Holy crap: Rust looks gorgeous in this fan-created Modern Warfare 2 remaster

Remember when Modern Warfare 2 Remastered dropped earlier this year and didn't include the multiplayer? One group of fans weren't too happy about that, so they're remastering it themselves. After months of work, the team behind the unofficial remaster recently dropped an impressive showcase of MW2's most legendary map—Rust.

Ah yes, the dusty haven that hosted countless quickscoping showdowns and some of my greatest killstreaks of 2009. The remaster looks very faithful to the 2009 original, so it's interesting to learn that this version was actually recreated within 2015's Black Ops 3, according to the mod team's official Discord. That means this mod also has no ties to the official Modern Warfare 2 campaign remaster.

That definitely got me curious at just how much the mod will feel like MW2. The mod's Q&A says the aim is to "bring back the golden days of Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer," but clarifies that the project is "not a remake like Modern Warfare Remastered was. Only the graphics are being overhauled."

Despite that statement, one developer clarified to me that everything from weapons, perks, and killstreaks will look and feel how they did in the original game.

But, exactly which version of classic MW2 is being recreated? Will I have to deal with those crazy-overpowered 1887 shotguns that everyone ran with Akimbo at launch? The team is picking and choosing returning elements to find the right balance of nostalgia and fun. That means, thankfully, the 1887s will be the post-nerf versions. In the case of the One Man Army perk, the mod will actually make a tweak that never made it to the original game by not replenishing explosives when switching classes on-the-fly.

With a plan for at least nine multiplayer maps, the mod sounds promising. I'm still curious to see how well the feel of MW2 can be recreated in a game made by a different studio six years later, though. Sadly, it could be a while before we find out. There's no official release date for the mod quite yet.

To hold you over, there's actually an official Rust remake that's absolutely worth your time—the equally gorgeous version playable right now in Modern Warfare 2019.

Thanks, Charlie INTEL