Every year, millions of players wait in line for the launch of the next big Call of Duty game. Whether we're talking the early days of the World War II era, 2007's surprise blockbuster with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, or even the futuristic trend we've seen in recent years, hardcore and casual fans always seem to take notice when the next big first person shooter releases every holiday season. The biggest reason for the surge in demand for each game has to do with one simple concept: competitive multiplayer.
Within the first few days and weeks following the game's launch, players are trying their best to find the playing style that best fits them, from killstreaks and specialty classes and loadouts to tack on. But it isn't just the gear the player's will come to be familiar with. Throughout all of the respective game's online maps, there are spots scattered around, where players may try to make use of to get the early jump on incoming enemies. Some call it camping, others call it strategy. But whatever you wish to call this approach to playing, there's no denying that by world of mouth, vantage points and camping spots become well known throughout the COD community fairly quickly, though some have yet to become mainstays. Here are the thirty areas in Call of Duty multiplayer that you had NO idea about!!
30 Subway Entrance On Downturn (Modern Warfare 3)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Downturn map throws a bunch of different combat levels at competitors, both on the street level and underground in the broken down subway station. Given the run-down metropolitan setting, there are piles of rumble everywhere that players can jump on and over, including a few tanks by the subway entrance. If you jump onto one of the tanks by the entrance and time it right, you can actually land yourself on one of the entrance poles extending an extra five or six feet in the air. The broken area leaves you exposed to anyone in the middle of the map, but anyone trying to take the stairs to get out of the subway will be easy pickings for you.
29 Telephone Lines On Carentan (Call of Duty 1)
For long time Call of Duty advocates, Carentan is one of the series' first maps that showed people what it meant for Infinity Ward to make an competitive online locale, that ramps up the intensity in every area of the map. Since the franchise spent its early days solely on the PC platform, the game was suspect to more opportunities for players to find bugs and glitches, especially within its online community (the single player campaign was kept pretty clean). Some of these bugs would apply practical progress, such as boosting experience earned in multiplayer matches. Some, however, gave players an advantage by exposing where you could venture around the map to pick off enemies, not too far off from the entrance vantage point on the previously mentioned Downturn map. Finding their ways onto the telephone poles suspended above the major fighting areas on the map by jumping from the rooftops, players could break the formula and throw the opposition for an extra kill or two.
28 On Launch (Black Ops)
When Call of Duty: Black Ops came out in 2010, players were thrown back into the 1960s and the Cold War, and the multiplayer maps in the game expectantly revolve around the respective time period. One of the game's maps, Launch, puts players in a nuclear rocket station pitting players in firefights around shipment crates, catwalks, and control stations. Anyone who's played multiplayer at a high level understands that movement and location can be just as important as your aiming proficiency, if not more, and the lower catwalks on Launch give players a chance to exploit the map navigation to its fullest. Most of the catwalks have a connecting pipeline placed against the walls that can be used to cut down on the travel time to get across the map. So if you're looking to flank the opposition, or just get to the other side of the map quicker, then these pipelines should be used frequently.
27 Foliage Glitch On Recovery (Advanced Warfare)
2014 continued the futuristic trend for the Call of Duty series. Exosuits and all, the setting of the mid-21st century saw players running along walls and boost jumping onto platforms over a dozen feet in the air. With a wider range of movement abilities given to players, you'd think that the biggest issues for online would be that players would be able to find even more ridiculous areas to camp out on enemies that would be more difficult to find. Turns out that while the exosuits could be used to the players advantage, it wasn't done to expose a high vantage point like we've already seen in other games. It turns out that if players used their exosuits to boost themselves high enough over a section of bushes in the center of the map, they would drop down into the foliage, leaving them difficult to find for opposing players.
26 Window Scaffolds On High Rise (Modern Warfare 2)
For a map that offers the best of both worlds, High Rise for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 played into the hands of both the sniper aficionados and the trigger happy close combat players. Without much room for flanking within the confines of the game's one-dimensional layout, tactics and teamwork played a big part in who came out victorious on this classic map. But if you're one of the players that isn't the best in a straight up gunfight, the window scaffolds and cranes alongside the building's windows gave players the chance to try and sneak around the enemy and catch them off guard. Just watch out though, because the narrow walkway doesn't make for a clean venture if the opposition has the same idea in mind and meets you head on.
25 Gas Tanks On Radiation (Black Ops)
You'll notice that a lot of the areas that are mentioned in this article mostly leave players exposed from every direction, but you have to give credit to the creativity at times. Black Ops' Radiation multiplayer map left players fighting both within the exteriors of a broken down warehouse complex, while keeping the action close inside the warehouse as well with a giant open area for combat. The second floor of the warehouse contains a control room, which is conveniently located right above a quartet of gas tanks that players can jump on. Since the top portion of the tanks have a large enough area to walk on, going prone is an option for players, giving them a chance to throw the enemy off with their awkward firing location. Just be careful no one's on the second floor trying to take you out as well, because you'll be out of luck at that point.
24 Hidden Platform Glitch On Recovery (Advanced Warfare)
It looks as though the open concept of Recovery in Advanced Warfare had left a ton of areas open for players to break the game in both the zombies and multiplayer modes. Another area that had been exposed by players was the hidden platform that you could access along the outside of the first area of the game (before players were forced into the evacuation area of the game; also this location has probably been patched by Sledgehammer Games). By standing on top of the small staircases' railing in the room containing what looks like an airplane engine, strafe back and forward in order to catch the sliver of touchable ground. From there, you can turn around and land on top of the airplane looking engine that was mentioned before. After getting there, one more easy jump and you're out of the regular game area, and players are at your mercy, especially since you can walk into the cargo box on the ledge and basically hide yourself from everyone.
23 Inside of Spiral Staircase On Array (Black Ops)
Now most of the spots that I've mentioned so far are more on the creative side, whether it be a way to break the game, or a means to get to another area of the map quicker. Lo and behold, here's the first real "camping" spot that will be discussed. While the majority of the snowy battlefield in Call of Duty Black Ops is meant to be played outside, the interior of the satellite station in the center (shown above) fits the gloves of close combat preferences. However, the stairway that leads to the open control room on the second floor offers one of the more effective camping locations of all of the game's maps. Players can pin themselves along the inside of the stairway, have full coverage of the first floor doorway, and any player running down the stairs, making it easy for someone to grab a handful of kills before they're found. Plus, by pinning against the back of the wall, you can only be shoot by people in front of you, thus eliminating any element of surprise.
22 Outside Edge Of Boat On Whiteout (Ghosts)
Nobody said that all camping spots are equally effective, and the one found on Whiteout in Call of Duty: Ghosts is fun, but not necessarily effective in practice. Most players will be finding themselves either shooting up the standalone two-floor cabin on the opposite end of the map, or peaking in and out trying to survival an encounter in the icy caverns in the far distance of the image posted above. For the few that may fancy the small town area, the boat stationed in the icy waters has a little spot for players to set up shop. Between the deck and ported boat is a spot where if done correctly, the players can sit and pick off anyone who turns the corner from the boat's end, much like the player shown. It leaves you woefully defenseless if somebody creeps up from the other end, but if you find a player who likes this route of approach, you can hit 'em where it hurts.
21 Bridge Roof On Overgrown (Modern Warfare)
Sometimes when a remastered game launches, players like to comb over the areas and see what's changed in terms of where and what can be done in respect to the original title. With the Modern Warfare Remastered version from last year, it's safe to say most of the classic hiding spots are still accessible to everyone, and the game's Overgrown multiplayer map is no exception. Players are still able to get onto the roof of the bridge connecting both ends of the map the player above is walking over, giving you a clear view of both the bridge on the far side of the playing field, and the open farm land in front of the barn. For the sniper-friendly players, this is a tactical location to take advantage of, especially since most of the roof is covered up and can make it easy for enemies to run right under you without knowing you're there.
20 Doorway Entry On Splash (Black Ops 3)
Much like I'd mentioned with Advanced Warfare, the biotic limbs the player has in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 widen the range of possibilities when it comes to navigation and discovering new areas you can go. In one of the game's DLC maps, Splash, the exploit can be used to perfection, and offers players a location that not only favors their chances to rack up kills, but questions how the developer didn't see this potentially occurring. While running through the map's lobby area, players can use their boost jump to get on top of the doorway and remain hidden almost entirely. The location makes for not just a way to get a huge jump on the enemies, but prevents players from being able to sneak up on them once exposed (minus grenades, of course).
19 Broken Plane Engine On Scrapyard (Modern Warfare 2)
Scrapyard from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 sets players in a broken down field with broken bits and pieces of aircraft scattered around its exterior. The littered metal laying around makes for some of the more dynamic cover spots in a Modern Warfare 2 map, with perhaps lying inside a broken plane engine being of the more cleaver strategies. Any of the engines that are facing upwards (like the ones in the bottom left of the image), can be climbed into. From there, simply couching leaves only the player's head exposed and can make for one of the more sneaky locations to use in any hardcore mode. Just make sure your teammates are aware of your antics as well. You don't want friendly fire to be your undoing....
18 Cliffside Vantage Point On Afghan (Modern Warfare 2)
There are a ton of wide open areas to fit the sniper's needs in Afghan for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. With the destroyed airplane sitting in the middle of the map in a giant ditch, the central area can be considered the proverbial no man's land, with a dozen different vantage points surrounding it for snipers to pick players off one by one. As far as inside the ditch however, climbing up the broken down plane's right wing is a small platform fixed into the cliff's side. This small platform is a bit off the beaten path when talking about the map's vantage points and players wanting to make their way up to the spot shouldn't plan on staying up there for too long, as they're left wide open to anyone and everyone.
17 Shipment Cargo On Wet Work (Modern Warfare)
The Wet Work map from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare may be the most symmetric map of any from the franchise. Taking place on a ship in the middle of the ocean, everything from the starting location, to the middle combat area, to the upper balcony are nearly the same. The one thing that may not be the most similar on both ends are the shipment crates being scattered throughout. However from the balcony located towards the front of the ship, you can actually jump to one of the shipment crates set right alongside the railing. This makes for a good sniping position, especially since by going prone, other players will have trouble trying to make you out on their scopes.
16 Center Rooftop On Standoff (Black Ops 2)
The central rooftop on Standoff in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 makes for a full 360 degree approach to getting the drop on enemies. Player may want to use a bit more than a pistol to pick people off like the guy above tried to do, but you can't argue the spot makes for more opportunities for players to climb the leaderboard. If you're having trouble staying alive on the rooftop, no sweat. Just make sure you're not on the rooftop's high point to keep the opposite half of the map out of both your's and the enemies' point of view.
15 Ditch Vantage Point On Mission (Modern Warfare 3)
Mission from Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 sets players in a bombed out area located in Sierra Leone that consists of a large run down church, narrow areas with little room for cover, and a ditch that essential cuts the map in half and lets you get from one side to the other. In the lower portion of the map is a smaller cabin, who's top is well hidden between both the adjacent, taller buildings and an incline ramp taking you to a higher vantage location. From the building's rooftop, players have a clear vantage point straight through the ditch, making other players easy pickings for you. Even those who don't prefer to sniper their way to more kills, the narrowness of the ditch shouldn't make it too hard to mow down those players.
14 Cabin Glitch On Underpass (Modern Warfare 2)
Here's a glitch in a Call of Duty game that opens not just one, but two different locations for players to explore. On Modern Warfare 2's Underpass multiplayer map, there's a cabin to the right near one of the team's starting locations. If you can get up to the roof of the cabin, you have two different routes to take, each one giving you different vantage points. The first one is to the right, where you'll jump up onto a scaffold before making your way to a roof in the corner of the map. The next one sees you going in the other direction. From here, you can actually run alongside the southern border of the map's rooftops which, even though it leaves you exposed to enemies, can make them an easy target so long as they aren't looking up for you already.
13 Balcony Vantage Point On Asylum (World at War)
Asylum is surely one of the creepier maps from the Call of Duty series, and the team behind World at War did an excellent job at creating a map with multiple interior and exterior areas for players to go head to head in. One area worth mentioning is the far corner, with a doorway that leads into the main hallway on the second floor. You can see the grated section of the second floor balcony on the left of the screen, blocking players from jumping over it to the ground level. You can actually position yourself on the rail, outside the grates, and give yourself a good vantage point to take out anyone who walks through the double doors. Just be ready to take some heat from both the right side and ground levels.
12 Sniper's Catwalk On Behemoth (Ghosts)
As part of Call of Duty: Ghosts' DLC map packs, Behemoth acts as a narrow playing field, suspended hundreds of feet in the air over a cliff. The slimmed down combat area offers a few spot favorable to snipers, especially the outer catwalk sections, as the majority of the map is brought into view. Most enemies have to make their way down the map along the sides anyways, leaving them wide open for the taking. Just be careful though, as there's no cover at all along the mentioned catwalk sections, and there may just be another sniper on the other side as well.
11 Catina Sign On Rundown (Modern Warfare 2)
Alright, so it's not the most effective spot to find people, and it actually puts you at a disadvantage by making you easier to kill, but getting on the Catina Sign on Rundown in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is a tough task to take on. The building along the map's wooden bridge houses this tiny little sign. In order to get to the sign, you have to make your way to the building's second floor window, where you'll have to jump out and around to get on top of the sign. When I say the sign is tiny, I mean it's tiny, so be as precise as possible with your jumps.