Call of Duty

Call of Duty devs claim Shipment release was an accident

Call of Duty devs claim Shipment release was an accident
Images via Infinity Ward

Written by 

Jack Marsh

Published 

15th May 2023 15:09

The iconic Call of Duty Shipment map has seen its sixth implementation into the franchise during Modern Warfare 2, and its since become a legacy map adored by multiplayer fans.

But, it wasn't actually supposed to be a public map at all. Infinity Ward has now revealed that their greatest achievement in the multiplayer map-making game was actually a complete fluke, as the iconic Shipment was only added to Modern Warfare (CoD 4) by accident.

Shipment was only added to Call of Duty by accident

Shipment Modern Warfare 2 2022
Click to enlarge

Call of Duty: 4 had some of the best maps we've ever seen. Crash, Strike, Killhouse, Vacant, and Backlot are just some of the designs that have become staples in the franchise - having been remastered for other games in the series.

But the most famous one is Shipment, although it was originally only supposed to be in the game for developers to test weapons.

Speaking to Dexerto, Infinity Ward claimed that Shipment was designed purely as a "split-screen map" that developers used to test their game, but it was never supposed to have been released, it was only by a happy accident that they "forgot" to remove.

Infinity Ward was supposed to 'remove' Shipment before CoD: 4 launch

Call of Duty Shipment map Modern Warfare 2
Click to enlarge

In the interview, Infinity Ward Design Director Geoff Smith claimed, "Our MP lead at the time, when we went live, forgot to [pull] it out and there was no going back. That was truly an accident."

"There’s little happy experiments. Things that worked out, things that didn’t work out for whatever reason. I think the bane of my existence is Shipment," he added.

Obviously, Shipment has now become arguably the most popular Call of Duty map, up there alongside Highrise and Raid, which is quite a spectacular turnaround considering it was only ever supposed to be an offline map used for game testing and split-screen play. 

Who knows what could have happened to Shipment if it was actually pulled? Could it have been adored by split-screen players to add to DLCs? Could it have been saved until something like Gunfight aired? Or would it have been left to gather dust in the files?

Jack Marsh
About the author
Jack Marsh
Jack is an Esports Journalist at GGRecon. Graduating from the University of Chester, with a BA Honours degree in Journalism, Jack is an avid esports enthusiast and specialises in Rocket League, Call of Duty, VALORANT, and trending gaming news.
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