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call of duty modern warfare 2 oni operator
Image via Infinity Ward

How to Perform a Takedown (Stealth Kill) in Modern Warfare 2

Let's get shneaky.

Activision and Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is here, and with it comes a totally new set of mechanics to help further gameplay and create new things for players to interact with. Movement and gameplay this time around are more refined than ever, making the loop really satisfying.

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But something I’ve always liked about Call of Duty games of recent years has been the ability to perform stealth kills, and I’m not alone in that sentiment. This is a move used as often as possible by players if you can get the drop on an enemy. Because things are a bit different this time around, you may be curious as to how to perform a takedown (stealth kill) in Modern Warfare 2, and we can explain how.

How to Perform a Takedown (Stealth Kill) in Modern Warfare 2

If you’re wanting to do a takedown successfully, you really have to pick your moments as it’s common for enemies to turn around and shoot you if they hear your footsteps coming up behind them, or their teammates could shoot you as you’re performing it. So be prepared for anything when you’re trying to do a stealth kill.

Related: How to Quickly Unlock the Orion Mastery Calling Card in Modern Warfare 2

The most important thing to know about takedowns or stealth kills is that you have to be situated directly behind the enemy in order for it to work at all. This is true whether you’re playing the campaign and taking out an NPC or if you’re in online multiplayer, sneaking up behind an enemy player.

Additionally, you’ll need to hit your dedicated melee button/key to do so. For controllers, R3 is typically the associated button and on keyboards, V is the default. Though you can typically remap it if you’d like. It’s just as important to note that you don’t want to have any kind of knife in your hands when doing a takedown as this will override the cinematic of it and result in you just knifing the enemy to death without the climax.

That is all you need to know about how to successfully perform a takedown or stealth kill in Modern Warfare 2! Be sure to check out some of our other helpful guides for even more tricks of the trade, such as How to Unlock the Juggernaut in Modern Warfare 2.

Author
Image of Nathaniel Litt
Nathaniel Litt
Hi! I'm Nathaniel; Star Wars nerd, musician, and active daydreamer. When it comes to gaming, I'll try anything at least once. My mains though are FPS, Action-Adventure, and Puzzle-Platformers.