Call of Duty is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop by making several rappers available as playable characters in Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone.
Following the debut of War Tracks in 2019, Call of Duty licensed some of hip-hop’s seminal tracks for players to hear while in-game. Now as part of the celebration, Call of Duty players will receive free hip-hop tracks for logging into the game between August 7 and August 16. The first three days grant a new track from the ’80s, ’90s, or ’00s. On the fourth day, users receive a special weapon blueprint for participating in all three days.
In addition, several operator bundles are available for purchase in the in-game store featuring likenesses of Snoop Dogg, Niki Minaj, and 21 Savage.
Nicki Minaj’s likeness is for an operator named ‘Red Ruby Da Sleeze,’ which the rapper named herself. “Nicki is known to break barriers in hip-hop, and this is no different; come Season 05, she will be Call of Duty’s first-ever self-named female operator.”
These avatars are available for preview before the launch of the upcoming Battle Pass. However, the 21 Savage operator bundle appears to be part of a mid-season drop that will happen later this year.
Both Snoop Dogg and Nicki Minaj are no stranger to partnering with Activision for Call of Duty promotions. But 21 Savage is a new rapper for the series. Other celebrities have also lent their appearance to the game, including soccer player Lionel Messi and basketball player Kevin Durant. The reaction to the news on social media showcases why collabs like this are popular—fans like playing as their favorite celebs.
“It’s the way I’m really finna download Call of Duty just to play as Nicki Minaj,” tweets one person who sums it up perfectly. “Me playing Call of Duty not knowing anything just cuz Nicki Minaj is in it,” tweets another. Call of Duty is a live-service game and celebrity promotions like these really help drive engagement.