One Of Call Of Duty's Most Iconic Maps Was An Accident, Dev "Forgot" To Remove It

One of Call of Duty's most iconic maps, Shipment, debuted in 2007's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and has returned a number of times over the years in different forms. The fan-favorite, tight-quarters multiplayer map is one of the most recognizable and popular, but its enduring success was anything a sure thing.

Multiplayer design director Geoff Smith from Infinity Ward told Dexerto that Shipment was originally conceived as a "split-screen map, back when that was a thing." The basic layout and relatively simple, straightforward design were purposefully designed with split-screen in mind. Developers at Infinity Ward used the map for internal tests and it was eventually included in the "playlist script" for Modern Warfare's release--and the developers forgot to remove it.

"Our multiplayer lead at the time, when we went live, forgot to [pull] it out and there was no going back. That was truly an accident," Smith said.

Following its debut in 2007's Modern Warfare, Shipment appeared as Shipment 1944 in the World War II game Call of Duty: Vanguard and most recently in 2022's Modern Warfare II.

It's not the only iconic Call of Duty map to return again and again over the years, as the Black Ops map Nuketown has seen numerous incarnations over time.

The Call of Duty series will continue with a new release this year, and it's rumored to be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Looking further out, Activision's Treyarch studio will reportedly take the reins and lead development on a new Call of Duty game for 2024. Supposed concept art leaked in 2022.