Callsigns


 * For callsigns in-game characters have used, see Category:Callsigns.

Callsigns are a new feature, introduced in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. They are similar in nature to nametags, and are used to help distinguish individual players, who can customize their Callsign according to their unique personal tastes and preferences. A Callsign features several elements: the name of the player, a title, an emblem, their level, their rank, and their clan tag. The Callsign of a relevant player can appear on the user interface several times at particular events during multiplayer gameplay: whenever a player kills or is killed by another player, when a player completes or affects an objective in a match, when a player is being spectated (including killcams), or other significant events such as calling in major killstreak rewards or executing multikills.

Players can choose from at least 594 possible Titles--a word or phrase accompanied by a relevant background image--to use with their Callsign. In addition to Titles, players can also choose from 294 Emblems--small icons that appear to the right of a player's Title in a Callsign. While some are unlocked initially, most Titles and Emblems must be unlocked by completing various challenges in-game. In total, there are 174,636 possible combinations of Titles and Emblems.

Titles

 * Many titles and emblems are unlocked through challenges, although a selection of titles are rank unlocks (titles 1-8). Players cannot unlock these for their callsign until the relevant challenges are completed in the barracks.

Weapon Specific Titles
Some titles are unlocked by completing challenges with specific weapons. It is possible to unlock five separate titles for a weapon, but not every weapon will have all five.

'''Below are examples of the five types of weapon specific titles along with the weapons that are eligible for each type. (Note: Headshots with Launchers aren't counted, so Multikills are required instead).' Italics show which challenge is needed. You must prestige to unlock the latter four challenges (Veteran and Master)''.

Prestige Specific Titles
Some titles are only awarded after a player has committed to prestige. Below are the non-weapon specific titles awarded for completing certain challenges or attaining certain levels after starting Prestige mode.

For the Killstreak Challenges, 250 kills are needed for the Silver title using that killstreak, and 1000 are needed for the Gold title using that killstreak.

References to media

 * The callsign "Companion Crate" is a reference to the Companion Cube from the game Portal.
 * The callsign "Shock and Awe" is a reference to the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare mission Shock and Awe.
 * The callsign "Boom! Headshot" maybe a reference to the internet meme cleverly named BOOM! Headshot!, where the person frequently screams "BOOM! HEADSHOT!" while playing Counter-Strike Source
 * The "Soap" emblem is likely a reference to the movie Fight Club, as it is very similar to that movie's main logo, although it is possible that it is just a reference to "Soap" MacTavish; it could be a reference to both.
 * The title "Transformer" is a reference to the Transformer "Blackout", who transformed into a Pave Low.
 * The title "Click Click Boom" is a reference to the song "Click Click Boom" by Saliva.
 * The title "Flatliner" is a reference to the film Flatliners with Julia Roberts.
 * The title "All Your Base" is a reference to the game Zero Wing and the internet meme created from it's poor translation.
 * The title "Get to the Choppa!" is a reference to a line spoken by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film Predator.
 * The titles "True Liar" and "Fired!" are both references to the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie True Lies. The prestige challenge "You're fired!" is a quote from Arnold Schwarzenegger in that film.
 * The title "Five Sided Fistagon" is a reference to the Rage Against The Machine song "Bulls On Parade."
 * The title "Starfish Prime" is a reference to high-altitude nuclear test conducted by the United States Of America on July 9, 1962.
 * The title "Big Bada Boom" is a reference from the movie The Fifth Element, where Leeloo falls into Korbin's cab and is describing the explosion of her ship
 * The title "Droppin' Crates" is a reference to the song "Droppin' Plates" by Disturbed.

Trivia

 * In total there are 174,636 different combinations of titles and emblems.
 * The Italian flag is backwards, The colours should go green, white and red, not red, white and green.
 * Note that the titles and emblems earned from game-winning killcams also count as round winning killcams in Search and Destroy.
 * For the "Grim Reaper" title, one does not have to use one predator missile to get 5 kills. Instead two (or more) can be used right after one another. This makes it significantly easier to get this title. This is thought to also work with the precision airstrike and stealth bomber challenge as well, where the player must get 5 kills with one precision airstrike and 6 kills with one stealth bomber. It is unknown if this is an intentional feature or a glitch.
 * The Harrier's bombstrike is counted as precision airstrike. That makes it much easier to finish the prestige Carpet Bomber challenge as well as to get the "Cluster Bomb" title, because you need not to start a new killstreak after having reached the Precision Airstrike.
 * Furthermore the "Finishing Touch" title is achievable with the Harrier's bombstrike.
 * The title "Cloak and Dagger" refers to the real-life technique Cloak and Dagger.
 * Someone on YouTube staged a fake callsign unlock called "High on the Knife" that involved getting massacred with a Throwing Knife. For a few weeks after it was posted, many people tried (and died) to get it.
 * The "Angel of Death" title, awarded for calling in ten AC-130s, could refer to the well-known image of an AC-130 dropping its flares, making it look like an angel spreading its wings. Look to the emblem awarded for Game-winning kill with an AC-130 for reference.
 * The first column of titles available (the camo ones) are out of order. S.S.D.D. should be arctic and Sgt. should be woodland, if they followed the same unlock pattern of weapons.
 * There are hidden titles that may be released in the Spring DLC. They also may have been cut out of the game pre-release.