Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's elusive new maps are back for good

Back in March, Activision pulled a fast one on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare players by adding two new maps, Al-Raab Airbase and Drainage, in a surprise update—before pulling them a week later. Well now they're back, and the publisher is confident they're here to stay.

Arriving without fanfare alongside mid-season updates to Black Ops – Cold War and Warzone, Modern Warfare (2019) brought back the original Modern Warfare (2007) map Killhouse alongside two brand new maps that, in hindsight, probably shouldn't have been there.

Initially only available in private games, Infinity Ward quietly pulled the maps a week later, before saying they'd eventually come back once they'd been given "a bit more love".

As spotted by Eurogamer, the new maps came back in an update earlier today. Al-Raab Airbase has been given its own 24/7 playlist, while Drainage is available to try in Gunfight's regular and Snipers Only playlists.

It's a small addition to a game that's largely been left on the backburner as Activision moves on with Cold War, Warzone, and Sledgehammer's as-yet-unnamed Call of Duty coming later this year. That game is rumoured to be returning to WW2, bringing Warzone with it back to the 1940s with a battle royale map set in the Pacific theatre.