Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Story Recap: Everything You Need to Know Before MW4

Feeling a bit lost with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's story? You're not alone. With three reboot games, missions packed with action, and key plot points hidden in Warzone, it's easy to lose track. But don't worry—we're here to give you a quick refresher before Modern Warfare 4 wraps up Infinity Ward's saga. So grab a snack, and let's dive into the chaos. Warning: there's a lot of chasing stolen missiles around the world.

It all kicks off in 2019's Modern Warfare reboot, which tells the origin of Task Force 141. That's the elite squad led by Captain John Price—but not the same Price from the original games. Confusing, right? At the start, Price and the British SAS work with CIA Chief Kate Laswell to recover stolen gas used for chemical weapons. The opening mission has you as CIA agent Alex Keller, tracking the theft en route to Urzikstan. This heist ramps up tension between Russia and the West.

The next day, things get worse. Al-Qatala, a terrorist group with ties to Urzikstan, attacks London's Piccadilly Circus. That's where Kyle "Gaz" Garrick enters the picture. He teams up with Price to hunt down Al-Qatala's leader, Omar "The Wolf" Sulaman, who's hiding in Urzikstan's Ramaza Hospital. Meanwhile, Alex is already there, helping Farah Karim, leader of the Urzikstan Liberation Force. She wants to oust Russian General Roman Barkov, who's occupying her country. Alex agrees to help, and in return, Farah will aid in recovering the stolen gas—though she doesn't know it's closer than she thinks.

Alex and a Marine unit capture "The Wolf" and hold him at the US embassy. But Sulaman's lieutenant, Jamal "The Butcher" Rahar, attacks the embassy to free his boss. Despite Alex, Farah, Price, and Gaz's efforts, Rahar succeeds. Back to square one. Farah plans an ambush on the "Highway of Death" to retake Sulaman, but the mission goes sideways when Russian forces attack both sides. Then comes the shocker: Farah's brother, Hadir, stole the chemicals in the first place. He sets off a massive explosion, killing Al-Qatala and Russian troops, leaving Alex and Farah barely alive. Why? Revenge. Twenty years ago, a Russian invasion orphaned them, and Hadir's hatred drove him to join Al-Qatala.

This unites the factions, and they launch a joint operation to find Hadir. They don't find him or the gas, but they do kill Sulaman. Back in the US, the CIA declares the Urzikstan Liberation Force a terrorist threat. Alex defects to Farah's group. Meanwhile, in Saint Petersburg, Price and Gaz capture Rahar, who reveals Hadir's next target: Barkov. They save Barkov and capture Hadir, who discloses Barkov's chemical weapons factory. Laswell takes Hadir but greenlights the mission. Price, Gaz, Farah, and Alex assault the factory. Alex seemingly sacrifices himself to destroy it (though a later update reveals he just lost a leg). Farah kills Barkov, and Laswell forms Task Force 141 to hunt Victor Zakhaev. But the story continues in Special Ops mode, where Al-Qatala lives on.

So there you have it—the wild ride of Modern Warfare's story so far. With MW4 on the horizon, what are you most excited to see resolved? Will you be picking it up? Let us know in the comments!