ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops

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ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops
Developer(s)SOI Studios
Publisher(s)Monsteristic
SeriesShooterofIO
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platform(s)
ReleaseNovember 10, 2023
Genre(s)First-person shooter
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops (stylised as ShooterofIO: Modern Ops)[1] is a 2023 first-person shooter video game developed by SOI Studios, and published by Monsteristic. It is the first entry in the Modern Ops sub-series and the first installment in the overall ShooterofIO series. The game was released on November 10, 2023, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.[2][3]

Modern Ops features a realistic and modern setting. The story follows multi-national special operations unit Task Force 161 tracking down Vladimir Makarov, a Russian ultranationalist and terrorist planning to trigger a third World War. The game's multiplayer includes sixteen maps, with at least twelve new maps planned for inclusion post-launch. A open-world mode called Operations was included at launch featuring gameplay mechanics regarding extraction based survival and Zombies. Modern Ops was integrated with ShooterofIO: Wargrounds (2023) and features various new features and innovations.

SOI Studios began developing the game in 2019 when they were formed by Monsteristic. They started developing a modern day game set in the franchise prior to Monsteristic's announcement of the game. After a series of teasers in early-to-mid 2023, the game was officially revealed in August 2023,[4] with a showcase event and public beta also taking place in October. Upon release, Modern Ops received positive reviews, with criticism for its lack of originality. A sequel, titled ShooterofIO: Modern Ops 2, was released on November 3, 2025.

Gameplay[edit | edit source]

The player aiming at a group of enemies with their weapon. The enemy radar is visible in the top left.

ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops is a first-person shooter. A character can be in one of three stances: standing, crouching, or prone, each affecting the character's rate of movement, accuracy, and stealth. Using cover helps the player avoid enemy fire or recover health after taking significant damage. As such, there are no armor or health power-ups. When the character has taken damage, the edges of the screen glow red, the character's heartbeat increases. If the character stays out of fire, the character can recover. When the character is within blast radius of a live grenade, a marker indicates the direction of the grenade, helping the player either flee or toss it back to the enemy. The game's single player campaign features a mixture of linear missions, and open-world missions known as "Open Combat Missions".[5] In these missions, players have greater freedom to choose how they want to approach designated objectives, choosing between open combat to stealth and ambush tactics.[6] Players have access to an on-screen map of the area, including a tactical map that outlines objectives and usual equipment,[7] with caches of weapons, gear and specialized equipment on hand. Enemies react accordingly during such missions, searching for players if they lose sight of them, and calling in reinforcements as their numbers decrease in combat.[8]

In Multiplayer, sixteen maps are available to play on,[9] with the added ability to vote for maps while in a matchmade lobby (which was absent in some recent titles), and increased player health for longer "time-to-kill" (TTK).[10] The "red dot" minimap is featured, allowing players to see enemies on their radar when they fire a weapon without a suppressor.[11] In addition, players are also able to cancel sliding animations (i.e "slide cancel"). Classic game modes such as "Kill Confirmed" and "Hardpoint" return alongside a new game mode titled "Cutthroat", where three teams of three players go head to head.[12] Players can also engage in the 32v32 "Ground War" mode with a selection of dedicated maps, as well as the "War" mode, returning from 2017's ShooterofIO: WWII. The game features moderation powered by artificial intelligence, listening in on in-game interactions and immediately reporting any overly-toxic behavior.[13] At least twelve new 6v6 multiplayer maps have been confirmed to release post-launch, while fan-favorite Modern Ops II maps will also be added every season.[14][15]

An open world player versus environment (PvE) mode called Operations is included in the game. The game mode is structured similarly to the DMZ mode in Call of Duty: Warzone (2022). Up to 24 players play together as separate squads in a large-sized map, which is also used as the new battle royale map for Wargrounds. Each team can tackle zombies, as well as AI-controlled human enemies, to complete objectives around the map, as well as collect loot and sell them at buy stations, or extract them via exfiltration. In place of rounds, the map is divided into "zones", with varying levels of threat indicating the difficulty. After 45 minutes of in-match time, an "Aether Storm" begins to expand and cover the map, leaving players with 15 minutes to exfil with their loot. Core mechanics from previous Zombies modes return, such as weapon wallbuys, Perk-a-Cola drinks, and the Mystery Box. Players can also extract "acquisitions", which are items that can be stored or brought into subsequent matches for use, or "schematics", which allow them to craft said items, with a cooldown limit. Story quests are also featured in the mode, which further progress the narrative.[16]

Plot[edit | edit source]

Campaign[edit | edit source]

In November 2023, a paramilitary syndicate known as Black Larch executes a coordinated assault on the Kollekt Prison Compound, a maximum-security facility in northwestern Kalibia, a post-Soviet republic undergoing political transition. Their objective is the extraction of Anton Sokol, a former deep-state architect and war criminal believed dead since his capture during the 2012 Odessa insurrection. Intelligence agencies had kept Sokol’s existence classified due to his role in designing psychological warfare programs and his connection to a failed NATO-backed proxy operation in Eastern Europe. Within hours of his escape, Black Larch launches a missile strike on a naval base in Montrevieux, a neutral coastal nation used by Western powers for clandestine logistics, killing 49 personnel and drawing international scrutiny.

The strike is initially blamed on separatist groups in the region, but when satellite surveillance captures footage of the same model missiles seen in Kalibia being moved through a Montrevieux harbor weeks before the attack, suspicion turns toward internal sabotage. NATO command contacts independent intelligence officer Marin Davor, who assembles a black ops unit consisting of infiltration specialist Elias Wren, former Europol analyst Julia Varga, and urban combat expert Ayaan Rafiq. The team is tasked with tracing the origins of the smuggled missile and uncovering how Sokol was able to orchestrate a prison escape under full international surveillance.

The investigation leads the team to an abandoned oil research facility in central Anatolia, where they uncover a makeshift lab designed to refine an experimental compound known as Zeront-4, a neurochemical agent intended to mimic the effects of mass psychosis in target populations. Traces of the compound suggest that Black Larch intends to use it not only as a weapon, but also as a psychological tool—mirroring Sokol’s past experiments. Before the team can secure the facility, Black Larch operatives destroy it using thermite explosives, forcing the squad to evacuate under fire.

Back in Brussels, Davor is pulled into an emergency intelligence summit, where he is warned not to pursue Sokol further. Realizing he is being boxed out by political forces seeking deniability, he sends Wren and Rafiq to intercept a convoy moving through the border between Sarmatia and eastern Kalibia. The convoy is transporting Mirek Jalov, Sokol’s chief financier and a key link to a rogue weapons development lab housed under a disused hydroelectric facility. Jalov reveals that Sokol’s goal is to test Zeront-4 on a civilian population and trigger a crisis large enough to fracture NATO alignment on regional stability efforts.

Meanwhile, Varga works with whistleblowers inside the Sarmatian intelligence network to locate the next target: the city of Velgrad, a critical transportation and information hub where Black Larch has embedded a sleeper network within the city’s emergency services. The plan is to trigger a chemical release disguised as an accidental infrastructure failure. With time running out, the team deploys across Velgrad, neutralizing multiple detonation sites and uncovering evidence that Sokol intends to use a secondary target—the Orion Tunnel, an undersea transit link between Velgrad and Kharvan, to collapse trade and supply routes across the region.

In a final, multi-pronged operation, Wren leads an assault on the Orion Tunnel command center while Varga and Rafiq intercept a hijacked civilian freight train carrying canisters of Zeront-4. In a last-ditch confrontation inside the tunnel system, Sokol attempts to release the gas manually after remote detonation systems fail. Wren confronts him in hand-to-hand combat. The team succeeds in securing the compound, but at the cost of Rafiq’s life, who sacrifices himself to ensure the final canisters are destroyed in a controlled detonation.

In the aftermath, NATO issues no official statement on the incident. Davor, disillusioned by the silence and political maneuvering, resigns from his post. Wren and Varga return to unofficial operations, observing from a distance as a wave of high-level resignations quietly ripples through several intelligence agencies. In the final scene, Sokol’s name appears on a decrypted flash drive inside a secure facility in Avalon, flagged under a new clearance level labeled "Crimson Class." A figure at the terminal closes the laptop, revealing the threat remains unresolved.

Operations[edit | edit source]

On July 16th, 2023, Victor Shari spearheaded a daring operation in the obscure town of Azariah, a place lost in time and shrouded in secrecy, notable for harboring a clandestine prison constructed in the 1970s, its purpose unknown until now. Joined by his adept accomplice, Jackson, they initiated a fierce confrontation with the local law enforcement, causing chaos and confusion amidst the narrow alleyways and dilapidated corridors of the town. Their bold endeavor led them to a concealed wall, previously identified through meticulous research, which concealed the entrance to the long-hidden prison. Upon breaching the wall, they were confronted with a chilling scene: six bodies, expressions of agony permanently etched on their faces, and, more shockingly, a vault housing four tubes of Dark Aether Shards, a mysterious and potent material.

The discovery of the Dark Aether Shards filled Victor and Jackson with both awe and trepidation. Victor, with careful precision, secured the shards in a specialized case, preparing for their escape. However, their situation quickly deteriorated as they encountered heightened resistance from the reinforced police forces, resulting in casualties among their ranks and a serious injury to Victor. In a desperate move to escape, Victor employed one of the Dark Aether Shards, causing a massive explosion that transformed the battlefield. Soldiers, both dead and alive, were transformed into zombies, exhibiting feral and inhuman traits, marking the birth of a terrifying new weapon that promised to alter the future of warfare. As they fled Azariah, the town's fate was sealed, irrevocably changed by their actions.

Meanwhile, a specialized team comprising John Price, Soap MacTavish, and Sergei Ravenov prepared for an unprecedented mission aboard a covert aircraft, their objective clear yet daunting: to confront the undead horde unleashed by Victor's actions. The gravity of their mission was palpable, with each member bringing unique skills and experiences to the table, particularly Ravenov, whose prior encounters with similar anomalies made him the operation's lead. They landed at an undisclosed location, armed with an arsenal of weapons and experimental technology, including a classified serum and blueprints for an EMP device, underscoring the seriousness of their undertaking. Their resolve was firm: to fight not just for national security but for humanity's survival against a rapidly spreading undead threat.

In the aftermath, Victor Shari and Jackson ventured into the Forest of the Dead, a haunting and malevolent landscape far removed from the now-desolate Azariah. The catastrophic impact of the Dark Aether Shards had reached far beyond their initial encounter, transforming Azariah into a wasteland overrun by the undead. Their ambitions, however, faced immediate opposition from Price, MacTavish, and Ravenov, who confronted them in a tense standoff. Despite Victor's claim of controlling the undead, the task force strategically retreated, marking only the beginning of a larger conflict. As both factions regrouped, they were unaware of the profound challenges that lay ahead, with Victor's manipulation of the Dark Aether hinting at a power struggle that could dictate the fate of humanity.

Victor's descent into madness, fueled by the corruptive influence of the Dark Aether, led to a tragic confrontation in a hidden laboratory, where he inadvertently killed Jackson, his closest ally. His spiraling loss of control mirrored the broader chaos unleashed upon the world, as he and the task force led by Price, MacTavish, and Ravenov prepared for a climactic showdown. With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, both sides found themselves embroiled in a conflict that transcended conventional warfare, facing an enemy whose ambitions had evolved into a cosmic threat. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes a harrowing journey through darkness and despair, a testament to the profound cost of wielding powers beyond human comprehension, setting the stage for a final, desperate bid to restore order and prevent a catastrophe of unprecedented scale.

Development[edit | edit source]

ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops was devloped by a team of 60 people, over the course of a year and a half. After being aquired by Monsteristic, the SOI Studios team decided to create a first-person shooter video game, that would be supported for two years before moving to a potential sequel if the game was successful. At first, the game was simply going to be titled "Modern Ops". Three months into development, the game title was changed to simply "ShooterofIO". Shortly before the reveal of the game in 2023, it was retitled to be ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops. The team changed the title to what it is due to them learning of Air Studios' upcoming game as an installment in the series of games, with them deciding to make things a franchise.

While developing the story for ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops, SOI Studios chose to avoid referencing current, real-life wars, and keep the series' common theme of two opposing forces of similar strength. To enhance the realistic feel of the game, the development team attended a live-fire exercise at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, a training facility in the California desert. This helped the developers to simulate the effects of being near an Abrams tank when it fires. The team also talked with U.S. Marines who were recently in combat to get a feel for the background, emotions, and attitude of Marines in combat. Veterans were also recruited to supervise motion capture sessions and the artificial intelligence design of the game.

The development team designed the online multiplayer component to be balanced and rewarding for new players while still offering something for experienced players. An early idea to implement air support (air strikes and attack helicopters) involved players fighting over special zones to access a trigger for air support against enemies. This idea was discarded because it discouraged the type of deathmatch gameplay they intended. The killstreak reward system was put in its place to encourage the improvement of player skills. Players were allowed to select weapons before matches to get accustomed to weapons more easily and minimize weapon hunting. Maps were designed primarily for deathmatch games—the developers felt such designs suited other types of gameplay as well. Map layouts were designed to minimize locations players could hide from enemy gunfire.

Leaks[edit | edit source]

A large amount of content for Modern Ops was leaked before being officially revealed. Around July 17, 2023, the "red dot" minimap, War mode, and new perks were leaked from an internal alpha build. On July 24, 2023, the game's key art was leaked in a Monster Energy promotion, featuring an image of Captain Price behind the Modern Ops logo. Around the time of the key art leak, several new weapons were datamined. The key art leak was confirmed real by Monsteristic, who issued copyright takedowns and acknowledged the leak via Twitter with sarcastic tweets.

Music[edit | edit source]

Walter Mair composed the score for Modern Ops, following Sarah Schachner's departure from the rebooted Modern Ops sub-series over challenges in the working dynamic with SOI Studios's audio director. Mair has previously worked with the ShooterofIO franchise on ShooterofIO: Mobile. In addition to Mair's score, Modern Ops also features a Zombies score composed by Jack Wall, who frequently partners with Air Studios on the Dark Warfare sub-series.

Marketing[edit | edit source]

On August 7, 2023, a teaser trailer was posted, confirming the title. Around this time, a phone number was set up by Activision that was shared via social media. This phone number, after participants agreed to a few terms, would begin sending anonymous messages to participants, such as "we need someone like you, with experience in Al Mazrah."

Modern Ops was released on November 10, 2023, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The campaign was released in early access for all digital pre-orders, starting from November 2, 2023.

Post-launch content[edit | edit source]

Modern Ops features free seasonal content updates with an in-game store selling cosmetic item bundles via microtransactions.

Seasons[edit | edit source]

Season number Season name Release date Description
1 Season One December 6, 2023 Season 1 of ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops kicks off with a major content drop, including the introduction of the highly anticipated War Campaign and five new multiplayer maps. The season also features updates to Wargrounds with new map areas, modes, and in-game events, along with the return of the Zombies mode, continuing the Dark Aether storyline. New weapons, operators, and gameplay enhancements round out the season's offerings.
2 Season Two February 8, 2024 Season 2 of ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops introduces several new features, including the addition of five new multiplayer maps, the revival of the Resurgence mode in Wargrounds, and the continuation of the Dark Aether storyline in Zombies mode. The season also adds new weapons, operators, and gameplay adjustments, such as a new Battle Pass system and progression updates. Significant changes to Wargrounds include a revamped Gulag and new points of interest on the map.
3 Season Three April 3, 2024 Season 3 of ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops brings significant updates, including six new Core 6v6 maps, the return of Rebirth Island in Wargrounds, and the continuation of the Dark Aether story in Zombies mode. New multiplayer modes like Capture the Flag and Minefield are introduced, alongside four new weapons, eight Aftermarket Parts, and new perks. The season launched on April 3.
4 Season Four May 29, 2024 Season 4 of ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops features three new 6v6 maps, including a Tokyo nightlife map and a Paris-based battlefield. The season also introduces a new Zombies experience called the Unstable Rift and significant updates to Wargrounds, including new bunker exits and Gulag variants in Urzikstan. Additionally, players can explore new multiplayer modes like Hyper Cranked and Havoc, unlock new weapons and killstreaks, and participate in a Critical Countdown Event.
5 Season Five July 24, 2024 Season 5 of ShooterofIO 1: Modern Ops brings new maps, including the return of classic locations, along with new modes like Outlast and Bounty. The Zombies mode introduces a fresh storyline in the Bloodline Saga, and Wargrounds gets updates with new areas, challenges, and in-game events. This season also introduces new weapons and customization options, expanding gameplay possibilities.

Collaberations[edit | edit source]

Monsteristic partners with several media franchises to feature celebrities and licensed characters in the playable roster for the multiplayer mode. New additions include: Paul Atreides and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen from the film Dune: Part Two; A-Train and Firecracker from Amazon Prime Video's The Boys TV series; Rick Grimes and Michonne from AMC's The Walking Dead TV series; the comedy duo Cheech & Chong; basketball player Devin Booker; WWE wrestlers Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes and Rey Mysterio; and Eric Draven / The Crow from the film The Crow (2024). Additional themed cosmetic packs were also released in promotion of the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, the MonsterVerse film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, the Gundam franchise, and the Fallout franchise.

Reception[edit | edit source]

Aggregator Score
Metacritic (PC) 85/100

(PS5) 92/100 (XSXS) 61/100

OpenCritic 64% recommend

The release version of Modern Ops was praised for its content for the multiplayer and zombies modes of the game; however the game's campaign componant was critised for its lack of innovation and the mode feeling shallow, short, and rushed. IGN gave the campaign a 4/10, describing it as "bizarrely cobbling together pieces of the Warzone mode into actively bad sandbox missions", but gave the rest of the game a 7/10.

Both The Guardian and Windows Central gave the game a 4 out of 5 star rating and particularly praised the multiplayer component, with the latter stating that it "perfectly executes blending old maps with modern gameplay." Bleacher Report called the campaign "disappointing", but praised the technical aspects as "top notch".

Sales[edit | edit source]

In the United Kingdom, Modern Ops topped the sales charts for the month of November 2023. However, sales figures were reported to be around 38% down from the first three weeks of its launch. In the United States, Modern Ops was the second overall best-selling game of 2023, behind Hogwarts Legacy. In Japan, the PlayStation 5 version of Modern Ops was the fourth best-selling retail game during its first week of release, with 22,132 physical copies being sold.

Accolades[edit | edit source]

Year Ceremony Category Result Ref.
2024 27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Online Game of the Year Nominated [17]
20th British Academy Games Awards Audio Achievement Nominated [18][19]
Multiplayer Nominated
Technical Achievement Longlisted [20]

Sequel[edit | edit source]

Main article: ShooterofIO: Modern Ops 2

A sequel was announced on January 27, 2025, also developed by SOI Studios, titled ShooterofIO: Modern Ops 2, was released on November 3, 2025.

External links[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ The poster omits the “1” as part of its marketing strategy, although the numeral is consistently used in all other promotional material.
  2. ↑ "Modern Ops III Platforms". ShooterofIO. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  3. ↑ "The Official Release Date for the 2023 Installment". ShooterofIO. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Announcing ShooterofIO: Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Open Combat Missions in Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  6. ↑ "Linear vs Open-World Missions in Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  7. ↑ "Tactical Map Features in Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  8. ↑ "Enemy AI Behavior in Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  9. ↑ "Multiplayer Maps in Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  10. ↑ "TTK and Health Adjustments in Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  11. ↑ "Minimap Changes in Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  12. ↑ "New Game Modes in Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  13. ↑ "AI-Powered Moderation in Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  14. ↑ "Post-Launch Content for Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  15. ↑ "Fan-Favorite Maps Returning in Modern Ops III". ShooterofIO. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  16. ↑ Warby, Nathan (2023-10-05). "Modern Warfare 3 Zombies mode: Trailer, story, gameplay, more". Charlieintel.com. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  17. ↑ "2024 Awards Category Details Online Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  18. ↑ "Bafta Games Awards 2024: Baldur's Gate 3 and Spider-Man lead nods". BBC News. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  19. ↑ "20th BAFTA Games Awards: The Nominations". BAFTA. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  20. ↑ "The 60 Best Video Games of 2023". bafta.org. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
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