Spoilers for the Modern Warfare 4 campaign.
Iāve been thinking about a theory that goes all the way back to Modern Warfare (2019), when YouTuber Inkslasher discussed the possibility of Infinity Ward connecting the rebooted Modern Warfare universe to Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Back then, several operators stood out because of their masks, particularly Ghost, Mace, Nikto, and Velikan.
Now, following the events of Modern Warfare 4, I think thereās a possibility that Infinity Ward could be setting up something much bigger.
What if Simon āGhostā Riley doesnāt just survive Task Force 141? What if he eventually creates the Ghosts?
Iām not suggesting these operators are already members of a secret Ghosts organization. Iām suggesting they could eventually become its founding members.
Hereās why.
1. Simon āGhostā Riley ā The Last Man Standing
Ghost is one of the original members of the rebooted Task Force 141, alongside Captain John Price, Kyle āGazā Garrick, and Johnny āSoapā MacTavish.
By the end of Modern Warfare III, Soap is dead, murdered by Vladimir Makarov.
Then Modern Warfare 4 happens.
Gaz is executed by Archer, and Captain Price eventually kills Archer before dying himself.
That leaves Simon Riley as the last surviving member of the original Task Force 141.
Think about what that means for his character.
Heās lost Soap, Gaz, and Price. The men who were effectively his brothers are gone, and the organization that brought them together has been destroyed.
What does Ghost do now?
Does he simply return to the SAS? Retire? Continue operating alone?
Or does he do what Price did in 2019 and establish an entirely new special operations unit?
Only this time, instead of Task Force 141, the organization takes its name from its founder.
The Ghosts.
2. Mace ā The Most Important Connection
Mace might be one of the strongest pieces of this theory.
Introduced in Modern Warfare (2019), Mace is a former U.S. Army Ranger who became a mercenary.
He joined the Jackals and operated in South Africa, earning a reputation for brutal tactics. His distinctive mask bears an obvious resemblance to Ghostās, although Mace wears a metal skull mask.
But hereās the interesting part.
According to his expanded character lore, Mace actually served alongside Simon Riley in the same military unit before becoming a mercenary.
That means the two arenāt simply unrelated operators who happen to wear skull masks.
They have a history together.
Mace also has connections to Shadow Company. He served with the organization, left, and eventually returned in Modern Warfare II after Konni-backed forces attacked his men in Africa.
So Mace has connections to Ghost, Shadow Company, and the wider mercenary world.
If Ghost wanted to build a new organization outside conventional military command, Mace would be an obvious person to approach.
Of all the potential recruits, Mace has perhaps the clearest personal connection to Simon Riley.
3. Nikto ā The Former FSB Agent Who Became a Mercenary Leader
Nikto has one of the most interesting backgrounds of any masked operator.
He was introduced in Modern Warfare (2019) as a former Russian FSB deep-cover operative.
At some point, Nikto was captured and tortured by Victor Zakhaev, also known as Mr. Z, who was connected to Al-Qatala.
The torture left Niktoās face severely disfigured, explaining why he wears his distinctive black mask.
His background also references psychological trauma, although the full extent of its effects remains unclear.
Following these events, Nikto became involved with the Allegiance and the Spetsnaz elements of Armistice during the conflict in Verdansk.
Interestingly, he also worked with the CIA in the effort to hunt Victor Zakhaev.
But his story didnāt end there.
By October 2022, Nikto had gone AWOL.
When he resurfaced in Modern Warfare IIās Season Four, he appeared in Vondel with a mysterious armed group attempting to seize control of the city.
Official descriptions characterize him as an exceptionally capable soldier, a calculated operator, and a natural leader.
And that brings us to Modern Warfare 4.
We now have another operator whose biography explicitly connects him to Nikto.
His name is Blix.
4. Blix ā The Connection That Made Me Reconsider Everything
Blix is one of the new masked operators in Modern Warfare 4.
Unlike Hunter Killer, whose personal background remains largely unknown, Blix actually has a surprisingly detailed biography.
He formerly served in South Koreaās Special Warfare Command.
During a covert border operation, he was captured and subjected to extended imprisonment.
He survived, but eventually found himself caught in a network of foreign captives being deployed into proxy conflicts.
His experiences fundamentally changed his understanding of warfare.
Blix developed a rigid philosophy centered on survival and combat, even tattooing tactical doctrines and survival codes across his body.
His efficiency and apparent indifference to physical trauma eventually attracted the attention of another masked operator.
Nikto.
According to Blixās Modern Warfare 4 biography, Nikto personally recruited him to serve as one of his premier operatives.
This is important.
Weāre no longer talking about two unrelated characters who happen to wear masks.
We have an established relationship between a veteran masked mercenary leader from Modern Warfare (2019) and a newly introduced masked operator in Modern Warfare 4.
If Ghost eventually approached Nikto to form a new coalition, Blix could potentially follow him.
And given that Modern Warfare 4 centers heavily on the Korean Peninsula, Blixās South Korean military background could become relevant.
5. Hunter Killer ā The Unknown Variable
Hunter Killer is another masked operator introduced in Modern Warfare 4.
Heās associated with the South Korean Quick Reaction Force in multiplayer, and his voice lines include Korean.
But unlike Blix, Hunter Killer doesnāt have a comparably detailed personal biography.
His identity, original military history, and motivations remain largely unknown.
That makes him difficult to place in this theory.
He could be an entirely unrelated operator created for multiplayer.
But itās also possible that Infinity Ward intends to develop his character later.
For now, Iām including Hunter Killer as a potential candidate rather than evidence of an established connection.
6. Velikan ā The Shadow Company Wildcard
Velikan was introduced in Modern Warfare (2019) as one of Shadow Companyās most mysterious operators.
His real name, nationality, and much of his background are classified or redacted.
Even his original biography emphasizes that his reputation has become almost mythical.
In Modern Warfare II, Velikan served as the heavily armed warden of Building 21, a secretive facility controlled by Shadow Company.
Players could encounter him as a boss during DMZ operations.
However, Building 21 eventually fell to Konni Group, forcing Velikan out.
Following those events, his relationship with Shadow Company became somewhat ambiguous.
He was available for SpecGru operations, and there were indications that he was operating independently or had become a target in DMZ.
Yet in Modern Warfare 4, Velikan is once again officially listed as a Shadow Company operator.
So what happened?
Did he reconcile with Shadow Company? Was he never truly disloyal? Or is the multiplayer affiliation simply reflecting his established identity rather than revealing his current narrative loyalties?
We donāt have a definitive answer.
But if Velikan ever permanently broke away from Shadow Company, heād be another possible recruit for a new organization operating outside conventional military and PMC command structures.
7. What If This Is How the Ghosts Are Created?
Now hereās where all of this comes together.
The original Call of Duty: Ghosts, released in 2013, introduced an elite American special operations unit known as the Ghosts.
They were legendary soldiers who operated behind enemy lines, concealed their identities, and undertook missions that conventional forces couldnāt.
Their signature appearance involved skull-patterned masks.
The original game had its own continuity and its own explanation for the unitās origins.
But Infinity Ward has already demonstrated a willingness to reinvent characters and organizations for the rebooted Modern Warfare universe.
So what if they eventually reinvent the Ghosts as well?
Imagine a future game where Simon Riley, having lost everyone in Task Force 141, begins assembling a new team.
Not necessarily from one countryās military.
Not necessarily from a single private military company.
Instead, he recruits experienced operators from across the world, including men with complicated histories and no clear place left in their former organizations.
Consider the possible founding lineup:
ā Ghost: Former Task Force 141 operator and potential founder.
ā Mace: Former Army Ranger, Shadow Company mercenary, and someone who already has a history with Ghost.
ā Nikto: Former FSB operative, experienced mercenary leader, and someone with his own recruitment network.
ā Blix: Former South Korean special warfare operator personally recruited by Nikto.
ā Velikan: Mysterious Shadow Company veteran whose ultimate loyalties remain uncertain.
ā Hunter Killer: A masked operator with an unknown background who could potentially be developed in a future storyline.
Each would bring different experiences, connections, and motivations.
And instead of the Ghosts simply being another conventional military unit, they could become an international clandestine coalition.
An organization of people who have lost their old identities, their units, or their allegiances.
An organization built around the legacy of Task Force 141.
8. Why the Masks Matter
I donāt think wearing a mask automatically means someone is destined to become a Ghost.
There are plenty of masked operators throughout Call of Duty who have nothing to do with one another.
But the masks could become symbolically important.
Ghost wears his skull mask as part of his identity.
Mace wears a similar skull mask and has an established connection to him.
Nikto conceals the physical consequences of his torture.
Velikanās identity is almost completely unknown.
Blix wears a mask associated with his own combat identity.
Hunter Killer remains a mystery.
These are very different characters, but they share a theme: their identities as operators have become more important than the people underneath their masks.
That could provide the foundation for a new interpretation of the Ghosts.
Not soldiers who were always part of the same organization, but individuals who eventually adopt a shared identity.
9. The Biggest Problems With This Theory
There are some obvious weaknesses.
First, thereās no confirmed evidence that Infinity Ward is planning to reboot Call of Duty: Ghosts within Modern Warfare.
Second, several of these operators have conflicting allegiances.
Nikto has commanded his own forces. Velikan remains associated with Shadow Company. Mace has a complicated history as a mercenary.
Thereās no established reason all of them would automatically follow Simon Riley.
Third, multiplayer faction assignments donāt necessarily prove future campaign storylines.
And finally, some of these operators might never receive meaningful roles in the main narrative.
This is a theory, not a confirmed leak or announcement.
10. My Final Theory
I think thereās a possibility that Modern Warfare 4 represents the end of Task Force 141 as we know it, but not the end of Simon Rileyās story.
Price created Task Force 141 by bringing together some of the best operators he could find.
What if Ghost eventually follows in his footsteps?
Only instead of rebuilding 141, he creates something entirely new.
He starts with someone he already knows: Mace.
Through the mercenary world, he potentially establishes contact with Nikto, who already has Blix operating under him.
Velikan could eventually become involved if his relationship with Shadow Company deteriorates.
Hunter Killer remains a possible wildcard.
Over time, this coalition develops its own identity, its own traditions, and its own reputation.
And eventually, the world begins calling them something.
The Ghosts.
It would connect the rebooted Modern Warfare storyline to one of Infinity Wardās most interesting older concepts, while giving Simon Riley a new purpose after losing Price, Gaz, and Soap.
The man who was the last Ghost of Task Force 141 becomes the first Ghost of an entirely new organization.
What do you think? Could Infinity Ward be setting up a reboot of Call of Duty: Ghosts, with Simon Riley as its founder? Or are these masked operators simply unrelated characters whose designs happen to share a theme?
