Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Story Recap – Essential Information for MW4

The narrative woven throughout the three games in the rebooted Call of Duty: Modern Warfare series is anything but straightforward. With intense action sequences in each mission and crucial plot developments occurring outside the main campaigns—particularly in Warzone's Verdansk—it can be challenging to keep up with everything. To help you prepare for the imminent launch of Modern Warfare 4, we've compiled a concise summary of the story so far. As Infinity Ward's saga approaches its conclusion, let's review the events that have led us to this point. Be warned: this recap involves quite a bit of chasing after stolen missiles. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) The 2019 reboot of Modern Warfare introduces the formation of Task Force 141, an elite squad led by the iconic Captain John Price (note that this is a different Price from the original series). Initially, before the establishment of Task Force 141, Price collaborates with the British SAS and CIA Director Kate Laswell to recover a dangerous gas intended for chemical weapons. The opening mission, played from the perspective of CIA agent Alex Keller, showcases the theft of this gas by an unknown group while it is being transported to the fictitious nation of Urzikstan. This incident escalates tensions between Russia and Western powers. The following day, these tensions heighten as the terrorist faction Al-Qatala, linked to Urzikstan, launches an attack at London's Piccadilly Circus, introducing Kyle “Gaz” Garrick. To track down the attackers, Gaz teams up with Price to raid a London residence in search of Al-Qatala's leader, Omar “The Wolf” Sulaman, who is eventually located in a hospital in Urzikstan. Meanwhile, Alex is already in Urzikstan, having allied with Farah Karim, the leader of the Liberation Force, who seeks to eliminate the Russian general Roman Barkov, who has taken control of her homeland. Alex commits to assisting her, promising that she will help recover the stolen gas, which is more connected to her than she realizes. In a daring operation, Alex and a Marine unit successfully capture “The Wolf” at the hospital and transport him to the US embassy. However, Sulaman’s second-in-command, Jamal “The Butcher” Rahar, launches an assault on the embassy to rescue his boss. Despite the efforts of Alex, Farah, and the newly arrived Price and Gaz, Rahar manages to succeed in his mission. Back at square one, Farah devises a plan to ambush Al-Qatala on the “Highway of Death” to reclaim their captive. However, this risky operation spirals out of control when Russian forces engage, attacking both the terrorists and Farah’s Liberation Force. To make matters worse, Farah learns that her brother Hadir, a fellow freedom fighter, was responsible for stealing the chemicals during the first mission, leading to a catastrophic explosion that kills both Al-Qatala and Russian troops, leaving Alex and Farah among the debris. What drives Hadir, previously portrayed as Farah’s steadfast ally, to commit such atrocities? The answer lies in revenge. Twenty years earlier, a Russian invasion orphaned Hadir and Farah. Consumed by hatred, Hadir joins Al-Qatala and severs ties with Farah. This pivotal moment aligns the factions of our protagonists, prompting a joint operation to infiltrate the terrorists’ base in search of Hadir, who remains elusive. Nonetheless, they manage to eliminate Sulaman, leaving Al-Qatala without its leader. The repercussions are felt in the United States, as the CIA labels the Urzikstan Liberation Force a terrorist threat. Discontent with this designation, Alex chooses to abandon his nation and joins Farah’s group. Meanwhile, in Saint Petersburg, following a terrorist incident, Gaz and Price pursue Hadir but once again come up empty-handed. They do, however, capture Rahar, who, after enduring torture, divulges that Hadir’s next target is Barkov. Price and Gaz then set off to save Barkov and apprehend Hadir during the operation. Yet, the mission isn't over just yet. Hadir reveals the location of Barkov’s chemical weapons factory, but before Price can act, the CIA intervenes. Laswell takes Hadir into custody but gives her approval for the mission to proceed. The team, consisting of Price, Gaz, Farah, and Alex, then converges on Barkov's facility. During the battle, Alex appears to sacrifice himself to set off explosives that destroy the factory, halting the Russian operation. However, a subsequent multiplayer update contradicts this, revealing he merely lost a leg during the explosion. Barkov, discontent with the outcome, attempts to escape by helicopter, but Farah ends up taking him down. This mission prompts Laswell to officially form Task Force 141, with their initial task being the pursuit of Victor Zakhaev, a Russian ultranationalist familiar to fans of the original Modern Warfare. While the campaign concludes here, additional narrative threads emerge beyond the credits. Although Sulaman is gone, Al-Qatala continues to exist in the Special Ops mode, primarily involving the elimination of remaining high-ranking members of the organization. This effort unveils that Zakhaev had been profiting from arms trading with Al-Qatala. One might assume these developments were intended to set the stage for the sequel, but surprisingly, Zakhaev was dealt with in Call of Duty's battle royale, Warzone. Amidst high-stakes confrontations throughout Verdansk, it becomes evident that the arms dealer had been distributing weapons to various bunkers on the map. Alex reemerges, having survived the explosion and only lost a limb, and is joined by newcomer Simon “Ghost” Riley. As they uncover Zakhaev's use of underground tunnels for hiding, Price calls in further reinforcements, including Warzone skins for battle passes. Farah and Price’s Russian ally, Nikolai, join the fray, reclaiming the tunnels and discovering Zakhaev’s hideout in a nuclear silo. Zakhaev adopts a villainous persona, threatening nuclear launch, but Price ultimately shoots him, disposing of him in dramatic fashion. The assembly of Task Force 141 is completed by John “Soap” MacTavish, who contacts Price, solidifying the reboot's reformation of the original trilogy's central characters. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022) The sequel begins in the Al Mazrah desert, where Task Force 141, under the command of US General Shepherd, eliminates an Iranian General named Ghorbrani. Months later, his second-in-command, Hassan Zyani, seeks revenge on the United States. Shepherd and Laswell become aware of his intentions, prompting Soap and Ghost to be dispatched to capture Zyani before he can execute his plans.