The Best Map From Every Call of Duty Game

Script written by Caitlin Johnson

The Best Map from Every Call of Duty Game

Welcome to MojoPlays! Today, we’re looking at the best map from every “Call of Duty” game; which one do you know like the back of your hand?

For this list, we’re looking at the best multiplayer map from each “COD” game. We’re excluding zombie maps because those would be a different list, and we’re also not counting remakes as separate maps, or half the entries would be Nuketown.

Brecourt

“Call of Duty” (2003)

Based on a real skirmish that happened in Normandy in the summer of 1944, Brecourt was a staple map in the early “COD” games set during World War II. The map itself is mostly outside, with players funneled towards a central trench system in most modes. Deadly, open fields combined with the close-quarters bunker made Brecourt a great location for every game mode and playstyle. This map was so good that its layout was remade into “Modern Warfare 2’s” map “Wasteland”, though that map is set in Ukraine rather than France and uses radiation to keep you penned in instead of a large minefield.

Burgundy

“Call of Duty 2” (2005)

You’re fighting in a sunny, French village this time, with tight streets, a handful of buildings, and some beautiful scenery to distract you from the firefight if you’re not careful. Burgundy offers a strategic advantage to every playstyle once more and was a new map introduced in “COD 2”, which otherwise recycled many maps from the first game. If you’re a sniper you’ll have your pick of vantage points in the abandoned farmhouses, while anyone with an assault rifle will be able to utilize the long streets. All that cover means you have to stay on your toes so you don’t get caught short at close range – but that’s what makes it so fun.

Poisson

“Call of Duty 3” (2006)

On the surface, Poisson might not seem too different from many of the other maps in early “COD”, but it’s got something else that makes it unique: tanks. There are four tanks available on the map for you to control if you’re lucky enough to spawn near them. If you’re not into tanks and you want better maneuverability you can try to get your hands on one of the cars or motorcycles instead. All these rides offer vehicular combat rarely seen in “COD”, something that’s now a hallmark of its main competitor, “Battlefield”. Poisson was so fun that for better or worse, you could sometimes struggle to find a match without it.

Crash

“Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare” (2007)

We’re finally out of rural France, and “COD 4’s” best map was like nothing seen in the previous entries. Though this game has a lot of amazing, fan-favorite locations, Crash was small and stifling in the best way possible. Most of the fighting happens around one downed helicopter, with narrow alleys and hiding spots making it a haven for anybody who uses shotguns. And with a loadout prioritizing stopping power, you’ll make short work of anybody camping near the helicopter hotspot. Crash was such an enduring map that it’s appeared in every “Modern Warfare” game except “3”, getting completely remade for the 2019 reboot.

Castle

“Call of Duty: World at War” (2008)

Though we’re back in the Second World War, “World at War” ditched the Western Front for the Pacific Theater, which definitely made it stand out against other wartime shooters. Though it still had plenty of European maps, the best one of all was, without a doubt, Castle, a large dojo in the heart of Imperial Japan. Castle caters to all gameplay styles, offering a lot of verticality and many great vantage points. A match in Castle will descend into chaos pretty quickly, with its design pushing players together for constant firefights in and around the dojo. You have a lot of different strategies to employ here.

Terminal

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” (2009)

One of the most beloved maps in the franchise, Terminal takes place inside an airport. Firefights can center around any number of locations; you might find yourself vying for control of the food court, the plane itself, or the so-called “Hallway of Death” where you’ll almost certainly get flanked or sniped. Since its tenure as “Modern Warfare 2’s” most popular map, it’s become a mainstay in titles developed by Infinity Ward, reappearing not only in subsequent “Modern Warfare” games but also in “Infinite Warfare”, only now it’s a space shuttle and you’re on the moon. Every time Terminal has made its grand return it’s quickly taken over.

Nuketown

“Call of Duty: Black Ops” (2010)

Undoubtedly, the most relentless map you’ll ever see in “Call of Duty” is Nuketown. It first appeared in original “Black Ops” as that game’s answer to Rust, a map so small you were forced to be constantly mobile. But it quickly took on a life of its own and has appeared in every single “Black Ops” game since with various aesthetic redesigns. It’s popular because it’s small and fun, with bright colors and creepy mannequins to keep you on your toes. We’ve seen it remade in a variety of different ways and Treyarch has even developed “Nuketown 24/7”, a mode that lets players play Nuketown exclusively.

Hardhat

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” (2011)

Another fixture to “Modern Warfare” fans, Hardhat takes place in a construction site. In its original form, you headed to New York, surrounded by Manhattan’s skyscrapers on the map’s outskirts – not that you’d be paying too much attention to the scenery, memorable as it is. It’s a maze-like and claustrophobic map, full of cover and narrow passageways. You’re never going to feel safe no matter what you’re doing, which means you’ll never get tired of playing. Hardhat later returned to the series in a “Modern Warfare” update now moved to London, but of course, that didn’t make it any less fun.

Raid

“Call of Duty: Black Ops II” (2012)

Set in a modernist mansion in the Hollywood Hills, Raid is excellent for close-quarters combat. It doesn’t have too many good sniping spots – at least, not ones in areas that see a lot of traffic – but its myriad well-designed chokepoints mean you’re never going to be far away from a fight. It’s certainly one of the most varied maps in the entire franchise, so it’s no surprise it’s returned in “Cold War”, eight years after its debut. But on top of it being an exceptional map to play, it’s just a fun location full stop, with flashy sports cars, strange sculptures, and even a basketball court. You only have to play Raid once to see why it’s so enduring.

Whiteout

“Call of Duty: Ghosts” (2013)

The only downside to Whiteout is that its large size can make it frustrating for anyone who doesn’t favor long-range weapons; other than that, it’s easily the best map in “Ghosts”. A lot of the reason Whiteout is so good is because of its atmosphere; you’re in an isolated fishing hamlet in Alaska, complete with log cabins, icy caves, and frozen ships at the water’s edge. Its slopes and rocks also make for interesting terrain, providing sparse cover and forcing you to get used to fighting at odd angles. And with the constant snowfall, it’s also downright beautiful; “Ghosts” might not be anybody’s favorite game, but this map was a welcome addition.

Bio Lab

“Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare” (2014)

Though this is another isolated, snowy outpost, Bio Lab couldn’t be more different from other mountainous maps, since it’s the hub of an initiative to grow super soldiers. Scattered throughout the map are enormous incubation tanks where these dangerous organisms are being bred, though, in the heat of battle, you might not pay them much attention – especially if you played the campaign and got used to the sci-fi weirdness. Bio Lab has both wide-open spaces and tight corners, making it a great choice for mid-range weapons like assault rifles and SMGs. And it’s also got cool, environmental hazards to make use of if you so choose.

Fringe

“Call of Duty: Black Ops III” (2015)

A small, desert town in outer California, Fringe is definitely one of the whole franchise’s most original takes on the “abandoned town” concept. Though modern vehicles line the streets, some of the more unique buildings actually make this map feel refreshingly like being in the Wild West. With homes and warehouses bringing the close-quarters fun and wide, open streets providing plentiful opportunities for sniping and longshots, Fringe has something for everyone. It’s a map not too preoccupied with all the futuristic nonsense that plagued a lot of “COD” games in this era, which is why it’s “Black Ops 3’s” best.

Genesis

“Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare” (2016)

Small maps are always popular, and though “Infinite Warfare” is generally considered the worst “COD” game out of all of them, Genesis is a phenomenal map. Part of what makes it so good is it’s based on a tried-and-true layout you probably recognized from other Infinity Ward games, namely Dome and Strikezone. But Genesis is far more dynamic than both of those maps because of the increased focus on traversal “Infinite Warfare” had, actually making it even more fun than its predecessors. And visually it’s a great setting as well, with lots of bright colors and clean open spaces; this makes enemy players stick out more so people can’t camp as easily.

Ardennes Forest

“Call of Duty: WWII” (2017)

For the last time, we’re returning to the wilderness of Western Europe, but to a map that’s once again different from many of the Second World War maps that came before it. While “WWII” still had picturesque, French villages, Ardennes Forest is set during the famous Battle of the Bulge in the dead of winter. You’re fighting in dark, snowy, medieval ruins, in a mid-sized map that offers a lot of strategic positions and chokepoints. You can head straight down the middle lane and through the ruins or take one of the other routes that feature bunkers and other hiding spots. That variety, plus the atmospheric weather and architecture, made the Ardennes an outstanding map.

Icebreaker

“Call of Duty: Black Ops 4” (2018)

The icy tundra provides minimal cover, meaning you’ve got to get to the submarine to have any kind of strategic position. This, combined with the fact that a frozen, nuclear submarine is just plain cool, makes Icebreaker a great map where you’ll never be far from the action. Everybody wants to get control of the submarine, even in non-objective modes. Take your chances with a long-range weapon on the Arctic ice or dive into the sub’s tunnels; Icebreaker is a well-designed map with a lot of flanking routes and can be particularly challenging – in a good way – when people stay out in the open.

Rammaza

“Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” (2019)

Many maps across the “Modern Warfare” subseries are set in dilapidated, urban centers somewhere in the Middle East; Rammaza continues this tradition by dropping you in a nonspecific town in a fictional locale, but it arguably does it better than any other map. It’ll take you a while to master the location since it has so many routes, passageways, streets, and rooftops, and even if you have it memorized, you’ll still need to be on your toes. It’s Rammaza’s volatile nature and unpredictability that makes it so fun; it’s “Modern Warfare’s” most intricate map by far.

Cartel

“Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War” (2020)

Deep in a Central American jungle, this map is the base of operations for a drug cartel, as the name suggests. But though the lush environments and clear blue skies are certainly eye-catching, what makes Cartel so good is the sheer chaos it brings, particularly in certain game modes. Hardpoint is one of the more dynamic ways to play it, with points constantly changing hands in non-stop firefights - but it’s just as chaotic in team deathmatch or kill confirmed. Though, perhaps the real reason Cartel is so much fun is that it might be based on a map from the original “Black Ops” that got scrapped.