Gear of the Main Menus – Modern Warfare 2 (2009)

There are plenty of airsoft loadouts and cosplays out there based on characters from Call of Duty games and the Ghost character especially, but usually those kits are based on the in-game character models.

When I recently saw a buddy playing the original Modern Warfare 2 on his Xbox Series S, I was reminded of some costumes that were photographed for the game’s 3 sub-menus, each of which featured real-life iterations of some of the games’ characters. I viewed these images hundreds of times in 2009-10 when loading up different sections of MW2, but I subsequently hadn’t seen these for well over a decade. Looking at them now with a different set of eyes, I think it’s very interesting to see the kit and weapons that were utilised for these photos.

First up, the menu for the Campaign, also known as Single Player by us really old folks.

Infamous CoD series character Ghost is featured here and the first thing that’s interesting to note in this particular image, is that apparently he’s left handed. I have seen this same image online where it’s been mirrored, which makes him appear as a righty, but then the bolt release button of course ends up on the wrong side of the AR (I doubt it’s a left hand specific AR even though they exist). My suspicion is that the people working in the photo studio that day just wanted the character to be in this orientation for the layout of the buttons in the Campaign menu, and that they also wanted the rifle in the foreground of the shot, so the model switched to his left hand. Also only 3 fingers are wrapped around the vertical foregrip, with one pointing forward, parallel to the barrel. This was a somewhat common training methodology around that time, as the idea was the shooter could simply ‘point their finger’ at their target for quick target acquisition at close ranges. Though another possibility is simply that the model here is not a firearm owner and the finger resting on the actual trigger might tend to tie in with that theory.

Given that the in-game characters models are probably generic 3D compositions rather than being based on real individuals, it wouldn’t be unfair to say that whoever wore the skull mask in this specific picture ‘is’, in fact, Ghost.

I cannot specifically identify much of the gear featured in this picture since I wasn’t buying American made kit in 08/09 when this image would have been taken. Th following is just my thoughts and tentative deductions on what might be on display:

• Ear pro: Peltor Soundtrap Slimlines.
• Mask: A biker snood or a custom paint/print job on a generic black balaclava.
• Sunglasses: Oakley Straight Jackets.
• Gloves: HATCH Operators, seemingly one of the long cuff models.
• Jacket: Not much like the very thick fleece jackets commonly shown in the game. It doesn’t appear to be camo patterned. There is velcro at the cuff but a very old school looking button pocket on the upper arm (which has been left undone). The large vislon zip protruding in front of the wearer’s chin makes me think it could be some sort of smock type garment or softshell.
• Vest: HSGI Warlord, the rifle mag pouches are an integral part of the rig.
• Pistol mag pouches: Fairly reminiscent of HSGI pouches of the era and being that they are in Multicam I could imagine the owner of this kit buying from a brand like HSGI. There was certainly a period in the late 2000s when doing both velcro and a 1″ buckle for flap closure was a hot trend.
• Belt: ALICE belt or copy thereof.

The AR-15 is intriguing in that it does not mirror the well known ‘M4A1’ that is featured within the game with an ARMS handguard, in fact it’s not even close to that configuration at all. My guess is that this AR is a real, civilian-owned rifle as the barrel is clearly 16″ long, but it also has the M203 cut. That length/profile combo being a very common one for AR-15s sold in the US throughout the 2000s, and indeed not an uncommon sight to this day.

Strangely, the stock is a Colt CAR-15 type without the 4 small reinforcing ribs, which could in theory be a rare item. I don’t know if anyone was manufacturing replicas of those very early AR carbine stocks around the time of this photo, but I’d rate that as somewhat unlikely. The rear BUIS I can’t personally identify, but the sight is most likely an EoTech 552, though the markings have been blurred in post-production just enough as to be rendered unreadable (no doubt for legal reasons). The same has been done to the manufacturer’s markings on the left side of the lower receiver of the rifle, so the maker of said rifle itself remains a mystery.

Apart from what is presumably a QD socket towards the front on the side rail, the freefloat, quad picatinny handguard is extremely generic looking and a lot of the areas where we would find identifying features are covered by the Magpul XT covers and by the front battery stowage area of the EoTech. For a VFG we’re probably just looking at a common KAC “Forward Pistol Grip” aka Broomhandle. The FSP and muzzle device are very generic M4/AR style. Lastly, a very late-2000s appropriate bungee single-point sling is just barely visible above the model’s left wrist.

Perhaps the image that is most iconic and spent the most time on everyone’s screens in 09/10 is this one from the Multiplayer menu. An awful lot of the kit here is either obscured by shadows and the heavy editing or by the models’ posing, but it all appears to be very representative and typical for the era. Or, at least what would have been considered a ‘cool look’ for video game representations of members of 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment – as portrayed in the Campaign and with the Ranger faction in Multiplayer.

Left and Centre characters are sporting UCP uniforms, probably just issued ACUs or similar copies from Tru-Spec. In the centre we see what is probably a MICH 2000 or similarly shaped replica helmet with a UCP cover, the same Peltor ear pro as worn by Ghost and a set of the ubiquitous Bolle X800 goggles. The vest is again not discernable under all the pouches, but the rifle mag pouches are of the typical standard US Army MOLLE issue or Eagle SFLCS issued style, with a Paraclete style pistol mag pouch just under the left elbow. Our centre man has a spare pair of gloves dangling from a carabiner on his right side, presumably to compliment the Hatch gloves he’s borrowed from Ghost. Just below his left elbow, a pack of ChemLights are wrapped up in 100mph tape and there’s a bundle of white zip-ties hanging from another carabiner on his back.

For the belt again we see an ALICE belt which was often used as the basis for a pistol-belt type config at the time, since they were cheap, plentiful and 2″ micro-PALS belts that are commonplace now hadn’t even been imagined yet. While the holster is hidden, it is likely a Blackhawk SERPA or a Safariland given the 2 strips of elastic cord that are visibly woven in to the section of thigh strap that is dangling freely in the breeze.

The rifle here is of course the SCAR-L/Mk16 in tan and I’d wager an airsoft one as it doesn’t appear to have a 16″ barrel. The FN rear BUIS is backwards for some reason, though ironically that does somewhat line up with the game itself, as many rear irons in CoD games of this era were modelled as being mounted backwards. For a primary optic there’s an EoTech 551 and there is a GPS Grip-Pod mounted underneath with a PEQ-2 laser on the left side pic rail.

It’s very hard to identify anything on the man who’s kneeling, the pistol might be a HK USP which is featured prominently in the Modern Warfare series, but what is for sure is that the coiled lanyard on the pistol was very much a trend of that particular period in time.

Lastly we have Special Ops aka the 2 player Co-op mode that was introduced with MW2.

For uniforms and nylon kit we see almost all the same items as used in the previous 2 images with the exception of the 2nd man having a UCP cover on his helmet this time. The AR type rifle has again been borrowed from Ghost and the attachment for the single point sling at the rear of the lower receiver is particularly prominent.

Our man standing up is sporting an M14/Mk14 EBR, which is an updated M14 service rifle placed in to a Sage M14ALCS (Aluminium Chassis Stock), one of the most iconic rifles in the Call of Duty series’ history. In the Multiplayer component it was referred to as the M21 EBR and usually featured with a full 22″ original M14/M21 barrel, whereas in the above photo we see the shorter 18″ barrel. There’s also a Harris bi-pod affixed underneath and some sort of magnifying optic on top in a dual ring mount setup (far beyond my abilities to identify the exact scope though I’m afraid).

It’s hard to know for certain whether the weapons and equipment featured in these menu images were purchased by Infinity Ward in order to help model the in-game characters, or if perhaps it was all simply part of the collection/s of an employee/employees that was loaned for the photoshoot. Either way, the wardrobe department did a solid job of capturing the overall aesthetic of the Rangers that are featured within the gameplay, along with just generally reeling the player in to the world of Modern Warfare 2 by bridging the gap between our real world and the in-game fiction.

It was pretty fun for me to rediscover these images after many years and to look at them again with a wider range of knowledge when it comes to military equipment and firearms. If any you folks out there can definitively identify any items that I’ve missed and provide irrefutable proof, then feel free to do so down in the comments below!