Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4: The Story So Far

In Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 4, war erupts on the Korean Peninsula as North Korea launches a full-scale invasion, while half a world away, John Price wages a personal war while on the run from those hunting him.

How did the former leader of Task Force 141 end up operating outside official channels? And what are the major events that have led to this point? As we approach the October 23 launch date for Modern Warfare 4 — with Campaign Early Access* going live on October 16 for those who pre-order the Standard Digital Edition or Vault Edition of the game — let’s revisit the key narrative moments leading up to the game’s launch.

The Story So Far: The Events of Modern Warfare (2019)

The very first flashpoint was Verdansk, when a squad of Marines and CIA operative Alex Keller raided a military depot belonging to rogue Russian General Roman Barkov. Their mission? Retrieve an illegal shipment of weaponized chlorine gas intended for use in Urzikstan without sparking an international incident.

The group achieves their objective, but before they can safely extract the gas, they’re ambushed by an unknown terrorist group. The Marines are slaughtered in the surprise attack, the gas is stolen, and Alex is forced to call in an emergency evac as hostile forces converge on their position.

Twenty-four hours later, terrorist organization Al-Qatala conduct a coordinated attack in London’s Piccadilly Circus. SAS Captain John Price and Sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick respond to the deadly attack, culminating in an infamous night vision raid in North London, leading to intel on the location of Al-Qatala’s leader, codenamed “The Wolf.”

The Invasion of Urzikstan

“The enemy has come where they are not welcomed and taking what is not theirs.” — Commander Farah Karim

Seeking the new whereabouts of the stolen gas, CIA Station Chief Kate Laswell sends Alex to Urzikstan to meet up with Commander Farah Karim of the Urzikstan Liberation Force. She more than has her work cut out for her as Urzikstan faces a two-pronged threat posed by Al-Qatala and the illegal Russian military occupation led by General Barkov.

Alex and Farah make a deal. If he helps her fight the Russians, she and her forces will help him recover the stolen chemical weapons. In the first major joint strike between the CIA and ULF, the allied forces attack and dismantle the Al-Raab Airbase being used to conduct airstrikes. Stripped of air superiority, Barkov’s grip weakens in the region.

Following this operation, Alex and Sergeant Marcus Griggs join the U.S. Marine Corps Demon Dogs assault force in a raid to capture “The Wolf” across the outskirts and throughout the Rammaza Hospital in Urzikstan.

In an unexpected twist, the allied forces discover that the chemical shipment was not originally stolen by Al-Qatala but by Farah’s brother, Hadir Karim. Incensed at Barkov’s subjugation of Urzikstan, Karim, the second-in-command of the ULF, orchestrated the theft of chemical weapons to use against the invading Russians. To prevent an international incident, Kate Laswell turns Karim over to the Russian government.

To shut down Barkov’s operation for good, Captain Price and his joint task force launch a raid on the chemical weapons production site in Georgia. In the final moments, Alex seemingly sacrifices himself to destroy the facility, while Farah hunts down and eliminates General Barkov.

The Beginning of Task Force 141

“General Shepherd pulled the files you asked for. What exactly is this about?” — Station Chief Kate Laswell

Following the terrorist attack in London and the operation in Urzikstan, Captain Price requests the personnel files for Kyle “Gaz” Garrick, Johnny “Soap” MacTavish, and Simon “Ghost” Riley. These operators would form the core team of Task Force 141. Under Price’s leadership with support from Station Chief Kate Laswell, Task Force 141 is created as a tier one counterterrorism unit, capable of bypassing traditional military channels to deal with emerging crises around the world.

Little did they know that in gaining this execute authority, Captain Price and Task Force 141 would soon discover a conspiracy occurring right under their noses, putting them in direct odds with their superior, General Shepherd.

The Events of Modern Warfare II (2022)

General Shepherd and Shadow Company

“To do good, you’ve gotta do some bad.” — General Shepherd

In Shepherd’s mind, the threat posed by the Russians in Urzikstan is too great to address purely through official channels. In partnership with Shadow Company, a PMC founded by Commander Phillip Graves, Shepherd orders the illegal smuggling of U.S. ballistic missiles into the hands of American allies in the Middle East.

The whole operation goes FUBAR as Russian ultranationalists belonging to the Konni Group intercept the missiles. The botched mission is a disaster, delivering American weapons into the hands of antagonist Vladimir Makarov.

Rather than face the repercussions for his actions, General Shepherd determines to cover up the incident, ordering Graves and Shadow Company to keep a lid on things by silencing anyone who gets too close to the truth of what happened. In choosing to do so, Shepherd sets a fuse on his collision course with Captain Price.

Betrayal in Mexico

“You boys have been relieved. Thank you for your service.” — Commander Phillip Graves

To maintain deniability, Makarov and the ultranationalists transfer the stolen missiles to Iranian Major Hassan Zyani who then pays the Las Almas Cartel, led by Valeria Garza, to smuggle the missiles across the Mexican American border. If the missiles can be transported and stored inside North America, they can hit their intended targets within the country.

To tackle the critical mission, Task Force 141 and Shadow Company team up with Los Vaqueros, a Mexican Special Forces unit led by Colonel Alejandro Vargas. The joint force successfully tracks down and dismantles two of the three stolen missiles, but while in the field, Ghost and Soap discover that the lost missiles are American made. When they radio it in, a defensive General Shepherd orders them to ignore the missiles’ origins and destroy them.

In a shocking act of betrayal, Commander Graves and Shadow Company turn on Task Force 141 and Los Vaqueros in Las Almas while they are still hunting for the final missile. In the ensuing shootout, Alejandro is detained and imprisoned, Soap is wounded, and Ghost escapes, slipping into the shadows during the confrontation.

The drastic turns against Task Force 141 and Los Vaqueros is the result of their meddling in General Shepherd’s mess. It was time they were cut off.

The Events of Modern Warfare III (2023)

Makarov Targets the West

“Never bury your enemies alive.” — Vladimir Makarov

As Makarov’s false flag operations repeatedly meet with resistance from Task Force 141, he decides on a more drastic act. Instead of engaging in proxy warfare, Makarov shifts his focus to Western Europe with a plan to destroy the Channel Tunnel, a critical transit link connecting the UK and France. The attack would destabilize Europe and inflame global tensions.

When Task Force 141 discovers Makarov’s plan to detonate a dirty bomb inside the underwater thoroughfare, Captain Price and Soap move in to track it down and defuse it. After pushing into the London underground tunnels, they find the bomb and Soap gets to work defusing it. While doing so, Makarov ambushes them, gunning for Captain Price. Intent on saving Price, Soap lunges forward and stabs Makarov. In retaliation, Makarov shoots Soap in the head, killing him.

Assassinating General Shepherd

“I am not going to beg for my life.” — General Shepherd

In response to Soap’s death, Price takes matters into his own hands, starting with General Shepherd whose actions allowed Makarov to prosper in the first place. By seeking to save his own skin and ordering Shadow Company to turn on Task Force 141, Makarov was able to expand his operations without interference. It was time for Shepherd to pay for his mistakes.

Sneaking into Shepherd’s office at night, Price assassinates the general. In doing so, he is forced underground while conducting his own manhunt for Markarov.

A New Invasion

From trench warfare in Korea and close-quarters combat in New York to high-speed chases through Paris, SAS night raids in Mumbai, and a citywide assault to reclaim occupied territory, Modern Warfare 4 delivers a globe-trotting Campaign that takes the series into darker, more dangerous territory.

It all kicks off with the full-scale invasion of South Korea’s Hajin City, setting a new ground for warfare without limits.

Price Gone Dark

Following the assassination of General Shepherd, operator-turned-outlaw John Price now works outside the system he once served. A hunt for revenge draws him toward a weapon powerful enough to shift the balance of power, setting in motion a conflict far greater than he ever anticipated. Forced into uneasy alliances and illicit operations, Price is pulled deeper into consequences he can no longer escape.

Whether you’ve played the previous Modern Warfare titles or not, you now have the intel you need to jump right into Modern Warfare 4. Get ready for a wild ride.

Campaign Early Access* Begins October 16

Starting on Friday, October 16, players who have digitally pre-ordered or pre-purchased Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 get Early Access* to the game’s Campaign.

This benefit applies to those pre-ordering or pre-purchasing the Standard Digital Edition or Vault Edition of the game on Steam.

Pre-order Modern Warfare 4 Today

Stay tuned to the latest official Modern Warfare 4 information by checking the Call of Duty Blog through launch and beyond.

Pre-orders are available now at participating retailers, in-game, on platform stores, or at CallofDuty.com.

*Actual Play Time Subject to Possible Outages and Applicable Time Zone Differences. Actual platform availability and start date subject to change.