First Death Anniversary of Modders Reveal Cease-and-Desist: “Activision, What’s Going On?”

A fan-built mod called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Remastered—created by the H2 Multiplayer team—was abruptly shut down after its creators received a cease-and-desist order from Activision just before its release.

In a video message, the modsters were understandably excited. They’d poured their hearts into giving Modern Warfare Remastered a full multiplayer makeover—reviving maps, weapons, killstreaks, and more from the original 2009 Modern Warfare 2. It looked fantastic—until the legal letter arrived.

Here’s how the video breaks it down:

• The mod was described as a free add-on to the existing Modern Warfare Remastered game. The creators even joked that the only people making money were Activision, since players had to purchase the remastered version to use the mod.
• Then came the dreaded cease-and-desist letter, forcing the team to halt development. The video voice captures that moment with plain-spoken frustration: “Uh… okay. Sorry, dude—you can’t play it anymore.”
• The creators called out Activision’s approach as befuddling, especially since the mod didn’t hurt them financially. Instead, it actually encouraged people to buy Modern Warfare Remastered.
• The clip ends with a sarcastic nod to Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, with Activision apparently pitching their upcoming full-price offerings—collector’s editions, microtransactions, paywalls—while shutting down fan passion.

The sentiment hit home:

“The only people making money is you,” the mod creators said, pointing out the irony of a cease-and-desist against a free mod that requires their own product to work.

What actually happened—fact check:

Launch blocked at the last minute.
H2M planned to release the mod on August 16, 2024. But on August 15, the team shared this message: “Today, our team members received a Cease & Desist order on behalf of Activision Publishing… We are complying with this order and shutting down all operations immediately and permanently.”

Activision moved fast—but why now?
The timing raised eyebrows, especially since the game was on sale around then. Many speculated that modders actually helped sell copies—only to be shut down just as the mod was about to launch.

Online fallout.
Forums lit up. One user wrote:

“Activision just pulled a serious confidence trick… sold the game around the time the H2M mod was about to release, then pulled the mod a day before.” GameFAQs
Another bit of reflection:
“Modders helped to sell their games.” NeoGAF GameFAQs

Bottom line

Modders hoped to bring a beloved multiplayer experience back to life—for free. Instead, Activision issued a cease-and-desist on the eve of launch, forcing an immediate shutdown. Fans feel burned, creators feel stomped on, and the release is now dead in the water