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Modern Warfare 2 operators and factions

Modern Warfare 2 operators include campaign characters and who you’ll play as in multiplayer, so here’s who they are, and which faction they belong to

Modern Warefare 2 operators: a soldier hangs out the side of a helicopter
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 

Modern Warfare 2 operators generally serve two purposes in a Call of Duty game, carrying narrative weight in the campaign, and serving as your character model when playing the multiplayer game and Warzone 2. There are plenty of operator skins to choose from in Modern Warfare 2, each belonging to one of two new factions.

Buying skins in Call of Duty is big business for Activision, and now that a third-person game mode is being added to Modern Warfare 2, you’ll be able to actually see who you’re playing as. This puts extra weight on character cosmetics, so here are the operators available on Modern Warfare’s release, and which faction they belong to.

Modern Warfare 2 operators and factions: a lineup of four different soliders

Every operator in Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2

There will be two main factions in Modern Warfare 2 when it releases, the SpecGRU and KorTac, with the former containing fan favourites like Ghost and Soap. KorTAC will fill in as the campaign’s antagonists, much like the OpFor in the original Modern Warfare.

18 operators can be unlocked by playing the campaign, multiplayer, and Spec Ops, with an additional four being available for those who preordered the Vault edition of the game. The two newest operators added to one of the best PC games is Kyle ‘Gaz’ Garrick and Klaus Risker in the Warzone 2 Season 1 Reloaded update.

Here’s every operator, how to unlock them, and which faction they belong to:

SpecGRU

  • Rangers I – default.
  • Chuy – complete ‘Cartel Protection’ campaign mission.
  • Gromsko – complete ‘Low Profile’ cooperative Spec Ops mission.
  • Gus – get five assists in a single multiplayer match.
  • Kleo – get a kill with lethal equipment.
  • Luna – complete ‘Defender: Mt. Zaya’ cooperative Spec Ops mission.
  • Nova – complete ‘Violence and Timing’ campaign mission.
  • Reyes – complete ‘Prison Break’ campaign mission.
  • Zimo – get a kill with a secondary weapon in a multiplayer match.
  • Farah – included in Red Team 141 Operator Pack, part of Modern Warfare 2 Vault edition.
  • Ghost – included in Red Team 141 Operator Pack, part of Modern Warfare 2 Vault edition.
  • Price – included in Red Team 141 Operator Pack, part of Modern Warfare 2 Vault edition.
  • Soap – included in Red Team 141 Operator Pack, part of Modern Warfare 2 Vault edition.

KorTAC

  • KorTAC Group I – default
  • Aksel – get 20 kills in a single multiplayer match.
  • Calisto – get five headshot kills in a single match.
  • Conor – get five hipfire kills in a single multiplayer match.
  • Fender – get two kills with a Launcher in a single multiplayer match.
  • Horangi – get five Kingslayer kills in a single multiplayer match.
  • Hutch – complete ‘Ghost Team’ campaign mission.
  • Konig – execute a Finishing Move.
  • Roze – get a point-blank kill.
  • Stiletto – get two revenge kills in a single multiplayer match.
  • Zero – complete ‘Denied Area’ cooperative Spec Ops mission.
  • Oni – exclusive to PlayStation 5 preorders until October 27, 2023.

Season 1 Operators

  • Zeus – automatically unlocked when you purchase the Season 1 battle pass
  • Neymar Jr. – appears in a limited-time bundle starting on November 21.
  • Paul Pogba – appears in a limited-time bundle starting on November 25.
  • Leo Messi – appears in a limited-time bundle starting on November 29.

Season 1 Reloaded Operators

  • Klaus – complete the Atomgrad Special Ops Raid to unlock Gaz along with his ‘Convoy’ skin. Also available in the in-game store
  • Gaz – obtainable via the in-game store under the Klaus Operator Bundle

Note that each faction has a self-titled operator. These serve as their default soldier and can be customised to create a more personalised avatar if none of the other options takes your fancy.

That’s everything we know about the Modern Warfare 2 operators and factions. No doubt there will be an influx of new playable characters and purchasable skins once the game is released. Some of these challenges require you to complete Spec Ops missions or get certain types of kills in a multiplayer match, so some knowledge of the Modern Warfare 2 maps will help greatly in this endeavour.

For more Call of Duty content, we have Modern Warfare 2 DLC expansion and map packs speculation, and if you’re planning your strategies ahead of time, this guide on perks, packages, and how the new system works should give you the information you need to dominate the battlefield.

When he's not writing guides at PCGamesN, PK is usually found waiting for the respawn timer in League of Legends, hanging around a tavern in Baldur's Gate 3, or fighting his way through the Settled Systems in Starfield. PK's extensive knowledge of video games is matched only by his extensive wardrobe of flannel shirts, which he has been curating since he was born, proving he was always meant to be a games journalist. He watches an episode of Star Trek every night before bed, and he loves toast, even though it makes him feel a bit sick. Buttery goodness exacts a heavy toll, one that he's willing to pay.