Call of Duty has stood the test of time, and one thing that keeps players coming back is its iconic areas. Call of Duty has given FPS fans some of the most iconic maps in gaming history. Here are the 10 best Call of Duty multiplayer maps of all time.
Carentan (Call of Duty 2)
![Carentan in Call Of Duty World War 2, displaying a ruined, war torn street, dusted with snow](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/image_5c4d59.png?w=1024&resize=1200%2C476)
Starting off the list is a map that debuted all the way back in the early days of Call of Duty. This fast-paced multiplayer map was one of the franchise’s earliest depictions of online urban combat. Inspired by a rural town that saw combat in World War II, this map turns a quaint town in Northern France into a frenzy of fast action. Carentan is the perfect place to use some of history’s most iconic SMGs, like the MP-40.
Carentan features narrow streets, close-quarters buildings, and some power positions to lock down lanes and secure objectives. While players are used to CQC in Call of Duty today, thanks to modes like Modern Warfare 3’s Small Map Moshpit, it’s hard to overstate how iconic this map was in Call of Duty 2.
Unfortunately, Carentan has been lost to time for many fans, as it hasn’t appeared in a Call of Duty game since 2017’s WWII and was absent for over a decade before that. However, the map has been immortalized by birthing one of the best bits in The Office.
Combine (Black Ops 3)
![Combine Map in Call of Duty Black Ops 3, displaying a modern building on a cliffside, with several hydrolic gardens](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/image_cc44aa.png?w=1024&resize=1200%2C675)
From the complete opposite end of the CoD spectrum comes Combine. This futuristic map features a high-tech research facility in the middle of the Sahara.
When players first got their hands on Combine in the Black Ops 3 beta, it became an instant classic. This map showcases Treyarch’s iconic three-lane map design, affinity for vibrant colors, and excellent object placement, making it a blast to play from Domination to Search & Destroy.
Combine also perfectly highlighted that game’s advanced movement mechanic, with wall running and boost jumping providing flanking opportunities. While the Jetpack Era of CoD proved controversial, most folks could agree Combine was one of the game’s best maps.
Das Haus (Vanguard)
![Das Haus in Call Of Duty Vanguard, featuring an open cement room with several mannequins coated in white dust](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/image_02f062.png?w=1024&resize=1200%2C675)
While most CoD fans consider Vanguard underwhelming (to put it nicely), there’s no denying Das Haus housed some of its best matches. This original map featured a recreation of the White House’s West Wing in a remote German Forest. The setting lends itself extremely well to Vanguard’s WWII Special Ops theme.
Das Haus, aside from its excellent setting, played incredibly well. This is masterclass three-lane map design, with a long lane down the middle and close quarters on either side. Das Haus became the home for Camo Grinders, as there was no better place to get into fast action in Vanguard than here.
For a title with lots of flaws, Das Haus was a welcome bit of Call of Duty chaos, and was well suited to classic modes like TDM and Domination, as well as new additions like Patrol. With the constantly moving objective in Patrol, this map proved that every inch of it could become a chokepoint.
Dome (World at War)
![Dome in Call Of Duty World at War, featuring a large domed room with a fallen pillar in its center](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/image_e170d5.png?w=1024&resize=1200%2C675)
Dome is another classic map which features an iconic World War II location. Set atop the Reichstag Building, this tiny map has players fight on a Rooftop with views of the Battle of Berlin. Dome is extremely close-quarters, which was dialed up to 11 in its Vanguard Remaster with Blitz Combat Pacing.
Still, the World at War original remains the best. Matches on this map were an absolute bloodbath, due to the titles grit and gore. World at War had simplified Killstreaks, with Artillery and Attack Dogs able to absolutely decimate enemies on Dome. A well-placed airstrike could take out players on a large chunk of the map, and packs of dogs would become quickly overwhelming on such a small arena.
Dome plays great regardless of mode. 1v1 matches played great here before Rust and Nuketown made them skyrocket in popularity. Search & Destroy is tense. The real standout, though is War, which saw players fight to be King of the Hill in a linear order, pushing through the map to gain momentum and capture it fully.
Firing Range (Black Ops)
![Firing Range in Call Of Duty Black Ops image of a desert ground and several steel buildings with sandbags](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/image_a4df19.png?w=1024&resize=1200%2C675)
Firing Range is rightfully iconic. This medium-sized map saw players fighting over a military base, with every sort of engagement you can imagine. Firing Range housed close quarters buildings for SMGs and shotguns, long lanes for assault rifles, and the best power position in Call of Duty history.
The tall tower in the middle leaves prospective snipers vulnerable as they slowly climb this several story ladder. However, players who made it to the top were rewarded with an overpowered overwatch position with excellent views of key chokepoints like Domination’s B Flag.
If you manage to find a slow moment on Firing Range (likely in a private match), you’ll find plenty of easter eggs. There’s all sorts of discarded beer bottles, graffiti, and even references to Zombies mode.
Hijacked (Black Ops 2)
![Hijacked from Black Ops 2 image of a mega yacht on the water at sunset](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/image_6389fa.png?w=1024&resize=1200%2C675)
Hijacked is the ultimate vacation gone wrong. Wishing players a “Vahn Boyage” as a tribute to developer David Vonderhaar, this map turns a gorgeous super yacht into a slaughterhouse. Hijacked is a near-symmetrical map, with every power position having an equal counter. The map is incredibly well balanced and has perfect objective placement in every mode. Even in modes like TDM and Free-for-All, players are still naturally funneled to each other, which prevented those games from being too campy.
Hijacked was the perfect map to serve as introduction to the Hardpoint mode, and is still among its best. Rotating from room to room, experiencing Cabins, Kitchens, and Below Deck Maintenance Tunnels all in one session made for unforgettable matches.
Nuketown 2025 (Black Ops 2)
![Nuketown 2025 in Call of Duty Black Ops 2, featuring a fake neighborhood with campy futuristic cars and homes](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/image_c50eff.png?w=1024&resize=1200%2C675)
With several iterations to pick from, picking a favorite Nuketown is no easy task. Still, the Black Ops 2 version reigns supreme. Nuketown 2025 depicts a Retro Future, showcasing what people from the 1960s might’ve expected from the 2020s. The map improves on the vibe of the iconic Nuketown from Black Ops with a new, mid-century-modern aesthetic.
Nuketown 2025 plays the best of any iteration of the iconic map too. Black Ops 2’s excellent arsenal of weapons and Score Streaks make for an even more fast paced map than the original. The near-future tech of Black Ops 2 created new combat opportunities, with more powerful Air Support and a wider array of equipment than in the original. This somehow improved on what was already a perfect map. Nuketown’s iconic cul-de-sac and evenly matched twin houses provided for an evenly balanced combat experience. Just about every spot has a counter, so matches on Nuketown 2025 are frenetic but fair.
Raid (Black Ops 2)
![Raid in Call of Duty Black Ops 2, image of the driveway of a modern brutalist building](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/image_30c39c.png?w=1024&resize=1200%2C675)
Raid is yet another iconic map Treyarch introduced in Black Ops 2. This mansion on the outskirts of LA provides a unique setting which players still pine for after several remasters. Raid, like Hijacked, has its action set in and around the peaks of luxury. There’s some interesting world building on the map, with drugs and massive wads of cash stashed around the map.
Raid is more of a medium sized map, but it still sees plenty of action. Players are able to take combat at their own pace based on which lane they choose. The middle courtyard, Pool Deck, and Fountain each provide unique gunfights. Excellent objective placement ensures each sees use throughout the match. Raid does a great job of creating smaller gunfights, which can all funnel into all out brawls around Domination point B or certain Hardpoints.
Rust (Modern Warfare 2)
![image of a large towering metal structure in the middle of a red, sandy desert](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/image_0ba9df.png?w=1024&resize=1200%2C675)
Rust is more than just a map, it was a moment. While Rust still plays great in the current MW3 today, its appearance in the original Modern Warfare 2 is iconic.
Rust bore a whole new culture of trick shotting, quickscoping, and 1v1s. This map, centered around a singular giant structure, is remembered most fondly for settling scores in private matches. However, Rust plays excellent in public matches too. Having two teams of six here creates extremely fast paced matches. The open air of Rust also makes it the best place to try out MW2‘s overpowered Killstreaks. Between that and the camper’s paradise at the very top of the tower, Rust is the best place to grind for Nukes.
Terminal (Modern Warfare 2)
![Image of a plane at a terminal](https://www.escapistmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/image_9c33e7.png?w=1024&resize=1200%2C675)
Terminal truly does it all, and it’s our choice for the best Call of Duty map of all time. As a medium-large map, it has much better pacing than a lot of our favorites. It offers close quarters combat, but can provide some downtime between engagements.
Terminal offers players lots of options as to how they want to approach combat. Depending on the mode, there are lots of viable spots that will see action. Some folks will try and fight over the airplane cockpit to get a vantage point of the bridge. Others will do trick shots off Terminal’s heights. You’ll even find players who hold out at Burger Town.
Terminal still stands the test of time, as evidenced in Sledgehammer’s Modern Warfare 3. The map plays great even in modes that were introduced after its original appearance in MW2. Even though it’s still a blast to play Terminal on these newer modes like Infected and Hardpoint today, the original still holds up the best with MW2‘s delightfully overpowered arsenal.
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Published: Aug 12, 2024 09:42 am