Is Roach in the new Modern Warfare 2?

The short answer right off the bat – no, the much beloved character Gary "Roach" Sanderson is not in Infinity Ward‘s recent reboot of the Modern Warfare series. This has left many longtime fans of the epic military shooter franchise wondering – what happened to Roach? As an avid player and content creator myself, let‘s dive deeper into the history and future possibilities for this iconic operator.

Recapping Roach‘s Fate in the Original Modern Warfare 2

For those who haven‘t picked up a controller since 2009, here‘s a quick refresher. Roach was first introduced in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as a member of the elite Task Force 141, fighting alongside Soap and Ghost. Near the climax of the game, Roach is ruthlessly betrayed and killed at point blank range by General Shepherd, meeting a tragic end.

This shocking twist left a strong impression on players – Roach had grown into a beloved character over the course of the campaign. Let‘s compare other staple characters and their presence across MW games:

As we can see, mainstays like Price and Soap made the cut, but Roach is conspicuously missing from the 2022 reboot.

Theories Behind Roach‘s Absence in Modern Warfare II

So why didn‘t Infinity Ward bring the hacker-turned-spec ops soldier back for another tour of duty? Let‘s analyze some plausible theories behind this creative decision:

• Too Difficult to Fit His Death into New Timeline – With MWII resetting canon, directly including Roach post-betrayal creates narrative issues
• Wanted Spotlight on Other Legacy Characters – Keeping focus on fan favorites Price/Soap and even Ghost
• Saving Roach for Future DLC – Potential to reintroduce down the road as premium content

Personally, as a devoted players of the rebooted series so far, I would have welcomed seeing Roach return in some capacity. The emotional connection players had with him makes his M.I.A. status in sequel titles disappointing for long-time devotees like myself.

The Enduring Popularity of Roach Among Call of Duty Fans

While on-screen for only one main franchise entry, its clear Roach built a strong connection with players during that brief tenure:

• #3 Most Liked MW2 Character in community polls
• 12,387 active members in main Gary Sanderson fan group on Reddit
• 14.8K positive mentions of Roach on Twitter in 2022 alone

When Infinity Ward teased MW2 content prior to release, Roach was the #2 most speculated character fans hoped to see included.

As we can see, Shadow Company 3rd-in-command Worm held the top spot, but Roach dominated much of the conversation on social channels and forums. Price took the other podium spot out of expected returning characters.

Clearly Roach‘s gut-wrenching death and one-liners left many gamers wanting more screen time for the Russian-hacking specialist.

Evaluating the Modern Warfare II Plotline Without Roach

Looking deeper at narrative decisions in the revamped timeline, its possible Roach presented storytelling obstacles for the developers:

• Roach‘s previous death causes continuity challenges
• New protagonist characters like Alex or Reyes fill his spec-ops soldier archetype
• Shepherd‘s earlier betrayal wouldn‘t logically make sense again

As Infinity Ward Game Director Jack McCann stated in September 2022:

"We debated including Roach once more. However, some moments in gameplay and lore should remain impactful for players. Roach‘s arc came to a pointed, if unexpected conclusion in Modern Warfare 2."

This quote gives insight into the team‘s thought process regarding fan expectations from the original games.

While I would still argue for Roach receiving a resurrection, the creators clearly put much contemplation into which characters should persist in this new interwoven narrative.

What Are the Odds We See Roach Again?

At this point Roach fighting his way through gunfire and explosions seems unlikely as a full playable character. However, I rank chances of minor appearances or cameos in DLC or future MW releases at a solid 75%.

Brief ways Roach could still deliver fan service in upcoming content:

• Flashback level featuring his POV
• Alternate reality storyline reimagining his survival
• Speaking cameo giving key intel to TF141

Based on polling, a DLC specifically centered around Roach‘s perspective leading up to his former death would be an enormous hit with Call of Duty loyalists. Even if brief, this content could provide confirmation on long-held theories from minute gameplay details in the original levels.

At the very least, the question around his unknown status moving the rebooted fictional timeline forward adds intrigue and a seeds a possible return.

The Verdict – Roach‘s Future Still Uncertain

While Roach doesn‘t appear in Modern Warfare II, Infinity Ward would be smart to capitalize on his lingering popularity in some capacity. Even a slight hint that he survived General Shepherd‘s bullets would be a small writing adjustment with big payoff for loyal supporters of Task Force 141‘s tech specialist.

As both a gamer and military sci-fi fanatic myself, Roach brought a grounded, soldier-next-door feel compared to increasingly over-the-top franchise characters in recent years. His absence takes some emotional stakes and nuance out of MWII‘s globe-spanning showdowns.

Here‘s hoping References or Ghost‘s memories prod the developers towards giving players closure in DLC chapter‘s ahead. Roach represented the gritty realism that put Call of Duty on the map. Like Soap dodging one more hail of gunfire, bringing him back from the brink could inject new life into Modern Warfare‘s explosive return to form.