Call of Duty: WWII multiplayer trailer debuts at Sony E3 conference

It's notable that I had no idea this was supposed to be a 'multiplayer' reveal trailer when I saw it at the Sony E3 conference today. For one, it's just not CoD multiplayer without constant guitar riffs. And secondly, it wasn't exactly 'gameplay'—the camera work and editing clearly mask what the true CoD:WWII multiplayer experience looks like.

But it may also feel foreign because we see stuff I'm not used to in CoD multiplayer: Players parachuting into a map, or being dropped off by a truck. What I assume are strafing run and bomber killstreaks. Bomb planting and vehicle objectives. 

You'd think it were another game if it weren't for the rapid grenade throws and the way players snap their sights up to squeeze off a shotgun shell. That's very CoD. 

It's a good-looking trailer, and I'm skeptical, of course—CoD multiplayer is where I run in a circle and then get shot in a back, and this doesn't look quite like that. We did hear that CoD:WWII would include a new mode with a "story-based asymmetrical battle between teams with different objectives," though, and clearly we saw some of that here. Something new!

However much this trailer ultimately differs from the real experience of playing Call of Duty: WWII multiplayer, I can say that it looks cool. And that's what E3 is all about, isn't it? We'll see how this trailer's interpretation of the experience meshes with our real experience as soon as we have a chance to play it. We have a hands-on session coming up this week, which may or may not be singleplayer only.

TOPICS
Tyler Wilde
Editor-in-Chief, US

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.

Latest in Call of Duty
A soldier looks out over the Verdansk map, as a single tear rolls down his cheek.
The original Verdansk map is returning to Call of Duty: Warzone, to celebrate which we get a soldier crying to Nat King Cole
black ops 6 season 1
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 3 has been delayed, as the devs say they're 'taking the time to deliver a great experience' for what will be a 'big moment' for Call of Duty
A zombie santa with six fingers leaps at the screen.
Call of Duty admits it's using generative AI to 'help develop some in-game assets', and suddenly all those poorly made calling cards make sense
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in Black Ops 6.
Call of Duty's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover costs like $90 and even the die-hards are in shellshock: 'Cash cow-abunga!'
Ghost, from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022), looks bleakly at a fellow passenger in a transport.
For COD’s sake: One player’s 763-day legal quest to make Activision unban their account ends in total success: ‘Worth the effort’
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 will let players battle on boats and bullet-trains, with the Terminator entering the fray 'shortly after launch'
Latest in News
Team Fortress Spy being shocked
An FPS studio pulled its game from Steam after it got caught linking to malware disguised as a demo, but the dev insists it was actually the victim of a labyrinthine conspiracy
Neighbors Suburban Warfare screenshot a child aims a slingshot at a man from across a cul-de-sac.
A beta of backyard FPS Neighbors: Suburban Warfare is out now, and the balance discussion is hysterical: nerf trash can lids and children
Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer still - woman in the front seat of a car, looking out the back window while holding a wad of cash
The specter of a GTA 6 delay haunts the games industry: 'Some companies are going to tank' if they guess wrong, says analyst
Screenshot from Wreckfest 2
Wreckfest 2 has hit early access for your car-obliterating combat racing enjoyment
Alma, the handler from Monster Hunter Wilds, closes her eyes and looks a little disappointed.
Monster Hunter director joined an online hunt, carted first: 'I feel bad about that'
Image for
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide’s getting a new roguelite wave defense mode that sounds a whole lot like a souped-up take on Killing Floor