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"Call of Duty returns to its roots with Call of Duty: WWII--a breathtaking experience that redefines World War II for a new gaming generation. Land in Normandy on D-Day and battle across Europe through iconic locations in history’s most monumental war. Experience classic Call of Duty combat, the bonds of camaraderie, and the unforgiving nature of war against a global power throwing the world into tyranny."
— Official description[2]

Call of Duty: WWII[3] is a first-person shooter video game developed by Sledgehammer Games for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows. Leaked concept art for the game was initially found in late March 2017[4], a month before the official reveal on April 26th, 2017[5]. The game was released on November 3rd, 2017. Call of Duty: WWII is the fourteenth game in the Call of Duty franchise and Sledgehammer Games' second to be developed in a three-year development cycle. 

Set during World War II, it tells the story of an unbreakable brotherhood of common men fighting to preserve freedom in a world on the brink of tyranny. From the beaches of Normandy to the Hürtgen Forest, experience a dramatic story highlighting some of the most dramatic and iconic moments of World War II as a young soldier, Ronald "Red" Daniels, who is facing the unforgiving reality of war alongside his brothers in arms.[6] 

It is the first Call of Duty since 2008 to be set in World War II and is the fifth main World War II title in the series.

Development

Background

"You know I've been making games for over 26 years, and I'll tell you it's the best game we ever made."
Glen Schofield, co-founder and studio head of Sledgehammer Games

A modern World War II Call of Duty was alluded to in a 2014 Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare launch interview with Michael Condrey, head of Sledgehammer Games. In the interview by Metro, the interviewer asked him what the possibilities of where the next Call of Duty could go in terms of setting. Condrey responded, "Well, no. It’s curious. I can only answer from my own personal tastes, this is my own personal opinion. But some of my favourite pieces of entertainment are set in World War II. Band of Brothers, I’m a massive fan of Band of Brothers? Did you see that?" Condrey then dived further into the subject, "And that’s a great hero’s war, kind of the last that was recognised as a noble cause in a war. So yeah, I think a next-generation game with the latest production values and robustness in a World War II setting like Band of Brothers would be amazing. Now, how would it play and how would the multiplayer work after the new movement set in Advanced Warfare? That’s a tougher question than I’ve had to tackle yet…".[7]

During an interview on February 7, 2015, Michael Condrey talked briefly about the many ideas that Sledgehammer was toying around with for their next Call of Duty installment, saying that the team had "talked about new ways to play" and that these things could range from features such as "branching story-lines or third person mode or crazy changes to the multiplayer".

In June 2015, a post E3 interview with Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg and IGN occurred. At one point in the interview, IGN specifically asked Hirshberg if a return to the era was possible in the near future, to which Hirshberg replied “There are these moments where certain ideas seem to be floating in the collective consciousness, and there are two ‘meteor hitting the earth’ movies in one summer and were both in production for years.” “Those kinds of things happen,” Hirshberg said, “so there’s definitely a chasing of innovation and new ideas within a well-worn genre that lead people to similar conclusions like changing time periods. And of course, I think that opens up the opportunity for what is old is new again.”[8]

During Activision Blizzard’s Q4 Earnings Call, Activision confirmed that Sledgehammer Games would be developing the next Call of Duty in 2017. Activision also said that the Call of Duty 2017 title would "take Call of Duty back to its roots.” Activision Blizzard's COO emphasized that the game would have traditional combat will once again take center stage,” confirming that the traditional gameplay would be returning.[9]

In developing the game, Sledgehammer recruited World War II historian Martin Morgan, to help make the game as historically accurate as possible.[10] Sledgehammer Games also traveled to various places across Europe to take pictures and drawings to be used as concepts for in-game.[10] For the game's sound team, the original idea was to work with the United States Coast Guard to get the sounds for the Normandy scenes. The audio team went out with the Coast Guard, climbing into their boats and going out on the water to create more realistic-sounding water noises. However, due to legal issues related to the rights, Sledgehammer was unable to use these sounds. A garden hose was used in its place. To capture some of the sounds of fighter planes, the team used audio-recorders from a golf course near an airshow.[11]

The theme of the game was to be connected with your men, to experience the brotherhood of American soldiers during World War II. Sledgehammer was inspired by the motto of the original Call of Duty "In war, no one fights alone." so they echoed that idea to their narrative.

Campaign

"Welcome to the bloody first, you're a long way from Texas farmboy."
— Technical Sergeant William Pierson of the 1st Infantry Division

Overview

Call of Duty: WWII focuses on the actions of a squad from 1944 to 1945, but also touches on events from 1940 to 1944 to help set the stage for the narrative and establish the characters. It takes place in the Western European theater of conflict, at a time when the Allied forces were finally starting to gather strength on their march into Nazi Germany.

Featuring a global cast of characters across Europe, players will follow the gripping story of Ronald “Red” Daniels, a young United States Army private, as he and his squad, the legendary United States 1st Infantry Division, trek through the harrowing European theater of war. Joining Allied forces from the United Kingdom and the French Resistance, across the beaches of Normandy, to the liberation of Paris and ultimately into Germany, the squad must fight alongside a global and diverse cast of characters to achieve victory. The story campaign delivers the gritty authenticity and cinematic intensity of World War II combat, honoring the unforgettable heroism of the Fighting First.

Gameplay

In all Call of Duty campaigns since the original, the only way to replenish depleted health was to avoid taking damage for a few seconds (health regeneration) . In Call of Duty: WWII‘s campaign, you have to use first aid kits to heal yourself. Note that first aid kits only refill your health meter and do not give you extra health beyond your set amount.

First aid kits can be found scattered around the battlefield, and you can pick up and add up to four first aid kits to your inventory. You can also call in first aid kits from your squadmate Zussman by pressing the button indicating on screen.

Heroic Actions

Heroic Actions are epic accomplishments you perform on the battlefield. Each of these three Heroic Actions gets you closer to unlocking a Squad Ability.

  • Combat Save – Save an Allied soldier who is struggling against an Axis soldier.
  • Medical Save – Locate a wounded soldier on the battlefield and drag him to safety. Wounded soldiers are indicated by a red cross, and safe zones are highlighted on the HUD.
  • Enemy Surrender – At certain points in the story, enemies will admit defeat. Aim down sights at an enemy to force him to give up. Do not shoot surrendered enemies or you will not earn a Heroic Action.

Squad Abilities

You're rarely alone in Call of Duty: WWII, as your squadmates will often accompany you and help you complete missions. As you progress through the story, enemy kills and Heroic Actions will unlock Squad Abilities. Each squadmate has a morale meter that tracks your progress toward unlocking each ability.

  • Frank Aiello – Gives you a special smoke signal grenade used to call in Allied mortar fire.
  • William Pierson – Briefly highlights all enemies in the area and allows you to use Sharpshooter Focus with any weapon.
  • Drew Stiles – Gives you extra Lethal and Tactical grenades.
  • Robert Zussman – Delivers first aid kits.
  • Joseph Turner – Gives extra ammo for weapons you have equipped, including rocket launchers.

Note that Squad Abilities are not available on every mission level. You'll know a Squad Ability is available if you see the squadmate's portrait in the bottom-right corner of the HUD.

Stealth

Parts of several missions require stealth. When you're in a zone that requires stealth, each enemy will have a stealth meter above his head indicating your level of detection to that enemy. If the stealth meter is empty, you're undetected by that enemy. If the stealth meter is white, you're in danger of being seen. When the stealth meter turns red, you've been spotted by the enemy and will have about one second to take out the enemy before he sounds the alarm.

Mementos

Each mission level includes three hidden Mementos, which include items from the era. Mementos glow when you are nearby to help you collect them all.

Plot

On June 6, 1944, United States Army Private First Class Ronald "Red" Daniels of the 1st Infantry Division takes part in the storming of Normandy Beach with his squad, consisting of: Private First Class Robert Zussman, who is his best friend, Private Drew Stiles, Technician Fifth Grade Frank Aiello, Technical Sergeant William Pierson and First Lieutenant Joseph Turner. During the operation, Zussman is stabbed, keeping him on the sideline.

Zussman returns to duty to partake in Operation Cobra, where the Allied forces successfully push to reclaim the town of Marigny. The squad is ordered by Colonel Davis to conduct a joint operation with Special Operations Executive British officers Major Arthur Crowley and Vivian Harris to intercept a German train carrying V2 rockets, near Argentan. Daniels and Zussman derail the train, before being escorted back to their squad by a French Resistance leader named Rousseau.

A week later, Rousseau and Crowley infiltrate a German garrison in Paris to retrieve explosives, in preparation of the squad's assault on the garrison. Midway, Rousseau kills SS-und Polizeiführer Heinrich, in retaliation for killing her family. The squad then successfully liberates Paris.

Two months later, the squad takes over a German-occupied hotel in the city of Aachen. They discover civilians inside the hotel, and Turner orders their evacuation, to Pierson's dismay. A young girl named Anna goes missing, and Daniels searches for her. German soldiers open fire on a truck carrying the civilians, killing Anna's older sister. Pierson sends the truck away without protection, creating a rift with Turner.

At the Battle of Hürtgen Forest, the platoon is ordered to take Hill 493. Turner splits the platoon into two groups; Pierson and Zussman are tasked with advancing towards the hill, while Turner and Daniels cover them until they can meet at the bottom. Turner's squad soon receives a transmission revealing that Pierson ordered an attack on the hill against Turner's orders. The platoon destroys an artillery position but the Germans counter-attack with a Tiger II tank. Daniels is knocked out trying to disable the tank, which is destroyed by tank commander Staff Sergeant Augustine Pérez. Turner is fatally wounded rescuing Daniels, and orders Daniels to abandon him while he covers the platoon's escape. Pierson becomes head of the platoon and makes Daniels his second-in-command, promoting him to Corporal.

At the height of the Battle of the Bulge, the platoon is surrounded by Germans. Daniels meets an African-American technician, Howard, who helps the platoon contact air support. The platoon captures several German soldiers and discovering that the Germans were ordered to destroy a bridge at Remagen, the last bridge over the Rhine. After destroying the explosives in transit, Pierson orders the platoon to attack a nearby air base to destroy the remaining explosives. The attack fails, resulting in Daniels and Zussman surrounded by enemy troops. Daniels is saved by Howard, while Zussman is captured and taken to a German POW camp, Stalag IX-B. In Stalag IX-B, Zussman is interrogated on his Jewish heritage by SS officer Metz, then beaten and sent to a POW labor camp. Daniels is hospitalized due to his wounds.

In the hospital, Daniels learns from Davis about the events that changed Pierson in the Battle of Kasserine Pass. After recovering, Daniels confronts Pierson in his tent and tears up his honorable discharge papers in order to rejoin the platoon. They successfully capture the last bridge over the Rhine. The platoon heads into Germany, liberating concentration camps in search for Zussman, eventually reaching the Berga labor camp, which they find abandoned. The camp's survivors were sent on a death march. Daniels finds and saves Zussman by killing Metz before he can execute him.

At the end of the war, Daniels parts ways with his platoon and returns to Texas, reuniting with his wife and newborn son. Daniels names his son Joseph Turner to honor the late lieutenant. He visits the grave of his older brother, Paul, who died fighting off a wolf to protect Red when the latter was still a kid. He places his Bronze Star medal on the grave, saying that his brother deserves it for showing him what it means to be a hero.

Missions

Characters

Factions

Weapons

Vehicles

Achievements and Trophies

Main article: Achievements/Call of Duty: WWII

Soundtrack

Title Updates

Locations

  • Omaha Beach, Calvados, Normandy, France
  • Caen, France
  • Marigny, Manche, France
  • Near Argentan, France
  • Paris, Île-de-France, France
  • Aachen, Germany
  • Hürtgen Forest, German-Belgian Border
  • Hill 493, Hürtgen Hill, Germany
  • The Ardennes, Belgium, Luxembourg
  • Ardennes, Belgium
  • Ludendorff Bridge, Remagen, Germany
  • Berga, Germany
  • Port of Le Havre, France
  • Longview, Texas

Multiplayer

Overview

Call of Duty: WWII returns to the gameplay often featured in the older Call of Duty games, featuring the standard grounded movement. It also features similar server support to that of previous games. However, unlike previous iterations, the game now features a special social place, the Headquarters section with the ability for the player to reside in between games. A special new game mode has also been added to the multiplayer which takes players on a simulated battle with objectives designed in an attack/defense style mode, called War.

Divisions

When the player first launches the multiplayer in Call of Duty: WWII, the player will enlist their soldier in one of five Divisions, Infantry, Airborne, Armored, Mountain and Expeditionary respectively. Each of the divisions is attuned to a specific weapon category or loadout preference but can be changed freely throughout the game. Divisions are not locked to certain weapon categories, however and the player can benefit from all but the first perk of each Division if they decide to use a weapon outside of the Division's category.

As the player uses their Division, they will level up their Division and gain extra perks for their Division. The first perk of each Division, however, is restricted to the respective weapon class of that Division. Divisions are able to be prestiged after reaching level 4 with the respective division. The rewards for prestiging a division range from a new weapon (SVT-40, MP-40, MG 42, Kar98k and the Sawed-off Shotgun respectively), to Calling Cards, Uniforms and finally, a Weapon Variant for the respective division weapon.

Headquarters

The Headquarters social space is the in-game outpost for Call of Duty: WWII. In Headquarters, players can interact with allied military personnel that allow the player to complete Contracts, Daily orders, Weekly orders and Special orders for rewards from the Quartermaster and Major Howard respectively, as well as visit the Scorestreak Training, Firing Range, R&R, 1v1 Pit, Gunsmith, Mail station, Emblem Editor, Zombies Mode and Theater. The player is also able to prestige both their Division and themselves in Headquarters, as well as open Supply Drops publicly, or spectate others doing so. Occasionally, special events occur in the Headquarters, awarding players who participate in said events.

Inside the Headquarters is an aspect called Social Score, which is earned from activities such as spectating supply drop openings or being commended by other players. Social Score allows players to earn free drops or items as their social level is increased.

Supply Drops

Players are able to open up supply drops publicly to allow others to spectate the opening, or spectate other players' openings. If a player earns an Epic or Heroic item from a supply drop, the entire Headquarters is notified. Players can earn supply drops from normal gameplay or by completing contracts or orders. Players spectating supply drops are also able to earn free XP, Social Score and supply drops for themselves.

Mail

The Mail section is where players are able to redeem in-game content from special rewards outside of usual gameplay. Players are also eligible to receive 300 free Armory Credits every 4 hours.

Firing Range

Similar to the Firing Range of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, players are able to fire their weapons at targets, and challenge other players to shootouts. Inside the Firing Range are hidden sequences that can be completed to produce special effects, such as watermelons or fireworks.

Quartermaster

The Quartermaster can be accessed to allow players to redeem Contracts for various rewards, and browse through item collections similarly to the Depot in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered]].

Major Howard

Report to Major Howard in the Operations Bunker to receive Daily and Weekly Orders. Complete Daily or Weekly Orders to earn rewards including Supply Drops, XP bonuses, Armory Credits, and more.
— Mission briefing upon first loading up the Headquarters.

Players can have up to three Daily Orders and three Weekly Orders active at a time. There is no time limit for completing Orders.

Once players fulfill an Order's requirements, they can be redeemed at Major Howard for their respective reward, ranging from Social Score, XP multipliers, or Supply Drops. Completing 6 daily orders in a 24 hour period earns the player a free supply drop. Completing 3 weekly orders in a 7 day period earns the player a free Rare supply drop.

Theater

The Theater allows players to watch the respective Division videos, as well as watch livestreams of tournaments and competitions, or other players.

General

The General (Davis) is located in an area locked off until the player has reached level 55, or prestiged at least once. The player is able to prestige their soldier via the General.

Entering Prestige grants players the following:

  • Prestige Unlock Token – permanently unlocks one item of their choice for players' loadouts
  • Rank Reset – resets the player's soldier ranks to one and relocks all rank-dependent items, excluding any items that are permanently unlocked
  • Keep your progress – retain the player's Division Levels, Weapon Levels, challenge progress, and customization items
  • Prestige Rewards – get access to special Prestige Rewards and Challenges
  • Class Slot – get one additional class slot

Scorestreak Training Guide

Towards the beach, players are able to enter the Scorestreak Training area, to test scorestreaks amongst approaching Axis soldiers. Entering the training area will remove the player from the respective Headquarters lobby.

Gunsmith

The Gunsmith, similar to Call of Duty: Black Ops III, allows players to customize their weapons with Paintjobs, as well as prestige their weapons.

1V1

Players are also able to play against each other in a 1v1 pit. The players both vote on three pre-determined loadouts to ban, and both players play until another has reached the score limit of three, or the time limit of 60 seconds.

Zombies

Players are able to switch to Zombies mode via the Headquarters area underneath the main bunker, accessible from the beach.

R&R

The R&R area is a special aspect of the Headquarters that allows players to play retro Activision games, at the cost of 10 Armory Credits per play.

Leaderboards

Various Leaderboards are scattered throughout Headquarters and lets players see their ranking against other players in the same Headquarters lobby.

AA Guns

Axis forces will occasionally attempt aerial attacks on Allied cargo deliveries to Headquarters. An on-screen warning will alert players to an incoming attack, which is their queue to control one of the four AA guns positioned around the Headquarters. Players must shoot down enemy fighters as they attempt to destroy cargo dropped by the Allies. If players defend cargo and allow it to reach the ground, they'll have about 10 seconds to collect the cargo and earn Supply Drops for their efforts.

Maps

Gametypes

Perks & Scorestreaks

Private Beta

COD WWII BETA

A multiplayer beta was held, known as the Private Beta, scheduled from August 25th to 28th on PS4 (actually began on August 24th), and from September 1st to 4th on PS4 and Xbox One. In order to gain access, the game must be pre-ordered.

An open beta for the game was also supplied for the PC platform, available from 29th September, 2017 to 2nd October, 2017. The beta was able to be preloaded the week prior to the release. Unlike the console beta, players did not have had to have preordered the game to play the beta.

An official statement read: "The Call of Duty: WWII Private Beta is your chance to be one of the first to experience and get hands-on with Call of Duty: WWII Multiplayer gameplay prior to launch. Stay tuned, as specific details on the Call of Duty: WWII Private Beta will be released in the future. Continue to check callofduty.com for more details."

Players who access the Private Beta are awarded an exclusive Calling Card and Emblem, as well as a helmet character customization option available for use in the full game.[12]

Nazi Zombies

The official logo of Nazi Zombies
Main article: Nazi Zombies (Sledgehammer)

Overview

You’re part of an international crew of experts, thrown together by circumstance in pursuit of a fortune in stolen art. You and your crew have arrived at a seemingly abandoned German village well behind enemy lines. Here, you'll face rampaging monsters, an infinite supply of bloodthirsty zombies, and darker experiments capable of nothing but murder. There is never enough time, nowhere near enough ammunition, and virtually no chance to escape.

Plot

German engineer Marie Fischer is sent on a mission to her hometown village of Mittelburg, Bavaria by her commanding officer, Major Rideau, to retrieve lost artifacts stolen by the Nazis for experimentation, as well as rescue her brother, Klaus, who provided the information. Klaus has been unwillingly working with their lead scientist Peter Straub and weapons expert Colonel Heinz Richter on a project to exploit a new energy dubbed "Geistkraft" to assist the Nazi party's war efforts. Marie is accompanied by ex-art thief Drostan Hynd, French Resistance fighter Olivia Durant and military captain Jefferson Potts, all of whom have significant knowledge on the stolen arts. However, on their train ride to Mittelburg, the group is attacked by an unidentified colossal being. Marie is stranded from the others, and finds herself taking temporary refuge at a small house nearby, where she holds out against hordes of dead German soldiers reanimated by Geistkraft, until she is able to make her way to the village.

After reuniting with the other three, Marie and the group proceed further down into the village, and inside Straub's lab. There, they fend off against Straub's undead horde, as well as Richter, whose obsession on weaponization of Geistkraft puts him at odds with Straub. Eventually, the group recovers the artifact, the hilt of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa's Sword. They then encounter the creature from earlier, a humanoid-shaped amalgam of numerous body parts sewn and stitched together, dubbed the Panzermörder, with Klaus fused into the creature's chest. Using special magnetized batteries, the group manages to stun the Panzermörder and attach the batteries onto it, causing it to be attracted to Richter's zeppelin flying above the village. The zeppelin explodes, killing the Panzermörder and freeing Klaus from its body. The hilt's power somehow revives Klaus, causing him to be possessed by an unknown force. Klaus staggers into the village, telling Marie and the group to continue fighting, and that the Emperor must not return, before activating a fire trap, engulfing himself in flames.

Zombies

Map Packs

DLC1 Art WWII
The Resistance
Jan. 30th, 2018 (PS4)
Mar. 1st, 2018 (XB1 & PC)
DLC2 Art WWII
The War Machine
Apr. 10th, 2018 (PS4)
May. 10th, 2018 (XB1 & PC)
DLC3 Art WWII
United Front
Jun. 26th, 2018 (PS4)
Jul. 26th, 2018 (XB1 & PC)
DLC4 Art WWII
Shadow War
Aug. 28th, 2018 (PS4)
Sep. 27th, 2018 (XB1 & PC)

Viral Campaign

Pre-release

On April 26th, 2017, during the reveal livestream for Call of Duty: WWII, several letters were added to highlighted tweets: CAL, LOF, DUT, Y.C, LAS, SIF and IED leading to http://www.callofduty.com/classified.

The page contained an Enigma machine. At the bottom of the page, there were coordinates (51.0344n2.3768e) leading to Dunkirk, France.

On April 27th, the first code was found on the Nazi Zombies teaser image shown during the reveal[13]. The code was IUFDJ BHLOP JMUBA deciphered by the machine as A NEW HORROR ARISE. Once entered, a dossier was available with two images inside it, a drawing of Frederick Barbarossa and Portrait of a Young Man by Raphael.

A part of another code was found on a billboard in Paris[14]. The other four parts were datamined. The code was as follow GNULV YGXSH CEODL IBHQB QKEQW deciphered as CROWLEY ROUSSEAU RED ZUSSMAN. Four new dossiers were available, each dossier contained information about one character from the campaign.

The first dossier was about Ronald "Red" Daniels, private First Class of the 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army.

The second dossier was about Rousseau, a female leader of the French resistance.

The third dossier was about Robert Zussman, private First Class of the 1st Infantry Division of the United States Army and friend of Ronald Daniels.

The fourth and last dossier was about Arthur Crowley (originally named Edgar Crowley), a Special Operations Executive operative.

There was also a paper to unlock a calling card in the game.

On June 9th, a new code was found. Each part was found on an image from the Call of Duty website or social media accounts[15]. The code was QRBGY RCBGU UEVLY ZCKBM KYYVU deciphered as TAKE THE BEACHES AND TREES NOW. Once entered a new radio was available with multiple sounds.

When the radio was set on AVC, REC. and HIGH, two new files were available, each one containing two images of a multiplayer map: Ardennes Forest and Pointe du Hoc.

On July 13th, a YouTuber named MrRoflWaffles received a package from Sledgehammer Games.[16] The package contained a letter from Klaus Fischer and a picture.

"March 20th, 1941
Mein Liebling Marie,
I hope this letter finds you well! How is life in England? I hope that your studies at Cambridge are going well. Father always said that you were the natural scholar of our family, so I am sure adapting to your new life has been seamless.
I have so much to tell you. The last time we spoke, I was angry. Furious. I now know that my anger was misdirected at you. I was frustrated that I had to leave my studies at Heidelberg to care for father. After my mentor Professor Linden retired, I thought that there was no way I could ever play a role in Germany's scientific renaissance.
But fate is a funny thing! If I had stayed at Heidelberg, I would have missed out on the greatest discovery of our time! Right underneath our noses!
Marie, I wept when they fount it. When workers came in from the mine, talking about what they had found - this artifact of legend. My life has meaning again! My life has purpose!
I had to get this message to where it mattered, to the Deutsches Reich. My contacts at the University put me in touch with Führer Heinz F. Richter. From there, it was only a matter of days before the Ahnenerbe rolled in with a full battalion of troops. I took Doktor Straub down to the chapel myself, showed him the hilt to what we had found: Barbarossa's Sword.
Who would have imagined, Marie? We giving one of the inner circle a personal tour! Destiny has placed me at the right place, at the right time. In the coming days, I am going to present hom with my papers: highlights from the research I had done with Professor Linden. Findings that will severly help us to understand the potential of what we have uncovered.
I wish I could tell you more. And I hope to see you again, when the smoke has cleared. Please forgive my heated words earlier - I will always be your brother, Marie.
Liebe Grüße
"
— Klaus

A hidden code (revealed by using heat) was found on the letter, 12091 deciphered by the Enigma machine as M4713. This code unlocked the journal of Marie Fischer, his sister.

The first entry of her diary was found inside the journal.

"June 22, 1943,
Today has been difficult. I continue to run into obstacles with the Colonel, despite the clear and alarming evidence I have documented for him. While I am grateful for the training I have received here, I fear I will have to extend my reach beyond Prince William County. The messages from Klaus have grown more desperate and... and I hesitate to write this, but they begin to border on madness.
My contact in the UK recommended that I get in touch with a military architect who is spearheading a new organization that may be useful. He called it "The Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Program", rolling his eyes at the clunky, no-nonsense American name. But he said that they might be my best shot for getting behind enemy lines. This group will be focused on recovering and safeguarding historic and cultural monuments - items that the Nazis have stolen from the most valuable collections in Europe.
While I could care less about the dusty artifacts Klaus claims to have uncovered for the Nazis, they may provide the angle I need to get an operation moving in Mittelburg into my hometown.
After my exodus from Bavaria ten years ago, I never thought I would return. I saw the Beer Hall Putsch for what it was: the first winds of a coming storm. Klaus was more optimistic - he drew hope from the fiery words of the Kampfbund.
Klaus has always been an idealist. Always a patriot. But even those pillars of his generally stalwart character are beginning to wear thin. I worry about my brother. He has a brilliant mind - top of his class at Heidelberg, mentored by one of the greatest physicists of our time and one of the ambitious new voices leading the Deutsche Physik. I have tried not to think about Klaus, to put him out of my mind, for years. Our last fight was about Father's death...
Now I fear my years of training with the OSS must come to service for one singular cause: to rescue my brother.
"
— Marie

On July 15th, a YouTuber named NoahJ456 received a jack-in-the-box containing a letter scattered across several pages, a picture and a locked USB drive[17]. The drive was unlocked with a code (also revealed by using heat). The code was 80218 also deciphered as M4713. The drive contained a short clip titled "Mittelburg".

Klaus' letter was written on pages from the 1906 edition of "Das alte Wunderland der Pyramiden" by Karl Oppel.

"Marie,
Please forgive how scattered this letter is. I am scared that I will be found out as treasonous to the mission and therefore am writing to you in the cover of night. Things have gotten worse here, as expected. The salt mines have been converted into a laboratory. The sword piece—this hilt—has not yet budged from its resting place.
I presented myself to Doktor Straub with all of the zeal and ambition I could muster. I knew that we would see how destiny had placed me at the right place, the right time. I presented him with my papers, some of the research I’d done with Linden. He looked own his nose at me. Said my work was amateur. Poorly documented. But in the end, the said my familiarity with the area would be useful. And like a desperate fool, I was grateful for this. I thanked him.
He knew our Father, Marie. He had heard of how Father’s weapon designs had helped the Kaiserliche Marine. But he laughed! Laughed that the brilliant Heinz Fischer had ended up making toys. I did not care to tell him that Father had chosen to make toys as penitence—to bring joy where before his inventions had brought only death. I should have listened to father. I should have listened.
I do not yet know when I will be able to contact you agin. I hope that you have found it in your heart to forgive me. If not, I hope you will pass along my story as a cautionary tale. I hope that you will fight whatever horror are hidden beneath the mountain.
VG (Viele Grüße)
"
— K

The code also unlocked the second entry of Marie's Journal.

"July 24, 1943
I have just received an interesting letter, a response from Major Hank Rideau of the newly-formed MFAA — apparently the program has been rubber stamped by the President himself. After weeks of being deferred through pencil pushers and secretarial layers, my inquiring finally landed on the desk of someone who may be able to make a difference.
Major Rideau is direct and to the point. He expressed a clear interest in the artifacts that Klaus has alluded to, and pressed me for details. Unfortunately, my brother is far less interested in these medieval museum pieces than he is in he captors' attempts at discerning their metaphysical properties. I have highlighted the few pieces of archeological evidence Klaus managed to share in his notes, in hopes that it will be enough to entire Rideau into action. It is a paltry list, I know:
— Six years ago the Mittelburg mines uncovered a chamber below the salt mines, buried in the roots of the Kyffhäuser Mountains. It contains several altars and is adorned with "remarkably preserved" medieval carvings.
— A hand-picked band of fanatical Nazi thugs, a group known as the Ahnenerbe took over the mines shortly thereafter and sealed off the area. Nobody was allowed in or out of Mittelburg. Klaus believes the chamber to have been the chamber dedicated to the Emperor Frederick I, King of Germany and Roman Emperor, and that it has been untouched for 800 years.
— There is something in the chamber, some relic form the era which their leader believes to be sacred and... powerful. A tool that is important to what will lead to the "Fourth Reich"—apparently a quote from the Anführer. I must confess that I refrained form communicating this final bit to the Major. The Ahnenerbe has always been something of a joke in Allied Intelligence circles, chalked up to their leader's fanatical superstition and a welcome waste of Nazi time and money. This is why I believe that even the OSS has been hesitant to engage in such obvious nonsense. I pray that the hint of medieval treasures will be enough to bring the MFAA to my door.
"
— Marie

On July 17th, a YouTuber named MrDalekJD also received a jack-in-the-box containing a letter, a picture and a locked USB Drive[18]. The drive was unlocked with the code 88103 also deciphered as M4713. The drive contained a short clip titled "Straub".

Klaus' letter was written on a page from "Faust. Eine Tragoedie" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

"M.,
They have done horrible things here. Monstrous things.
Straub is more twisted than you can imagine. So driven to bring about the Final Reich that nothing else matters to him. He will stop at nothing, Marie.
Our home is no longer our home. It is a horrible shell of what you once knew. Promise me that you will never return here.
I want to stay and fight, but I am scared. Straub is beginning to grow suspicious of me. It is almost as if the Nazis can smell my doubt.
I need to escape Mittelburg. I pray that it is safe in Cambridge, but I fear that soon we will all be witness to whatever horrous they are keeping hidden underneath the mountain.
I do not know when I will be able to contact you again. If you do not hear anything, I hope you will pass along my story as a cautionary tale.
I have this image of arriving at the King's Cross railway Station, suitcase in hand, with you there to greet me. The Sun is Shining. The war is over and the Allied Forces have won. We are Finally Free.
VG
"
— K

The code unlocked the third entry of Marie's Journal.

"August 3, 1943
After weeks of careful questioning in regards to the Mittelburg discoveries, Rideau has finally approved a mission into Bavaria. My careful framing of Klaus' notes had nothing to do with this good news, apparently. As is so often the case, events beyond my control opened the door for opportunity. According to a source from our agent in "La Résistance", the Nazis have begun shipping stolen art into the very same mines we have been discussing for the past two months. This was enough to convince the MFAA to take this risk — their first mission behind enemy lines. But the best news comes at the very bottom of Rideau's letter: a simple request for an operations leader with experience running espionage, someone with extensive knowledge of the area, preferably an agent fluent in the local dialect.
The Major says he has already forwarded a requested name to OSS.
Name. Singular.
Dare I hope?
"
— Marie

On July 19th, a group comprised of YouTubers known as the Z House received a jack-in-the-box containing a letter, a picture and a locked USB Drive[19]. The drive was unlocked with the code 71274 deciphered like the previous ones as M4713. The drive contained a short clip titled "Klaus".

"I now know the horrors that I have brought upon this Earth.
The townspeople have all been disappearing — first, it was vagrants and drunks who frequented the night shops. Then, Herr Schuler went missing. Our street is almost vacant — the butcher shop has been closed for over a week with no note on the door.
It wasn't until Straub brought me underneath the mountain to show me his "Meisterstück" that I realized the true evil that has been festering beneath our feet.
It is as if he is trying to rebuild Mittelburg in his own terrifying image. It is there I saw our neighbors who had gone missing, but something was dreadfully different. Their eyes were vacant. Their teeth rotting out of their skulls.
I have no doubt this will be my fate when Straub no longer has use for me. For a man who scoffed at my research, it appears as if he has implemented my techniques to create this horrible mess.
Marie, I know I told you to stay away from Mittelburg. But I now rescind that statement. Please come and find me. Whether or not you have forgiven me for my role in all of this, I hope that you will find some humanity within me. If not for me, do it for our family. For our father.
Ich liebe dich, Marie
Auf Wiedersehen
"
— Klaus

On the back of Klaus' letter, there are several drawings of Straub's experiments as well as a text written in German.[20]

"Experiment 14b:
We need soldiers. The neural connections in their hypothalamus are pre-formed, therefore making them easier instructed for obedience — and violence.
By stimulating the pain receptors on these corpses, I can improve their strength and their pace. My extensive studies of the impact of pain effects on the human biomass have been confirmed.
"
— Peter Straub

The code unlocked the fourth entry of Marie's Journal.

"August 25, 1943
I am trying to keep my emotions in check. The papers that I have been waiting for just came across my desk: I have been assigned lead operative on the Mittelburg mission! Major Rideau and I will begin tactical planning in another week, and I have to remind myself not to be too effusive in my gratitude for his help. He is an interesting man: fairly unremarkable in both stature and presentation, but with a quiet drive that has helped him to move through bureaucratic channels with impressive speed.
Rideau has presented me with a list of his top men from the MFAA, a collection of soldiers and academics from across the Allied spectrum. I need to form a small team, no more than three experts to join me in a mission that formed around the recovery of a handful of stolen paintings, a relic from the reign of Frederick I, and, God willing, Klaus Fischer.
I need to make sure that it is a team that can display flexibility and strength under duress. If even a small part of what my brother has said is true, this will not be a simple mission. My first priority will be to recruit the Maquis agent who discovered the paintings being moved from Paris. Beyond that, I will need somebody familiar with medieval antiquities. Finally, I will need some muscle. A soldier with experience on the front lines. I'd like to avoid bloodshed, but my instincts say we should prepare for the worst.
We will need to arrive and depart without notice — I am thinking we may take cover under the guise of a military supply train, preferable in the snowy season. The line that runs by Mittelburg should still be in service, as that section of Bavaria is benign enough to have avoided Allied shelling.
But I am getting ahead of myself. For now, it is enough to know that I jave set things in motion to return home. To set things right. And to save my brother from whatever horrors he has uncovered.
"
— Marie

During the Multiplayer Beta (from August 24th to August 28th and from August 31st to September 4th), several Spotify codes were added through the maps[21]. These codes led to different audio messages. Each audio message ended with one or several letters in morse code repeated several times.

The first message, called "Intercept Able" was found on the map Gibraltar.

"Attention. Attention. We who are prosperous must break all ties. I repeat. We who are prosperous must break all ties. If you can hear this transmission, répondez s'il vous plait. The leopard's spot are now in motion. Vive la résistance. UUUUUUU"
Rousseau

The second message, called "Intercept Baker" was found on the map Pointe du Hoc.

"Dispatch received. Action is on Argentan I (static) breaking all ties. Please advice on operation's order. Focus on tiger's eyes and ears or her stripes. WWWWWWW"
Arthur Crowley

The third message, called "Intercept Charlie" was found on the map Ardennes Forest.

"All spots should target the stripes. Reports confirm tigers are most susceptible when they are drinking water. All those who are prosperous, break your ties. From now until the leopard wakes, we fight together. Pour la mère patrie. Pour le monde. BBBBBBB"
— Rousseau

The fourth message, called "Intercept Dog" was found on the map Aachen.

"Patience is bitter but its fruit is sweet. The prosperous have broken all ties. No tiger will make it north before the leopard wakes. The spots are on the move. Your prosperous stand 30 kilometers away. All ties severed. We pray for Neptune and wait for your arrival as mother tiger sleeps. GHGHGHGHGH"
— Arthur Crowley

The five letters UWBGH formed a code for the Engima machine deciphered as TIGER. The code unlocked a new file about the "Operation Prosper" in France and another paper unlocking a calling card.

The Resistance

On January 29th, 2018, Activision released a live-action trailer for the first DLC of Call of Duty: WWII, The Resistance.

Three words were found inside the video[22]:

  • The word Molotov spelled in Morse code by two people at 11s.
  • The word Musical instruments written in Navajo (dilní bee nidaʼanéhígíí) at 32s.
  • The word Briefcase on a map at 43s.

Those words were used to find codes inside the new multiplayer maps:

  • The code CWBYE was found on an accordion in the map Occupation.
  • The code NSUWC was found on an molotov crate in the map Anthropoid.
  • The code ZZPJX was found on a briefcase in the map Valkyrie.

Once entered on the Enigma machine the code CWBYE NSUWC ZZPJX was deciphered by the machine as RESISTANCE IS NOW.

The code gave access to a new dossier containing information about the three new maps and new weapons and another paper unlocking a calling card.

5 Resistance themed wallpapers for desktop and mobile were also available.

The War Machine

On April 5th, 2018, Sledgehammer Games released an artwork for the Nazi Zombies map The Shadowed Throne of The War Machine.

A code was found inside the image QFANW AYMRF EZNQG deciphered by the Enigma machine as BEWARE THE THRONE.

The code gave access to a new dossier containing 4 new screenshots of The Shadowed Throne as well as four pages from the journal of Drostan Hynd during his time in Heligoland prior to the events of The Darkest Shore.

"So if they're not going to pay me in marks then I'll make sure that I'm compensated in some other way. Drostan doesn't work for free!
Speaking of which, I had a chance to sit down and go over some of the pages I "liberated". More illustrations by the Mad Monk of Heligoland. Much of the text has been rendered illegible due to water damage... and my own subterfuge. Had to tuck the pages in my knickers while crossing the security checkpoint.
Let's just say there's not a lot of extra room in there for antiquities.
But better folded up in my trousers than framed in some Nazi estate.
"
— Drostan Hynd's journal, page 27
"Did a quick rendering of the pages here. Not my best work, but helps to dissect the layered symbolism when I drawn them myself.
Four Knights
Symbol of guarding. Protecting
Black Wings?
Regal sword
I believe this is the monk
He thinks the Knights are angels?
Worship or Fear?
Sword lacks a pommel
Why the dark wings?
NOT angelic
The monk is no expert on armor or weapon... but why wings? Makes no sense.
"
— Drostan Hynd's journal, page 28
"text, from what I can decipher; relates the story of how this monk arrived on Heligoland to convert the locals to his faith. They weren't having it. Decided he would be their next sacrifice to dear old Nerthus.
Not a kindly goddess
Apparently,
These four knights arrived in time to save his keister. Record gets kinda loopy then. Winds and lightning and magic weapons. Dead cultists.
He ended up alone on that island "guarding the raven's egg" he wrote.
Then he died.
"
— Drostan Hynd's journal, page 29
"worst things would happen on that island. Fog rolling in with sounds that... didn't belong.
I got headaches with some frequency. Himmler said Heligoland was the German Atlantis, a nexus point of electromagnetic energy.
I didn't find anything to validate that, but did uncover some artifacts that resembled paleo-Indian tools, like those found amongs the Yaghan. Odd.
The tools caused any electronics to go haywire when brought near, and our radio would screech unless we tuned it to 38.9, 39.7... after a minute we heard voices.
I threw the radio into the sea that night.
"
— Drostan Hynd's journal, page 30

Editions

Pro Edition

The Pro Edition is available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 for $99.99 USD or $149.99 AUD. It includes:

  • The game.
  • The Season Pass for Call of Duty: WWII.
  • Steelbook Case.
  • The code to the multiplayer beta.
  • Additional content
  • Limited edition hat (Only at GameStop)

Digital Deluxe Edition

The Digital Deluxe Edition is available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows for $100 USD or $149 AUD. It includes:

  • The game.
  • The Season Pass for Call of Duty: WWII.
  • The code to the multiplayer beta.
  • Additional content

Gallery

Box Art

Screenshots

Promotional Images

Videos

References

  1. http://charlieintel.com/2017/04/22/leaked-marketing-material-reveal-november-3rd-release-date-private-beta-preorders/
  2. https://charlieintel.com/2017/04/22/leaked-marketing-material-reveal-november-3rd-release-date-private-beta-preorders/
  3. https://www.callofduty.com/uk/en/wwii
  4. https://charlieintel.com/2017/03/24/rumor-leaked-art-work-suggest-cod-2017-will-called-call-duty-wwii/
  5. https://charlieintel.com/2017/04/21/call-of-duty-wwii-announced/
  6. https://charlieintel.com/2017/04/22/leaked-marketing-material-reveal-november-3rd-release-date-private-beta-preorders/
  7. http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/03/cod-advanced-warfare-michael-condrey-interview-fans-were-demanding-something-new-4932358/
  8. http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/06/23/e3-2015-activision-world-war-2-shooter-comeback-certainly-possible?utm_campaign=ign+main+twitter&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
  9. https://charlieintel.com/2017/02/09/activision-officially-confirms-call-duty-2017-will-take-call-duty-back-roots/
  10. 10.0 10.1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBdsud-0i24
  11. https://www.gamespot.com/articles/the-surprising-way-call-of-duty-wwii-devs-captured/1100-6470488/?ftag=NLS-04-10aaa1d
  12. https://twitter.com/charlieINTEL/status/892854448912871424
  13. https://twitter.com/SHGames/status/857285812265910273
  14. https://twitter.com/ATVI_Risen/status/857989619941552128
  15. http://charlieintel.com/2017/06/09/new-codes-found-classified-call-duty-wwii-site/
  16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQJHUVooWMg
  17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOdeoN4uLvk&t=3089s
  18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6RMASXbJ94
  19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8GYb6KUe38
  20. https://www.reddit.com/r/CODZombies/comments/6oa0ct/new_images_from_wwii_classified_site/dkfxi2x/
  21. http://charlieintel.com/2017/09/01/spotify-morse-teaser/
  22. https://charlieintel.com/2018/01/30/wwii-dlc1-live-action-trailer-features-teasers-leads-certain-locations-wwii-dlc1-maps/
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