Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare: Complete Guide

A full guide to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in 2026: the campaign and its optional missions, multiplayer rigs and movement, and the Zombies maps, including what still works on PC today.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final patch notes (7 November 2017). The game no longer receives updates; multiplayer populations on PC are small, while the campaign and Zombies remain fully playable.

Quick Start

• The campaign is the safest reason to buy it now. It's a complete single-player story with optional side missions, playable offline at any time.
• Expect quiet multiplayer lobbies on PC. Official patches ended in late 2017. Search at peak hours for your region, or play with friends in private and local matches.
• Zombies has five maps. Zombies in Spaceland is included with the base game on Steam; the other four came with the season's DLC packs.
• Do the Ship Assault and side missions. They reward upgrades for your weapons and Jackal fighter and make the main missions easier.
• Movement matters in multiplayer. Thrust-jumping, wall-running and sliding are core, not optional.
• Pick a Combat Rig that suits you. Each rig has payloads (super-abilities) and traits that shape your playstyle.
• Join a Mission Team for extra rewards: calling cards, camos, emblems and team-specific weapons.
• In Zombies, use Fate and Fortune cards. These consumables give powerful effects and can turn a bad round around.
• Try #YOLO if you want a challenge. It's permadeath on the campaign.

Campaign

Story basics

You play as Lieutenant Commander Nick Reyes, who takes command of the UNSA carrier Retribution after an attack by the Settlement Defense Front (SDF). Key characters include Lieutenant Nora Salter, Admiral Raines and the robot E3N "Ethan". The main antagonist is SDF Rear Admiral Salen Kotch.

Structure

• Main missions follow the story linearly.
• The Retribution is your hub between missions. You walk the ship between operations and pick your next main or optional mission from there.
• Ship Assault missions are optional boarding operations against enemy ships.
• Jackal missions put you in the transformable Jackal fighter for space dogfights.
• Rewards: optional missions unlock upgrades and equipment for Reyes and the Jackal. Doing them before later story missions makes the game noticeably easier.

Difficulty

Difficulty | Notes

Recruit | Story-focused

Regular | Standard

Hardened | A real challenge

Veteran | Hardest standard difficulty; brutal at points

Specialist | Unlocked after finishing the campaign. Health doesn't regenerate on its own; you rely on items to heal

#YOLO | Unlocked after finishing the campaign. Permadeath: one life for the whole campaign

Campaign tips

• Clear side missions early for upgrades.
• Use the anti-gravity grenades and seeker grenades that appear in your equipment options against grouped enemies.
• In the Jackal, use countermeasures against missile locks and switch between cannons and missiles depending on the target.
• Hack robots (C6 combat robots and similar) when the option appears to turn them against enemies.
• On Veteran, play slow. Use cover and let allies draw fire.

Multiplayer

Movement

Technique | Use

Thrust jump | Reach higher ground and change direction mid-air

Wall-run | Flank along walls and cover long gaps

Slide | Close distance and duck under fire

Chain movement to avoid predictable lanes, but don't overdo it. Accurate aim beats flashy movement.

Combat Rigs

Each rig is a combat suit built for a different playstyle, with its own choice of payloads and traits.

Rig | Playstyle

Warfighter | Aggressive, adaptable all-rounder

Merc | Heavy, tanky support; suits LMGs and holding ground

FTL | Fast, tactical, teleport-style mobility tricks

Synaptic | Robotic, extremely mobile close-range brawler

Phantom | Stealthy and good for long-range play

Stryker | Defensive support and area control

Choosing: new players usually do well with Warfighter or Merc. Aggressive SMG players tend to like Synaptic or FTL; snipers lean toward Phantom; objective defenders like Stryker.

Mission Teams

Join one of the four Mission Teams from the multiplayer menu; each team has its own focus, shown on its selection screen. Each has its own contracts and rewards (calling cards, camos, emblems and weapons unique to the team). You can switch teams; team progress is tracked separately.

Weapons and loot

• Salvage is a currency earned by playing. Use it to craft weapon variants from the weapon crafting menu.
• Variant rarities go Common, Rare, Legendary and Epic. Higher rarities add perks to the gun.
• Keys buy supply drops. Boss Battles award keys even if you fail to beat the boss (per the 7 November 2017 patch).
• Weapons added after launch included the Venom-X launcher (September 2017), plus Katana and Nunchucks melee weapons.
• Balance notes from late 2017: the VPR SMG got more hip-fire kick; the R3K assault rifle's burst cooldown was reduced; the Venom-X's damage and splash were buffed.

Modes

Standard Call of Duty modes are here (Team Deathmatch, Domination, Kill Confirmed, Search and Destroy and more), plus Infinite Warfare's own additions such as Frontline and Defender. Rotating featured playlists in 2017 included Hyper Team Deathmatch and Gesture Warfare.

Multiplayer tips

• Learn spawn flips on each map; the fast movement makes spawns flip often.
• Wall-run to flank. Many lanes have wall-run routes that bypass main sightlines.
• Use your payload at the right time. Save it for an objective fight rather than spending it immediately.
• Scorestreaks: the R-C8 and other streaks are strong in the small lobbies you'll often find now.
• Private matches: with bots, you can learn maps even if public lobbies are empty.

Zombies

The maps

Map | Release | Setting

Zombies in Spaceland | Base game (Nov 2016) | 1980s amusement park

Rave in the Redwoods | Sabotage DLC (2017) | 1990s summer camp

Shaolin Shuffle | Continuum DLC (2017) | 1970s New York disco and kung fu

Attack of the Radioactive Thing | Absolution DLC (2017) | 1950s beach and monster movie

The Beast from Beyond | Retribution DLC (Sep 2017) | The final episode of the storyline

The four playable characters are aspiring actors trapped in horror films by the director Willard Wyler (Paul Reubens):

Character | Voiced by

Andre Wright | Jay Pharoah

Aaron "A.J." Jordaniels | Ike Barinholtz

Poindexter Zittermann | Seth Green

Sally Simpson | Sasheer Zamata

Guest appearances across the maps include David Hasselhoff, Kevin Smith, Pam Grier and Elvira (Cassandra Peterson).

Core systems

• Points and doors: kill zombies to earn money, open doors, power up the map.
• Perks: Perk-a-Colas such as Up N' Atoms give permanent buffs until you go down.
• Pack-a-Punch: upgrade weapons for more damage and new effects.
• Fate and Fortune cards: equip a deck and use cards for effects like extra power or protection. Examples referenced in official patches include Twist of Fate, Packin' Heat, Purify and Skull Hacker.
• Afterlife Arcade: when you die in co-op you go to the Afterlife Arcade, where you can play arcade games to earn your way back in.
• Easter eggs: each map has a main quest and many side secrets. The Shaolin Shuffle boss fight is against the Rat King; The Beast from Beyond involves Mephistopheles and the Cryptids.

Zombies tips

• Power first. Turn on the map's power early so perks and machines work.
• Train zombies in open areas rather than camping corners.
• Buy Up N' Atoms early. More survivability means more rounds.
• Save Fate and Fortune cards for dangerous rounds.
• Play with a team. Many easter eggs are hard or impossible solo; community guides are essential.

PC Notes

• Online security: some older Call of Duty PC titles have had online exploits reported over the years. Keep Windows up to date, use trusted lobbies, and play the campaign offline if you're unsure.
• Private and bot matches let you practise multiplayer without public lobbies.
• Controller support is available on PC.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping optional campaign missions. You'll miss upgrades.
• Buying for public multiplayer without checking populations. Lobbies can be empty at off-peak times.
• Running straight lines in multiplayer. Use thrust and wall-runs.
• Wasting payloads. Hold them for key moments.
• Opening too many Zombies doors early. Pace spending so you can afford perks and Pack-a-Punch.
• Playing Zombies easter eggs blind. Follow a guide.

Advanced Tips

• Specialist mode is worth a second run; it changes combat significantly.
• Mission Team contracts give extra XP; always have one active.
• Combine Salvage on one favourite weapon's Epic variant for a strong upgrade.
• Zombies co-op roles: one player trains, others run objectives.
• Use the Jackal's upgrades before hard dogfight missions.

FAQ

Is Infinite Warfare still active on PC? Official updates ended in 2017. Multiplayer lobbies are small, but campaign and Zombies (solo or with friends) still work.

Does Infinite Warfare include Modern Warfare Remastered? Not in this Steam listing. MWR was bundled with the Legacy editions at launch; check what your purchase includes.

How many Zombies maps are there? Five: Zombies in Spaceland plus four DLC maps.

Can I play the campaign offline? Yes.

What is #YOLO mode? Permadeath: you have one life for the entire campaign. It unlocks after you finish the campaign once.

Which rig is best? It depends on playstyle. Warfighter and Merc are beginner-friendly; Synaptic suits aggressive close range.

Sources

• Steam store page: Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
• Steam news: 2017 patch notes
• Wikipedia: Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare