Call of Duty is Adding TMNT Villain Shredder as a Playable Character

A new teaser revealed byCall of Dutyshows that Shredder, the main villain inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, will be coming toCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.This addition comes midway throughCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s second season.The cosmetic offerings for Activision’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2are usually meant for to the game’s existing array of Operators, or playable characters. When skins feature licensed characters, though, they can take up their own unique character slot and feature voice lines exclusive to that character. This was the case for characters like Rambo andDie Hard’s John McClane when they were added toCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Other times, though, licensed skins are for pre-existing operators and don’t have their own slot, as was the case forSaw’s Billy the Puppet andTexas Chainsaw Massacre’s Leatherfacewhen they appeared inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare.RELATED:Some Call of Duty: Warzone 2 Stats Are InaccurateWhile the name Shredder isn’t explicitly mentioned in the teaser, it’s safe to assume, based on what we see of his iconic design, that this is indeedthe fan-favoriteTMNTvillain. So far,Modern Warfare 2has yet to add any licensed characters added to the game, meaning that Shredder would be the first. The end of the teaser also mentionsCall of Duty: Warzone 2, meaning it’s likely that Shredder will appear as an operator in both games. The video gives us an extremely close look at the upcoming character. We see his iconic helmet, sharp claws, and boots before the camera pulls out at the end to reveal a full-body silhouette of Shredder wielding two swords. And if that wasn’t enough to point to this being Shredder, the tweet also includes ninja and sword emojis.

We also see a shot of an ooze-filled canister emblazoned with the name TCRI.TMNTfans will knowthat this is in reference to the Techno Cosmic Research Institute, an organization present in many iterations of the franchise. It is often a front to hide the nefarious activities of the Turtles' enemies, usually the Utroms, the alien species that Krang is a member of. Shredder is often allied with TCRI-affiliated characters, so this inclusion makes sense. TCRI was also printed on the canister of ooze responsible for mutating the four turtles, along with their adoptive father and sensei, Master Splinter.

This isn’t the first time aTMNTcharacter has made an appearance in an unrelated video game, either. The four turtles, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo,were all playable characters inInjustice 2as part of a DLC pack. The turtles have also shown up inTony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, and were even featured in aSplatoon 2Splatfest, where players fought to decide which turtle from the Nickelodeon series,Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,was their favorite.

It’s unknown if moreTMNT-themed cosmetics are to follow, but the teaser points to March 21st, which could potentially be a release date, or at the very least be when we learn more information about this collaboration.With a newTMNTmovie on the way, it’s likely that this won’t be the only time theTMNTmake their way into the gaming world this year.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X

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