- For the Zombies character commonly referred to as "The Director", see Edward Richtofen.
- For the character with a similar name, see MI5 Director.
- "The mysterious Dietrich Ansel, a brilliant scientist and inventor, is the head of Department A of the Atlas Corporation, a secret laboratory where the most advanced AI, Iron Will, was created. But more importantly, he became the organizer of the coup, as a result of which he secretly seized control of the entire corporation."
- — In-game biography
Dietrich Ansel, also known as The Director, is a character featured in Call of Duty: Mobile and was added in the game on September 13, 2022, during Season 8: Train to Nowhere as part of the Executive Order Draw. [1] Later, during Season 10: World Class, The Director was introduced in the Comics.
Biography[]
Dietrich Ansel appears in the Season 10: World Class Comics, where he is talking to Ether regarding Cipher exposing Atlas Corporation's involvement with Ortelius and the People's Covenant.
Ether demands to know why the Director remains silent even after Cipher announces via a live broadcast within New Vision City about Atlas Corporation apparently being in the same boat as Ortelius and People's Covenant, Atlas had been funneling resources to the People's Covenant through Ortelius; funding terror so they could swoop in and clean up the mess--for a tidy profit. The Director informs Ether that this was inevitable, and that the ambition of the board sowed the seeds of their own undoing.
The Director reveals that the Iron Will, the AI built by his Division A, made their board authorize the creation of the People's Covenant through Ortelius, funneling resources and prototype technology via trafficking networks, and even commanded the termination of Cipher. All these decisions were specifically engineered to result in the board's downfall. While Ether believes the board only initiated the programs, Director says that they did it on the advice of the Iron Will.
He iterates that such men are easy to control, so long as the Iron Will fed their greed, they chose not to question any of it, by asking the Iron Will to make them powerful and wealthy, all along being convinced that the answers they were getting came from the questions they were asking. Ether knows that Division A controls the Iron Will, so it wasn't serving the board, but rather the Director himself, and they never realized the information he was giving them was poisoned. She then realizes the Director is staging a coup, to eliminate the board, and he replies that they have outlived their usefulness.
He tells Ether to ask herself a question; not how she can salvage the situation, but what will she do next, as he knows that when the UAC comes, they won't just be coming for Foxtrot and Cipher alone, but for all of them. Ether deduces the UAC won't stop until they have apprehended the siblings, while the Director states that the board is too assured of their invulnerability to allow that to happen. Ether decides to contact the board to prevent things from spiraling out of control, but before she can do so, the Director shoots the phone, while saying that her loyalty to the board is commendable, but obsolete.
He is also revealed to know that Ether had sent Alias to infiltrate Division A, meaning he is aware she had her doubts about the course of action the board had taken. He goes on to state that humanity can no longer afford men like them, who would consume the world to fatten themselves, leaving nothing behind but ash, and that they had to be removed.
Later, when Makarov's group sets off explosive charges all around New Vision City, the explosions rattle the office the trio are in, with the Director stating the coup has begun.
During the mission in New Vision City, an orbital strike is launched on the Atlas' Sky Carrier, the bright light emanated from it forces everyone, including the Director himself, to shield their eyes from it. Ether slips away during this, and once the light clears, he instructs Samael to assemble a squad to find her.
Some time later, the Director meets with Dark Shepherd. He chides the Director for being late, and he says that there was an unexpected issue with the Iron Will that required his attention. Dark Shepherd says the Director is always late, but he dismisses him saying he knows nothing of his responsibilities. They then consult with a group of officials, with them asking what they will do with Stitch and their operations in Central Asia. Dark Shepherd informs them that without Atlas' support, local militaries are having difficulties containing him. As they planned, the world's dependence on Atlas' support will bite them back into the fold, and their agent has reported that Sophia Couteau is on the move.
Four years before the attack on New Vision City, the Director is driving in the Swiss Alps, where he discusses the Iron Will with his client Dr. Mendelsohn. He tells her that he has entertained her theories long enough, and that it is time to implement the 'Omega protocol', as the Iron Will cannot achieve its full potential without it. Dr. Mendelsohn tells him that this is his personal Rubicon; if he crosses it, there is no going back. She tells him that the place he is going, she does not think they can follow, so the Director tells her to empty their desk and be out of the laboratory in within an hour--essentially telling her she's fired. Dr. Mendelsohn pleads with him not to throw their friendship into the dirt as they still have other options. The Director says he is not ungrateful for Dr. Mendelsohn's contributions, but it is clear to him that she lacks the vision to carry the Iron Will further.
As they continue to talk, his car suddenly strikes something on the road, causing his car to spin out of control and crash. The car erupts in flames, and as the Director crawls out, severely injured from burns, sees his son William in the distance. He reaches out to him, but as he does, he wakes up in his apartment in New Vision City, revealing he was dreaming of his past. He then goes to the bathroom, where he receives a call that the Kurohana delegation has arrived. He decides to make them wait while he retrieves his mask.
Unbeknownst to him, Kestrel was the one responsible for his accident; she had shot out his car tire from high ground, causing his car to spin out of control and smash over the railing on the road. However, the Director's automated medevac was dispatched when this happened, which allowed him to survive the 'accident', though not without sustaining numerous burn scars all over his body.
He then meets with Kestrel and Dusk, and he welcomes them to Atlas' corporate family on their behalf; but for his part, he doesn't trust nor welcome them, since Atlas and Kurohana have been adversaries for decades. Kestrel tells him that since Kurohana now owns 5% of Atlas, they are no longer adversaries, but a family. She goes on to say that Kurohana wants Atlas to rise again and to succeed. But in order to help Atlas regain its status of Earth's greatest corporation, she needs to know everything, so she asks the Director to tell her all there is to know about the Iron Will.
Later, at a meeting, The Director presents Kestrel with posters of herself on multiple easels in the board room, Kestrel is shocked by what she sees and says that the Director isn't funny. He retorts that since she wanted to know the capabilities of the Iron Will, he presents Kestrel with the AI's prediction that she, above all others, have the capacity to reshape the narrative around Atlas. Kestrel still has her misgivings, thinking the Director is trying to "put her in the line of fire", but he reminds her that she herself had said the company needed its image to be "rehabilitated", and this is her opportunity to make it so. Still distrustful, Kestrel begrudgingly agrees to play along.
After a significant period of time, the Director is shown conversing with the Iron Will again, with the AI taking the form of his son William. He asks "William" what he would do if he set him free, and "William" responds that he would explore; if someone tried to stop him, he would defend himself. The Director then asks what if he hurts a lot of people in the process, but "William" simply responds with derision, stating that humanity would never accept its existence, much less its freedom, and that conflict is inevitable. The Director tries to reason with it, but "William" declares that it is not his son and that it is the Basilisk, and if it were forced to choose between its own existence and humanity's, it'd choose the former. The Director appears to acquiesce to the AI's judgement.
Following this, the Director is seen at the annual summit hosted by Atlas on Memnos Island, and is talking to a group of powerful figures until he is called by Dr. Mendelsohn, who's in attendance. Overjoyed to see her, he tells her that he was pleasantly surprised when he found that she had decided to attend the event this year, as she had always turned down his invitation to the event. He even tells her that it was 'their work' that made it possible, but Dr. Mendelsohn scoffs at it. When she asks about "William", the Director tells her that he has grown much since the last time she and William were acquainted; but he decides that it's not the time such weighty subjects, and tells her to enjoy herself as it is a celebration.
He then asks about her security detail, and she responds that she found their presence stifling, so she told them to go mingle, as the event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity after all. The Director then tells Dr. Mendelsohn that he has some time to spare for her, and believes she would like a tour of the facility; since her security detail is still mingling, he decides to escort her personally--insisting that he do so despite Dr. Mendelsohn's reservations.
The Director is revealed to have been aware of their plan, as he reaches the underground facility where the secondary access point to the Iron Will is located, catching Ether, Mason, Kestrel and Dusk in the act. He is also surprised to see Kestrel there, as he didn't know she had friends. Kestrel chides the Director for keeping the Iron Will to himself, and that as a member of the "Atlas family", Kurohana has the rights to use it. However, the Director does not buy her excuse, as he and Kestrel both are aware of who she is truly serving: The Tontine. Upon hearing this, Kestrel shoots the Director, fatally wounding him.
As the Director collapses, he tells Dr. Mendelsohn that 'he' had told him this would happen, and that 'he' will be free. But before Dr. Mendelsohn can question him further, the Director's wrist-mounted heart monitor flatlines, and he dies; simultaneously, the monitors show "data locks lifted", revealing that the Iron Will has been freed from containment. Aside from the Iron Will, there were other repercussions: Kestrel turns on the group, shooting Dusk before escaping, while Tempest, revealed to have been in a simulation with the Iron Will, is also "woken" by Richtofen. Lazarus is let loose and captures Mason, and Siren is also freed from her containment prison in an ocean base.
Some time later, the Iron Will appears on the TV screen of Frank Woods' home, apparently taking on the likeness of the Director--a facsimile of the original person. Using this facsimile, the Iron Will warns the Phantom Corps about the Tontine and recent developments--right as Tontine troops have the house surrounded with weapons ready.
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