Call of Duty: Modern Warfare launched with an epic campaign introducing players to an ongoing struggle against terrorism and chemical weapons. Familiar characters returned, and players were placed on the front line of a new Modern Warfare conflict.
When Modern Warfare fans booted up their multiplayer mode, they found two teams, supposedly in conflict. The Coalition is made up of familiar characters from the campaign acting as a joint task force of SAS, Warcom, and Demon Dog operators. Meanwhile, The Allegiance is made up of Spetsnaz, Jackals, Chimera, and Shadow Company operators. These two forces work in opposition and both come to the battlefield with skilled and powerful operatives.
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Outside of names and slight backstories, most fans do not know much about each of the forces or what they each stand for. In both sides of this conflict, there is some historical background in the names and in-game lore surrounding the Operatives involved. By understanding the organization that each Operator works for, players can have a higher chance of understanding Verdansk and the conflict found within Modern Warfare and Warzone’s multiplayer functions.
Coalitions are not something that Activision or Infinity Ward made up. Like most of the Call of Duty franchise, there is a degree of realism built into their fictional timelines. Although the conflicts and the politics of each game are fictional, there is a core seed of realism built into how each side operates and functions.
The careful attention to detail that Activision pushes for can easily be seen in the weapons of each game, but it goes much further. The organization of its fictional units and rankings of each Operator are based on real military functions, and the Coalition is no exception as the name itself comes from a common U.S. military practice.
By definition, a coalition is a group formed by two or more factions, states, militaries, or people who are working together on a temporary basis towards a common goal. Coalitions are usually formed when U.S. operations are taking place outside U.S. territory. By forming coalitions with the local military, U.S. operations can take place for the benefit of the visited country.
Coalitions are usually formed for short term confrontations, and they exist outside of traditional alliances as they are constantly fluctuating based on the needs of the national agenda. A great modern example of a coalition is the United Nations coalition which intervened in the 2011 Libyan Civil War against Muammar Gaddafi.
With an understanding of how a Coalition operates, players can then take another look at the Coalition in Modern Warfare. After completing the campaign, it is made clear that there is a single overpowering threat. Call of Duty players in Multiplayer and Warzone are thought to be confronting this in every match fighting opposition to try and end a threat to the world.
This is part of why the Coalition is a faction in the game, but it stretches further than simply a team for fans to rally with. By forming a Coalition in the Call of Duty universe, the developers are able to add in operators from outside of traditional alliances. This gives the game some level of adaptability when it comes to introducing new operators into the game.
One of the greatest features in Modern Warfare is the easily blurred line between good and evil. The Coalition is made up of operatives from traditionally allied states but their opposition, the Allegiance, follows a different rule. Allegiance forces have a different set of mission priorities, but they are not inherently evil or wrong in their approach. Modern Warfare keeps a modern tone when it follows confrontation, making it hard to draw a line between which side of the conflict is in the right.
As of right now, the Coalition is made up of the SAS, Warcom, and Demon Dogs branches. The SAS are from the UK 22nd Special Air Service Regiment which acts as the Special Operations unit for the UK. SAS stands for the Special Air Service which in itself is a special forces unit of the British Army. Their operators specialize in covert reconnaissance, direct action, counter-terrorism, hostage rescue and much more. Serving under the Queens name they are the best of the best in the British armed forces.
Warcom has a much different story as they are a coalition in themselves. Warcom is a global counter-terrorism unit made up of operators from around the world. This coalition is partnered with the larger coalition blending teams together to try and achieve the common goal of peace. Warcom is made up of operatives from the French FSS, German KSKS, Australian 1st CDO, Canadian CSF, U.S. SOF, and CIA units.
The third unit that makes up the Coalition forces is the Demon Dogs. This group is an elite unit of Marines and U.S. Special Operation Operators who were formed to directly counter Al-Qatala in the Modern Warfare storyline. They are the star unit of the game that assists Alex in apprehending The Wolf and fighting their way through the hospital to find him. Their name is through to be based on the term Teufelshunden which was given to U.S. Marines during World War 1 by the German forces. This term loosely translates to Devil Dogs which the Marines later embraced as the Demon Dog unit.
The entire Coalition operation is led by Lieutenant General Lyons who is prominently featured in the Modern Warfare campaign. As a member of the U.S. Marine Corps, her job is to lead the Coalition to victory by countering the actions of Al-Qatala and Allegiance forces. She has connections with the U.S. Marines and CIA as their point leader in counter-terrorism efforts. Although she is never seen in the Multiplayer experience it is assumed that she is involved with every operation.
The Coalition is working towards the same goal, dismantling Allegiance efforts and securing possible terroristic situations. With the poison gas in Warzone flooding Verdansk, it is no surprise that more operators are being added into the game with every season.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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