Modern Warfare 4 Gets Its First Dedicated Multiplayer Score

the composer for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 says multiplayer music is often treated as a side note and assembled from campaign material — this is the first time a score of this size has been written especially for multiplayer.

Per composer Jason Graves of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, this marks the first occasion a Modern Warfare multiplayer mode has been given a complete score, since it is usually a side note.

From what I can see, this is the first time we have specifically written a score of this size for multiplayer in Modern Warfare, Graves said in an interview. It is the first time the multiplayer experience itself has received so much care and focus. Usually, it is a bit of a side note, assembled from existing campaign music, with perhaps a little original lobby music added.

Graves, who has worked on many video game projects, including Dead Space, said that is what he did for Modern Warfare 2 back in 2022, but for Modern Warfare 4, we have separate tracks for lobbies, countdowns, streaks, and post-match reports, among other things.

The composer noted that multiplayer has an entirely different feel from the campaign, and he worked to capture the forward drive and pure adrenaline. Even so, he believes first-person shooter games do not have a fixed list of musical traits compared with a fantasy role-playing game.

A lot of my job is just energy and excitement, either before, during, or after a multiplayer match, he said. So I am here to get you energized and prepared for the fight, push you toward the finish line, and send you off with a bold beat when you complete your objective.

While discussing his aims for the soundtrack and what sets Modern Warfare apart, Graves said that music should always support the gameplay.

There is definitely an amazing history within the Modern Warfare soundtracks, Graves said, and I am glad to have added my small part to those two. I believe the finest soundtrack in any game is one that supports and lifts the core ideas of the gameplay.

He added that for Modern Warfare specifically, it should turn everything the player is experiencing in the game up to eleven.

• The composer says multiplayer is usually built from older campaign music.
• Modern Warfare 4 is the first to get a full score made for multiplayer.
• Separate tracks were written for lobbies, countdowns, streaks, and match reports.
• Graves aimed for momentum, energy, and support for the gameplay.