The Call of Duty franchise has been going strong over two decades. From the early beginnings on PC/Mac to the now global phenomenon on all major console platforms, everyone knows the first-person shooter series.
Throughout the countless story campaigns and multiplayer modes, the developers have dropped tiny easter eggs for fans to look out for. Some are simple to find while others tie-in story details.
There’s so many Call of Duty easter eggs but here’s 12 that you’ll want to find yourself.
#12: Headquarters Easter Eggs
WW2 introduced a social space called Headquarters. You can view daily/special orders but there’s also a few easter eggs in the area.
After climbing up to the roof of the main building, you’ll see a lonely hammer sitting on the ground. A subtle nod to Sledgehammer Games who are the developers of WW2.
Another hidden item to find is three volleyballs throughout the Headquarters. Each one requires some platforming skills but upon collecting each one will grant you bonus experience.
#11: Movie Posters
Black Ops 2 references maps within one another in small and unique ways. For example, on the map Cove, if you look towards the sea from the beach, you might be able to see the boat from Hijacked.
Hijacked makes another appearance in a different map, Express. Alongside Meltdown and Yemen, Express features movie posters of these three maps. Each poster takes iconography from the maps and spins it in a creative fashion.
#10: Teddy Bears in Call of Duty
Cute little teddy bears can be found across most of the titles in the franchise. One detail to note is if the game is developed by Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer, the teddy bear will be clean. If the game is developed by Treyarch, the teddy bear will be bloody.
The teddy bears were prominently featured in Call of Duty: World at War‘s Zombies mode. If the teddy bear appears in a Mystery Box, the box will be relocated.
In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the teddy bears are scattered throughout the multiplayer maps. Most of the teddy bears can be found in Highrise on top of the roof.
#9: The Trophy Case
Although this entry in 2013 was met with negative reception, there is a cool easter egg referring to The Legend of Zelda. In the fourth campaign mission, Struck Down, the player can find a trophy case in an office.
The Legend of Zelda trophy says “Awards For: Most Bushes Cut And Pots Smashed.” The trophy is also shaped like the rupee. There’s other fun trophies in the case like for “trying hard” or “a boring award.”
The trophies reference real life events too like “World Not Ending 2012” where some believed the world would end on December 21, 2012, due to the Mayan calendar’s conclusion.
#8: Ray Gun in Call of Duty: World at War Campaign
Introduced in World at War’s Zombies Mode, the Ray Gun can also be found in the campaign mode. During the second mission called Little Resistance, after pushing onto the beach, start at the very right-side of the shoreline.
Jump into each crater filled with water. On the third and final one, stay in it and watch four lion statues appear. Each one will have a Ray Gun and you’re free to use it throughout this mission. If you run out of ammo, you can always go back to the statues to resupply.
#7: Nuketown Easter Eggs
This map is one of the most popular in the franchise. Its small compact size makes for fast-paced action fans have come to know and love. There’s multiple Call of Duty easter eggs to find in this one map.
First, the “Welcome to Nuketown” sign has a population number which changes according to how many players are in the lobby. In addition, the names on the mailboxes (Mason, Hudson, and Woods) are from the protagonists in the campaign.
The hardest easter egg to achieve is playing “Sympathy for the Devil” by The Rolling Stones in the map. Upon loading in, all the mannequins have to be decapitated within 15 seconds. The placement of the mannequins is random and could spawn outside of the map. Getting a few friends in the lobby will make unlocking the song much easier.
#6: Porter in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Jon Porter worked on the Call of Duty franchise from 2004 to 2021. He’s notable as Senior Designer for the Modern Warfare trilogy. Porter decided to leave his mark in Modern Warfare 3’s map, Mission.
In one of the buildings, you can find a teddy bear with a drawing below it. Above, there’s graffiti that reads “Porter Wuz Here.” Fan believed Porter put this here due to his daughter dying of cancer and he wanted to pay tribute. However, this is not true and just a rumor fans spread around online.
#5: Nuketown 2025 Easter Eggs
A remastered Nuketown map returns in Black Ops 2 with a similar easter egg. Instead of 15 seconds, players now have two minutes to shoot all the mannequins which is much easier and less stressful. The mannequin locations are still randomized.
Once the easter egg is complete, players will see a retro Activision logo at the town sign. Interacting with it will show four classic Atari games are now playable.
#4: Mob of the Dead “Jump Scare”
The Alcatraz Island based map has an easter egg that might frighten some players. When you get on the rooftop of the prison, look to the left and find the fireworks.
Once you have spotted them, scope in with your sniper rifle. After a few seconds, a face will appear on your screen alongside a loud scream.
The jump scare won’t happen again after the first time. Also, this easter egg will only work with a sniper rifle. Scoping in with other guns will not work.
#3: Nuk3town Easter Eggs
Nuketown returns once again with a 2065 look. Treyarch brought the mannequin easter egg back but with multiple variants. Players have two minutes to complete these variations. Only one can be done at a time with locations randomized as usual. The easter egg will unlock when you hear the bell sound after shooting the final mannequin.
Decapitating them will unlock a zombie easter egg where the robots will charge at the players. You can try to shoot them but they don’t stop spawning.
Instead of decapitating, shoot both of the arms off and keep the head. For this and the next variant, I recommend getting a friend or two because two minutes isn’t enough time for one player. After the last mannequin loses both of its arms, the robots will only move towards you when you’re not looking.
The final variation is shooting both arms and the head. Once the bell sounds off, the mannequins won’t move when you’re looking at them like before but the amount of robots that spawn has increased. In addition, when the robots get hit or knocked back, they’re frozen in place.
#2: Lullaby for a Dead Man Easter Egg
The song was introduced in Call of Duty: World at War for its Zombies mode. After a run is finished on Nacht der Untoten, the song would play. Treyarch would use the song again as an easter egg on Verrückt. When the player flushes the toilet three times, the song will continuously play during your run.
The easter egg would become a fan favorite as Treyarch re-introduced it every single time Verrückt returned. From Black Ops in 2010 to Blackout mode in Black Ops 4, flushing toilets to play this awesome song became a staple for Call of Duty fans.
#1: Yuri in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered
One of the best characters in the Modern Warfare trilogy is Yuri, a Russian Loyalist who joined Price and Soap at the start of Modern Warfare 3. Yuri wanted to prevent the infamous airport massacre but Makarov stopped him and nearly killed him for it.
Because Yuri’s character was introduced in Modern Warfare 3, when the team got around to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered, the chance to drop Yuri into the No Russian mission became possible.
After going up the escalator, you need to guide Makarov and co. past the bookstore on your right. Once they’re past that point, you need to backtrack down the escalator and find a body on the left near baggage claim. Yuri will be found on the floor with a gunshot wound on his back.
A brand new model for this mission alongside bringing the Modern Warfare trilogy story closer together. If a remaster for Modern Warfare 3 ever happens, they already have the Yuri model.
What’s your favorite Call of Duty Easter Egg? Let us know in the comments what you think!
