“That Actually Wasn’t My Intention”: No Russian Level Designer Reveals the Real Reason Behind Creating the Most Controversial Mission in Call of Duty History

Among many other things, 2009’s Modern Warfare 2 is also known for its highly controversial No Russian mission. Yes, the same quest in which players end up participating in a nightmarish shooting of innocent civilians. Despite there being many unforgettable moments in recent Call of Duty games, No Russian still remains the most infamous one.

Well, there are many reasons why it’s been a divisive campaign mission, to say the least. While some players have already moved past it, there are many who still consider it very dark for its time. Seems like one can never forget this mission no matter what – not even the designers who made it in the first place. Recently, one of the main devs involved in its making revealed the actual reason why he wanted to have this quest in MW2; the objective was something else.

No Russian in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 wasn’t meant to be controversial but ‘something memorable’

Recently, designer Mohammad Alavi interacted with a website to talk about all things No Russian. For the uninitiated, Alavi is the one who actually created this Campaign mission, with assistance from his colleagues at Infinity Ward. While sharing multiple aspects of this quest, he reflected on the reason for coming up with the idea of the most problematic moment in MW2’s story.

In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, No Russian features the antagonist Vladimir Makarov who enters an airport to wreak havoc on innocent civilians. He is accompanied by his trustworthy men, alongside the player’s character. What’s shocking to witness is that the player is not there to stop the attack – but to be a part of it.

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Remembering No Russian, designer Alavi revealed that its actual idea came from Steve Fukuda. The latter was one of the four leading designers of Modern Warfare 2. Alavi said that he often gets questions asking him: “Did you mean to make something controversial?”

“No. That actually wasn’t my intention. What I meant to make was something memorable.”, he told media outlet IGN. Basically, the focus was on powerful storytelling to flip players’ expectations and make them think deeply. However, the mission did end up amassing unwanted attention alongside huge popularity.

Is No Russian going to be in Modern Warfare 3?

Going by various promotional clips and trailers released so far, it seems likely that the infamous mission is coming back. Franchise lovers as well as new players will see it returning – although in a different manner. But one can expect a certain moment featuring innocent civilians getting killed or attacked. The initial reveal trailer for the Campaign mode of Modern Warfare 3 clearly teases something similar.

Not to mention, MW3 will also bring back Vladimir Makarov. He was last seen in 2011’s original MW3 installment in which he was eventually killed by Captain Price. However, now he will appear in a rebooted Modern Warfare universe. It will be interesting to see how the ruthless villain executes his destructive plans this time.

Modern Warfare 3 is releasing on November 10.

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