Over the weekend during the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer beta, Activision seemingly took steps to delete any mention of a previously-promoted map. In early August at CDL Champs, Activision showcased the first multiplayer map for MW2, called Marina Bay Grand Prix. This showcase included a full trailer and an overview of the map. At the end of the presentation, the developers claimed the map would be playable during the current multiplayer beta. However, as of right now, the map has not made it into the beta. Furthermore, there is not one single mention of the map on any of Call of Duty’s social media channels.
Activision recently deleted any promotion, images, or videos of the Grand Prix map off of social media. This was first discovered by Call of Duty insider @TheGhostOfHope, who couldn’t offer any concrete reason as to why Activision would have done this. However, some fans have taken a guess, and it involves some legal action from FIA, the governing body of Formula 1 racing.
Grand Prix disappears from Modern Warfare 2
Looks like @CallofDuty deleted any tweets talking about the Grand Prix map. 😳
— Hope (@TheGhostOfHope) September 17, 2022
If you didn’t see any of the promotional footage for Grand Prix, the map was essentially designed around a real-life Formula 1 racetrack, called the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The map was complete with real-life locations and a fully-functioning racetrack, complete with moving F1 vehicles.
Some fans have theorized that licensing issues with FIA for the map’s unpermitted use of the F1 racetrack and vehicles. Another theory is that the upcoming F1 race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Oct. 2 could be causing issues for Activision.
Activision has yet to make any comment on the map’s disappearance from social media or give a reason as to why it was included in the MW2 beta. Fans are holding out hope that Infinity Ward simply has to make a few changes to the map to possibly get out of hot water with FIA. According to playtesters and pro players, Grand Prix was one of the best multiplayer maps they played in MW2. So it would certainly be a shame if Activision was forced to scrap the map entirely.
Either way, we will know the future of the map when MW2 releases on Oct. 28 if Activision doesn’t comment before then.
