Revamped Call of Duty Emblem Pays Homage to Classic Modern Warfare 2 Easter Egg

A dedicated fan recently spotted a humorous reference to the first Modern Warfare 2 game in a newly debuted emblem of Call of Duty. The original game is still widely recognized as one of the best in the Call of Duty series, with many of its trademark features still used in current games. One such feature is the emblem customization, which was introduced in Modern Warfare 2 and has been a popular aspect among fans ever since. However, this discovery was made around the same time that streamer NickMercs' bundle was removed due to controversial tweets.

The latest sticker in the Call of Duty franchise's emblem collection pays homage to the game that started it all. The Hacked patch, which is included in the Throwback Audio Pack for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, is actually the 10th Prestige emblem from the original MW2. However, the emblem was impossible to obtain legitimately, so seeing a player displaying it was a clear indication that they had either hacked the game or participated in a hacked session in the past. Despite being visible in the 2009 game's unlockables menu, the developers never explained why it was unobtainable through regular play. Fans had speculated that it would require completing every Prestige Mode challenge or be a reward for an unfinished AK-47 challenge. The "Hacked" moniker attached to the emblem in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 reboot is a clever nod to those times.

According to veteran players on Reddit, the 10th Prestige emblem was highly coveted and often the target of scams promising access to hacked lobbies in exchange for Xbox gift cards back in 2010. However, user lifeofwatto had a more positive experience when a benevolent hacker gifted all in-game unlockables to their lobby, leaving their younger self feeling overjoyed. Recently, the Throwback Audio Pack bundle was introduced to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, featuring classic weapon sounds, a Hacked emblem, Classic Soap operator skin, and a "Good ol' Days" loading screen. The bundle was released as part of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Season 3, which began on May 10.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.