Nicki Minaj - NEWS POLITE

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is bringing popular rappers into the game, in celebration of 50 years of Hip-Hop music. As part of its Season 5 update, coming August 2, Activision confirmed that Snoop Dogg and Nicki Minaj will be joining the game and its battle royale counterpart, Warzone 2.0, as playable operators. Other major additions include three new multiplayer maps and several ‘War Track’ packs composed of hip-hop music to listen to in-game. The studio also teased a third operator by only showing their silhouette, but Activision’s blog post reveals it’s 21 Savage. No pricing details have been confirmed at this time but like previous collaborations, they should be available to buy as separate bundles.

Minaj’s appearance in Call of Duty was, sort of, signalled in a promo video from last year, before Modern Warfare II dropped worldwide. As per the official blog post, the artist’s look is inspired by her latest alter ego ‘Red Ruby Da Sleeze,’ which coincidentally timed perfectly with the Barbie movie’s release, which led to an internet obsession with the colour pink and everything sassy. Even her assault rifle is bright pink coloured, details of which will be revealed later. Meanwhile, this marks the third in-game appearance for Snoop Dogg; he first appeared as a multiplayer announcer in Call of Duty: Ghosts and then went on to appear in Call of Duty: Vanguard and Mobile. Snoop Dogg’s rifle in the upcoming collaboration is a silenced, blue-tinted one, adorned with gold engravings that of course resemble a marijuana leaf.

Call of Duty is no stranger to weird collaborations, having recently teamed up with the Amazon Prime Video series The Boys to bring Homelander, Starlight, and Black Noir into the game — each with their own brutal finishers like laser eyes. Other fun crossovers include the Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi, outfits based on the Attack on Titan anime, and even adding Godzilla to the map as part of a limited-time mode in 2022. With more brand partnerships, we can only expect more outlandish operators to flood the streets, akin to how Fortnite’s been doing it for years now.

Season 5 also brings three new multiplayer maps — Livestock, an offshore Petrov Oil Rig, and Harbor flush with fish markets and shipping areas. Be prepared for some new game modes as well, starting with Havoc, which while fashioned like a classic arena shooter, injects a random selection of modifiers that’s aimed at making gameplay frenetic. Your operator’s jump heights could be affected to simulate if they were walking on the moon, landing from high altitudes might cause a grenade-like explosion around you, and more. There are some ‘big’ capture-the-flag modes coming your way, alongside Gunfight Variants, which pits you in close-quarters 2v2 and 4v4 matchups. Expect a battle pass as well, while Warzone 2.0 adds a dirt bike and an MRAP armoured vehicle to its catalogue.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s season 5 event goes live August 2 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.

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Perhaps the best performance at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards — held for the second time at the Prudential Center on Sunday night — didn’t even take place on the VMAs stage. That was when Artist of the Year winner Bad Bunny had the audience hopping from his show at Yankee Stadium, whether they were concertgoers or viewers watching the awards all around the around.

But it was also a night that big winner Jack Harlow, who took home four VMAs, and Video Vanguard recipient Nicki Minaj were better at performing than they were at co-hosting. Meanwhile, Global Icon Award honorees Red Hot Chili Peppers led a rock resurgence that also featured Panic! At the Disco and Italian breakout band Maneskin.

Before MTV goes back to forgetting about music for another year, we look back on the best and worst performances of the 2022 VMAs.

Worst: Blackpink

Blackpink performed “Born Pink” at the VMAs, making their debut US awards show performance.

Getty Images for MTV/Paramount G

Doing “Pink Venom” — from their upcoming second album “Born Pink,” due Sept. 16 — the K-pop girl group underwhelmed in their debut performance on a US awards show. It was bad enough that many in the audience — both in the Prudential Center and around the world watching — probably didn’t know the song, but the stiff, lifeless performance failed to establish the group as a live force to be reckoned with on the VMAs stage.

Best: Jack Harlow, Fergie and Lizzo

Fergie and Jack Harlow lend some (first) class to the VMAs.

Co-host Jack Harlow gets props for bring back Fergie from the musical oblivion — where exactly has she been? — after he generously sampled her 2007 hit “Glamorous” on his 2022 No. 1 hit “First Class.” Respect was due, and he gave it to a star much in need of some love. And then when you added Lizzo to the opening on “2 B Loved (Am I Ready),” well, we already know that Lizzo makes everything better.

Best: Nicki Minaj

VMAs co-host Nicki Minaj performed a medley of hits before she accepted her Video Vanguard Award.

It took almost an hour for co-host Nicki Minaj to show up to the VMAs stage. But when she did, the 39-year-old Queens MC made a show-stopping statement that proved why she — haters be damned — was worthy of this year’s Video Vanguard Award. A pink-haired Minaj owned the candy-coated set to the delight of her legion of Barbies in a medley that veered from her killer verse on Kanye West’s “Monster” to solo hits “Beez in the Trap,” “Moment 4 Life,” “Super Bass” and “Anaconda” that showcased her range of styles and flows. At the end of a mini-set that proved why she is one of the best female rappers of all time, she was even to be excused for some obvious lip-syncing during her current No. 1 hit “Super Freaky Girl.”

Worst: Eminem and Snoop Dogg

The King of Cannabis, Snoop Dogg, got Eminem “high” during the performance.

After seeing Em and Snoop rocking the Super Bowl halftime stage in February in real effing life, the whole metaverse performance of their new single “From the D 2 the LBC” was a major letdown. I mean, who wants virtual versions of these two rap legends — especially when the flesh-and-blood icons are actually in the house? The whole thing felt like a gimmicky, desperate attempt to make these aging rappers look relevant. But at least they redeemed themselves a bit at the end by appearing and performing all the way live.

Best: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis and bassist Flea perform at the 2022 VMAs.

The Chili Peppers got a humorous introduction from Cheech and Chong before they gave their Global Icon Award performance. But once the band took the stage, it was serious business as they put the M — music — back into MTV and the VMAs. From the moment they launched into their 2022 hit “Black Summer,” there was no doubt that the Chili Peppers were performing completely live. Imagine that? The pure joy of seeing badass bassist Flea and guitar god John Frusciante jamming together on stage almost made you think that you were watching the Grammys for a second. And the boundless energy that the Chili Peppers displayed — 22 years after they already won MTV’s Video Vanguard Award — as they returned to their rap-rock roots on “Can’t Stop” made you wonder just how many of this year’s acts would still be rocking the VMAs stage 37 years after their debut. I’m betting exactly none.

Follow the 2022 VMAs with our up-to-the-minute coverage:

Best: Bad Bunny

After his VMAs remote performance from Yankee Stadium, a triumphant Bad Bunny hoisted his trophy for Artist of the Year.

First Kane Brown became the first male country star to ever perform at the VMAs in a rousing performance of “Grand” from the Toyoya Stage that made Fort Lee, NJ look like Nashville. Then Puerto Rican sensation Bad Bunny one-upped him with a remote performance from Yankee Stadium on his second of two nights that were the hottest ticket in town. It had already been a big night for Latin artists, including performances by Anitta, and J Balvin and Ryan Castro. But a satin-suited Bad Bunny was the hottest of them all, delivering the kind of electric performance that beat just about any other one of the night. You could really feel the energy of the crowd rocking and rapping along with the reggaeton superstar to “Titi Me Pregunto.” And it was fitting that he was able to receive his Artist of the Year award — beating out Styles, who failed to do a remote performance from his own show at Madison Square Garden — in front of his adoring fans.