Look, we’ve all been there. You’re scrolling through your achievement list in the Modern Warfare 2 campaign, and you see that bronze icon staring back at you. It’s the Aiding the Enemy trophy, and for a lot of players, it’s one of the most annoying tasks in the 2022 reboot. It sounds simple on paper. You just have to rescue Hostage 4 without them firing a weapon. But in the heat of a chaotic breach-and-clear mission, things go sideways fast.
I’ve seen people restart the checkpoint fifteen times because a stray bullet hit a wall or an NPC decided to be a hero. It’s frustrating. It's actually kind of hilarious how a single digital character's AI behavior can ruin a perfect run.
The mission you’re looking for is "Low Profile." It’s a cooperative Strike mission, not part of the standard solo campaign, which is where the first bit of confusion usually starts. If you’re hunting for this in the Amsterdam or Mexico levels, you’re in the wrong place entirely. This is a spec ops deal.
The Setup for the Aiding the Enemy Trophy
First off, you need a partner who isn't a "leeroy jenkins" type. If your buddy is sprinting into buildings with a shotgun, you aren't getting this trophy. Communication is basically everything here. You’re heading into the "Low Profile" mission, which is set in Al Mazrah at night. The atmosphere is great, very Zero Dark Thirty, but the stakes for this specific achievement are surprisingly high.
You’re looking for Objective C. That’s the big one.
While the mission has three different radioactive cores to find, the Aiding the Enemy trophy is strictly tied to the hostage situation at the C site. You’ll find a large, multi-story building guarded by several armored Shadow Company goons. Honestly, the armor is the real problem. They take more than one shot to the chest, and if you don't drop them instantly, they start spraying lead.
Why People Fail This
Most players fail because they get impatient.
They breach the door, flashbang the room, and then realize the hostage—who is supposed to be your "enemy" that you are "aiding"—has already been triggered into a combat state. The internal logic of the game is a bit finicky. If the hostage feels threatened enough to pull a weapon or if the guards start a full-blown shootout in the same room as the hostage, the "Aiding the Enemy" criteria often breaks.
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You have to be a ghost.
Step-by-Step Execution (The Quiet Way)
Don't go through the front door. Just don't.
There’s a balcony on the side of the building that gives you a much better angle. Use your snake cam or just peek the corners carefully. You want to identify exactly where the hostage is sitting. Usually, they are zip-tied or guarded in a specific room on the upper floor.
- Use suppressed weapons. This is non-negotiable.
- Take out the exterior guards first. If the guys outside raise the alarm, the guys inside get jumpy.
- One player should stay back to provide overwatch while the other moves in.
- Aim for the head. Seriously. You cannot afford a body shot that lets an enemy scream or fire off a "dying breath" round.
Once you get to the hostage, the prompt will change. You have to interact with them to "secure" them. This is the moment of truth. If you’ve done it right and no shots were fired by the hostage or at the hostage's immediate captors in a way that triggered an aggressive response, the Aiding the Enemy trophy will pop once you successfully extract or reach the next checkpoint.
Nuance and Troubleshooting
Wait, what if it doesn't pop?
I’ve seen reports on forums like PSNProfiles where players swear they did it perfectly and got nothing. Sometimes the AI is just buggy. If the hostage so much as breathes aggressively, the game might flag it as "failed."
Some experts suggest using a Riot Shield. It sounds counter-intuitive for a stealth mission, right? But if you carry a Riot Shield, you can actually body-block the hostage from seeing any enemies, which prevents their AI from "locking on" to a target. It’s a weird cheese tactic, but in Modern Warfare 2, you use what works.
Also, check your difficulty. While you can do this on lower settings, some players find that the AI is actually too stupid on Recruit, leading them to wander into your line of fire. Regular or Hardened actually keeps them in their scripted spots a bit better.
The "Hostage 4" Specifics
There’s a bit of debate about which hostage counts. In the official trophy description, it mentions Hostage 4. In the "Low Profile" mission, there are multiple objectives, but the community has narrowed the "Aiding the Enemy" requirement down to the specific sequence at the C site where you encounter the defector.
Don't confuse this with the "mountaineer" achievements or the stuff you do in the "Defender: Mt. Zaya" mission. Different vibes entirely.
Practical Next Steps for the Platinum Hunt
If you’ve successfully grabbed the Aiding the Enemy trophy, you’re well on your way to the Platinum or 1000 G. But don't just quit the mission. Finish "Low Profile" to make sure the save data sticks to your profile.
- Check your partner's loadout: Make sure they aren't using frag grenades. One accidental explosion near the hostage is an instant fail for the trophy.
- Use the Recon Drone: It’s your best friend. Tag every single person in the building before you step foot inside. Knowledge is power, especially when you’re trying not to start a war.
- Patience is a virtue: If you hear an alarm, just restart the checkpoint. It's faster than trying to finish a "loud" run and hoping the trophy magically appears.
Focus on the balcony entrance at Objective C, keep your finger off the trigger unless you have a clear headshot, and make sure that hostage stays as bored as possible. That’s the secret.