zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
The Next Call of Duty Will Turn the F1 Singapore Grand Prix Into a Battlefield
The Next Call of Duty Will Turn the F1 Singapore Grand Prix Into a Battlefield-May 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:04

The upcoming — not a remake of 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but rather a sequel to 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the reboot of the original 2007 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare — will have a Formula 1-themed multiplayer map. It’s called “Marina Bay Grand Prix,” and wouldn’t you know it looks mighty familiar.

Those who follow F1 may know that the Marina Bay Street Circuit plays host to the Singapore Grand Prix, a mainstay on the series’ calendar since 2008. Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward hasn’t just created a generic amalgamation of different races here; it’s literally staging a battle on the grounds of the Singapore race. And it really is Singapore, not some made-up country or city. The only thing that’s missing is F1's branding. Are you surprised it’s nowhere to be found?

Image for article titled The Next Call of Duty Will Turn the F1 Singapore Grand Prix Into a Battlefield

If we zoom in on the garage here, we can even see a circuit map that very closely resembles the one belonging to the real-life Marina Bay venue.

Image for article titled The Next Call of Duty Will Turn the F1 Singapore Grand Prix Into a Battlefield

The skirmish looks to take place while the track is still live. That doesn’t really make sense, but we’re talking about Call of Duty, a franchise that once set a military conflict at a transit center where at regular intervals. It’s unclear if running F1 cars will present a similar environmental hazard on this map, though I’d bet on it based on the teaser footage.

We’re also talking about F1, a sport that earlier this year decided to on an oil refinery 10 miles from the track. Many drivers wanted to boycott the event, but they were eventually swayed otherwise when informed of “the possible consequences of not racing, such as how easily teams and drivers would be able to leave the country if the race did not happen,” per a BBC report at the time.

That whole episode made F1 look really bad, which is why I wouldn’t be at all surprised if F1 decided to challenge Call of Duty publisher Activision over the existence of this map. For the most part there’s no legal barrier against recreating a real place in a video game, so long as the place in question isn’t a private property, or doesn’t involve a copyrighted work or entity. That can even include architecture or a sporting event.

Sometimes publishers can dance around the red tape. Up until 2013, Gran Turismo included the Circuit de Monaco in unlicensed form, called “Côte d’Azur.” Then again, sometimes they can’t. More than a decade ago Sony pulled a completed track from the release version of Gran Turismo 5, called Piazza del Campo, that was set in the Italian city square of the same name .

For what it’s worth, Activision is very much leaning into the bit. There must be quite a few F1 fans in Infinity Ward’s studios:

Modern Warfare II is scheduled to release on October 28.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I love tiny, of . I have a that is roughly half the size of a normal cat, and she’s perfect. I own a 2013 , which is like the miniature version of a normal-sized vehicle (at least here in Texas) — but beyond that, I also own a Hot...
May 12, 2025
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ? MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is...
May 12, 2025
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I have two automotive loves: The first is the Miata, the second is off-road racing. For a while I raced air-cooled Volkswagens in the deserts of California and Nevada and I was lucky enough to co-drive in a class 11 stock bug in the Baja 1000 a few years...
May 12, 2025
Subaru Had It Right All Along
Subaru Had It Right All Along
When first came to the United States, it sold small funky cars that were decidedly un-American. As the company grew its own identity and became more established in the U.S., it became the first automaker to offer an all-wheel-drive passenger car in 1975. Subaru was also an early-adopter of...
May 12, 2025
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
closed its São Bernardo Plant in November 2023, marking the end of its first overseas production facility. The closure caps off a period of continuous car production in São Paolo, , lasting over 60 years. The plant was home to a Komatsu 700-ton press that predates itself. And now...
May 12, 2025
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
At long last, we are about to get behind the wheel of for the first time. Sure, , and sure, , and sure , but hey — what can you do? Anyway, before we get behind the wheel of this three-row electric beast, we want to know what you...
May 12, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved