Call of Duty fans furious following shutdown of SM2 project

Call of Duty fans are some of the most passionate in all of gaming. Whether it’s sharing their thoughts on Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 or creating artwork inspired by their favourite characters, their creativity never goes unnoticed.

With attention slowly moving towards the start of Season 4, several fans looking to take a trip down memory lane have followed the progress of SM2, a community-created game containing the best maps, modes, and weapons from previous titles.

After two years of development, the team behind the project has announced a shutdown following intervention from Activision.

Activision shuts down Call of Duty SM2

On May 17, 2023, the SM2 Twitter account revealed it had received a cease and desist from the Call of Duty publisher, resulting in development ceasing after two years.

Although it’s disappointing news for those looking forward to jumping into a game containing all of the best weapons and maps, Activision’s decision to issue a cease and desist isn’t surprising. The publisher has already issued warnings to other content creators making Call of Duty maps in Fortnite’s Unreal Editor.

There are several members of the community disappointed by the decision. “Unfortunately, this was gonna happen. Just thought Activision was gonna wait until it actually launched to pull the trigger,” replies one fan.

• Check out: Best Warzone 2 ranked play loadouts

The creation of SM2 captured the imagination of players wanting the complete Call of Duty experience rather than forking out every year for a new release but from a business perspective, anyone using items already available in Call of Duty creates a number of issues surrounding intellectual property (IP).

Seeing SM2 close down after several years of development is frustrating but the interest it generated shows that there’s a demand for a Call of Duty game containing the best items from across the franchise. The system already works for COD Mobile, is there a chance of it transferring over to PC and consoles?

For more Call of Duty, take a look at our guides showcasing when the next Warzone 2 double XP event takes place and the best Modern Warfare 2 assault rifle for mid-range action.