Can You Skip the Infamous “No Russian” Mission in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2?

As a hardcore Call of Duty fan who has played every entry in the iconic FPS franchise, I receive this question a lot: “Can you skip the ‘No Russian’ mission in Modern Warfare 2?” So let me provide a definitive answer:

Yes, MW2 allows players to completely skip over the controversial ‘No Russian’ mission without any penalties or consequences.

Below I will analyze this in more detail, including a deep dive into why ‘No Russian’ sparked outrage and how later COD games have handled similar sensitive topics. Strap in, this is going to get intense!

What Happens in the ‘No Russian’ Mission?

First, some background for those unfamiliar with MW2’s story…

‘No Russian’ takes place during MW2’s early campaign mission. The player assumes the role of Joseph Allen, an undercover CIA agent who has infiltrated a Russian terrorist cell led by Vladimir Makarov.

Makarov and his group attack Zakhaev International Airport in Moscow, brutally gunning down scores of innocent civilians. Allen is forced to participate to avoid blowing his cover.

The level is extremely graphic, with people begging for their lives before being ruthlessly executed in disturbing ways. Here is a brief excerpt:

“We see civilians fleeing in panic, only to be mercilessly mowed down by the attackers. Bodies slump to the floor while blood pools everywhere. Makarov and his men show no emotion, moving slowly through the airport killing anyone they see.”

Not exactly light Sunday gaming fare…

So why did Infinity Ward include this intentionally disturbing scene?

Developer Intent Behind ‘No Russian’

Infinity Ward wanted to portray Makarov as a nationalistic, calculating psychopath willing to trigger a war for his ideological goals. His utter lack of empathy and morals highlighted what a dangerous threat he was.

The studio also hoped controversy itself would generate interest and buzz around MW2 before its highly anticipated release.

“We wanted to push the player in directions they maybe thought they didn’t want to go, but we wanted them to experience it.” – Infinity Ward’s Noah Heller on including ‘No Russian’

Still, they understood forcing someone to play through war crimes could feel unethical, so they allowed skipping it.

Ultimately ‘No Russian’ set out to shock players and catalyze narrative urgency. But did they go too far?

The Public Reaction to the ‘No Russian’ Mission

To say ‘No Russian’ provoked controversy would be quite the understatement.

Upon release, dozens of mainstream media outlets condemned the mission. Even developer staff couldn’t agree on its inclusion:

"The team almost came to blows over ‘No Russian’…Some people felt it was tasteless.” – Former IW Developer

Critics attacked the mission as ‘pro war crime propaganda’ that glorified slaughtering civilians. It stained the wider campaign’s emotional resonance by forcing complicity in terrorism.

Moreover, research indicated playing violent games could increase real-world aggression. Allowing players to simulate war crimes like this was deemed irresponsible by child psychology experts.

Yet plenty also defended ‘No Russian’ as an evocative condemnation of terrorism. Being fiction, it wasn‘t truly hurting anyone while exploring morally complex themes.

Either way, the mission dominated MW2’s pre-launch buzz for better or worse.

Russia actually banned the entire game over ‘No Russian’ due to political sensitivities around depicting a massacre of Russian civilians. No small reaction!

Does Skipping ‘No Russian’ Disable Progress or Content?

Thankfully, MW2 made participating in ‘No Russian’ entirely optional without gameplay penalties:

• Players can skip it without missing achievements / trophies
• The decision does not disable access to any weapons, modes or future missions
• No consequences occur related to skipping it

You simply progress straight past ‘No Russian’ to the next mission as if it never existed.

Fig.1 – MW2 provides a warning about ‘No Russian‘ with the option to skip

So if mass-murdering civilians makes you squeamish, fear not – Infinity Ward won’t punish you!

Does Skipping ‘No Russian’ Affect MW2’s Campaign Story?

Great news here too – MW2’s plot still flows perfectly fine if you skip ‘No Russian’.

While the attack motivates Russia declaring war later on, the game still adequately conveys this context through other story moments if missed.

All major narrative beats around MW2’s epic globe-trotting story still occur unimpeded without playing it.

Rest assured you can still enjoy MW2‘s blockbuster campaign without the ethical complexity or graphic violence of ‘No Russian’ forced upon you.

How Have Recent COD Games Handled Sensitive Topics?

It has been over 10 years since ‘No Russian’ sparked such intense controversy. In that time, I feel the wider gaming industry and COD series, in particular, have made positive progress regarding ethical concerns.

For example, the recent Modern Warfare (2019) reboot also begins with a distressing terrorist attack. But instead of forcing you to participate like ‘No Russian’, you instead play as a CIA agent trying to minimize civilian casualties.

This immediately establishes moral urgency while avoiding accusations of atrocity glorification. It shows the medium maturing in responsibly tackling complex themes.

2022’s MWII sequel seems to continue pushing boundaries with an empathetic yet nuanced approach. Other franchises like Battlefield and Spec Ops have also moved away from ‘war crime simulators’ towards thoughtful military drama.

Fig.2 Modern Warfare (2019) deals with terrorism while avoiding previous ethical pitfalls

We still have further to go, but allowing players more agency in how they experience provocative ideas shows the industry takes criticism of past missteps seriously.

So skip ‘No Russian’ with a clear conscience!

My Take – Ambition Overwhelmed Execution

As a huge Call of Duty fan who has eagerly played every entry on launch day, I appreciate Infinity Ward’s drive to explore bold, unsettling themes rarely seen in games back in 2009.

However, I feel the traumatic ultra-violence of ‘No Russian’ undermined their narrative goals in many ways. It is possible to establish stakes without resorting to stomach-churn distressing imagery – previous COD stories conveyed wartime fury without alienating players outright through forced complicity.

While art should challenge boundaries, it must respect participatory audience agency too.

Regardless of intent, releasing virtual war crime simulator segments have devastating impacts, especially given COD’s widespread young demographic and research on gaming violence effects.

I am glad for the industry‘s positive evolution over the past decade regarding nuance and ethics. MWII in particular seems to balance raw, emotive themes with player choice – no longer shoving trauma in faces making broad moral declarations without consent.

We can now ethically explore complex issues around violence through mutual respect between developer visions and player personal limits.

Skipping ‘No Russian’ epitomizes this welcome progress.