Modern Warfare 3 Player Finds Incredible Single Player Easter Egg on Rust Map

A Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 player discovered an incredibly single-player Easter egg on the map Rust. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is one of the biggest games of the year and part of the reason for that is that it pays tribute to the history of the franchise. Call of Duty turned 20 this fall and Activision has been leaning into that sweet, sweet nostalgia for months. The Modern Warfare 3 campaign brings back a number of iconic characters from the franchise including one of its greatest villains, Makarov. The Russian baddie makes his return and plays the hits with a reimagined version of No Russian and more. General Shepherd also returns and is once again, a totally unlikable human being. Modern Warfare 3 also includes remakes of every launch map from the original 2009 Modern Warfare 2.

Perhaps the most famous map from that game, Rust, has been a fan-favorite in Modern Warfare 3 and is the focus of a new playlist where you can play Rust exclusively 24/7. Given it is being played over and over again by thousands if not millions of players, it's a bit surprising it took this long to discover a new secret on the map. Call of Duty player Luca Boechat pointed out that you can find a skull on Rust that has a knife sticking out of it. Call of Duty lovers will recognize this as a call back to the campaign of the original 2009 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. In the last mission of the game, Captain Price and Soap chase General Shepheard through a river and eventually crash into a desert landscape. The three of a violent showdown on what is essentially the Rust map and it results in Soap being stabbed in the chest. General Shepherd and Price duke it out, with the former winning the fight. Soap is able to pull the knife out of himself and throw it directly into Shepherd's eye, killing him once and for all. This easter egg appears to be a remnant of that fight.

Did anyone notice this original Shepherd easter egg in Rust in #MW3 ? Haven't seen anyone talking about it@TheGhostOfHope @el_bobberto @PrestigeIsKey @HayashiXPG @BobIntelUK_ @TheMW2Ghost @LegoUnlocked pic.twitter.com/Gdapj6S9Gz

— Luca Boechat (@LucaBoechat) November 25, 2023

It's obviously nothing more than a throwaway nod to the fans, as the events of that game are not canon to this Modern Warfare 3. General Shepherd plays a totally different role and the resolution to his story is extremely different. Nevertheless, it's a fun and cheeky touch to one of the greatest moments in the franchise.