Since 2023, Call of Duty has been trying to rebuild trust. This is largely due to Modern Warfare III and Black Ops 7 launching in less-than-ideal states, which led to them being among the lowest-rated in the franchise. Infinity Ward's first step toward bringing players back and rebuilding confidence is to set up a campaign in Korea.

"We're in the middle of what they call the third Hallyu wave, the name they give to the spread of Korean culture throughout the world," co-studio head Jack O'Hara says in a hands-off presentation of the campaign. Aside from cultural impacts, another reason the team landed on Korea was the ever-growing standoff at the North-South Korean border.

The team wanted to take the idea of North Korean leaders invading (albeit under a fictional family's name) the South.…