Nicki Minaj is the next Call of Duty operator

Nicki Minaj in Call of Duty — (Image credit: Activision)

One of the interesting things about this business is that every now and then I get to write a sentence I never, ever thought I would. Today is one of those days: To celebrate 50 years of hip hop, Nicki Minaj is coming to Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare.

"This is not 'Chill Nicki'," Activision helpfully clarified. "This is Red Ruby Da Sleeze."

The award-winning artist joins Warzone and Modern Warfare 2 as part of a free content drop for Season 5, which is set to go live on August 2. Minaj will be the "first-ever self-named female operator" in Call of Duty, and will come to the game with her own Store Bundle. Activision confirmed that Minaj did her own voice work for the operator, and while specific bundle contents and pricing haven't been announced, it will be "in line with other licensed bundles."

Minaj won't be the only one celebrating hip hop's big five-oh. Season 5 will also see Snoop Dogg and, in a mid-season update, 21 Savage take up arms on the digital battlefield. The update will also include a number of free hip hop "war tracks"—music that plays while you're in a vehicle, basically—for logging in between August 7-16. You'll need to log in to Warzone and Modern Warfare 2 on four separate days during that stretch: During the first three days you'll get a track from the '80s, '90s, or 2000s, and on the fourth it's a special Weapon Blueprint that can be used in any online mode.

Season 5 will also add four new maps and three new game modes to Modern Warfare 2, a pair of new vehicles (the MRAP and a dirt bike) to Warzone, new weapons and operator skins, and other new content. Full details are up at callofduty.com.

Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare 2 season 5 — (Image credit: Activision)

PRODUCTS

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.