scene. Mads Mikkelsen's The Archer is transporting a captive Price in a truck. Price breaks free during an ambush, the vehicle crashes, and The Archer scurries off into the snow. Price, despite having a metal pipe sticking out of his stomach, stumbles after him, turns the tables, and uses that pipe to puncture The Archer's throat. The rogue Russian minister of defense is very much dead on a frozen lake. Ghost then arrives to share Price's final breaths as he lies still next to his victim. Presumably dead, right? But this is Call of Duty, and we've seen characters come back from worse.

We asked Jeff Negus, narrative director at Infinity Ward, point-blank if Price is dead. His response? "I'll say this. We went out of our way in this game to pace character deaths, both in where they happen and in the expression of the moment happening. And I would say that scene is consistent with others." So, not a yes or a no. Classic.

What does "consistent with others" mean? Well, multiple characters meet their makers across MW4's 16 missions, including Makarov, Gabriela, Graves, and Gaz. Some of them get pretty conclusive ends—the Gs (Gaz, Graves, and Gabriela) all take bullets to the head. Makarov's head is pulp on a snowy New York street. But we never see any of them put in the ground never to rise again. And considering how often characters like Graves have returned, you can see why we're skeptical.

If Price's death is "consistent with others," then maybe he really is gone. It would be a fitting end to the Modern Warfare reboot saga—a definite conclusion. Price achieved what he set out to do, learned a thing or two about selflessness, and went out in a glorious sacrifice, taking down The Archer's diabolical plan. It's the basics of any hero's journey. But we know things are never that simple with Call of Duty. If MW4 is a critical and commercial success, Activision would want to keep things rolling, leaving the door slightly ajar for Price's return.

For my money, I'd say he's dead. But what do you think? Has Captain Price finally met his end, or will he be back? Let us know in the comments.