In just a few short days, Infinity Ward will launch Season 5 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. While we already know what’s incoming for the new season, the studio has today gave a tips and tricks gameplay blowout of the Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 maps!
Called “Strike” and “Punta Mar,” the two maps will be available for 6v6 multiplayer across Domination, Search & Destroy and Hardpoint game modes. For those old enough, Strike is the same map released back in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (which was also released back in MW2 2009).
Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 Map – Strike:
Spawn Point: KorTac
KorTac Spawn Zone (Northeast) — Junkyard
Starting from the Junkyard, KorTac forces have several options at the start of the match, with each path catering somewhat to a certain type of Loadout.
Midranged Loadouts perform well through the southern Market route; prepare to engage at the dividing wall. Those with closer-ranged Loadouts may prefer to book it toward the western Clock Tower, using its pedestal and the surrounding buildings to cut sightlines short.
For snipers, the real prize is found along the central Main Street, a long route with little visual obstruction down the length of it. A two-story building is essentially the “hero” of the map for these sharpshooters, as it will become a power position and focal point for combat early and often during a match.
SpecGru Spawn Zone (South) — Hill
From the southern Hill location, fast SpecGru Operators can get the advantage over the Clock Tower by rushing north to the second story of the Main Store. From here, you’ll have a powerful vantage point over the eastern half of the tower.
You might also head east and up the Flower Shop stairs for a vantage point over enemies coming through the Market. For snipers and other long-ranged Loadouts, consider booking it to the west end of Main Street, where you’re likely to encounter enemy snipers on the other side, so be ready to engage.
For the purposes of this guide, we’re dividing Strike into seven main sections:
– Junkyard and Market
– Apartment
– Clock Tower
– Shops
– Main Street
– Hill
– Flower Shop
Junkyard and Market
Starting in the northeast and running south through the Market, this section offers a great means of moving up and down the map without being exposed to the central Main Street. Its narrow layout and plentiful cover pieces allow close- and midranged Loadouts to shine in a map where long distances are the mainstay.
There’s also easy access to the Apartment and Electronics Store for making a push west, both offering valuable cover when combat gets heated.
Apartment
Easy to spot by the big “Laundry” sign hanging out front, the Apartment marks a critical point in the northeast section of the map, standing guard over the Junkyard, Market, Crashed Car, and the roads leading toward the Clock Tower and Main Street. Its two levels offer multiple points from which to launch an attack, so an active player can attack on all sides.
Clock Tower
Surrounded by high walls, the Clock Tower and Culture Center behind it mark another point where shorter-ranged Loadouts can perform well. The entry points from the Café to the west, Main Street to the south, and Apartment to the east present some risk when holding these positions, but the area’s central location gives Operators a chance to cut off a major thoroughfare through the map. Lock down this spot and enemies will be forced into crossing Main Street.
Shops
The Shops form a key area around the western section of Main Street, providing access to several interior spaces. The Café and Main Store are great starting points for an attack toward the Clock Tower, with the upper Main Store additionally looking deep into Hill. The Restaurant on the area’s southern border offers a large ground-floor interior; hop onto the walls surrounding its outdoor seating for a raised view over the Shops.
Main Street
A sniper’s paradise, Main Street stretches nearly all the way across the map. Located in the center, it’s also a major crossing point. If you need to get through, take a moment to read the area and then race across using Tactical Sprint.
Expect Operators to occupy the buildings on its perimeter, namely the Main Store on its west end, the Electronics Store on its east end, and the Hotel along the bottom. Expect fighting from building to building, with Operators in the street getting caught in the middle. Sandbags, barricades, and other obstacles offer some cover in the street, but you’ll still be highly exposed from multiple angles.
Hill
While not quite as concealed as the Junkyard main spawn, the Hill sits relatively apart from the rest of the map, at least when pulling back behind Thorley’s Supermarket. Note that, for this version of Strike, a new hallway was added for better combat flow, ensuring that an Operator that holes up in the Supermarket can still be smoked out through this hallway.
When looking north, long-ranged Loadouts can get some shots on enemies in the Main Store and even out to the Shops.
Note the balcony of the orange building here — this provides a good vantage point against enemies moving between Hill and the Flower Shop just east. And watch for Shotguns when traversing the tight staircase connecting Hill and Restaurant.
Flower Shop
The Flower Shop provides a strong power position over activity in the southeast, with its upper level offering views toward Hill, over the Market, and a small section of the eastern Main Street. From the ground floor, its single front entrance provides a more concealed view against enemies coming in from the north. The gas station just east is also worth mentioning; while you can’t get inside of it, the low stone wall and barricade offer solid protection when skirmishing in the area.
Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 Map – Punta Mar:
Spawn Point: KorTac
KorTac Spawn Zone (East) — Backlot
It won’t take long for the fighting to begin on this small map, but KorTac forces still have a few options in the match’s opening seconds, namely whether they opt for sticking to ground level or climbing to the Rooftops.
On the ground, take the middle path to get right into the thick of the battle on the main road, or head through the northern alley or southern Underpass for tighter, closer-quarters combat. There are several easily accessible ladders leading to the Rooftops of the nearby buildings for those looking to get above the action.
Spawn Point: SpecGru
SpecGru Spawn Zone (West) – Construction
While the SpecGru starting spawn lacks the verticality available to KorTac, the Construction area is also closer to the main road compared to the Backlot. Head north to access the top of the road, with an even better view obtainable by climbing to the Shootout balcony via the dumpster on the building’s south side.
Take the southern path toward the Intersection to avoid the main road, instead focusing on short- to midranged battles; watch for enemies firing from the second floor of Stores or rushing in from the Underpass.
Map Maneuvers: Route Planning
For the purposes of this guide, we’re breaking up Punta Mar into five main sections:
- Construction
- Center
- Intersection
- Rooftops
- Shrine
Construction
The open Construction area features stacked supplies and large vehicles for cover when passing through. Of particular interest are the stacked paving stones; hop onto the barrel beside them for a fortified view of all three entry points. Prepare to encounter enemies doing the same when breaching the area. A sticky grenade thrown just behind their position should convince them to move.
Note the southern path leading in and out of Construction; the garage here makes for the perfect ambush point against passing enemies. Use it to cut down traffic in the area and look out for opponents inside when moving through.
Center
Including the tourist information center and the buildings around it, Center marks a natural hotbed of activity between the two major spawn points. Climb onto the tourist building for a commanding view over the main road, or fight for a spot on the upper levels of Stores, Shootout, and Hotel.
On the ground, watch for enemies coming from the Underpass or firing from Groceries. With many available points of contact surrounding it, Center is likely to be in the thick of battle for much of the match.
Intersection
At the southern point of the map, Intersection finds Operators battling across storefronts. With Intersection being located about equidistant from the two main spawn points, there will be a lot of clashes here. Fights are bound to break out between Groceries and Stores, and anyone moving through the Intersection additionally becomes exposed to the Center. Move quickly and be ready to engage; in a pinch, the blue truck offers solid cover against attacks from the north.
Rooftops
Punta Mar features several ladders and other means of accessing the Rooftops of the eastern buildings, providing Operators with the ability to get high above the competition. From here, players can easily get a full view of the main road, though watch your six as enemies around the Backlot and Shrine can land shots from behind. Also be prepared to fight off intruders joining you here, so swap to your Handgun if your Primary Weapon struggles in close quarters.
Shrine
The Shrine and the Backlot behind it sit in a fairly open area, so be mindful when moving around here. The nearby Green Building and Fire both face the Shrine, with the upper level of Fire providing another access point to the Rooftops. When capturing objectives in this area, move into one of these two buildings afterward to defend the point; otherwise you’re a sitting duck to anyone on the Rooftops or coming through the narrow passage.
In addition to the maps, Activision has also revealed the Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone Season 5 BlackCell Premium Battle Pass contents!
Additional BlackCell-only Battle Pass content:
8️⃣ Operator Skins 💪
6️⃣ Tracer Weapon Blueprints 🔫
2️⃣ Vehicle Skins 🚗
🐶 Dog Companion
🗣️ Virtual Announcer Battle Assistant
Stay tuned for the full patch notes which should be live the day Season 5 kicks off this August 2.