EMP

For similar scorestreaks, see System Hack and Power Core.

For a piece of equipment with a similar effect and name, see EMP Grenade.

For the enemy in Exo Zombies, see EMZ.

The EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) is a Killstreak reward in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Support Strike Chain reward in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Scorestreak reward in Call of Duty: Black Ops II and killstreak reward in Call of Duty: Online and Call of Duty: Heroes. It was cut from Call of Duty: Ghosts and replaced with the Ground Jammer.

When activated, an Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb will go off in the air, emitting an EMP wave that will disable all enemy kill/score streaks on the map (both ground and air) cover the enemy's minimap with static, and while active the enemy team can't activate it's streaks. The effects last for 45-60 seconds. The screen of any affected players will also be slightly fuzzy. The pause menu map also is disabled.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Killstreak Reward
Kills	15
Inventory icon	EMP inventory icon MW2.gif
Acquisition sound	MW2 Killstreak EMP.ogg
Consolecodename	emp

Campaign

An EMP is featured in the missions "Contingency" and "Second Sun," halting the Russian advance in the Russo-American War by stopping all air support, and confusing the Russian ground troops. It is triggered by Captain Price, who fires an ICBM at the end of "Contingency." Its effects, however, are not seen until "Second Sun."

Multiplayer

Obtaining an EMP requires a killstreak of 15 (14 with Hardline). It also has a 0.87% chance of being in a Care Package. The EMP disables all enemy electronics, including most enemy killstreaks. Hostile players will have no HUD, and electronic attachments, such as the Red Dot Sight (except for the F2000's) and the Heartbeat Sensor, will be disabled. Their vision will also be slightly blurred. Any enemy Sentry Guns will be destroyed and all hostile air support will be rendered useless, except the Tactical Nuke. Enemy players will be unable to activate their own killstreaks while they are affected by an EMP. The effects of an EMP last for 60 seconds, but does not affect friendlies in Core.

This killstreak is one of the least used because of the large number of kills required to obtain it. However, should players attempt to use the EMP killstreak, the most effective other killstreaks to choose are Harrier Strike, Pavelow, Chopper Gunner or AC-130, as these are likely to earn many kills each, quickly adding to the user's killstreak.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Killstreak Reward
Points	18
Acquisition sound	EMP activate MW3.ogg

The EMP returns in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 as an 18-point Support pointstreak. The EMP functions exactly the same as the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 killstreak, but players using Assassin Pro will be immune to its side effects. However, as with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, they are unable to call in any pointstreaks while the EMP is active. Effects of an EMP are felt by the enemy team if the player calls in a M.O.A.B.. If the player is under the effect of an enemy EMP and tries to call in a killstreak it will say how many more seconds the EMP is still active. The only killstreak that can be used is the Ballistic Vests. The EMP also appears in the downloadable Special Ops mission "Kill Switch".

Advantages

The EMP can be used in conjunction with a high-powered killstreak to devastate an unorganised enemy squad. It totally shuts down the enemy's electronic equipment and can be very demoralising to those affected. Even for players employing Assassin Pro, killstreaks will generally be destroyed or otherwise rendered inoperative. It is thus incredibly effective when used by a veteran team against an inexperienced one.

Limitations

The EMP cannot affect players with Assassin Pro; they largely remain immune to the effects of this killstreak. Furthermore, the EMP does not stop certain killstreaks from being activated: notably, the Ballistic Vests can still be deployed, since this is a non-electronic reward. The EMP also cannot stop an Emergency Airdrop nor the M.O.A.B. from being activated.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Killstreak Reward
Scores	1300
Unlocked at	Level 39

EMP Systems is a Scorestreak reward in multiplayer, available for unlock at at level 39. It is achieved by scoring 1300 consecutive points without dying.

The EMP disables all enemy electronics for 40 seconds, including select attachments, tacticals, and all scorestreaks. Although scorestreaks are disabled (with the exception of K9-Unit), the points towards a scorestreak will still add up.

With the exception of players using the Hard Wired perk, all items in the HUD will also be removed (crosshairs, mini-map, ammo count, etc.) and the screen will turn fuzzy. When a player's EMP is active, they will be given 10 EMP assist points every time a teammate gets a kill, stacking with those from an UAV, Counter-UAV or an Orbital VSAT.

Call of Duty: Ghosts

"Friendly EMP detonated. Their electronics are offline."

— Cut audio files.

The EMP was cut from the final version of Call of Duty: Ghosts, though audio files presumably pertaining to it can still be found.

Call of Duty: Heroes

The EMP appears in Call of Duty: Heroes as EMP Artillery. It unleashes a barrage of EMPs that disable turrets and mines. It has an ammo of 5, deals 80 damage, has a damage range of 2.5, a performing range of 21 tiles, a buff time of 10 seconds, an effect range of 2.5 tiles, and a random range of 5 tiles. It is available to Price, Yuri, and Ghost. It is the last Hero Skill awarded to all three of them.

Effects

"Hey, is your Red Dot working? Mine's out."

— Dunn commenting on his Red Dot Sight not working because the effects of the EMP.

Disabled Heartbeat Sensor.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

The following effects will take place for the duration of the EMP for the opposing team:

Player View

• Player screen flashes white (even for the friendly team).
• Vision becomes fuzzy (unless the player is using Assassin Pro).
• Entire HUD disappears, including radar (unless the player is using Assassin Pro), crosshairs, ammo count, game score, and timer (however, killfeed is unaffected); making the game appear like a Hardcore game for the affected team but with normal weapon damage and fuzzy vision.

Weapons

• Stinger - The only launcher that is completely unaffected; it is still able to lock-on to enemy killstreaks.
• Javelin - Unable to fire, either on enemy killstreaks or on the ground.
• XM25 - Can fire and set airburst, but player is unable to tell the distance.

Attachments

• Red Dot Sight - The red dot disappears, making aiming much harder. However, the F2000 and TAR-21 will have a functioning RDS in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
• Holographic Sight - Same effect as the Red Dot Sight.
• ACOG Scope - Red reticle disappears, but the black reticule still remains. The EMP does not affect the SUSAT for L86 LSW (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 only), which does not use any electronics.
• Hybrid Sight and HAMR Scope - The reticle on both optics disappears.
• Thermal Scope - Thermal vision is disabled, but the crosshairs remain, essentially becoming a standard sniper scope but with no thermal feature, similar to the RSASS in Resistance Movement. The scope will still be fuzzy whilst under the effect of the EMP.
• Heartbeat Sensor - Inoperative: static fills the screen, no red or green dots and no beeping sound.

Killstreaks

• All killstreak/pointstreak rewards will be destroyed if they are active at the moment that the EMP is deployed, even if a player possesses Assassin Pro. However, there are killstreaks which remain active, including:
  • the Tactical Nuke, Emergency Airdrop, and M.O.A.B., which will be completely unaffected;
  • the Stealth Bomber will not be destroyed in Modern Warfare 2, but it will not deliver its payload, rendering it useless. The Stealth Bomber pointstreak in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be destroyed by an EMP.
• No enemy killstreak/pointstreak rewards can be activated during the duration of an EMP, with the exception of Ballistic Vests.

Equipment

• Claymore - Claymores placed when the EMP hits are destroyed, but new ones will not detonate during the EMP.
• C4 - Remote detonator is disabled; can either be shot to detonate, or by double-tapping the use/reload button.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

The effects are similar to Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3, with the exception of the fuzzy screen being absent.

Gallery

A nuclear explosion in the upper atmosphere causing an EMP as seen in "Second Sun".

EMP going over "Afghan".

EMP in Washington D.C..

An EMP blast in Modern Warfare 3.

Soap's sketch of the area affected by the EMP in "Second Sun".

Trivia

Unused enemy EMP sounds

The unused enemy EMP sounds.

General

• An EMP cannot destroy the Stealth Bomber, Emergency Airdrop, M.O.A.B. or Tactical Nuke.
• Even though an EMP will remove scores and time left from the game screen, they can still be seen by pressing the "Scoreboard" button.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

• If the player listens carefully, all other enemy killstreaks are announced via radio. The exception is the EMP, where the announcer will announce the EMP by shouting.
• If the player looks outside the map immediately after an EMP is deployed, they can see a nuclear explosion identical to the one seen in "Second Sun" in the distant sky.
• The EMP will always detonate in the direction the player is looking.

A Holographic sight during an EMP.

• The EMP is the highest killstreak available in a Care Package. There is a 0.87% chance of getting one. It can be found in an Emergency Airdrop with a slightly higher chance of 1.0% per package.
• Using two EMPs will complete the Blackout I challenge, unlocking the callsign "Chick Magnet".
• If an AC-130 is being used by a player at the time of the EMP detonation, the player is forced to stop controlling the plane and will come back to their view. The AC-130, however, will remain above.

ADS with a thermal scope while an EMP is active.

• If the player is killed at the exact moment the screen flashes white, a red haze will restrict their vision upon respawning. However, it disappears after a few seconds.
• The F2000's Red Dot Sight still functions properly during an EMP.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

• Despite the fact that Captain Price detonated the EMP, whose effects were seen in "Second Sun", the player suffers from no electronics failure during "Black Tuesday" (except for no minimap, which is due to the Russian's jamming tower).
• In the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 World Premiere Multiplayer Trailer, the EMP is an 11 pointstreak, instead of 18 as seen in the final version of the game.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II

• In Call of Duty: Black Ops II, if the player uses an EMP after an enemy has broken up a Hellstorm missile, it will not stop it, but the player will still be awarded with "Intercepted".