"One v. one me, bro!' is a common mantra cried over budget headsets in Call of Duty lobbies dating all the way back to the title's seventh-generation console debut, but, though it's become something of a meme, there's no denying that the series' staple multiplayer mode best caters to those who prefer small—or even solo—engagements on moderately-sized maps.
While the concept of "quick-scoping n00bz" is better left in 2009, the multiplayer maps on which said quick-scoping took place have remained memorable, and many of them have made their way into more modern incarnations of the Call of Duty series.
Game Show (Black Ops: Cold War)
Introduced in the 2019 soft reboot to the Modern Warfare subseries, Gunfight was a fast-paced game mode that allowed teams of between one and three players to go head-to-head on small, specially-designed maps. A test of skill and tactical prowess, Gunfight was something of a shift away from the often-unorganized chaos of regular Call of Duty matches.
The mode returned in 2020's Black Ops: Cold War and featured the map Game Show at launch. Set on a mostly-symmetrical studio soundstage, Game Show offered up a perfectly-sized, level playing field for two players looking to go toe-to-toe.
Killhouse (Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2019)
Included as a DLC offering for the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Killhouse was remastered and reintroduced in the 2019 version of MW in the months following the release of Black Ops: Cold War. Expanded and reimagined slightly to better incorporate the game's drastically different movement system, Killhouse remained one of the most frenetic and engaging maps in Modern Warfare's rotation.
A one-on-one staple from the early days of CoD, it seems there's no escaping the deadly corridors and precarious sniper sightlines of Killhouse.
Satellite (Black Ops: Cold War)
A relatively small multiplayer map included at the release of Black Ops: Cold War, Satellite is essentially two maps merged together. One side of the map features a series of crags and canyons into which players can take cover or escape, and the other is a barren series of dunes crafted with long-range gunfights in mind.
The asymmetrical style may make Satellite a pain for some players, but it's capable of catering to most playstyles while remaining compact enough to encourage one-on-one encounters.
Hijacked (Black Ops 2, Black Ops 3, Black Ops: Cold War)
Taking place on a massive yacht, Black Ops 2's Hijacked plays a bit like a rearranged version of the classic Nuketown from the previous game. An arena with two multi-story structures on either side, Hijacked wasn't necessarily complex, but it made for excellent one-on-one gun battles.
Snipers had the option to set up shop at opposing ends of the ship, while players running shotgun or SMG setups could take to the left or right lanes or opt to sneak below decks and flank the enemy from below. The map was reintroduced to the series in Black Ops III, and then again in Black Ops: Cold War.
Slums (Black Ops 2, Black Ops 3, Black Ops 4, Black Ops: Cold War)
A map so popular that it appeared in every subsequent Treyarch-developed Call of Duty title, Slums was first seen in 2012's Black Ops 2, and, on the surface, didn't seem to be a very memorable map. Almost completely flat and sectioned off by high walls, Slums boasts a fairly milquetoast approach to multiplayer level design.
Yet, that might be what made it so memorable. With a large central area for players to converge in and a small yet crucial chokepoint to battle over, Slums didn't need to reinvent the wheel to become a fan favorite. Its basic nature also makes it great for one-on-one games.
Dome (Call of Duty: World at War)
2008's Call of Duty: World at War had a bizarre fixation with large maps despite the meager maximum lobby size. Maps like Downfall and Roundhouse were utterly massive—so large, in fact, they were the first-ever maps in the series to include drivable vehicles.
Dome, despite being fairly open, was one of World at War's smallest maps. Taking place atop the German Reichstag building, players could battle it out among the statues on the building's balcony or fight for the sniper's perch in the titular dome. It's not a perfect layout for one-on-one matches, but, when it comes to World at War, pickings are somewhat slim.
Speedball (Modern Warfare)
Another Gunfight map included in Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare reboot, Speedball is about as basic as a Call of Duty multiplayer map could possibly be. A repurposed paintball arena, Speedball consists of a few concrete barriers and shipping crates that form crude corridors and offer inconsistent cover.
Save for one famous exception, Speedball is the Modern Warfare version of a boxing ring. Meant to expedite fights and reward fast-acting players, it's an almost perfect map for a one-on-one duel.
Nuketown (Black Ops, Black Ops 2, Black Ops 3, Black Ops 4, Black Ops: Cold War)
Arguably the most well-regarded map in Call of Duty history, Nuketown was the go-to one-on-one map during the lifecycle of the original Black Ops game. It was so popular that Treyarch saw fit to include it twice in Black Ops 2, with a post-apocalyptic zombies version introduced alongside the multiplayer variant. It also made an appearance in every single Treyarch-led Call of Duty game since the 2010 outing.
A simplistic, three-lane arena, Nuketown primarily caters to SMG-wielding players who prefer to run and gun. However, in one-on-one situations, most weapons and playstyles are viable.
Rust (Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 2019)
An abandoned pile of industrial equipment left to fall apart in the desert, Rust holds the distinction of being one of the smallest maps in Call of Duty history. An incredibly tight battlefield that can quickly devolve into a span-camping nightmare, most players won't make it longer than fifteen seconds before being met with a killcam.
Of course, Rust's famously small playspace made it optimal for one-on-one matches. With competitors typically vying for supremacy atop the map's central spire, Rust featured a fast and chaotic flow that was so compelling that it returned in the 2019 iteration of Modern Warfare.
Shipment (Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2019, Vanguard)
The uncontested king of cramped playspaces, Modern Warfare's Shipment was nothing short of complete and total chaos. With six players on each team and naught save for a courtyard full of shipping containers over which to battle, matches on this map inevitably devolved into sessions of grenade spamming.
However, Shipment was the de-facto one-on-map back in 2007; the perfect size for a duel, the map removed many of Call of Duty multiplayer's mitigating factors and demanded skill and reflexes to dominate. What's more, the map is said to be returning in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
