Hype surrounding the long-anticipated reboot of Modern Warfare 2 reached a new high on May 24, as a video posted on all official Call of Duty accounts finally revealed a release date for the upcoming title. Not just limited to providing release information, the video also confirmed the core cast of characters that fans can expect to engage with throughout the campaign.
The release date confirmation video for Modern Warfare 2 outlined key character art and voice lines for the returning characters of Soap, Gaz, Ghost, and Captain Price, while also introducing a brand-new key character to the franchise known as Alejandro Vargas. Of all these characters, Ghost seemingly held the most gravitas and importance in this reveal.
Ghost in Previous Call of Duty Titles
Many long-term fans of the Call of Duty franchise will know of the character Ghost, who appeared prominently within the campaign of 2009's Modern Warfare 2, and even within the multiplayer in an announcer role. A key member of the illustrious special forces group Task Force 141, Ghost was an instant fan-favorite due to his trademark full-face skull mask, mysterious identity, and quick wit within the heat of battle.
Ghost's legacy was immortalized with the extremely sad way in which he died during the original Modern Warfare 2. Along with partial protagonist Roach, Ghost was tragically betrayed and killed by surprise antagonist General Shepherd, in a move that brought about the ending events of Modern Warfare 2's campaign. Despite his comparatively smaller role within the original Modern Warfare trilogy, Simon "Ghost" Riley has remained as one of the most popular characters in the entire Call of Duty franchise.
Ghost within the Modern Warfare Reboot
While fans were disappointed that Ghost did not make any physical appearance in the campaign of 2019's Modern Warfare, he was mentioned by name and featured prominently within the game's multiplayer. At the very end of Modern Warfare's campaign, Ghost is listed alongside other classic members of the previous games in what was the reboot's showcasing of the formation of Task Force 141.
Within the multiplayer of Modern Warfare, players first saw the physical version of the rebooted Ghost, with the character first appearing in Season 2 of Modern Warfare. Within the reboot, Ghost seemingly takes a more gruff and no-nonsense role, sporting a beefier frame and a more protective skull mask. Within Modern Warfare, Ghost was voiced by a new voice actor, Jeff Leach, who has since parted ways with Activision following allegations of sexism.
With the Task Force 141 insignia featuring prominently within the release date video for Modern Warfare 2, it is clear that the campaign of its predecessor has directly set up the story for the upcoming title. With this video slowly revealing the faces as well as voice acting samples of all the key characters within the upcoming story, fans will not be surprised that Ghost was saved until last, and is also the sole character on the key art of the game.
Part of this reveal focus on Ghost can partially be attributed to it also being a reveal of the character's new voice actor. Many fans were expecting Craig Fairbrass, the original voice of Ghost, to reprise his role in the upcoming reboot thanks to reported leaks, however this evidently is not the case. The voice featuring in the video is actually that of brand-new Ghost voice actor Samuel Roukin.
With how heavily Ghost featured within the post-launch content of Modern Warfare, combined with the lions share of attention he has received in the release date confirmation, it is clear that Ghost is going to be an extremely important character within the upcoming Modern Warfare 2. Considering that it was the original MW2 that thrust Ghost into Call of Duty stardom, it seems only right that the reboot is aiming to do the same.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is set to release on October 28.