The central protagonists of the game are Task Force 141, a multi-national special operations unit formed by SAS Captain John Price (Barry Sloane), comprising: Sergeant Kyle "Gaz" Garrick (Elliot Knight), Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley (Samuel Roukin), and Sergeant John "Soap" MacTavish (Neil Ellice).

In the original MW2, the player is entirely surprised by Shepherd's betrayal of Ghost and Roach, but the re-imagining shows a Shepherd who is easy to read. In the new MW2, the PMC Shadow Company swiftly turns sides, attacking the protagonists during an argument.