Chapter Summaries

Zhang Yi and the players raged after learning Shepherd had betrayed Task Force 141 and killed Ghost and Roach. Price and Soap, wanted and without support, joined forces temporarily with Makarov’s information and set out to assassinate Shepherd at H-B Base, knowing the mission was a one-way trip.

• Players realized Shepherd had used Allen, Ghost, and Roach as sacrifices to conceal his role in starting the war.
• Price and Soap, wounded and framed as criminals, decided to avenge their fallen comrades by killing Shepherd.
• Price contacted Makarov, who revealed that Shepherd was at H-B Base in Afghanistan.
• With Nikolai’s help, Price and Soap reached H-B Base, but Price refused an extraction plan and called the mission a one-way trip.

Zhang Yi played through Soap and Price’s pursuit of Shepherd, ending with Soap killing him and Nikolai rescuing the wounded survivors. The chapter left Zhang Yi relieved that Soap had survived and noted that players worldwide erupted after the game’s release.

• Soap and Price fought through Shadow Company’s forces and chased Shepherd down a raging river.
• Price shot Shepherd’s extraction aircraft, and Soap and Price plunged over a waterfall before finding Shepherd alive in the sandstorm.
• Shepherd stabbed Soap and explained that the nuclear attack five years earlier had fueled his hatred, while Price arrived and fought him.
• Soap pulled the dagger from his chest and threw it into Shepherd’s head, killing him.
• Nikolai arrived by helicopter and took Soap and Price somewhere to treat Soap’s wounds.
• Zhang Yi wondered whether Mr. Chen had spared Soap, while players worldwide reacted to the game’s release.

Players praised Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for its varied levels, memorable characters, and tragic story, while Howard Warsa concluded Atrai’s Storm Operation could not compete. Atrai delayed its game to July 10, but Nebula Games then moved Modern Warfare’s third installment forward to June 14.

• Players discussed Modern Warfare’s gameplay and mourned the deaths of characters including Ghost, Roach, Gaz, and Griggs.
• Designers admired Modern Warfare’s visuals, varied level design, shooting, and large-scale environments.
• Howard Warsa judged Storm Operation inferior to Modern Warfare, especially in its scale and supporting characters.
• Atrai delayed Storm Operation’s release until July 10, disappointing players who had been anticipating it.
• Nebula Games announced that the third installment of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare would launch on June 14 instead of June 20.

Chen Xu’s early release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 delighted players, while Zhang Yi played through the campaign as Price and Yuri pursued Makarov. Price killed Makarov at the cost of losing Soap and Yuri, and the story ended with Price alone as the credits rolled.

• Nebula Games announced that Modern Warfare 3 would launch early, surprising overseas players and delighting domestic players who saw it as a blow to the Channel Alliance.
• Zhang Yi played the campaign as Yuri, following Price and Soap as Makarov attacked them and unleashed nerve gas across Europe.
• Soap died after warning Price that Makarov knew Yuri, and Yuri confessed that he had once served Makarov before turning against him.
• Price and Yuri joined forces with allied teams to rescue the Russian President and end the war, but the mission cost the lives of Sandman and the rest of Metal squad except Frost.
• Price and Yuri stormed Makarov’s hotel hideout, where Yuri shot Makarov before dying from his wounds.
• Price killed Makarov by strangling him with a steel cable and hanging him from the shattered hotel rooftop, then sat alone smoking a cigar as the credits rolled.

After finishing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Zhang Yi and players reflected on its tragic story and the comrades lost in the war. Major outlets praised the game’s design and storytelling, with reviews emphasizing its portrayal of war’s costs.

• Zhang Yi finished the campaign, mourned Soap, Roach, and Ghost, and concluded that Price was the only survivor from SAS to Task Force 141.
• Players discussed how the game’s shifting viewpoints and character deaths made its story emotionally affecting.
• Major media outlets gave Call of Duty: Modern Warfare high scores, while Nebula Game Platform players rated it 9.5.
• Game designers admired the game’s FPS and level design, while media outlets examined its more neutral portrayal of the conflict.
• GameSpot praised the game’s modern warfare design and argued that its story showed war bringing death and loss without making players invincible.
• Other authoritative outlets published reviews that focused on the game’s anti-war themes.

Chen Xu planned to expand Call of Duty: Modern Warfare with long-term multiplayer support, Zombie Mode, and a Warzone battle royale mode. He also pursued acquisitions to build Nebula Games’ technical expertise, and defended the company’s growing spending to Lin Rou.

• Chen Xu planned to support Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s multiplayer over the long term and release a carefully adjusted Zombie Mode later.
• Chen Xu planned to use Modern Warfare’s assets and influence to develop Warzone, a faster-paced battle royale mode.
• Chen Xu decided Nebula Games needed acquisitions to build expertise beyond action and shooting games instead of relying on NetDragon or slow in-house development.
• Chen Xu approved a 30-million-dollar acquisition of a Swiss developer as Lin Rou noted that the company had spent 510 million dollars acquiring studios.
• Chen Xu told Lin Rou the acquisitions were worthwhile and explained that Nebula Games had selected technically skilled, small companies that it could absorb.

Chen Xu explained the design of the new Battle Royale mode, "Call of Duty: Warzone," to Nebula Games' developers. The team understood the mechanics, and Chen Xu told them to begin developing the mode for "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare."

• Chen Xu focused on preparations for the Battle Royale mode while negotiations to acquire a game studio continued.
• Qin Yi asked whether "Call of Duty: Warzone" was a new mode for "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare," and Chen Xu confirmed it was.
• Chen Xu explained how looting, combat, and winning made Battle Royale engaging through varied maps, drop points, safe zones, and equipment.
• Chen Xu outlined Warzone's Relic Boxes, customizable attachments, weapon rarities, missions, vehicles, Neutral Shops, and Killstreak Rewards.
• Chen Xu described Gulag Prison, where dead players could win a 1v1 match to return or be bailed out by teammates for 4,500 dollars.
• The developers understood the concept, and Chen Xu instructed them to develop the mode as soon as possible.

As Call of Duty: Modern Warfare dominated the market, Atrai lead designer Howard Warsa hoped its popularity would fade before Storm Operation released. Five days before Storm Operation’s launch, Nebula Games announced the free-to-play Warzone mode with a promotional CG and a July 6 release date.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s multiplayer popularity surged, while Storm Operation faced unfavorable comparisons and delayed its release.
• Howard Warsa tried to reassure himself that Modern Warfare’s popularity would cool before Storm Operation launched.
• Nebula Games announced the new Warzone mode and released a promotional CG featuring Captain Price, Soap, and Ghost fighting across Vondel.
• The CG showed the trio escaping the Gulag, returning to the city, and evacuating as gas engulfed the area.
• The promotional video announced that Call of Duty: Warzone would launch free to play on July 6.

The Warzone promotional video sparked debate as players and Howard Warsa assessed its battle-royale-like mechanics. Warzone opened for testing on July 6, drawing in both Call of Duty: Modern Warfare players and newcomers.

• Players analyzed the Warzone video, identifying its 150-player city, scattered gear and vehicles, Gulag fights after death, and shrinking poison circle.
• Players disagreed over whether Warzone offered novel, balanced gameplay, while some wished the video had announced story DLC.
• Howard Warsa questioned Warzone’s appeal, but atrai ordered Storm Operation to launch as planned after judging the new mode unlikely to have much impact.
• On July 6, Call of Duty: Warzone opened for testing, and curious players—including people without the base game—began downloading it.

Zhang Yi, Wang Han, and Song Ren entered Warzone’s Battle Royale mode and confronted its immersive parachute drop. After Zhang Yi chose to let Song Ren lead them, the group agreed to land at West Bay Avenue.

• Zhang Yi and Wang Han invited Song Ren to join them in Warzone, and the three chose their characters before starting a match.
• Zhang Yi rejected automatic parachuting, then opened his parachute immediately after jumping from the aircraft because he feared heights.
• Zhang Yi inspected the enormous map and noted the safe zone and the Gulag Prison deathmatch’s twenty-minute limit.
• Wang Han decided to follow Zhang Yi, and Zhang Yi told Song Ren to jump because he was afraid of heights.
• Song Ren suggested that the group land at West Bay Avenue, and Zhang Yi and Wang Han agreed.

Song Ren, Zhang Yi, and Wang Han landed at Quarry and looted weapons while two nearby squads began fighting. The trio avoided the gunfire and moved away, with Song Ren showing off skins and recoloring their guns.

• Song Ren chose to parachute to Quarry after finding that the plane's random route made West Bay Avenue unreachable.
• Song Ren spotted two squads landing nearby and marked their locations for Zhang Yi and Wang Han.
• The trio searched the factory and found guns, and Song Ren recolored his M13 and several teammates' weapons with skins.
• As the nearby squads exchanged fire, Song Ren, Zhang Yi, and Wang Han kept looting and moved away from the fight.

Song Ren, Zhang Yi, and Wang Han played Warzone, pooled their cash for an airdrop, and were eliminated in a chaotic fight. Song Ren escaped the Gulag, but after his teammates asked him to buy them back for 4,500 and 9,000 dollars, he looked at his 300 dollars and tossed a grenade at his feet.

• Song Ren, Zhang Yi, and Wang Han pooled their cash to buy an airdrop, and Song Ren took a pink M4A1 from it.
• An enemy squad attacked; Song Ren revived Zhang Yi, but the team was overwhelmed and sent to the Gulag.
• Song Ren won his Gulag match and parachuted back into the map near Farm.
• Zhang Yi asked Song Ren to buy him back for 4,500 dollars, and Wang Han asked for 9,000 dollars.
• Song Ren saw that he had only 300 dollars and tossed a frag grenade at his feet.

Players became hooked on Warzone’s Battle Royale mode as its Gulag fights, shifting match conditions, and varied loot kept each round fresh. As the mode spread online and drew strong early popularity, Chen Xu considered how future updates and hidden collectibles could sustain players’ interest.

• Song Ren, Zhang Yi, and Wang Han played Warzone together, with Song Ren and Zhang Yi escaping Gulag Prison and Wang Han earning enough money to call in a loadout drop.
• Zhang Yi lingered over looting the box of an enemy he had killed, while his teammates discussed whether they could win the match.
• Players online enthusiastically discussed Warzone, especially its Gulag duels and the money teammates could spend to revive fallen players.
• Players discovered that Warzone’s large map, changing match conditions, equipment, and poison-circle gameplay made it feel fresh compared with traditional FPS games.
• Chen Xu planned hidden clothing and accessories across Vondel and considered future content to keep Warzone engaging.
• Warzone’s launch drew popularity comparable to the initial release of the Modern Warfare trilogy.

Chen Xu watched 'Warzone' drive sales of "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" while Atrai's "Storm Operation" struggled to compete. With the game studios' acquisitions nearly complete, Chen Xu turned his attention to a new project and showed Nebula Games' core team a simple DEMO of a train raid.

• Players who tried the free 'Warzone' mode were drawn to its gameplay and visuals, and many bought "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare."
• "Storm Operation" was overshadowed by "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare," leaving Howard Warsa and Atrai's marketing department bearing the blame for the game's poor performance.
• Chen Xu stopped paying attention to "Storm Operation" and focused on preparing Nebula Games' next project.
• Chen Xu, Qin Yi, Ruan Ningxue, and Nebula Games' core team watched a DEMO featuring masked bandits leaping onto a moving train as horses raced through the wilderness and trams crossed modern cities.

Chen Xu revealed that Nebula Games had acquired studios for their technology and announced Red Dead Redemption as its next major project. He assigned the Overseas Branch to lead development of a cinematic open-world game set in the fading Wild West.

• Chen Xu explained to Ruan Ningxue and the others that Nebula Games had bought studios to obtain technology for a single, ambitious game.
• Chen Xu said the team would coordinate with the acquired studios, build a vast world, and use VR-themed login interfaces to involve players in testing and promotion.
• Chen Xu decided to develop Red Dead Redemption to strengthen Nebula Games' position in overseas markets.
• Chen Xu introduced Red Dead Redemption to Qin Yi and the Overseas Branch as a story about outlaws facing the final twilight of the Wild West in 1899.
• Chen Xu clarified that the game would be a cinematic open-world experience, rather than an FPS.

Atrai announced a Western-themed game adapted from the novel Beautiful Era, drawing attention after Storm Operation failed. Chen Xu began preparations for Red Dead Redemption 2 and secured preliminary approval from Yang Chen, who required close oversight and a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare-level rating.

• Atrai promoted designer Antolini and announced his adaptation of Beautiful Era, while Antolini criticized Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for limiting player freedom and sparked arguments online.
• Chen Xu prioritized Red Dead Redemption 2’s art preparation, starting with the small town of Valentine and its surrounding farms.
• Chen Xu presented Red Dead Redemption 2 to Yang Chen and argued that its story used the Van der Linde gang and Arthur Morgan’s redemption to criticize Beautiful Country.
• Chen Xu explained how Nebula Games would reduce graphic violence and distinguish the realistic VR game from reality, including consequences such as wanted notices and bounty hunters.
• Yang Chen approved the project with ongoing Game Department oversight and a rating matching Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, then warned Chen Xu that Atrai’s Western-themed game would add pressure.

After Red Dead Redemption 2 passed review, Chen Xu explained its unconventional view of the West and its story to the development team. Yang Xin was shocked to learn that Arthur Morgan died and John Marston took over, while Chen Xu insisted players would understand.

• Chen Xu said Red Dead Redemption 2 had passed review quickly amid the escalating rivalry between Huanyu and Zeus, and he had chosen it partly in response to Atrai's Western-themed project.
• Ruan Ningxue showed Chen Xu concept art, and he told her the team needed to stay ahead of Atrai's development schedule.
• Qin Yi and Yang Xin reported on early preparations, and Chen Xu assigned Yang Xin's team to develop the game with help from Western history professors.
• Chen Xu described Red Dead Redemption 2 as a critique of romanticized cowboy myths, portraying a harsh West where savagery and civilization coexisted.
• Yang Xin read the story outline and was stunned that protagonist Arthur Morgan died and John Marston replaced him.
• Chen Xu said Arthur's sacrifice completed his redemption and that John served as proof of Arthur's existence, leaving Yang Xin unconvinced.

Chen Xu outlined Red Dead Redemption’s cinematic open-world direction and detailed the visual and environmental features the team would build to make its world feel real. He left the developers confronting the technical demands of a seamless world and a long initial loading time.

• Chen Xu rejected NetDragon’s proposal to add a Warzone mode to Rainbow Six because its tactical design conflicted with Battle Royale gameplay, though he left room for possible crossover content.
• Chen Xu gathered Qin Yi, Lin Tao, and the core team to explain that Red Dead Redemption would use a cinematic open-world approach centered on a vast, explorable world and a story about Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang.
• Chen Xu called for top-tier visuals and detailed effects, including changing weather, reflections, and physical changes to the player character.
• Chen Xu explained that the game’s world needed to feel real even though its main quests would be restrictive and story-driven.
• Chen Xu proposed loading nearby assets gradually and hiding asset loading during travel animations, but Qin Yi and the others warned that this could require one or two minutes of initial loading.
• Chen Xu accepted the long loading time as a compromise for quality and suggested adding playable content to loading screens to ease the wait.

Chen Xu refined Nebula Games’ plans for “Red Dead Redemption 2,” aiming to make John Marston more capable while easing frustrating gameplay controls. As atrai prepared “Beautiful World,” Antolini learned that Chen Xu’s next Western game had introduced Arthur Morgan.

• Chen Xu planned to portray John Marston as more independent after Arthur Morgan completed his redemption and to add options for troublesome controls.
• NetDragon explored Battle Royale gameplay as “Warzone” remained popular, while atrai’s “Beautiful World” drew growing industry and player attention.
• Antolini proposed a Western story about time-traveling humans and robot assassins, but atrai rejected the idea and told him to focus on a straightforward Western game.
• An assistant told Antolini that Nebula Games had announced a Western project, and Antolini opened Chen Xu’s Official Blog.
• Chen Xu’s concept art introduced Arthur Morgan as the Van der Linde gang’s third-in-command and one of the West’s greatest gunslingers.

Chen Xu announced Nebula Games’ Western-themed Red Dead Redemption, drawing attention from players and concern from Atrai. Nebula then released a free Farm Life environment theme, and Zhang Yi and Song Ren downloaded it, where its opening prompt surprised Zhang Yi.

• Chen Xu posted an image introducing Arthur Morgan, prompting players to speculate that Nebula Games was making a Western game.
• Antolini resented Nebula’s entry into the Western market but decided to take the project seriously and wait for its development to progress.
• Nebula Games announced a free Red Dead Redemption environment theme for users of its game platform.
• Zhang Yi spotted the announcement, and Song Ren urged him to download the theme.
• Zhang Yi opened the downloaded Farm Life theme and paused at its first prompt.