Special Ops (often abbreviated as "Spec Ops") is a single-player or co-op game mode in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
They are a set of fast-paced missions in the spirit of "Mile High Club" from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Originally meant to be the co-op portion of the story campaign, it was spun off into its own separate game mode as Special Ops. This also allowed the designers to add new levels that were interesting, or reuse existing levels with expanded or new objectives, without having to fit them into the singleplayer campaign's storyline, like the campaign missions. The missions can be played solo, split screen or online, with a few being two player exclusive (needing two players in order to play).
Overview
The Special Ops mode was created after Infinity Ward attempted to insert co-op into the main singleplayer campaign mode. Infinity Ward said that they wanted to keep the two man feeling from "All Ghillied Up"; to have each others backs and cover each other and work together to complete the objective. They found that attempting to make singleplayer missions co-op compatible was less fun than a regular singleplayer mode and broke the feeling of immersion they were going for. However, instead of scrapping a co-op mode entirely, they created the Special Ops mode with all levels tailored for two players.
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, there are 23 Special Ops missions distributed over five categories: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo. These categories contain missions that will gradually increase in difficulty, requiring successful play (gaining stars) from previous missions to unlock more difficult ones.
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, one must be promoted to unlock more difficult missions and a new mode called "Survival Mode" was added on in addition to the returning Mission Mode.
Missions are unlocked in a progressive, non-linear order. There are five difficulty groups of missions: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo. All except the Alpha missions are locked when first playing. To unlock more missions, the player must earn stars by completing missions on different difficulties or meeting certain requirements. Regular nets one star, Hardened nets two stars, and Veteran nets three. There are 69 stars total, meaning that there are 23 levels total.
Many levels are based on the ones from the singleplayer campaign, while others are completely original to Special Ops, including a couple from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The levels themselves have content unique to Special Ops; an enemy called the Juggernaut, for example, who wears heavy armor and is more difficult to kill than a regular soldier.
All missions are available to play cooperatively with another player, and two missions, Overwatch and Big Brother, can only be played with two players. In co-op mode, players need to use good teamwork and be adept at using a gun in order to stand a chance, especially at higher difficulties. Friendly fire is also a possibility at all difficulties, and players have only marginally more health than most enemies on Veteran difficulty which means that team-killing is very easy to do. If a player is killed in co-op, they will enter last stand, where they can crawl around and use a pistol to kill enemies. There is a limited amount of time in which the other player can come over and revive them. The amount of time changes depending on the difficulty selected. If the player is shot again while downed, they lose the ability to use a pistol and will crawl much more slowly, making movement almost useless and causing enemies to stop targeting them. The amount of time before they bleed out, however, is unchanged. In Overwatch and Big Brother, if the player on the ground dies, the mission is over. Players in the aircraft will not be targeted by the enemy.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
The first Spec Ops level in the Alpha category: The Pit.
All descriptions of these levels are taken from the in-game descriptions of the Special Ops levels.
Alpha
Predator Drones, favela gangs, sniper rifles and stealth. These Ops are short and sweet.
The Pit
Clear all of the enemy targets as fast as possible. Shooting civilians will prevent you from getting 3 stars.
- Est. Opposition: None
- Classification: Assault
- Est. Completion Time: 1:00.00
- IW Best Time: 00:22.55
Sniper Fi
Use sniper rifles, claymores and Predator Drones to hold off waves of enemies.
- Est. Opposition: Light
- Classification: Wave Defense
- Est. Completion Time: 4:00.00
- IW Best Time: 01:55.50
O Cristo Redentor
Hunt down and eliminate the Favela gang. Minimize Civilian casualties.
- Est. Opposition: Light
- Classification: Elimination
- Est. Completion Time: 2:30.00
- IW Best Time: 01:16.20
Evasion
Use silenced sniper rifles and cunning to slip past the enemy patrols.
- Est. Opposition: Light
- Classification: Stealth
- Est. Completion Time: 3:00.00
- IW Best Time: 00:43.65
Suspension
Push through the invading forces on the bridge to reach the safe zone.
- Est. Opposition: Medium
- Classification: Assault
- Est. Completion Time: 3:30.00
- IW Best Time: 00:53.00
Bravo
AC-130 gunships, snowmobile races, and Vulcan miniguns with explosive ammo. Something for everyone.
- Earn 4 stars to unlock.
Overwatch
Rain death from above using an AC-130 gunship to protect your partner.
- Est. Opposition: Light
- Classification: Timed Escort
- Est. Completion Time: 1:30.00
- IW Best Time: 00:35.45
- Two Players Required
Body Count
Rack up a large enough body count. Quick kills earn larger bonuses.
- Est. Opposition: Medium
- Classification: Elimination
- Est. Completion Time: 2:30.00
- IW Best Time: 00:21:57
Bomb Squad
Race through the Favela marketplace defusing the explosives before it's too late.
- Est. Opposition: Medium
- Classification: Timed Assault
- Est. Completion Time: 2:30.00
- IW Best Time: 01:14.20
Race
Speed your snowmobile down the mountain, dodging trees, rocks, and thousand foot drops.
- Est. Opposition: Minimal
- Classification: Driving
- Est. Completion Time: 1:30.00
- IW Best Time: 01:04.85
Big Brother
Explosive ammunition, Vulcan Minigun, Blackhawk Helicopter. Clear the way.
- Est. Opposition: Medium
- Classification: Timed Escort
- Est. Completion Time: 3:00.00
- IW Best Time: 01:25.90
- Two Players Required
Charlie
Time trials, explosive breaches, boneyards and enemies in Ghillie Suits. Things are getting a bit tougher.
- Earn 8 stars to unlock.
Hidden
Evade enemy patrols and Ghillie Snipers near Chernobyl.
- Est. Opposition: Medium
- Classification: Stealth
- Est. Completion Time: 4:30.00
- IW Best Time: 01:45.60
Breach & Clear
Smash through enemy defenses in the Gulag and escape.
- Est. Opposition: Heavy
- Classification: Assault
- Est. Completion Time: 1:30.00
- IW Best Time: 00:14.10
Time Trial
Launch your snowmobile across the chasm before time runs out. Hit the flag gates to get extra time.
- Est. Opposition: Light
- Classification: Timed Driving
- Est. Completion Time: 1:30.00
- IW Best Time: 01:07.00
Homeland Security
Sentry guns, Thermal sights, Rocket launchers and Claymores. Defend yourself from five difficult waves of attackers.
- Est. Opposition: Heavy
- Classification: Wave Defense
- Est. Completion Time: 11:00.00
- IW Best Time: 07:31.20
Snatch & Grab
Battle Shadow Company and Juggernauts in the airplane graveyard. Grab the intel and escape to the extraction point.
- Est. Opposition: Medium
- Classification: Assault
- Est. Completion Time: 3:30.00
- IW Best Time: 01:22.40
Delta
Blizzards, airports, estates and bridges. Five challenging Ops.
- Earn 20 stars to unlock.
Wardriving
Laze targets for the Stryker armored vehicle. Battle in the 'burbs house to house, room to room.
- Est. Opposition: Heavy
- Classification: Assault & Defend
- Est. Completion Time: 9:00.00
- IW Best Time: 3:25.25
Wreckage
Use C4, grenade launchers, RPGs, sentry guns, semtex and more to destroy every vehicle on the bridge.
- Est. Opposition: Medium
- Classification: Vehicle Killspree
- Est. Completion Time: 3:30.00
- IW Best Time: 01:40.40
Acceptable Losses
Sabotage the remote airbase with your silenced weapons and heartbeat sensor.
- Est. Opposition: Medium
- Classification: Stealth
- Est. Completion Time: 7:00.00
- IW Best Time: 00:48.15
Terminal
Pummel your way through enemy riot shield ambushes.
- Est. Opposition: Heavy
- Classification: Assault
- Est. Completion Time: 4:00.00
- IW Best Time: 00:34.60
Estate Takedown
Eliminate Ghillie Snipers, Elite Mercenaries, and Juggernauts guarding the estate.
- Est. Opposition: Medium
- Classification: Elimination
- Est. Completion Time: 9:00.00
- IW Best Time: 02:59.60
Echo
An oil rig and a favela full of Juggernauts. These Ops are fast and brutal.
- Earn 40 stars to unlock.
Wetwork
Breach and clear two deadly rooms full of enemies and hostages to capture the oil rig.
- Est. Opposition: Massive
- Classification: Assault
- Est. Completion Time: 5:00.00
- IW Best Time: 03:10.30
- Slow-mo Breach
High Explosive
Kill all ten Juggernauts using only explosives and a knife.
- Est. Opposition: Massive
- Classification: Elimination
- Est. Completion Time: 6:00.00
- IW Best Time: 02:47.70
- Explosives & Knives Only
Armor Piercing
Kill all fifteen Juggernauts on the oil rig.
- Est. Opposition: Massive
- Classification: Elimination
- Est. Completion Time: 7:00.00
- IW Best Time: 04:12.25
Achievements/Trophies
Desperado (10 
/ Bronze Trophy 
) - Kill 5 enemies in a row with 5 different weapons or attachments in single player or Spec Ops.
Drive By (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Kill 20 enemies in a row while driving a vehicle in single player or Spec Ops.
Downed but Not Out (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Kill 4 enemies in a row while downed in Spec Ops.
I'm the Juggernaut… (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Kill a Juggernaut in Spec Ops.
Knock-knock (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Kill 4 enemies with 4 shots during a slow-mo breach in single player or Spec Ops.
Look Ma Two Hands (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Kill 10 enemies in a row with Akimbo weapons in single player or Spec Ops.
No Rest For the Wary (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Knife an enemy without him knowing you were there in single player or Spec Ops.
Some Like it Hot (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Kill 6 enemies in a row with a Thermal weapon in single player or Spec Ops.
Ten plus foot-mobiles (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Kill at least 10 enemies with a single Predator Missile in single player or Spec Ops.
The Harder They Fall (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Kill 2 rapelling enemies in a row before they land on their feet in single player or Spec Ops.
Two Birds with One Stone (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Kill 2 enemies with a single bullet in single player or Spec Ops.
Unnecessary Roughness (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Use a Riot Shield to beat down an enemy in single player or Spec Ops.
Gold Star (20 / Bronze Trophy ) - Earn 1 star in Special Ops.
Hotel Bravo (20 / Bronze Trophy ) - Earn 4 stars in Special Ops.
Charlie On Our Six (20 / Bronze Trophy ) - Earn 8 stars in Special Ops.
It Goes to Eleven (20 / Bronze Trophy ) - Earn at least 1 star in 11 different Special Op missions.
Operational Asset (20 / Bronze Trophy ) - Earn all 3 stars in at least 5 different Special Op missions.
Blackjack (20 / Bronze Trophy ) - Earn 21 stars in Special Ops.
Honor Roll (20 / Bronze Trophy ) - Earn at least 1 star in each Special Op mission.
Operative (30 / Silver Trophy 
) - Earn all 3 stars in at least 10 different Special Op missions.
Specialist (30 / Silver Trophy ) - Earn 30 stars in Special Ops.
Professional (30 / Silver Trophy ) - Earn all 3 stars in at least 15 different Special Op missions.
Star 69 - (90 / Gold Trophy 
) - Earn 69 stars in Spec Ops.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Special Ops returns in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and includes Survival Mode, where the player must survive against increasingly difficult waves of enemies. Survival Mode can also be played on all multiplayer maps, sometimes with minor modifications to maintain balance. Presumably, these modifications are meant to prevent players from exploiting easily defensible positions. Spec Ops will also provide objective-based challenges similar to those in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It supports up to two players, both online and split screen, and now has its own matchmaking system.
Mission Mode
- Main article: Mission Mode
These missions are split into 4 tiers of 4 missions, each tier requiring a specific rank level in Spec Ops to access. All missions, except for Stay Sharp and Charges Set, have 3 levels of difficulty to choose from. Missions marked with (*) must have two players in order to be played. Mission Mode is not available in the Wii version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Tier 1: Unlocked at start
Tier 2: Unlocked at Lvl. 5
Tier 3: Unlocked at Lvl. 10
Tier 4: Unlocked at Lvl. 15
Content Pack 3
Content Pack 5
Content Pack 6
Content Pack 7
Content Pack 8
Survival Mode
- Main article: Survival Mode
Chaos Mode
- Main article: Special Ops Chaos
Gallery
Trivia
- Both players cannot die at the same time. For example, if a grenade rolls next to them, one will always survive the blast.
- In an oversight for both games, the dialogue said by playable characters when reloading includes "Changing mag!" and "I'm out!", even if their weapon doesn't have a detachable magazine or wasn't empty.
See also
- Arcade Mode
- Zombies (mode)
References
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