Why Modern Warfare 4’s Multiplayer Score Had to Stay Unpredictable

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s composer has described how music for multiplayer must follow a more adaptable setup than the campaign, especially because the score has to react to “dramatic moments” while “you have no idea how any given match is going to unfold” and “Multiplayer is completely unpredictable.”

In a conversation about his creative approach to the game’s online soundtrack and what shaped the writing process, Jason Graves said composing for a competitive mode is very different from working on a story-driven experience with fixed narrative beats, since the unknown always has to be considered.

The main contrast comes from how the music works inside the game, Graves said. In a single-player campaign, the player usually follows a story with set characters, places, and major moments, so it is simpler to determine what is happening and when it happens.

He added that multiplayer is unpredictable, which means the composer has to think beyond the limits of a typical story score.

Because no match can be planned in advance, the music has to fit a more adaptable structure. It is less about guiding a plot and more about backing the player’s experience without interrupting the action.

During the same discussion, Graves noted that multiplayer has a completely different feel from the campaign, and that the soundtrack should make players sense that at any given instant, anything might occur.

He said much of the goal was to capture speed and raw energy, describing his role as something like a musical version of Master Sergeant Apone in Aliens, building up the team before combat, keeping everyone sharp during the fight, and giving them something to enjoy when they return. “Every meal's a banquet! Every paycheck's a fortune! Every formation a parade!”

• Campaign music follows a planned story and known dramatic beats.
• Multiplayer music must adapt to changing, uncertain match flow.
• The score aims to support action without distracting from gameplay.
• Forward drive and intensity were central ideas in the composition.