Mace’s Lore in Warzone and Call of Duty

Operators in Warzone are more than just the base for a skin. These characters each have unique stories and backgrounds in this game and the wider Call of Duty series.

Getting to know the operators can add a lot to the experience. Mace’s lore is some of the deepest and most expansive across Call of Duty.

Mace is an operator in both Modern Warfare and Call of Duty. While he wasn’t originally part of Warzone, he’s been a major big of the game since pretty early on. He’s also served a variety of roles across games, from hero to villain. 

Mace’s lore in Call of Duty ties in with some of its most well-known characters like Ghost. Getting to know the background behind this operator can help you get a better idea of what CoD’s story is. 

Mace Lore in Warzone and Modern Warfare

Mace was originally an operator in Call of Duty Modern Warfare. A lot of the Mace lore comes directly from this game and carries over into Warzone. 

Mace was first added into the game with Season of Warzone. He was one of the premier operators to come in with Season 2. The Warzone operator is the same character as the Modern Warfare one, sharing a backstory and plotlines.

We’re going to cover all of the Mace lore in Call of Duty and Warzone here. Starting with the origins of the operator, his background, then missions in Modern Warfare and eventually Warzone.

Mace Backstory and Lore

Mace’s backstory is clouded in mystery across all of his appearances. We know that Mace is American with African heritage. This heritage becomes an important part of his motivation further in.

Mace joining the Army Rangers is another familiar journey for operators. We’ll see characters join this unit in the D-Day lore along with others. 

Outside of which group of the army he initially joined though, that’s about it for Mace’s backstory. We might find out more about Mace’s backstory in future titles, or it could remain a mystery.

Mace’s Time in the US Army Rangers

Now signed up with the United States Army Rangers, Mace joined active service. We know that in this period he became an important ally to Ghost. Ghost was serving as a Special Air Services Lieutenant at the time and worked with Mace directly.

Ghost is one of the most well-known and important characters in Modern Warfare and Warzone. The character first originated in Modern Warfare 2. Although, these earlier appearances don’t matter too much for Mace lore and how he relates to Ghost in the reboot though.

The two operators worked together for an undisclosed period. It isn’t known what their missions were, but they have some clear parallels. Things like the masks that they wear link the two metaphorically. Although, their careers take wildly different paths.

Even within this period, Mace had a reputation as a ruthless operator. Eventually, Mace moved on from his time in the Rangers and that’s really where his fate diverges.

Mace’s Scars

Mace would eventually leave the United States Army, frustrated with constraints. He would instead join the Jackals. Mace lore tells us that he is American but Mace here decides to honor his heritage beyond that.

Mace inscribed himself with traditional scars on his arms and body. This is one of the most distinctive parts of his design, it is really what helps him stand out among all of the operators.

These are a big part of the ”cool factor” that makes a lot of people choose Mace over other characters. It’s a plus that they have an in-universe explanation beyond just looking cool. It gives Mace a few more layers.

The scars resemble some associated with Papua New Guinea. however, we don’t know if that’s the origin of them or just inspiration for their design.

The Jackels

After leaving the army, Mace joined up with the Jackels. They are a private military group, but one that skirts the line of legality in their operations.

The Jackels are a faction in Modern Warfare that was originally founded by Victor Zane Metiko and Abraham Metiko. Their origin and goals are pretty different from the other factions we’ve seen so far in Mace lore.

The group was formed by operators who accused the government of keeping funds meant to fight Al-Qatala for themselves. Outraged at the corruption, they left to try and influence things independently. 

The Jackets and Mace are described as being a pan-African revolutionary group. This is a complex ideology but not one that gets a lot of focus in Modern Warfare! Although, we can assume that Mace is aligned with the goals of that movement since he becomes part of the Jackals. 

The Jackals aren’t exactly a group driven by principles. However, his commitment in Mace lore shows his motivation beyond just ‘complete the mission’.

Funding the Jackals

The Jackets are a group that is vaguely backed by the Allegiance. However, most of their funding comes from less legitimate sources. The Jackals are involved in black market weapon and petroleum sales. 

They operate primarily in Africa. They’ve even been designated as a terrorist group by the government of Nigeria and subsequently the Coalition forces. 

While Mace’s journey of disillusionment with the US army is similar to some other operators, the outcome for him is much different. He winds up directly involved in supplying illegal arms, all to continue his work.

With this bit of Mace lore, we can say that he likely believes that the ends justify the means. Even if that means they become terrorists to fight terrorists. It’s a decent insight into the character’s morals and thought processes compared to more straightforward characters.

You see operators push against the boundaries of what’s allowed elsewhere, like in Alice’s lore and plotlines. However, Mace shows a clear willingness to go further than other operators to achieve his goals.

Mace’s War with Al-Qatala

The Jackals and Mace’s primary engagement in this period was the war with Al-Qatala. They attempted to rebuff the group in Nigeria. They had some success and seemed to prove themselves adept at fighting Al-Qatala.

The Jackals appear as the Allegiance faction in several multiplayer maps in Warzone. This means that there aren’t cannon events for these locales. However, we can probably point to Mace being involved in some of these fights given his representation here. 

It seems even if most other factions saw them as terrorists, some had respect for their achievements. We see this as the Jackals re-join some more recognizable factions in the next part of the Mace lore. 

In Verdansk

The last major bit of Mace lore in the mainstream timeline occurs close to Warzone. The Jackals were brought into Verdansk to fight against Al-Qatala, just like many other factions and operators in the game.

Outside of their role in Verdansk which is more open-ended, that’s the end of the journey for Mace for now. We leave him in a less morally ambiguous state. While he’s been involved in some missions, he seems pretty firmly tied to the Jackals.

Lore in Call of Duty Mobile

That’s all of the lore for Mace in Warzone and Call of Duty Modern Warfare. However, there is a good bit of Mace lore available outside of the mainline games too. Call of Duty Mobile can give a lot more information on characters and more space to get to know them.

Mace appears in Call of Duty Mobile and the Comics. This means he has a lot more action and missions within this game. Although, this is officially considered an alternative timeline!

While this Mace lore can give us more flavor on the character, the events don’t apply fully to the Warzone operator. This can still be good for learning more about the character, what motivates him, and his abilities. 

Mace in the Comics

Mace is introduced in the comics while he is working with Krueger, an antagonist in the game. The two are tracked down by Ghost and Tank while attempting to stage a Nova gas attack. Ghost gets into a firefight with Mace during this.

Mace is hit by a grenade and ends up fighting Ghost hand-to-hand. The two masked operators getting this face-off is a little taste of how much Call of Duty Mobile uses its characters! They do a lot more with operators than main games. 

Eventually, Tank arrives as backup for Ghost, but Mace does manage to escape.

Mace Turns on Makarov

Mace’s next appearance takes place in a Jungle Base belonging to Makarov. He is an antagonist from Modern Warfare 2 who is used extensively in Mobile. Mara and other orators are attempting to raid this base where Mace steps in.

He engages Mara directly, turning the tide of the fight. He ends up at a standstill with Mara taking Makarov at gunpoint to hold Mace off. Although, Mace takes a bit of a turn here as the operator betrays his partner.

He shoots Makarov himself, before escaping via a secret underground bunker. While Mara’s operators had pacified the base, he managed to launch an underground EMP on the way 

With secret bases, backstabs, and secret EMPs, Mace lore is a bit more far-fetched than what we see in the mainline games. 

Mace in Alcatraz

The next mission for Mace here is meeting up with the Hidora Kai. With Marakov out of action, Mace allies himself with Kai.

Their next move is to try and disable every electronic device in the entire world. This might sound more like a supervillain’s plot, but Mace lore doesn’t continue down this route for very long.

Mace’s next appearance after the worldwide EMP plotline is in Hackney Yard.  This is a scene where his ‘Armorer’ skin is shown off in-game. He has a brief encounter with Tank again here. Mace manages to disarm Tank, then proceeds to kill him in front of Ghost.

Ghost manages to get the upper hand on Mace in anger at the killing. He arrests him and takes the operator to a black site for interrogation. At this point in the story, it becomes clear that Mace is a member of the Five Knights. 

Interrogation by Mara

The next plot point for Mace lore comes while he’s still a prisoner. He is interrogated by Mara and Alice. This is a pretty key plot point in Mara lore, and it adds a lot of character for Mace too.

These sections attempt to give his actions a bit more meaning. He specifically goes into detail on why he left the army for his current factions, suggesting that his previous sacrifices weren’t being appreciated.  He also talks about preferring to be on the winning side.

He seems to win over his interrogates with this honesty, but Mace also reaffirms that they don’t know or understand him based on the encounter. This raises the possibility that he’s just telling them what they need to hear. 

The two operators offer Mace the chance to join up with them to capture Menendez and stop the Five Knights. Mace reluctantly agrees.

The Raid on Menendez and Looking for Templar

Working with Mara and Alex, Mace helps to track down Menendez in Raid. While the team is distrustful of him, Mace proves useful in the operation. He saves Mara and is vital to the mission’s success. 

Menedez attempts to flee from his base. However, Mace stops his helicopter escape showcasing his trademark ruthlessness. In this operation, he reinforces that he’s most interested in being on the winning side.

After this, Mace joins a team of operators trying to find Templar. Mace’s previous connections put him no further ahead though since he’s been on the other side for too long.

They are eventually dispatched to find the facility but face an attack from Templar. The mission ends with Templar facing Ghost and Mace together in a knife fight, after defeating Raul of the five knights.

This brings his Mobile appearances full circle. Going from dueling with Ghost, to teaming up together to take down a common enemy.

Mace Lore Outside of Warzone

That’s all of the Mace lore in Mobile, along with Warzone and MW. The character does have some more key details and information outside of the games. 

This is all of the extra bits of Mace lore you can find outside of the games that add to the character.

What Faction is Mace in?

CoD operators switch between factions pretty quickly, especially if they’re in multiple games. Mace has clocked up a lot of affiliations across his appearances. These are all of them:

• US Army Rangers
• Jackals
• Allegiance
• Armistice
• Five Knights
• United Anti-Terrorism Coalition

What is Mace’s Real Name?

Call of Duty Operators usually go by call signs instead of their actual names. It helps keeps things simple. Names like Mace and Ghost are just cooler than using real ones too, but what is Mace’s real name?

We don’t know Mace’s real name. He’s only referred to by the one title, which could be his real first or last name. The operator’s actual name is kept a secret in the games, just like most of his backstory.

Is Mace Part of the Shadow Company Faction?

Mace’s skins often use the logo of the Shadow Company PMC. However, the operator isn’t actually a part of the group. This just seems to be part of his uniform despite him being an unrelated character. 

Who Voices Mace?

Mace is voiced by Chris Jai Alex. He’s appeared in video games like The Last of Us 2, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Kingdom Hearts. He’s also had live-action roles in This is US and Extraction.

That’s all of the Mace lore across the games. He’s a character with a lot of mystery, who is often hard to pin down in terms of where he stands. However, that often makes for a compelling character.

Mace’s story isn’t fully wrapped up in Warzone. With operators like Ghost appearing in more games in Call of Duty, we might eventually see more of Mace’s story too.