How to Beat Makarov in COD Modern Warfare 4 (Can’t Touch This Achievement Guide)

TL;DR

• The Makarov fight is at the end of Mission 2: Out in the Cold, set in New York City
• The fight has two phases — a knife QTE against metal shutters, then an open alley fistfight
• Both phases run on one mechanic: block just before impact, then immediately counter-attack
• Do not chain more than 1–2 hits after a parry — Makarov will block and punish you
• A mid-fight checkpoint saves your progress halfway through the alley phase
• Can’t Touch This achievement (Gold) requires finishing the alley fight on Veteran with zero hits taken
• You only need to switch to Veteran before dropping into the alley — the rest of the mission can be played on any difficulty

The Makarov boss fight in COD Modern Warfare 4 hits a lot of players by surprise. Mission 2: Out in the Cold starts like a fairly standard shooter — a nightclub, a rooftop chase across New York, some gunfights. Then it ends with a close-quarters knife duel in a snow-covered alley with almost no transition warning.

The fight is not hard once you know the rhythm. But if you go in swinging like a regular combat encounter, you will be reloading the checkpoint over and over without understanding why. This guide covers exactly how both phases of the fight work, what buttons to press, the mistakes to avoid, and how to unlock the Can’t Touch This Gold achievement while you’re at it.

For a full breakdown of everything you can earn in the campaign, check our COD Modern Warfare 4 campaign trophy and achievement list.

Where Does the Makarov Fight Take Place?

The Makarov boss fight happens at the very end of Mission 2: Out in the Cold. You play as Captain John Price, tracking Makarov through a New York nightclub and chasing him across rooftops and through Times Square before cornering him in a closed alley.

The fight splits into two distinct parts:

• Phase 1 — Knife QTE: A structured sequence pinned against metal shutters where Price and Makarov trade blows
• Phase 2 — Alley fistfight: An open brawl that ends with a ground takedown and a cutscene

Both phases share the same core mechanic. Makarov attacks, you parry just before impact, then you counter-attack. That’s the whole fight. Every complication comes from trying to do something other than that.

Fight Controls: PS5 and Xbox

Before you get into the alley, make sure you know which buttons you are working with:

• Block / Parry — PS5: L2 (hold and release just before the hit lands)
• Block / Parry — Xbox: LT (hold and release just before the hit lands)
• Attack / Counter — PS5: Square or your standard melee button
• Attack / Counter — Xbox: X or your standard melee button
• Takedown: Press your dedicated melee button when the on-screen prompt appears

The game does teach you the parry mechanic earlier in Mission 2 during the nightclub section. If you practised it there, the Makarov fight uses exactly the same timing.

Phase 1: How to Clear the Knife QTE

The first phase is a scripted sequence. Events happen in a fixed order every time. The game deliberately slows down the first two strikes to help you learn the timing. After that, the pace is on you.

How to Beat Makarov in COD Modern Warfare 4 3

Here is the exact order of events:

Step 1 — Makarov’s opening swing. He comes at you with the knife. Hold block and release just before the blade connects. Then press attack to counter. The game actually guides you through this one with visual prompts. Do not skip the counter-attack — a parry alone does not advance the fight.

Step 2 — The spin stab. Makarov shoves Price back, turns around, and drives the knife forward. Same input — parry just before impact, then immediately attack to counter.

Step 3 — Pinned against the shutters. With Makarov held in place against the metal shutters, press attack two or three times quickly to weaken his grip on the knife. Do not hold back here — rapid hits work in your favour during this specific part.

Step 4 — The final lunge. He breaks free and makes one last stab. Wait until the knife is almost on you, then block and immediately counter. Makarov drops the knife.

After that, he lands a kick that sends Price flying back into the open alley. Phase 1 is done. The knife QTE is the trickier of the two phases because the timing windows are tighter. Most failures happen here. Once you clear it, the alley fight feels more forgiving by comparison.

Phase 2: How to Win the Alley Fistfight

The alley duel has no fixed sequence. Makarov attacks when he decides to, and you respond. The same parry-counter loop applies, but now you control the pacing entirely.

The single most important rule: let Makarov throw first every time.

Wait for him to swing. Tap block just before his strike lands to parry. Then follow with one punch, maybe two at most — then stop completely. Go back to neutral and wait for his next attack. Repeat this cycle for around 10 clean exchanges and the fight progresses naturally.

If you chain three or more hits after a parry, Makarov raises his guard and blocks them. That leaves you open with no safe window and he will punish the gap. The temptation to keep punching when you are landing clean hits is real. Resist it. One or two counters, then back to defense every single time.

The Mid-Fight Checkpoint

After enough clean exchanges, a Takedown prompt will appear on screen. Press your melee button to slam Makarov to the ground. This triggers a brief cutscene showing Price pinning Makarov in the snow. The game saves a checkpoint right here.

This is important for the Can’t Touch This achievement specifically. If you take a hit before this point, you reload from the very start of the alley. If you take a hit after this checkpoint saves, you only go back to the midpoint. That saves a significant amount of time on repeated attempts.

The Second Half

After the mid-fight cutscene ends, Makarov charges almost immediately. Be ready to parry before Price has even fully stood up — do not relax during the cutscene transition. Keep the same rhythm through the second half: wait, parry, one or two counters, wait again.

When the final Takedown prompt appears, follow the on-screen prompts to finish the fight. The mission ends with a cutscene and Price being captured by Konni operatives in the alley.

The Three Mistakes That Cause Most Failures

After both phases, nearly every failed attempt comes down to one of these three things:

Blocking too early. The parry needs to land just before impact — not the moment Makarov begins his swing animation. If you press block the instant his arm starts moving, the timing is too early and the parry whiffs. Wait a beat longer than feels comfortable. Watch his hand, not his shoulder.

Parrying without countering. A successful block alone does not move the fight forward. You have to press attack after every parry. Skipping the counter is the most common reason the fight goes on far longer than it should. Parry, then punch. Every time.

Getting greedy with combos. The urge to chain hits when Makarov is staggered feels natural. It is also wrong. Three or more consecutive attacks gives him time to reset his guard. He blocks, you are left exposed, and you take a hit you cannot see coming quickly enough to parry. Land one or two, then reset.

Can’t Touch This Achievement: Full Guide

The Can’t Touch This achievement is a Gold trophy on PS5 and worth 50 Gamerscore on Xbox. The requirement: finish the entire alley fight on Veteran difficulty without taking a single hit from Makarov during active gameplay.

Its unlock rate sits at roughly 0.01% according to tracking sites — most players either never attempt it or do not know the difficulty trick that makes it manageable.

Do You Need to Play the Whole Mission on Veteran?

No. That is the key detail most people miss. You can play the nightclub section, rooftop chase, and everything leading up to the alley on any difficulty — even Recruit. You only need to switch to Veteran before the alley begins.

Here is how to do it:

• When Price is about to drop into the alley and the fight is about to start, open the pause menu
• Select Change Difficulty and switch to Veteran
• Resume and continue into the fight

As long as the difficulty is set to Veteran before the alley checkpoint loads, the attempt counts toward the achievement. Alternatively, you can select Mission 2: Out in the Cold from the campaign’s mission select screen and set Veteran from there before starting.

What Counts as a Hit?

Only hits that trigger the red screen flash during active gameplay count against you. Blocked strikes are completely safe — they do not register as damage and will not fail the attempt. Hits during cutscenes also do not count. So if a cutscene transition looks like Makarov connects, do not panic — that is visual only.

What to Do When You Take a Hit

Stop fighting immediately. The attempt is over the moment the screen flashes red. Pause right away, select Last Checkpoint, and confirm the reload. Before the mid-fight checkpoint saves, this brings you back to the very start of the alley. After the checkpoint, it puts you back into the second half. Either way, reload quickly and try again rather than playing out a failed attempt.

The Can’t Touch This achievement notification appears during the final ground beatdown cutscene at the end of the fight — not on the mission results screen afterward. If you see no alert at the end, verify your difficulty setting was on Veteran and reload to retry.

Can’t Touch This Tips That Actually Help

• Slow down in Phase 1. The QTE is scripted and the timing is tighter here. Watch for the visual prompts. Do not rush the parry inputs even when you feel confident.
• After the mid-fight checkpoint, be ready immediately. Makarov charges fast after the cutscene. Have your guard ready before the animation finishes.
• Take as many attempts as you need. The reload is fast and the alley is short. Most players get it within 5–15 attempts once they understand the parry timing.
• Do not change difficulty after the checkpoint saves. Once the mid-fight checkpoint has saved with Veteran active, keep it on Veteran for the second half. Switching mid-attempt may cause the achievement not to register.

What Happens After the Makarov Fight?

Despite the “Kill Makarov” mission objective, Makarov is not killed. Price beats him in the alley and pins him in the snow — but before anything else can happen, Konni operatives flood the alley with rifles raised. Price surrenders. Makarov survives.

Price is then taken by Valeria Garza, the Las Almas Cartel leader, who interrogates him and reveals that Makarov is not the top of the chain — someone called the Archer is above him. The mission ends with Price captured and the campaign shifting focus to that larger threat.

Completing Out in the Cold also unlocks the No More Rules calling card for multiplayer, regardless of whether the Can’t Touch This achievement popped.

Where to Get COD Modern Warfare 4

• Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 on Steam (PC)
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 on PlayStation Store
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 on Xbox

Curious how long the full campaign takes? See our how long to beat Modern Warfare 4 campaign guide. For all the pre-order content available, check our Modern Warfare 4 Vault Edition rewards and pre-order bonuses guide. And for the complete list of every trophy in the game, our COD Modern Warfare 4 campaign trophy and achievement list covers all 18.

Frequently Asked Questions