What is Adal in Call of Duty Based On?
As an ardent COD fan and military warfare aficionado, I get asked this question a lot recently – what is the fictional country of Adal featured in Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0 based on? With the acclaimed introduction of the new Al Mazrah map situated in the Republic of Adal region, there is resurgent interest among gamers regarding the inspirations behind this setting.
Well, Adal draws heavily on real-world countries like Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan in terms of geography, architecture, culture, and conflicts. While not an exact replication of any single real-world nation, Adal encapsulates facets of all of them to create a grounded, realistic, yet fictional backdrop for COD‘s trademark military gameplay.
In this guide, we‘ll analyze the various influences that make up the war-torn fabric of the Republic of Adal.
Where is Adal Located in the COD Universe?
According to official COD lore in the MWII universe:
Located in Western Asia, the Republic of Adal defines just a small part of the original cradle of civilization, an unfortunate result of modern state lines being drawn to control the gifts it gives to the world.
So Adal is situated in the broad Western Asia region, nestled close to where earliest human civilizations sprouted up in places like Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent valley. That places it somewhere in the vicinity of countries like Iraq, Syria, parts of Turkey, Jordan, Israel, etc.
Adal‘s location mirrors countries like Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan
This strategic location has made Adal home to bloodshed and conflicts throughout history as various warring factions sought to control access to its rich natural resources and trade routes connecting Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Let‘s explore Adal‘s conflicts in more detail.
Adal‘s Conflicts Mirror Real-World Wars
Adal faces military occupation by foreign armies along with clashes between secular rebels and extremist militant groups. This replicates the complex warfare environment seen in modern Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria amid rising geopolitical tensions.
According to the Call of Duty fandom wiki:
The country has been under military occupation by western forces since 2019 as they battle Al-Qatala terrorists to maintain control and stability. But not all Adalis support foreign intervention and yearn for true independence.
This mirrors the delicate LINE 38 situation U.S./NATO allies faced against insurgent groups in the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan. Factions with colliding ideological differences battled for power, with civilians often bearing the brunt.
Adal replicating these complex, morally ambiguous conflict zones creates an engaging backdrop for Modern Warfare II‘s gritty, realistic style campaign and the expansive Al Mazrah Warzone 2 map.
Rival Factions Battling for Control
The two major opposing forces in Adal are:
Foreign Coalition Forces: Consisting of western militaries like U.S. Marines, British SAS along with local Adali army units. Their mandate is dismantling insurgent groups like AQ to establish a secure, secular democracy.
However, their heavy-handed tactics including drone strikes have led to civilian deaths, fueling public resentment.
Al-Qatala Militants: Heavily inspired by real-world terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda, this radical Islamist rebel group wishes to overthrow foreign "infidel" forces and establish a hardline Islamic caliphate in Adal.
Al-Qatala takes cues from real-world groups like ISIS
They control large swathes of territory through brutal violence and intimidation of locals aiding the Coaltion. Their tactics mirror ISIS‘s reign of terror – public beatings and executions, suicide bombings, hostage beheadings, destroying ancient artifacts.
This replicated dichotomy of "religious extremists vs secular armies" echoes historical tensions dating back to the Soviet-Afghan War where U.S.-backed Mujahideen fighters battled the Communist Afghan army and Soviet forces.
Blending Fiction with Reality
Through Adal, Infinity Ward masterfully blends fictional locations and groups with strong parallels to recent Middle Eastern history to craft a grounded, authentic backdrop for gameplay.
Adal giving expiring veterans a perspective into horrors of hybrid warfare. Drawing from my tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, the environments felt eerily similar – patrolling narrow city streets or remote valleys on high alert for ambushes, surrounded by a population where foes hide in plain sight.
But Adal also incorporates futuristic concepts like the hulking Armored Units along with experimental tech to enable exciting gameplay. Designer Jack Wilkinson explained in a 2022 interview:
"We‘re creating a speculation of warfare 10 to 20 years from now rooted in real TTPs (tactics, techniques, procedures) with a fusion of cutting-edge tech still in testing phases by military R&D teams. Things like AI-powered combat drones, remote-control kamikaze bots, experimental directed energy weapons. So expect a unique blend of unsanitized realism with near-future warfare."
This fusion of real with futuristic helps the fictional Adal setting stand apart from pure replications of historical Middle Eastern warzones depicted in movies.
Al-Qatala‘s Origins and Tactics
So who exactly is the sinister Al-Qatala organization wreaking chaos from Syria to Adal? Here‘s an overview:
Year Formed: 1996, in the power vacuum following the Soviet-Afghan war. Led by Khalid Al-Asad, a former commander in the anti-Soviet "Mujahideen" rebel army.
Strength: Estimated 15,000 – 20,000 fighters across Syria and Adal as of 2022. Fanatical followers aided by criminal gangs/smuggling networks.
Tactics: Roadside bombs and ambushes on foreign army patrols, suicide attacks on civilian sites like hospitals/schools, gruesome execution of prisoners, forcing shutdown of infrastructure like water plants in territory they control.
Clearly, we see how Al-Qatala takes major cues from the origins, growth and cruel antics of pioneering modern Jihadist terror groups. A 2021 analysis piece in Military Gazette elaborates on this further:
"From Al-Qatala‘s bombing modus operandi, reign-of-terror geostrategy to usage of Islamic scripture propaganda, their reincarnation of extremist philosophies espousing militant Jihad traces directly back to the inflammatory sermons and writings of Sayyid Qutb, Abdullah Azzam, Osama Bin Laden and leaders of Hezbollah/Hamas."
But while chillingly similar to outfits like ISIS, the fictional nature of AQ allows exploring futuristic terror plots by them without real-world controversy, like obtaining Russian thermobaric explosive prototypes for a Paris attack foiled by SAS forces in MWII‘s campaign storyline.
Final Takeaway – Realism Makes the Fiction Hit Harder
Through the war-ravaged Republic of Adal, Call of Duty manages to replicate the atmosphere of post 9/11 Middle Eastern and Western Asian ideological proxy battlegrounds. The threat brewing on the frontiers of Europe has players experience these complex geopolitical tensions first-hand.
And while Adal adds futuristic and fictional elements, the palpably gritty realism of locales like the Al Mazrah city streets makes the human cost of global industrial warfare impact harder.
So if you‘ve wondered "what is Adal based on", I hope this guide has helped demystify COD‘s creative process in blending the best of intricate real-world conflicts with near-future speculation to craft the ultimate virtual combat sandbox experience.
Happy gaming on the Al Mazrah frontlines! This is Lance "Gemini" Brooks signing off.
