Modern Warfare 2 campaign guide: How to complete Mission 8 - Hardpoint

The eighth mission of the Modern Warfare 2 campaign takes the classic aerial support concept and converts it into fully-fledged combat gameplay. After the seventh mission where Ghost, Soap, and Alejandro ambush Hassan's base and capture him alive, this one is rather a support-based endeavor to escort him to safety.

During the mission, players will play as Shadow-1 and oversee weapon systems in an aerial support vehicle. The weapon loadout in the helicopter comprises an LTM Missile, a 40mm Cannon, and a 25mm Cannon that they can use at their disposal.

The LTM missile has quite a larger area of effect that can damage multiple bogeys in an area. Meanwhile, the 25mm Cannon is great for taking out normal enemies and the 40mm Cannon is instrumental against large groups or enemy convoys.

For a complete walkthrough of the previous Modern Warfare 2 mission "Close Air," click here.

Disclaimer: The following section may contain spoilers for the Modern Warfare 2 Campaign

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Modern Warfare 2 campaign: Mission 8 - Hardpoint

In this mission of the Modern Warfare 2 campaign, Graves and his air support team assisted Ghost's ground team in eliminating cartel reinforcements while they kept Hassan secure. Fans will play from above the ground and have the option to switch to thermal vision.

The first part of the Modern Warfare 2 mission requires you to scan the area using your plane's camera. Whilst wielding the camera, find the gas station to the north and zoom in to confirm the visuals on the team present there. Zoom in on the location and scan people to see if there are any cartel members.

For the next step, scan the Market. Pay close attention to the buildings, as Graves will give you detailed orders on what you must do in each one. Here's a detailed map of the area with the building names on it.

Modern Warfare 2 map shows 4 important mission buildings (Image via Sportskeeda)

Once you are in the clear, your team will start moving slowly towards the gas station, but will suddenly be ambushed by a car that crashes into their truck. A whole wave of enemies will lunge out of nearby buildings with weapons. You are free to engage them as you want. However, you need to be mindful of the civilians around you before taking a shot.

Once your team has taken camp on the Restaurant's roof, your task will be to defend their position until the exfil arrives. You will encounter different waves of enemies. Heavy gunners, tank blasters, and RPG fiends will rush to the scene. That said, you need to use three types of weaponry on the plane to come out on top.

Neutralize RPG threats to protect your gunship (Image via Activision)

However, it would be best if you prioritized RPG enemies, followed by those who are closer to the team as they will start firing missiles at your location. To counter this and avoid your bird going down, launch flares instantly to neutralize the missile, after which you should eliminate them.

Look in different directions and keep firing the missiles in a randomized order. Defend the team and yourself with everything you have and don't hold back on buildings. However, stay away from the church, as there might be civilians present.

Destroy the bridge to complete the Modern Warfare 2 mission (Image via Activision)

Then, blow up the bridge before the reinforcements arrive or hold on to your position until the Exfil team comes. Once the team is safe inside the helicopters or other aerial vehicles, the mission will end and you'll be redirected to your reward.

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What are the rewards for completing "Hardpoint" in Modern Warfare 2?

By completing the eighth mission, players will get their hands on a Double Weapon XP reward for use in Multiplayer modes and Warzone 2.0. This will help in leveling up their weapons and unlocking special attachments and perks.

This covers the eighth mission, "Hardpoint," and takes players on an exciting aerial combat experience where they get to lead an aerial support team.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 releases on October 28 on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox with a pre-access live campaign for pre-orders.