The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 trailer is full of celebrities. But is it hyping up the Call of Duty community?
Activision released its annual live action trailer for its next Call of Duty release, Modern Warfare 2, and gamers are not feeling it.
Every year, Activision releases a corny, celebrity-riddled trailer for its newest Call of Duty launch — and 2022 was no different. It was dropped during TwitchCon, which has been taking place in San Diego all weekend.
"I was wondering when they were going to make there usual 'we just bought some random celebrities' trailer like they do for every CoD," one YouTube comment said.
In the latest trailer, Nicki Minaj, Pete Davidson, Lil Baby, and Cardi B star in a video called "Squad Up." The rappers, streamers, singers, and other influencers start chanting military-style about grinding in Call of Duty, even calling out of work to play Modern Warfare 2.
While most definitely campy, the trailer appears to be purposefully silly. At one point Davidson chants "I swear this ain't my mommy's place" while lounging in a stuffy living room. He then quickly flips over a picture of himself in a corny frame.
This is definitely not a trailer that's supposed to be taken seriously, but the reviews from fans of the series were still mixed.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 "Squad Up": Cool or cringe?
The Call of Duty community was torn about the latest advertisement. Some felt it was a quick money grab to use celebrities that won't play the game while others felt the people used in the ad were perfectly picked, including French Call of Duty pro Gotaga. Some felt that the trailer was trying too hard to pander to "fellow kids."
Either way, it should be noted that doing a celebrity-filled trailer is Activision's MO year after year.
Of course, even back then, players felt that the celebrity-focused trailers were a waste of money, saying budget could have gone towards better anti-cheat software or more content, like new maps.
Most Call of Duty players prefer the more serious CoD trailers that have more focus on actual gameplay. With over 39 million views, the trailer for Black Ops 2 was one of the most memorable. The solemn video features all in-game footage and CGI action, with a voice over telling the story behind the mayhem.
The next Call of Duty is coming out October 28, which is just a few weeks away. Despite the underwhelming trailer, the hype is still real for most players. While there were many issues with the beta, Call of Duty players are looking forward to a new game after Vanguard left so many disappointed.