Modern Warfare 2's first raid is Atomgrad, and it's out next week

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Activision Blizzard has lifted the veil on Call of Duty's first raid at The Game Awards, and announced that the Modern Warfare 2 Raid release date for Atomgrad is set for December 14.

"Get ready for a whole new way to experience Call of Duty," Activision says in its announcement tweet. "Put your precision, teamwork, and mind to the test in Raid Episode 1: Atomgrad, coming to Modern Warfare 2 on December 14." There are no details on when further raid episodes are set to land, though this first one will be arriving as part of the Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 Season 1 Reloaded update.

The brief trailer offers a bit of flavor for the raid, showing Modern Warfare 2 characters like Captain Price infiltrating a submerged enemy base. Naturally, things get loud, and there's plenty of combat to close out the teaser.

The devs previously noted that these raids would be story-driven co-op missions that would test "teamwork and strategic puzzle-solving in between bouts of intense combat". It remains to be seen exactly what form the raids will take, but it's easy to imagine a Destiny-style set of FPS raid mechanics being applied to the Call of Duty formula, with Modern Warfare 2 Raid Rewards to be earned upon completion of your mission.

Some apparent details about MW2's battle royale brother has been leaking over the past few days, offering some hints about what's to come from the next Call of Duty season. A Resurgence map leak was quickly taken down by Activision, and other leaks suggested that Season 2 would take Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 to a Japanese setting.

Check out our guide to the best Modern Warfare 2 guns - with some tips for Warzone 2 fans, as well.

Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.