'Call of Duty' adds Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, and 21 Savage as playable characters
Call of Duty is adding Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, and 21 Savage as playable characters.
Publisher Activision has announced that the first-person shooter is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop by adding the three rappers to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone.
Unlike hero shooters such as Valorant or Apex Legends, the various player characters in Modern Warfare II and Warzone don't have any specialised skills. The difference between them is purely cosmetic, so you probably won't see Minaj beating her enemies with a pad-a-lock. Even so, you'll still be able to put a glock in 21 Savage's hands and make Snoop pop it like it's hot.
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While the character models for Minaj and Snoop have been revealed, 21 Savage's look is still being kept under wraps for now. More information will be released before Season 5 of Modern Warfare II and Warzone starts on Aug. 2. However, it's likely that their releases will be somewhat spread out, with Snoop due to arrive during the launch window, 21 Savage mid-season, and Minaj in-season.
This isn't the first time the Call of Duty franchise has added real people to the game, or even real rappers. Snoop is already a playable character in Call of Duty: Mobile and Call of Duty: Vanguard, as well as the previous Warzone game which is being shut down on Sept. 21.
Minaj's inclusion will make her the first real female celebrity to be turned into a Call of Duty operator, though not the first one to be a playable character in the franchise. Actors Pam Grier and Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson previously appeared as secret unlockable characters in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's Zombies maps Shaolin Shuffle and Attack of the Radioactive Thing, respectively. Sarah Michelle Gellar was also a playable character in Call of Duty: Black Ops' Zombies map Call of the Dead.
Even so, these appearances were restricted to their specific maps, whereas Minaj, Snoop, and 21 Savage will be free to fight across Modern Warfare II and Warzone's various game modes.
Modern Warfare II and Warzone are also getting three new War Tracks so you can blast some hip-hop as you drive around in-game. Players can claim Foundation ('80s), Golden Era ('90s), and Life After Y2K ('00s) for free by logging in on any three days between Aug. 7 and 16. Logging on for a fourth day will also grant players a special Weapon Blueprint for use in any online game mode.
It's an interesting time for celebrity collaborations in video games. Earlier this month horror game Dead by Daylight released Nicolas Cage as a playable character, complete with hammy voice lines recorded by the actor himself.
