Modern Warfare 2 Crafting Explained | Ingredients & Recipes

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's campaign has a number of missions that plays like something from The Last of Us. We're talking about shivs, safes, a massive open-world environment, and even...crafting?! Here is everything you need to know about the crafting mechanic in MW2.

Crafting Explained
Crafting in Modern Warfare 2 is surprisingly complex. | © Activision

This is not a joke, or even a spurious leak. A crafting system is in Modern Warfare 2. Without spoiling anything for you, there's a whole section in the campaign which is basically just The Last of Us running on Modern Warfare 2's engine. And that is f*cking dope. Clearly they're setting up a new style of mission to be developed in Spec Ops. And if you don't believe us on The Last of Us comparison, wait until you've played the mission in question. It's ridiculous.

So now we have a crafting system in Call of Duty, let's get to the matter at hand. What can you craft and how? In this article we'll go through every craftable in MW2, and provide you with a brief explanation of how the whole mechanic works. Let's begin.

How Does Crafting Work In Modern Warfare 2?

Crafting in Modern Warfare 2 works exactly like it does in The Last of Us; you collect materials like tape and metal scraps from the environment, and then you combine them to create grenades and equipment. To find crafting materials in the open world environment you need to approach the materials and interact with them. An interact prompt will be visible to you above any item that can be picked up. Simply approach and press Square (PlayStation), X (Xbox) or F (PC). You can find additional items in safes, but we've got an article on all the safes in Modern Warfare 2 here.

You can collect the following items and materials: bottles, binding, metal, wax, chemicals, traps, oil, and explosives. And once you have those items you can begin crafting. Here's how:
  1. Open your backpack by pressing Up on the D-Pad (Xbox & PlayStation), or (PC)
  2. Hover over the item you want to craft.
  3. Select "craft" and, if you have the necessary ingredients, you will craft the item.

You can select which piece of equipment to select from this same menu.

What Items Can You Craft In Modern Warfare 2?

Here are all the items you can craft in Modern Warfare 2.

MW2 Craftables: Pry Tool

Key details:

  • Recipe: 1x Binding + 1x Metal
  • Effect: This can only be used to open locked doors and chests, it can't be used as a shiv like it can TLoU.
Pry Tool
I still can't believe we have crafting in Modern Warfare 2. | © Activision

MW2 Craftables: Smoke Bomb

Key details:

  • Recipe: 1x Binding + 1x Wax + 1x Chemicals
  • Effect: Smoke bombs create an area of smoke, while also stunning enemies for a few seconds after they detonate.
Smoke Bomb
Naughty Dog must be feeling quite flattered. | © Activision

Smoke grenades are probably the strongest grenades for these TLoU missions.

MW2 Craftables: Mine

Key details:

  • Recipe: 1x Binding + 1x Trap + 1x Explosives
  • Effect: It can be dropped or thrown, and it detonates when enemies come close (about a meter). It does the same damage as C4.
Mine
The mines are very strong, but not stealthy, obviously. | © Activision

MW2 Craftables: Molotov

Key details:

  • Recipe: 1x Binding + 1x Bottle + 1x Oil
  • Effect: A throwable that explodes on impact and creates an area of fire which does damage over time.
Molotov
Every crafting game needs Molotov's, right? | © Activision

MW2 Craftables: Shiv

Key details:

  • Recipe: 1x Binding + 1x Glass
  • Effect: This can be used to perform takedowns on enemies who are stunned.
Glass Shiv
Shivs are good for a single use. | © Activision

MW2 Craftables: Gas Trap

Key details:

  • Recipe: 1x Binding + 1x Trap + 1x Chemicals
  • Effect: The Gas Trap can be dropped or thrown, and it detonates when enemies come close (about a meter). It stuns enemies and forces them to cough.
Gas Trap
Crafting might also appear in the DMZ. | © Activision

Note: We expect this to be a huge feature in Spec-Ops and that means they could add even more craftables. If they do, we'll update this article.

And there you have it ladies and gentlemen, a complete overview of the crafting in Modern Warfare 2. What do you think about Last of Us missions in CoD? An interesting development? Or do you get bored without a gun in your hand?

For even more wacky and wonderful new features in Modern Warfare 2, check this out:

Jon Ramuz

Jon has a BA and an MA in English Literature, and as Content Lead for EarlyGame has written over 1,500 articles. He focuses on shooters, but also writes about entertainment and gaming in general....