Why Call of Duty: Ghosts opted for a spectral namesake
The elite special forces unit at the heart of Call of Duty: Ghosts‘ campaign was christened "Ghosts" to signify their stealth-focused combat tactics and secretive operations. But the name choice goes deeper, drawing inspiration from established series lore and kickstarting a franchise reboot centered around this mysterious group of covert warriors.
As one of the most formidable fighting forces in Call of Duty history, the skills exhibited by these Tier 1 operators perfectly align with a spectral moniker denoting their preternatural talents for evading detection. Their proficiency in covert infiltration and asset recovery has conferred an almost mythic reputation in the armed forces. According to in-game lore, "rumors of their existence have spread over time and results of their engagements have led some to doubt they even exist."
This syncs up flawlessly with the "ghostly" namesake. The unseen nature of their campaigns means verification of their exploits is scarce, leading some to question whether the group truly exists or is merely an exaggerated military myth. Their specialized stealth training focuses heavily on avoiding contact with opposing forces unless absolutely necessary for mission success. Combined with strict confidential protocols shielding mission details, the Ghosts exemplify what it means to operate as spectral soldiers.
Mask inspiration ties "Ghosts" to existing Call of Duty lore
The Ghost unit leverages instantly recognizable imagery through their skeletal face masks, modeled directly after the iconic balaclava worn by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II‘s Simon "Ghost" Riley. This forges a strong link between the elite "Ghosts" of this rebooted universe and a fan-favorite character in series history.
| Character | Description |
|---|---|
| Simon "Ghost" Riley | British special forces operator and task force leader renowned for skull-patterned balaclava mask |
| Call of Duty: Ghosts "Ghosts" | Elite American special forces unit bearing masks modeled after Ghost‘s signature look |
This homage positions "Ghosts" as spiritual successors to Ghost, carrying on his legendary skillset and anonymity. Creative Strategist Zach Volker emphasized this connection, saying the Ghosts design brings "a new look that is both familiar and fresh." This helped build hype among longtime fans by representing the introduction of a "next-gen Ghost" unit within the established universe.
Rebooting Call of Duty with the "Ghosts"
Perhaps most significantly, the name "Ghosts" signals Call of Duty: Ghosts as a reboot for the bestselling first-person shooter franchise. Infinity Ward wanted a clean slate to redefine the Call of Duty archetype around masked elite soldiers operating in secret.
Producer Mark Rubin highlighted a desire to "start a new chapter in Call of Duty" built on guerrilla-style combat, cutting-edge tech innovations, and taking players to locales never seen before in the series. The name helps cement "Ghosts" as central characters in this vision while carrying forward just enough existing brand equity through the mask link to Ghost himself.
Analyzing fan reaction & the name‘s effectiveness
Based on critic reviews and fan reception, adopting "Ghosts" as the focal point for a rebooted Call of Duty proved an astute choice. Early trailer drops spotlighting the name were met with enthusiasm, including one GameSpot article dubbing it "intriguing." Multiple critics praised connecting the masks back to Ghost as supporting continuity despite wiping the slate clean in other areas.
The name encapsulates a furtive fighting force helping drive interest and carries on franchise Legacyn while avoiding the complicated canonical baggage of continuing old plot threads. Strong pre-release buzz suggests fans were on board.
In terms of sales and gameplay appraisals, the actual product delivered on this promise as well:
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| First-week sales | Over $1 billion |
| First-month sales | $1.2 billion+ (as of Nov. 2013) |
| All-time sales | Est. 19 million units sold |
| Metacritic score | 74/100 (Xbox One) |
These figures indicate that while not matching Call of Duty apexes like Modern Warfare 2 or Black Ops, the Ghosts-centric reboot attracted notable interest and commercial success. Reviewers praised core gameplay components like multiplayer and technical prowess. Most criticisms focused not on the name or characters, but stagnating level design and uninspired single-player campaign moments.
Conclusion: An aptspectral epithet…but was it the right name?
Given the above, its clear Call of Duty: Ghosts‘ ghostly title neatly dovetails with the shadowy nature of its central covert task force. Their secrecy, stealth capabilities and rumored exploits position "Ghosts" as an ideal signifier rooted in actual unit composition and battlefield strategy. Mask similarities creating direct links to established series lore was an added bonus certain to please longtime fans.
As far as rebooting Call of Duty, the name succeeded in sparking intrigue and conveying Infinity Ward‘s goals. And commercially, it achieved well over a billion dollars in sales. However, an equally strong argument exists that the name fails to effectively reboot the franchise because of its ties to the existing universe. Relying partially on Ghost legacy and canon could have limited the clean slate approach.
A truly blank re-introduction into CoD lore may have been better served eschewing any callbacks to old characters or plot threads. Ultimately "Ghosts" as a name strikes the right tone and helped announce developer intentions, but perhaps fell just short of full series reinvention. However, with the franchise now expanded in exciting new ways like 2019‘s Modern Warfare soft reboot, 2022‘s Warzone 2.0 integration and rumors of a standalone "Ghosts 2" release, players may not have seen the last of this deadly phantom force just yet.
