Author: Nik Ranger

Modern Warfare 2 devs defend return of controversial Last Stand perk ActivisionModern Warfare 2 features the return of Last Stand (albeit under the name Survivor), an infamous perk from Call of Duty history and players are already up in arms about its reappearance. Over the course of Call of Duty history, several perks have consistently annoyed players to no end. Though different games have sought out to innovate on the franchise’s perk system, one perk in particular has made a divisive return in Modern Warfare 2. Last Stand is officially back for the latest entry of the Modern Warfare saga and players are pushing back against its appearance in the hotly anticipated shooter. Amid player outcries, members of Modern Warfare 2’s development team have defended their decision. Modern Warfare 2 devs claim Survivor perk can be used as a “tool” Players are getting their first taste of Infinity Ward’s next Modern Warfare offering this weekend, while discovering that Last Stand is well and truly back under the Survivor rebrand. However, despite its condemned history, Infinity Ward dev @goku4smash defended its inclusion, explaining how it is balanced. He said “Maybe you got shot across the map, or spammed through a smoke.” “Maybe you took a 2v1 with your teammate and he got the trade before the other guy finished you off,” continued the Multiplayer Design dev. “It doesn’t have to be the best tool in the game in every situation, and that’s okay.” Amid pointing out Survivor’s practicality in the heat of battle, the dev also pointed out how they have given the perk an overhaul to keep Modern Warfare 2 balanced: “You don’t have a gun if you’re downed w Survivor. You cant shoot back. There are no i-frames.” “You can be killed out of “last stand” before you hit the floor. It only triggers off of bullet damage. And it can only be done once per life.” However, the devs justification isn’t sitting well with some players. Players such as Twitter user @JROConz said “So whats the point of it then lol. Just get it out of the game.” Others like @IBrovail are wondering “why does this perk even exist” as many call for Dead Silence to emerge in the game instead. Infinity Ward are allowing players to give feedback via Reddit after playing the Open Beta. It remains to be seen whether serious changes will appear in the game’s full release.

Modern Warfare 2 devs confirm two classic maps returning in Season 1 Activision knows all of the right buttons to press for building up anticipation, announcing two “fan favorite” maps coming in Modern Warfare 2 Season 1. Modern Warfare 2 is finally just around the corner. Players got their first taste of multiplayer action during the Open Beta, featuring four traditional maps and two Ground War maps. Some Community members enjoyed MW2’s first few maps, straying away from Modern Warfare 2019’s vertical map layout, in favor of a classic three-lane style. We don’t know how many are coming at launch, but a leak revealed the previously abandoned Grand Prix map is coming back. Without knowing much about the game’s offerings, Activision already teased two new battlefields coming to Modern Warfare 2 very soon. Activison announces two new Modern Warfare 2 maps In the MW2 launch blog Activision confirmed a “fan favorite” is coming on November 16, alongside the release of Warzone 2 and Season 1. The developers also announced a “legendary” multiplayer map is coming on December 14, releasing with Raids for Special Ops. Without any concrete details we have no way of knowing which classic maps are making a triumphant return. Warzone 2’s map Al Mazrah features familiar locations from previous games, and Activison confirmed some multiplayer maps will be based on points of interest from the battle royale map. Returning POIs from the Modern Warfare series include the following: Quarry (from Modern Warfare 2) – Al Mazrah City (includes Highrise from Modern Warfare 2) – Observatory (Modern Warfare 3’s Dome) – Akhdar Village (CoD 4: Modern Warfare’s Showdown) – Airpory (Modern Warfare 2’s Terminal) – The developers can pull from any of these maps and plenty of other great options. We will provide an update when both maps are revealed.

Modern Warfare 2 devs confirm Ranked changes coming to help solo players ActivisionRanked play has been a huge hit since it launched in Modern Warfare 2 Season 2, reigniting the interest of many players and bringing top competitors over from Warzone to grind for the top ranks. The main issue some players have, though, is the solo experience — but change could be on the way. Whether you’re a Silver surfer just trying to get better at the game, or a competitive player pushing up towards Crimson or even higher, the solo experience can be a seriously infuriating one. You’re always toying with sheer luck when queueing up as a solo player. You might get a decent team but, most of the time, there will be players with poor or no comms, certain players that don’t know Hardpoint rotations, or any number of other issues. This is even worse when facing off against teams that have stacked up, be it three or four players all grinding together to work towards the Top 250. Fortunately, Treyarch dev Lawrence Metten has said that they are looking at ways to improve the experience for solo players in Modern Warfare 2 ranked. He said: “We hear the feedback on the current solo experience and are actively evaluating some changes we hope will make solo play competitively viable in all Skill Divisions.” While there was no clear timeline provided or even an idea of what these changes might entail, it was definitely received well by those who have found the solo ranked experience a difficult one. Players might now look towards Season 3 for changes to solo ranked play, which is expected to land in early to mid-April.

Modern Warfare 2 devs confirm Hardcore mode coming in Season 2 Activision BlizzardHardcore mode is coming to Modern Warfare 2 in Season 2, according to Infinity Ward. The fan-favorite playlist was notably missing from the game’s launch, with the developers promising that players would get a similar experience in the Tier 1 playlists that arrived with Season 1. While that mode is a variation on Hardcore, it’s not quite the same thing, and fans have been itching to get back to what they know. The details are still sparse, but at least players can mentally prepare themselves to go into the no-HUD trenches once again. Infinity Ward announces Hardcore to arrive in Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 There aren’t many differences between Tier 1 and Hardcore, but they significantly affect the gameplay. They both feature friendly fire and reduced health, but T1’s limited HUD compared to HC’s nonexistent version can be the difference between a great match and a poor one for players that aren’t tracking every move on the map. There is no indication which Modern Warfare 2 game types will have Hardcore alternatives, but IW did note that more details will be coming in a Season 2 update blog later this week. If the mode is following suit behind T1, then fans should expect some combination of these options: Team Deathmatch – Domination – Search & Destroy – Hardpoint – Headquarters – Kill Confirmed – Free For All – Control – We will bring on top of the latest updates regarding Season 2, so be sure to check out our Season 2 hub to stay up to date.

Modern Warfare 2 devs address backlash to Santa Sena Border Crossing map: “We do our best” ActivisionIt’s no secret Modern Warfare 2’s Santa Sena Border Crossing map didn’t quite click with a good chunk of the Call of Duty community. In speaking with Infinity Ward, we gleaned some insight on the design goals for this particular map along with their reaction to the backlash. When Modern Warfare 2 (the second one) hit store shelves at the tail end of last year, it did so with 10 standard multiplayer maps in total. While one was up in the air due to legal concerns and another was ripped straight out after the Beta, much of the initial discourse centered around one of these new maps in particular. Santa Sena Border Crossing debuted to a sea of criticism, some in jest, some not so kind. The narrowly structured layout had players fighting over a few lanes of congested traffic, with dozens of empty vehicles lined bumper to bumper. On one hand, they allowed for different means of traversal, but on the other, they also led to a great deal of frustration. After all, these vehicles were still intact, meaning they could explode at any given moment and effectively ruin your day. In some extreme cases, these cars really took out their frustration on the player base in the most unbelievably amusing ways. So what exactly was the thought process behind this controversial CoD map? What were the developers at Infinity Ward hoping to accomplish? And how did they feel on early backlash to its arrival in MW2? Multiplayer Design Director Geoff Smith gave us some answers in a recent interview. “Map-wise, we try to have a balance between experiential maps and the more competitive maps,” Smith explained. While some are designed to cater to the “sweaty” crowd, others keep the casual audience in mind instead, prioritizing more unique experiences as opposed to traditional, competitive-friendly layouts. “Not all of them are super sweaty, balanced ones. There’s ones where ‘hey, it’d be really cool to fight over a border crossing.’ And I know that map’s not super popular in certain groups, but we like to keep it fun and it’s really neat to move through those cars, channeling Sicario. So we try to keep it fun and switch it up, but there’s a balance.” Concepts like Santa Sena, Crown Raceway, and Zarqwa Hydroelectric from MW2 alone could all fit under that classification. Maps primarily built around big ideas and novel experiences, be it a border crossing, a race track, or a multi-layered design with underwater paths. “You know, our user base is so huge,” Smith continued. “We try to balance as much as we can. I think it’s important to have these fun, experiential maps, and we obviously have enough for the CDL to have their play space.” Regarding Border Crossing backlash specifically, as the most obvious example of these ‘experiential’ map designs, Smith joked the devs aren’t “trying to ruin people’s fun on every single map. I think we even looked into keeping those cars from blowing up every round in S&D because that gets really old. “We kind of just make adjustments as we go, but I think it’s important to have a wide variety of experiences. Not everybody’s into super sweaty matches, so we kind of balance it for everyone. We do our best.”

Modern Warfare 2 developers reveal Gunsmith 2.0 ActivisionAs part of Activision’s Intel Drops campaign, the Modern Warfare 2 developers revealed Gunsmith 2.0. Gunsmith polarized the Call of Duty community in Modern Warfare 2019 by fundamentally changing how players create classes. Players customize up to five parts of each weapon, augmenting them to find the perfect balance for their play style. For example, you could transform an AK-47 AR into something resembling an RPD LMG gun or an AK-74U SMG based on selected attachments. Modern Warfare 2 builds upon the original Gunsmith and adds new layers of customization options. Platforms are a feature allowing players to unlock new weapons as derivatives of a base gun. Attachment tuning opens new avenues of opportunity for users to fine-tune each attachment. Activision shared a video detailing how the developers designed Gunsmith 2.0 for Modern Warfare 2. How does Gunsmith 2.0 work in Modern Warfare 2 On your first watch, it may be confusing or overwhelming attempting to digest all of the presented information in Call of Duty’s Gunsmith 2.0 video. Here is everything you need to know about Modern Warfare 2’s Gunsmith. Mary Evdjukian, Senior User Experience Designer, explained weapon receivers and platforms. “You have a platform of weapons, which is a family of weapons. Once you get to a receiver unlock within your first weapon, that’s when you unlock another weapon. Modifications you have already unlocked for the previous weapon work on that new weapon too.” For example, the M4, M16, 556 Icarus, FTAC Recon, and FSS Hurricane are all on the same platform. You unlock the M16 receiver by leveling up the M4. All previously unlocked attachments for the M4 carry over to the M16. “This takes away from the grind of having to unlock every single attachment on each weapon every time they want to level up a weapon,” Evdjukian said. The Weapon Vault system finally allows players to change attachments on blueprint weapons without losing the aesthetic of the blueprint. The FJX Cinder Weapon Vault automatically unlocks all 50 plus attachments for the M4 platform and keeps the same Cinder theme for each one. Joel Emslie, Studio Art Director, shared, “the goal was to produce something that players could play with and not break the visual.”

Modern Warfare 2 developers address footstep audio, visibility, and disbanding lobbies ActivisionThe Modern Warfare 2 Open Beta concluded on September 26, and the developers issued a response to player feedback on topics like footstep audio and visibility. Modern Warfare 2’s Open Beta gave players their first hands-on experience with the game. Two weekends of playtesting polarized the community, but players uniformly agreed on a few features that need to change. The hot-button complaints include Dead Silence, SBMM, mini-map, and footstep audio. Infinity Ward responded after the Beta’s first weekend and discussed changes to visibility, footstep audio, and the new perk system. However, the developers doubled down on their decision to remove red dots from the mini-map; “The design reason for this is that we do not want to punish players for firing their weapons.” The decision outraged players, but the developers are not changing their stance. Out of the four previously mentioned major complaints, the team only addressed footstep audio in their latest blog post, among a few other issues. Infinity Ward responds to Modern Warfare 2 Open Beta feedback Infinity Ward shared changes coming to Modern Warfare 2 based on community suggestions. The developers said, “we have seen your continued feedback on the volume of footsteps and will continue to balance enemy/friendly footstep audio ahead of launch.” Players reported major visibility issues during the first weekend of the Beta caused by the removal of nameplates and powerful visual recoil. Infinity Ward stated, “we’ll look to tweak increased enemy visibility to allow for better visual tracking of opponents that is not solely the traditional nameplate.” One welcome change is addressing disbanding lobbies. The last few CoD iterations have disbanded lobbies after matches, but Modern Warfare 2 is bringing back the ability to stay in lobbies. Other changes include weapon balancing, refining camera shoulder swapping in third-person mode, and fixing Ground War bugs. The Open Beta left players with more questions than answers, and the latest blog post will surely keep eyebrows raised until the full game releases on October 28.

Modern Warfare 2 dev responds to ranked bug removing players’ points ActivisionA Modern Warfare 2 dev working on Ranked play has confirmed that they are aware of players being docked to 0 SR in the new Season 2 mode, but that they are working on the issue. Season 2 was long-awaited by Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 players, four months after the launch of the multiplayer side of the game, bringing with it a new ranked mode, multiplayer maps, and some big weapon balancing changes. It’s not all been sunshine and rainbows since the update, though, with many players reporting the game crashing, and new glitches being born from the patch. One of these is the 0 SR bug, which is already causing a lot of frustration for players in Ranked Play, looking to grind their way up to Iridescent and even the Top 250, competing among the pros. 0 SR bug fix in MW2 ranked The bug sees players docked points down to a grand total of 0, sat in the lowest rank possible, after backing out of a lobby or resetting the game for example. While there have been a number of complaints from players, Treyarch developer Lawrence Metten confirmed that it is simply a “visual bug,” and one that they’re going to address “in an upcoming update.” If you’ve been affected by the bug, Metten says simply playing another game will reset your SR back to where it should be. It was also confirmed on February 15 that Warzone 2 will be getting its own ranked mode in the future, so it’s definitely possible that similar could happen when that arrives in the battle royale game — if it does, at least you’ll know it’s likely just a visual glitch and not the game docking you all the way to the bottom.

Modern Warfare 2 dev responds to complaints over “loud” footstep audio Activision/TreyarchInfinity Ward has responded to growing concerns from players regarding footstep audio issues in the Modern Warfare 2 beta. Modern Warfare 2’s beta is finally here, and fans across the world are getting their first look and experience of the game for what it is. Infinity Ward has claimed they’ve worked on new sound technology to improve footstep audio – a prominent issue in almost every Call of Duty, which the devs just can’t get right. However, despite their increased focus, players are still running into a few issues, leading the developers to address concerns. Infinity Ward developer sheds light on MW2 audio Players have had quite a few concerns when it comes to MW2’s audio, with many agreeing footsteps are generally too loud. Additionally, the community has also voiced complaints regarding Dead Silence, which is now an in-game Field Upgrade instead of a Loadout Perk. Now, one developer has put out a detailed thread addressing concerns from players. In a September 16 tweet, Audio Level Designer Christopher Christensen gave an explanation of why footsteps seem so loud in-game. “Your own footsteps (1st-person) is completely different than what others hear, and is for your information only,” the dev wrote. The audio designer also gave a tip to players, suggesting they should take the time to learn all the new sounds. “There are different types of foliage sounds now! Same with water/oil/mud puddles. Learning the audible differences, and surfaces throughout each map, will give you a huge map-knowledge advantage!” Additionally, he noted there’s an option to set your walking move speed, which also modifies your walking footstep audio volume. The developer also clarified that footstep audio is based on player speed. Nonetheless, players shouldn’t be too concerned with MW2’s footstep audio. Remember that full-blown sprinting is much louder than crouch walking or crawling.

Modern Warfare 2 datamine reveals return of fan favorite game modes A datamine suggests that Gun Game and Gunfight may finally be added to Modern Warfare 2. Gunfight revolutionized Modern Warfare 2019. The fast-paced 2v2 game mode cultivated a passionate fan base, and Infinity Ward gifted fans 19 different maps to duke it out on. Treyarch brought Gunfight back for CoD Cold war but cut the map pool down to nine. CoD Vanguard discontinued the cult favorite mode, and fans have been clamoring for a return since. In June, the developers confirmed Gunfight is coming back for Modern Warfare 2 but only said, “at some point.” That point may finally be within reach, as a data mine dug up the Gunfight logo. sprinkling in an added bonus, the leak also hinted at Gun Game possibly returning as well. Modern Warfare 2 datamine uncovers Gunfight and Gun Game logos Call of Duty leaker BKTOOR5 datamined the Gunfight and Gun Game logos, and fellow leaker GhostOfHope spread the word. Gun Game is a free for all game mode, with all players starting with the same gun and loadout. Players earn a new weapon with each kill, and the first one to 18 kills wins. The mode is a series staple and first appeared all the way back in CoD Black Ops. Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 is set to go live on or around Wednesday, February 1, but GhostOfHope doesn’t believe Gun Game and Gunfight will be part of the major update. The CoD leaker claimed, “I think Season 2 of Modern Warfare II | Warzone will have a lot of content for both launch and mid-season, but some part of me doesn’t expect Gunfight because of the fact it’s a game mode AND a bunch of maps. I think it’ll have its own seasonal focus, so maybe Season 3 or something.” We will provide an update when we learn more about everything coming during Modern Warfare 2 Season 2.

Modern Warfare 2 leak hints at Cranked return & Plunder in Warzone 2 Season 2 Activision BlizzardLeaked icons seemingly pertaining to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 & Warzone 2 have hinted the series’ Cranked game mode may return in the near future alongside the ever-popular Plunder playlist. Cranked has appeared in several Call of Duty titles over the last several years, including Ghosts, 2019’s Modern Warfare, and Black Ops Cold War, while Plunder was a more recent addition in the first Warzone. Structured in the same manner as Team Deathmatch, Cranked flips the script by tasking players with landing a kill every 30 seconds after their first. Failing to get the job done results in the player exploding when time runs out. Meanwhile, for Plunder, players fight to secure more money than the opposing team, though many enjoyed the playlist for its more laid-back approach and efficient weapon-leveling process. Call of Duty faithful have high hopes for both modes to return, so a recent leak will likely make someone very happy. Modern Warfare 2 leak may point to Cranked arriving soon Icons tucked away in Call of Duty: Modern Modern Warfare 2’s game files hint at the potential return of the two beloved modes – Plunder and Cranked. Prominent CoD dataminer BKTOOR shared the images in a recent post, and the timing of it all is leading some to believe the modes could launch sooner rather than later. In the photos below, the icon comprised of wrenches represents Cranked, while the dollar sign-laden images signify Plunder. The leaker noted in a subsequent post that red coloring within the icons specifically relates to Modern Warfare 2 and not Warzone. There’s no telling what this entails, but one fan thinks the leak could hint at the revival of Heist, the CS:GO-like mode from Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. While this seems to serve as the first clue of Cranked coming to Modern Warfare 2, Plunder-related speculation picked up steam late last year. In December, YouTuber tiktokalnuke stumbled across a map glitch in Warzone 2, complete with icons once designated for Plunder. Perhaps the two game modes really are receiving a new lease on life in the near future. We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled in the lead-up to both Warzone & Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 in the coming weeks.

Modern Warfare 2 could overhaul killstreaks as Specialist return teased ActivisionSpecialist could be set to return in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 after players noticed a mention of it in the settings of a private match. With the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Infinity Ward has made some major changes to staple features of the CoD franchise. They’ve given the Gunsmith a bit of a facelift with additional weapon tuning, as well as changing the way guns are unlocked. The CoD developers have also given Perks a bit of a rework as well. Players can now adjust their perk setups with two base perks, an Ultimate perk, and a bonus perk. That change, though, hasn’t gone down all that well with players. The absence of Specialist, which was a popular feature in 2019’s reboot of Modern Warfare, has also been a complaint for players. Some would rather earn more perks through their kills rather than rack up killstreaks. Modern Warfare 2 menu suggests Specialist could return Well, for those hoping that Specialist may make a return in MW2, they’ve been given a glimmer of hope thanks to a mention of it in private matches. The mention of Specialist was flagged by Redditor LightsOut16900, who noted that ‘Wrap Killstreaks’ —killstreaks that can be earned more than once in a life — can also be enabled by players. On top of that, the setting also says: “Specialist streaks do not wrap as the perks are persistent when earned in that life.” This appears to suggest it would work more like the 2019 version of Specialist rather than Modern Warfare 3 where all specialist perks were unlocked after an 8 killstreak. That mention has excited plenty of players who want Specialist back in CoD, but there are a few who have also urged caution about the sly mention. “Considering the amount of MW19 operator names still left in random places and other stuff, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is just a forgotten piece that nobody fixed,” said one. “Wouldn’t be surprised that they forgot the text in there. If they used the same camos they must have used the same text,” added another. It remains to be seen if Specialist will be making a return, but with Infinity Ward planning plenty of changes over the coming months, it wouldn’t be a surprise.

Modern Warfare 2 could have VR mode according to PlayStation Store listing ActivisionModern Warfare 2, the 2022 entry in the long-running CoD series could be looking to take realism and immersion to the next level, as the game’s PlayStation Store listing has hinted at a possible VR component. Ever since it was officially announced, the hype surrounding Modern Warfare 2 had been building as players wonder what Infinity Ward will have in store for us this time around. Long-time fans have been speculating on the classic guns and maps from the 2009 original that could return, as well as new features like the rumored DMZ mode. However, it appears that Modern Warfare 2 could also have new features that fans weren’t expecting. According to the game’s PlayStation Store listing, it could support VR. Modern Warfare 2 to feature VR support? Although Modern Warfare 2 isn’t currently available for pre-order, ever since its October 28 release date was revealed, the game has had its own listing on the PS Store. The section has little information currently, with the only artwork reveal trailer to go on. However, Twitter user Oddysseuspr found something interesting by digging a little deeper into the store posting. By heading into the “Health / Ratings / Privacy / Terms” section, the OP found a safety notice for a VR headset, advising players how to use the hardware safely. This could hint that Modern Warfare 2 will be playable with PSVR, allowing fans to experience the new CoD from a fresh perspective. https://twitter.com/Oddysseuspr/status/1529930908937207815?s=20&t=BkUkcYchCNg-pmos1YCp5g While this is far from confirmation that Modern Warfare 2 will be embracing VR, after doing a little investigating ourselves, it doesn’t appear that other upcoming titles on the PlayStation Store reference VR in their safety notices. This wouldn’t be the first time that CoD has dabbled with virtual reality, Jackal Assault from 2016’s Infinite Warfare gave fans their first taste of the hardware. Although, this was more of a one-off experience rather than full support. It remains to be seen how Infinity Ward will make use of the technology if it does come to Modern Warfare 2, as fans would surely love to jump into Soap or Captain Price’s shoes like never before. Of course, this is all just speculation until we receive confirmation from the developers about Modern Warfare 2 VR.

Modern Warfare 2 confirms fan-favorite sniper coming in Season 3 FaZe DirtyModern Warfare 2 players can finally get their hands on the Intervention sniper in Season 3, under a new name and fresh look. On March 28, a reputable Modern Warfare 2 leaker revealed 13 new weapons, spanning from Season 3 to 5. The leaker claimed these would be the final remaining weapons before CoD 2023. Some classic weapons mentioned included the Tec-9, FAMAS, and Intervention sniper. The Intervention is a slow-firing, hard-hitting, bolt-action sniper rifle that first appeared in the original Modern Warfare 2. The gun went on to feature in two other main-line series entries, one of which was Modern Warfare 2019. It just didn’t feel right having a title called MW2 without the Intervention. And fortunately, fans won’t have to wait too long before experiencing a rush of nostalgia. The Intervention sniper makes a return in Modern Warfare 2 Call of Duty YouTuber FaZe Dirty participated in a Season 3 playest and used the Intervention Sniper, which is now called the FJX Imperium. Activision released a highlight montage of some of the YouTuber’s best clips during the playtest, and he shared his first impressions of the new sniper rifle. “The FJX Imperium is amazing. It is nostalgic mixed with new. The feel of it and the way it scopes in feels really good. We also got a first look at a new 6v6 map coming in Season 3, Pelayo’s Lighthouse. The map takes place in a dark and rainy forest. The FJX Imperium will be part of the Season 3 Battle Pass, and Activision confirmed that the new season begins on April 12. We will provide an update when we know more about Modern Warfare 2 Season 3 and share a guide on how to unlock the FJX Imperium.

Modern Warfare 2 cheat makers charged $3 million in damages to Activision ActivisionA judge ruled that the creators of Call of Duty cheat service EngineOwning must pay Activision $3 million in damages to Activision. Cheating is a prevalent issue within the CoD community, and some cheaters have even gone to extraordinary lengths to bypass CoD’s anti-cheat system. CDL pros started to abandon Modern Warfare 2’s new Ranked Play mode because of hackers, and Warzone also has a troubled history with cheating. In October 2022, Activision claimed “high-profile” streamers used Warzone cheats in a lawsuit against EngineOwning, a well-known cheat provider. The Warzone developers originally sued the cheat sellers in January 2022, claiming their cheats caused “millions of dollars” in damages. After a lengthy battle, Activision is finally set to receive some reparations, as a judge ruled that two EngineOwning creators fork over $3 million in damages to the developers. Activision awarded $3 million in damages in EngineOwning suit Activision introduced its anti-cheat system, RICOCHET, in October 2021, and just under a year later, they announced RICOCHET banned 500,000 Call of Duty accounts. The powerful anti-cheat has helped alleviate some cheating concerns, but EngineOwning still found a way around the system. To provide more context, EngineOwning sold cheats for Warzone, several mainline CoD titles, Battlefield, and even Halo Infinite. Call of Duty insider CharlieINTEL reported, “A judge has ruled that two individuals who created Call of Duty cheats for EngineOwning is liable for $3 million in damages to Activision.” The judge ruled that the pair of cheat makers cease developing software to “exploit or enable members of the public to cheat, manipulate, gain unfair advantages.” Those terms extend to the Call of Duty series and other Activision Blizzard games, including Overwatch 2. No streamers were mentioned by name in the suit or ruling from the judge.

Modern Warfare 2 CDL rules update bans weapon tuning & underrated Ranked Play AR ActivisionThe newest Modern Warfare 2 CDL rules update has banned weapon tuning and a highly slept-on Ranked Play AR from pro play. Modern Warfare 2’s Ranked Play system arrived with Season 2 back on February 15 and has been a smash hit. Not only has it drawn praise from the pros for innovating on the standard Ranked experience, but streamers and casual players have also found a new love for the game thanks to the highly-cultivated experience. The rules in Ranked Play weren’t directly in line with how the CDL players have been playing the game though, and so the newest rules update signs a few unwritten competitive rules into the law of the land. Modern Warfare 2 CDL update bans weapon tuning & Kastov 762 While the Ranked Play rules already restricted many of the game’s most overpowered weapons, there is one AR that managed to slip through the cracks. The Kastov 762 was one of the game’s easiest guns to use and it was a sleeper pick in Ranked Play. Both the 762 and its cousin, the Kastov 545, are popular picks for the cheaters that have infested the playlist since launch. Their quick TTKs make them ideal picks for winning fights in a hurry, even if aiming them is a touch harder than the other options. This caused players who weren’t cheating to pick it up and try it out for themselves, and since the start of March, both weapons looked to be gaining ground on the Taq-56, which has been the preferred AR for the entire season. Weapon Tuning was previously banned under a ‘gentleman’s agreement’, but it has now joined the ISO Hemlock, a laundry list of Killstreaks, and a ton of equipment over on the official list. These changes are not yet reflected in Ranked Play, but they’ll be added with the release of Season 2 Reloaded on March 15.

Modern Warfare 2 CDL pros slam “garbage” Ranked Play hackers ActivisionRanked Play arrived in Modern Warfare 2 on February 15 and CDL pros are already abandoning the playlist thanks to an influx of cheaters. Modern Warfare 2 players waited for the arrival of Ranked Play since the game’s launch, and now less than a week after its arrival in Season 2 many are giving up on the mode as a whole. A wave of cheaters has flooded the ladder, making even the best players in the world second guess queueing up for a match. OpTic Texas’ Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell and Boston Breach’s Ben ‘’Beans’ McMellon have been particularly vocal about the issue. Modern Warfare 2 CDL pros unhappy over hackers ruining Ranked Play Dashy is one of only a handful of current or former pros who currently make up the Top 250 in-game leaderboard. At the time of publication, he sits at the 15th spot, with 13,300 SR, with only Toronto Ultra substitute Eli ‘Standy’ Bentz and reigning World Champion Zack ‘Drazah’ Jordan of LA Thieves ahead of him. He vocalized his displeasure with the mode in a February 19 tweet. “Ranked is garbage, literally playing hackers every single game,” he said. Florida Mutineers newcomer Tyler ‘FeLo’ Johnson also shared a similar opinion. “I love ranked play and all but loading in against 99 awareness Tom Brady every map is starting to get absurd.” McMellon shared a moment after a game where a cheater was bold enough to ask him to team up, assuming that the pro had to be cheating because he was so good. “These hacking f***s have no remorse,” he said, sharing an in-game screenshot. There’s been no acknowledgment of the issue on the side of CoD devs, but we’ll bring the latest updates if steps are taken to rectify the situation.

Modern Warfare 2 CDL moshpit “delayed” ahead of Season 1 launch ActivisionCompetitive MW2 fans thought they were receiving the CDL moshpit playlist much earlier than last year, but unfortunately, they need to wait a little longer. Treyarch confirmed Modern Warfare 2 ranked play is coming in 2023, but players who are eager to get some sort of competitive play aren’t going to be left in the cold. Although the 2023 CDL season begins in December, which when ranked play is hopefully coming, Treyarch is including a competitive playlist, separate from ranked, that will simulate the types of matches pro players will play in the Call of Duty League. CDL Moshpit is essentially a ranked playlist that will feature the same map rotation and game modes as the CDL and in the same 4v4 format. All weapons and equipment banned for the pro players also apply to this playlist. Modern Warfare 2 CDL Moshpit delayed Unfortunately for those competitive players, it appears that the CDL Moshpit playlist will not be active as soon as they initially hoped. On November 16, Treyarch announced CDL Moshpit “will require a slight delay” because of “recently discovered issues with the mode.” The developers claimed that the issue is the team’s “top priority,” and Treyarch will provide any news and updates on Modern Warfare 2’s Trello page. A slight silver lining for competitive CoD fans is they can now purchase the CDL Launch Pack in MW2 and Warzone 2 for $9.99. The Launch pack includes CDL-themed Operator skins, a weapon camo, a charm, and other cosmetic items. We will provide an update when Treyarch announces a new release date for the playlist.

Modern Warfare 2 CDL maps changed dramatically after massive backlash from pros Call of Duty LeagueJust a few short hours after revealing the v1.0 competitive ruleset for Modern Warfare 2, the Call of Duty League made some major changes to the map pool for the competitive season after massive backlash from pros and top Challenger competitors alike. On November 7, the CoD League revealed its opening ruleset for the launch of the competitive season, including all of the weapons and items that will be restricted, as well as the Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and Control maps that will be played. These included some maps that pros and Challengers alike found very questionable, with just two Control maps that most players hadn’t even practiced yet and Farm 18 in the Search & Destroy rotation. The notable omissions of Crown Raceway and Breenburgh Hotel were expected, given the legal issues surrounding them, but the community was still disappointed to see them absent. With a Challengers tournament coming up on the following weekend, many top amateurs called out the CDL using them as “guinea pigs.” With pros clearly baffled by the decisions, especially with the inclusion of maps they hadn’t scrimmed yet or asked to be included in the map pool, there were a lot of discussions online, and some concerns from pros that they hadn’t scrimmed said maps, or were unsure of how they would play in a competitive environment. After such backlash from the community, and likely even more so in private, the CDL did the unexpected and gave the mapset a major overhaul just hours later. They completely swapped out the Control maps, replacing both of them with three more, as well as adding Breenburgh Hotel to all modes, much to the surprise and delight of the competitive community. This is a huge change to have been made, but definitely one that will improve community sentiment. With rumors of a two-year Modern Warfare II cycle still up in the air, players are expecting some classic MW2 maps to arrive in the game, and that could change the competitive landscape for the better.

Modern Warfare 2 campaign early access: Release date, pre-load, rewards ActivisionActivision has confirmed Modern Warfare 2’s campaign will go live ahead of the game’s full launch, giving players an opportunity to jump in and finish the story early. Here’s how and when you can jump into MW2’s campaign with early access. For the past two decades, players have always been faced with a tough decision at the launch of each new CoD title. Should you get through the campaign first or dive straight into multiplayer on day one? For many, the race to unlock weapons fast and prestige ahead of the pack often meant the single-player experience went neglected. Now looking to ensure that doesn’t happen, Activision is giving everyone ample time to check out the Modern Warfare 2 campaign early. Through a separate, early access launch ahead of the full release, players around the world can take their time completing the new storyline and venturing through the latest journey of Task Force 141. Not only that, but in playing the campaign, you’ll also unlock a number of exclusive goodies for use in multiplayer. Here’s a full rundown on all there is to know. Contents Modern Warfare 2 campaign early access release date & pre-load time While Modern Warfare 2 is set to launch in full on October 28, fans can get in a week early and start their campaign run from today: Thursday, October 20 at 10AM PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST. To get yourself fully prepared, you can even start pre-loading the campaign 24 hours early from 10AM PT on Wednesday, October 19. This is available to players on all platforms, meaning everyone can get ready for the campaign launch, regardless of where you play. How to play Modern Warfare 2 campaign early access In order to access the Modern Warfare 2 campaign early, players simply need to preorder the game on their platform of choice, including Xbox, PlayStation, Steam and Battlenet. This can be done with any version of the game, so long as you have a digital preorder. It’s yet unclear if those with physical preorders from retailers will also be able to get in early. Modern Warfare 2 campaign rewards For many, getting through the campaign ahead of multiplayer’s launch is enough of an incentive in itself. However, Activision has revealed a wide range of exclusive rewards players can expect to receive just by playing through the single-player story. From four distinct Operators to a number of Double XP Tokens and Calling Cards alike, there’s plenty up for grabs here. Better yet, an additional Assault Rifle Blueprint awaits those who complete the full campaign. Below is the full list of what’s on offer in chronological order: Calling Card: “Soap’s Determination” – Emblem: “What’s Done Is Done” – 30-Minute Double XP Token – 30-Minute Double Weapon XP Token – Calling Card: “Chain linked” – Base Operator: Chuy – 30-Minute Double XP Token – 30-Minute Double Weapon XP Token – Calling Card: “Gaz” – Base Operator: Nova – 1 Hour Double XP Token – 1 Hour Double Weapon XP Token – Calling Card: “Shadow Company Ops” – Base Operator: Reyes – 1 Hour Double XP Token – 1 Hour Double Weapon XP Token – Base Operator: Hutch – Bonus: Union Guard Weapon Blueprint – If you’re getting in early, you’ll have a decent head start when multiplayer comes around one week later. Not only will you be more familiar with Modern Warfare 2’s gameplay systems, but you’ll have a solid batch of exclusive content to your name as well.

Summer Game Fest MW2 gameplay reveals new weapons, equipment & features ActivisionThe Summer Game Fest 2022 got off to a hot start after revealing more Modern Warfare 2 gameplay footage starring iconic Call of Duty characters, John ‘Soap’ MacTavish & Ghost. Infinity Ward are preparing to launch one of its most ambitious titles in MW2, which will bring a brand-new game engine to the fold while also taking reimagining legendary characters from the prior games in the franchise. The studio showed off Modern Warfare 2’s campaign with the first look at the Dark Water mission, which moves from an oil platform to a moving ship as players pursue a weapon as Captain Soap MacTavish. Modern Warfare 2 features The footage showcased the returning ability to mount weapons, pick up utility-like Molotov cocktails from the ground, and work with Task Force 141 characters including Simon “Ghost” Riley. All new water tech will lend itself to giving the gameplay a dynamic feel by physically affecting how players move across a mission, as showcase during a high speed boat chase toward the end of the demo, and with shipping containers being thrown from side to side. What’s more, Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 are going to run on the same engine and the battle royale will “be an extension of the MW2 universe.” Modern Warfare 2 weapons & equipment Along with the gameplay, we got a look at some of the weapons and equipment that will appear in MW2, with some classic favorites coming back to the fold. Here’s what we spotted so far: MW2 Weapons revealed P90 – MP5SD (unconfirmed) – Vector – Model 680 Shotgun – MW2 Equipment M84 Flash – Molotov – There were flashes of other locales and items that players will encounter in MW2’s massive campaign. More details of Modern Warfare 2 will be released closer we get to the October 28 launch, so stay tuned as we cover all the new Call of Duty reveals.

Modern Warfare 2 Beta Weekend Two patch notes: Ground War, Perk changes, AR nerfs ActivisionWeek two of the Modern Warfare 2 Beta is now in focus and with players across all platforms now joining in, Infinity Ward has dropped new patch notes full of fresh content and significant gameplay changes. One week on from the PlayStation-exclusive leg of the Modern Warfare 2 Beta and players on PC and Xbox are now joining in on the action. However, things aren’t exactly the same as they were in the first outing. In light of key feedback in the first few days, developers are addressing a number of the game’s most prominent issues. They’ve also introduced new maps and modes to spice things up for the final days of the test. So before you load back in, brush up with a full look at the Modern Warfare 2 Beta Weekend Two patch notes. New content in week two of Modern Warfare 2 Beta While the first week of the Beta came with a number of unique locations and a small handful of modes, things are expanding in week two. For starters, two new maps are joining the rotation in Sariff Bay and Sa’id. Both are described as ‘Battle Maps’ to fit with larger game types. Accompanying them is one such big team mode as Ground War makes a return. 64 players can now compete in this mode that not only emphasizes long-range combat, but new vehicular combat systems too. Last but not least, Invasion ups the stakes with large-scale 80-player lobbies. Two teams of 20 humans and two teams of 20 AI load in to this “absolutely chaotic” mode with regular team deathmatch rules in effect. The squad with the most kills wins. Perk & Weapon changes in Modern Warfare 2 Beta As teased in an earlier blog post, the Perk system is speeding up in week two of the Beta. Initially, it took quite some time to earn all of your chosen Perks in a given match due to the new Perk Package system which delivers them in the middle of a game. Now, with all platforms joining the fight, the earn rate for these higher-tier Perks has been increased “significantly.” Moreover, seven weapons have been adjusted to various degrees for the final few days of the Beta. A number of key Assault Rifles now deal reduced damage and come with more recoil, while a few powerful SMGs now have slightly more hipfire recoil. You can find the full list of balance adjustments below. Full Modern Warfare 2 Weekend Two patch notes Maps Introducing two new battle maps: Sariff Bay and Sa’id. – Modes Ground War is back! Enjoy up-to 32v32 combat with brand new vehicles and dynamic combat. – Introducing our Sandbox TDM, Invasion (or what we like to call the Shipment of Ground War). Invasion pits two teams of 20 players and 20 AI against each other. With large maps, 80 combatants, water play, ground vehicles, air vehicles and more– it’s absolute chaos! – Third Person Moshpit is returning for Weekend Two. – Gameplay We’ve made adjustments to player visibility that should make enemy targets easier to spot. – Perks The perk earn rate will remain the same for the start of Beta Weekend One. Once all platforms are open, we will be increasing the earn rate significantly. – Audio Decreased the overall distance from which you could hear enemy and ally footsteps – Mixed the volume of local and non-local player slide sounds to be more in-line with other movements – Added an equalizer to soften ally footsteps versus enemy footsteps, making enemy audio more distinct – Adjusted mix presets– particularly the mix of ambient sounds, which will make footsteps slightly less pronounced – Weapon Tuning FTAC Recon Reduced damage while in full-auto – Increased full-auto recoil – Minor headshot damage reduction – FSS Hurricane Reduced damage at distance – Lower headshot multiplier – Lachmann-556 Minor recoil increase – Minor headshot reduction – Minor hipfire spread increase – M4 Minor hipfire spread increase – M16 Minor hipfire spread increase – Kastov-74u Minor hipfire spread increase – Lachmann Sub Minimum damage reduction – Minor headshot damage reduction – Maps Valderas Museum has returned following fixes to lighting – Patched various geo on Farm 18, Breenburgh Hotel, and Mercado Las Almas – User Interface We’ve addressed a number of UX bugs including Gunsmith and progression issues. The level cap for Weekend Two is level 30. If you played in Weekend One, your progress should carry over to Weekend Two. – We are also working on a number of UI and UX improvements for launch. –

How to play Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Open Beta: Release date, platforms, more ActivisionThe Modern Warfare 2 Open Beta is officially in the books as players had just two weekends in which to try the game out before it’s full launch in October. From how fans could access the Beta early, to a rundown of the content included, here’s everything you need to know. With the Vanguard cycle now behind us, Modern Warfare 2 is quickly beginning to soak up the spotlight. Following on from its full reveal on June 8, we soon knew for certain that fans would be able to go hands-on in the not-so-distant future thanks to a Beta period. Two Open Beta weekends were announced for Modern Warfare 2 and there was plenty to enjoy across both stretches. From new maps and game modes to powerful weapons and mechanics, fans were certainly kept busy. If you missed the Beta and want to brush up ahead of the full release, here’s a full recap of all there is to know. Contents Modern Warfare 2 Beta dates & early access – Modern Warfare 2 Beta platforms – Modern Warfare 2 Beta PC requirements – How to play Modern Warfare 2 Beta early – Modern Warfare 2 Beta rewards – Modern Warfare 2 Beta content – Modern Warfare 2 Open Beta release date & early access The Modern Warfare 2 Beta took place across two separate weeks in September. The first week was dedicated to PlayStation games. Those with early access could start playing right away, with the beta available September 16-17. After this, the beta was then accessible for all PlayStation gamers across September 18-20. Of note, PlayStation Plus was not required to access the Modern Warfare 2 Beta. The Beta then went offline for a few days before launching on all platforms in the second week. Early access again got underway over September 22-23 before the final open Beta from September 24-26. Below is a simple overview of key Modern Warfare 2 Beta dates: Weekend One (PlayStation Exclusive) Sep 16-17 (Early Access) – Sep 18-20 (Open Beta) – – Weekend Two (All Platforms – Crossplay Beta) Sep 22-23 (Early Access) – Sep 24-26 (Open Beta) – – Modern Warfare 2 Beta platforms The Modern Warfare 2 Open Beta landed across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, Battle.Net, and Steam. The full Modern Warfare 2 launch is locked in for all the same hardware, meaning players across all relevant platforms could get an early sample of the action through the Open Beta. Moreover, the second Beta window featured full crossplay functionality, meaning players could team up and compete against those on different hardware. Modern Warfare 2 Beta PC requirements If you jumped into the Modern Warfare 2 Beta on PC, you obviously needed to be aware of both the minimum and recommended system requirements. Given the scope of the latest CoD, fans required a beefy rig if they were looking to get the most out of it. But even dated machines were still able to run the Beta on lower settings. Below is a full look at the Modern Warfare 2 Beta PC requirements: How to play the Modern Warfare 2 Open Beta early Gaining early access to the Modern Warfare 2 Beta was as simple as pre-ordering the full title on your chosen platform. Regardless of where you play, or how you purchase your games, all pre-orders were granted early access. If you pre-ordered Modern Warfare 2 digitally on console through the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, or digitally on PC through Battle.Net or Steam, you were automatically registered to join the early access period when it became available. If you pre-ordered Modern Warfare 2 at a brick-and-mortar store, however, your early access Beta code would have been printed on the retail receipt or sent through an online receipt. As a final method of accessing the Beta, codes were on offer as randomized drops during the 2022 CDL Championship Weekend event. Just by tuning in on YouTube, fans had a chance at earning a Modern Warfare 2 Beta code. Here’s all you need to know. To redeem your 13-character Beta code through physical pre-orders, fans had to visit to the official CoD Beta redemption page to gain early access. Below is a step-by-step breakdown to keep things simple: Pre-order any version of Modern Warfare 2 on any platform. – If you pre-ordered a digital copy, you’re immediately locked in for the Beta. – If you pre-ordered a physical copy, redeem your 13-character Beta code here. – Modern Warfare 2 Beta rewards Activision offered 10 different reward items earned by leveling up in the Beta, including two weapon blueprints and an operator skin. The rewards were only available to unlock during the Beta. The developers confirmed that the Beta rewards would also be available in Warzone 2. Here is a list of all the Beta rewards. Emblem: “Smashed It”: Unlocks at Operator Level 2 – Charm: “Buckle Up”: Unlocks at Operator Level 4 – Player Cards: “Passed the Test”: Unlocks at Operator Level 6 – Sticker: “Operation First Blood”: Unlocks at Operator Level 10 – Weapon Blueprint: “Side Impact”: Unlocks at Operator Level 15 – Operator Skin: “Collision”: Unlocks at Operator Level 18 – Vinyl: “No Competition”: Unlocks at Operator Level 19 – Sticker: “Safety First”: Unlocks at Operator Level 21 – Vehicle Skin: “Floor It”: Unlocks at Operator Level 26 – Weapon Blueprint: “Frontal Impact”: Unlocks at Operator Level 30 – Modern Warfare 2 Beta content & guides The Beta gave us an idea of what to expect when the full Modern Warfare 2 drops at the end of October. A number of diverse maps and modes were all on offer as was the game’s new Gunsmith 2.0 system. However, the much anticipated Grand Prix map, teased specifically for the Beta, did not surface and references to it on the CoD website were conspicuous by their absence. As expected, though, a host of new information was provided by the Beta, including how the basics of the game will work. Check out some of our guides below: Modern Warfare 2 Gunsmith explained – Modern Warfare 2 equipment guide – Modern Warfare 2 killstreaks revealed – All Modern Warfare 2 Field Upgrades – All Modern Warfare 2 Perks explained – How to unlock the MP5 Lachmann SMG – How to slide cancel in Modern Warfare 2 – How to unlock Oni Operator and Blueprint – There will be plenty more announced and revealed about Modern Warfare 2 in the coming weeks, and we’ll be sure to have it all covered.

Modern Warfare 2 Beta glitch throws players into Warzone 2 menu by mistake ActivisionA bizarre Modern Warfare 2 Beta glitch is accidentally sending players to a Warzone 2 menu screen, leading to early speculation that the two titles may be bundled into the same launcher once again. When Warzone first arrived in March 2020, it did so as part of the Modern Warfare package. While it served as an independent Battle Royale experience, players had to launch Infinity Ward’s 2019 title in order to access the new component. Through all the following seasons, major content drops, and even pivots to all new titles with Warzone’s Pacific era in the Vanguard cycle, the games have remained linked. To this day, Warzone appears as the Modern Warfare application on various hardware. Given its limitations and unprecedented file size, many have hoped that Warzone 2 will release as a standalone title. However, with the Modern Warfare 2 Beta now live, and a new bug sending players to a Warzone 2 menu, some are beginning to worry that won’t be the case. While playing in the first week of the Modern Warfare 2 Beta on PlayStation, Reddit user ‘Sybrun’ noticed something out of the ordinary. Rather than seeing the typical multiplayer modes in the bottom left corner, along with their single Operator in the background, their menu was completely different. Seven characters spread across the screen as ‘Warzone Private Match’ appeared in a new text overlay. For the most part, everything else atop the screen remained in place. Weapons, Operators, Challenges, and the Store all still appeared, as did the new social tab and settings menu. Clearly a mistake, the player was unable to launch into a private match on the new Al Mazrah map. Though others who encountered the issue were allegedly able to scroll down and view playlists for Warzone Trios, Plunder, and a mysterious ‘Alternate Mode.’ Given this bug occurred in the Beta, on a launcher specifically designed for Modern Warfare 2, some took this as an indication of what’s to come at launch. “Not good,” one player said on Reddit. “The two games should be completely separate clients.” In recent years, we’ve seen the original Modern Warfare application run into issues due to its ever-expanding file size. Whether Warzone 2 repeats the same by jumping in with Modern Warfare 2 remains to be seen. For the time being, it’s obviously worth keeping in mind this is purely a Beta. The Warzone private match screen could just be appearing due to a completely innocuous error, not one that points to a merge with both upcoming titles. We’ll have to wait and see how it all pans out when Modern Warfare 2 launches on October 28 and Warzone 2 arrives shortly after on November 16.

Modern Warfare 2 beta already being ruined by hackers ActivisionHackers have already been spotted in the Modern Warfare 2 beta, using aimbots and wallhacks to get an unfair advantage over players in multiplayer lobbies. The Modern Warfare 2 beta is live, which means players across consoles and PC can queue up for some intense multiplayer action. While the game has currently been getting some praise, there have been a number of issues outlined by streamers. However, aside from the lack of mobility and wonky firefights, there seems to be a bigger problem at play. yes, hackers have already managed to make their way into the Modern Warfare 2 beta. Call of Duty has always had a problem with cheaters, especially in Warzone where the free-to-play nature of the game made it all too easy for players to utilize various hacks. Now, it seems like the Modern Warefare 2 beta is sharing a similar fate. Hackers already spotted in Modern Warfare 2 In the clip outlined below, Twitter user @TheMW2BetaPlug uploaded a clip of a Modern Warfare 2 hacker using aimbot and wallhacks. The footage showcases the player claiming kill after kill, with their aimbot snapping onto nearby targets. The cheater simply runs around the map decimating all enemies they come across, a feat that is all too easy thanks to the wallhacks that showcase their exact location. Unfortunately, this will likely come as no surprise to CoD players as previous entries also had the exact same problem during the beta. In fact, both Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard had their betas ruined by cheaters. So, if you come across a player who appears to be aimbotting, then don’t be too surprised. Hopefully, Infinity Ward can address this issue before the official Modern Warfare 2 release date. We do know that the RICOCHET anti-cheat will be available in Day 1 of both MW2 and Warzone, but if it’s already struggling to prevent hackers, the opening days of the game might be shaky.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 best PC settings: High FPS, graphics, visibility & more Infinity WardYour PC settings can significantly influence your performance in Modern Warfare 2, therefore you are going to want to have them set in the best way possible. If you’re looking for a competitive edge, here’s the ideal PC configuration to become unstoppable in MW2. There are countless settings you can adjust in PC games these days, and while some are straightforward and self-explanatory, others can be a bit more confusing, such as FidelityFX CAS in Modern Warfare 2. We’ve put together a guide for the very best PC settings to use for optimum FPS (frames per second) in Modern Warfare 2, which should give you a smooth frame rate no matter what GPU you’re using and keep the game looking as good as possible for the entirety of your playtime. Alternatively, if you’re looking to enhance your experience in Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2, here are the best weapons and loadouts. Best PC settings on MW2 for max FPS For a fast-paced shooter like Modern Warfare 2, you’ll want to make sure you’re harnessing your GPU for the most frames per second possible, even if that comes at the expense of some pretty details, shadows, and reflections. But, some graphical settings can be beneficial on a higher setting from a gameplay perspective, so you don’t want to simply turn everything to ‘low’ and call it a day. Here are the best settings to use. Display Settings for Modern Warfare 2 Display Mode: Fullscreen Exclusive – Best for latency reduction – Display Monitor: Choose your primary display with the highest refresh rate – Display Adapter: This is just your graphics card – Screen Refresh rate: Maximum for your monitor (144hz, 240hz, etc.) – Display Resolution: Set this to 1080p – If you have a top-end GPU, you could use 1440p, but 1080p will be better for FPS. 4K is not recommended as it will significantly impact FPS. – Dynamic Resolution: Off – This will change the resolution of the game at unexpected moments, which can be distracting – Aspect Ratio: Automatic (16:9) – V-Sync Gameplay: Off – V-Sync on can cause increased latency – V-Sync Menu: Off – Custom Frame Rate Limit: Custom Gameplay Custom Frame Rate Limit: 300 – Menu Custom Frame Rate Limit: 90 – Out of focus Custom Frame Rate Limit: 30 – – Display Gamma: 2.2 (sRGB) – Brightness: Preference – Focus Mode: Off – Quality Settings Quality Presets: Custom – Render Resolution: 100 Upscaling / Sharpening: FidelityFX CAS – FidelityFX CAS Strength: 65 – This will make the game sharper without impacting FPS much at all. – – Anti-Aliasing: SMAA T2X – Anti-Aliasing Quality: Normal – Setting this to Low will improve FPS marginally, but the quality improvement of Normal is probably worth it. – Video Memory Scale: 90 – You want to use the maximum VRAM available. – Texture Resolution: Normal – Texture Filter Anisotropic: High – FPS barely affected by this higher setting – Nearby Level of Detail: Low – Distant Level of Detail: High – Optimized for gameplay experience – Clutter Draw Distance: Short – Particle Quality: High – High can improve performance, will rarely reduce FPS – Particle Quality Level: Low – Bullet Impacts & Sprays: On – Important for multiplayer gameplay – Shader Quality: Medium – Tessellation: Off – Terrain Memory: Max – On-Demand Texture Streaming: Off – Streaming Quality: Low – Volumetric Quality: Low – Deferred Physics Quality: Low – Only affects water – Water Caustics: Off – Only affects water – Shadow Map Resolution: Low – Spot Shadow Quality: Low – Cache Spot Shadows: On – Spot Cache: Low – Cache Sun Shadows: On – Particle Lighting: Low – Ambient Occlusion: Off – Screen Space Reflections: Off – Static Reflection Quality: Low – Weather Grid Volumes: Off – Nvidia Reflex Low Latency: On – Significantly improves latency. If you are CPU-bound, use the ON+BOOST option. – Depth of Field: Off – World Motion Blur: Off – Weapon Motion Blur: Off – Film Grain: 0.00 – View Field of View: 100–110 – This is up to you, but around 100 should give the best balance between visibility and performance. Higher values also make distant enemies harder to see. – ADS Field of View: Affected – Weapon Field of View: Default – 3rd Person Field of View: 80-100 – Vehicle Field of View: Default – 1st Person Camera Movement: Least (50%) – 3rd Person Camera Movement: Least (50%) – 3rd Person ADS Transition: Your Preference – Default Spectator Camera: Your Preference – Those are the best Modern Warfare 2 settings on PC, in order to maximize your FPS while still enjoying good graphical fidelity and no gameplay disadvantages. Of course, one simple way to increase your FPS is to get a more powerful graphics card, so check out our list of the best GPUs here. You should also make sure you have the latest graphics drivers installed. Modern Warfare 2 also has a built-in benchmark tool, so you can tweak your settings and select the benchmark playlist to test the results. So, there you have it — that was a rundown of some of the best MW2 settings on PC. For more on Modern Warfare 2, be sure to check out our other guides: Best Warzone weapons: Ultimate tier list with meta loadouts | Best Warzone 2 loadouts: Meta weapons and classes to dominate in Al Mazrah | Call of Duty 2024: Early leaks, concept art, Warzone 2.0, Treyarch & more | Call of Duty 2023: Early leaks, Modern Warfare 2, Warzone 2, more | Best M4 Warzone 2 loadout | Best Modern Warfare 2 weapons: Ultimate tier list with the best classes | Modern Warfare 2 best settings on PC for FPS, graphics, visibility, more

Modern Warfare 2 bans controversial Season 2 weapon from Ranked Play ActivisionInfinity Ward restricted the ISO Hemlock from Ranked Play after it wreaked havoc and dethroned the TAQ-56 as the top AR. Community members praised Treyarch for creating a fun and engaging competitive experience, but Ranked Play isn’t unblemished. Some CDL pros abandoned the mode due to an influx of hackers, and other players raised concerns over unbalanced matchmaking. Season 2 added another unforeseen disturbance for Ranked Play. The ISO Hemlock slipped through CDL restrictions and dominated the mode’s first week. Modern Warfare 2 devs remove ISO Hemlock from Ranked Play Season 2 introduced the ISO Hemlock as a new weapon, unlocked via the Battle Pass. Players quickly discovered the AR’s devastating capability and used it to melt opponents in Ranked Play. Community members complained about the weapon’s incredible accuracy, TTK, and quick handling. On February 22, Modern Warfare 2 added the ISO Hemlock and TAQ-V to the restricted weapons list, and fans rejoiced. Treyarch added, “The ISO Hemlock and TAQ-V will appear unrestricted in custom loadouts but will be restricted in-game and show as restricted in loadouts once you’re in a match. Both weapons will be hidden in the custom loadout screen in a future update.” CDL commentator Alan “Brice” Brice responded, “The Hemlock is banned on ranked! My goodness, that is fast. I will miss the game of Hemlock Chicken; see if the other team pulled it out first.” Modern Warfare 2 content creator ProReborn added, “I can’t wait to see some people’s SR tank when it’s removed from Ranked.” Several CDL social media teams joined in on the celebration as well. We expect the meta to shift to players using the Vaznev 9-K or TAQ-56. Check out our best Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Play loadouts so that you can adjust accordingly.

Modern Warfare 2 players celebrate “annoying” soccer event finally ending Activision BlizzardCall of Duty MW2 players are celebrating the FC soccer event finally ending after all of its “annoying” in-game advertisements. Modern Warfare 2’s FC event kicked off in late November 2022 to coincide with the FIFA World Cup. Its release featured new operators modeled after superstars Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr, and Paul Pogba. The event also unlocked access to a limited-time CODBall game mode, which introduced players to a brand-new map and Rocket League-esque gameplay mechanics. Not all Modern Warfare 2 users were pleased with these additions, though, especially since in-game pop-ups regularly advertised the event. MW2 players cheer for the soccer event’s upcoming end date Reddit user RussianMoth shared a screenshot in the Modern Warfare 2 subreddit that’s delighted many a Call of Duty fan. According to the “Events Ending Soon” tab in MW2, the limited-time FC event will come to an end later in a few days on Monday, February 27. As seen in the post below, the original poster called the in-game announcement “good news.” It seems other Modern Warfare 2 users agree with this sentiment, mostly because of the annoying in-game ads for the FC event. “I’m so tired of seeing them every time I start the game,” one Call of Duty fan wrote in the comments thread on Reddit. Non-soccer fans were particularly frustrated with the MW2 event because it too often distracted from other content offerings in the store. Said one Redditor on the matter, “…[the] game always spams me with these nonsense popups and you always have to go through [the] soccer-skin page to actually see what else [is] in the store.” Others think the limited-time event should’ve concluded when the 2022 FIFA World Cup ended in December. At least players will soon be rid of the FC advertisements in Modern Warfare 2.

MW2 and Warzone 2 Trophy Hunt event: Rewards, End Date, and more ActivisionMW2 and Warzone 2 Season 3 introduced Trophy Hunt, a new event where players can earn time limited cosmetic rewards. The arrival of Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 Season 3 saw a new event added for players to complete and earn rewards. This follows the Path of the Ronin event that was featured in Season 2 where a series of challenges had to be completed to unlock the Crossbow and later a new mastery camo, Bowing Blossoms. Trophy Hunt has people wondering what it’s about and why they should care. Here’s everything you need to know about the Trophy Hunt event. What is the Trophy Hunt event in Warzone 2 and MW2? The Trophy Hunt event has players pick up trophies that are sometimes dropped by defeated enemies. At the end of the game, these trophies are cashed in and can be spent on various rewards. Players will be able to participate in the event and earn trophies to spend in multiplayer, battle royale, resurgence, Plunder, and DMZ matches. It doesn’t matter what game mode you prefer there is an opportunity to complete the event. In Warzone 2, to cash in trophies players are required to visit Trophy Upload Stations that are scattered across the map to deposit their trophies or else they won’t be added. However, in multiplayer simply picking up the trophy and finishing the game is enough. In DMZ, players bank trophies by successfully exfilling or banking them at a Buy Station. This can be done at any Buy Station across either Al Mazrah or Ashika Island. Trophy Hunt event rewards Players can exchange trophies for a variety of rewards under the Events tab of the Warzone 2 or Modern Warfare 2 main menu. Most rewards are strictly cosmetic including weapon blueprints, calling cards, and vehicle skins. Season 3 Raloded introduces a new event where players can unlock two new sets of weapon camos. Completing one weapon category unlocks the camo for every weapon in that class. Completing all ten challengers unlocks another camo for every weapon class and a weapon charm. Here are off of the Challenges in the Reloaded Trophy Hunt: Assault Rifles: Get 250 Operator Kills – Battle Rifles: Get 30 Headshot Operator Kills – SMGs: Get 3 Operator Kills Without Dying 30 times – Shotguns – Get 30 Hipfire Operator Kills – LMGs: Get 50 Operator Kills While Mounted – Marksman Rifles: Get 25 Longshot Operator Kills – Sniper Rifles – Get 30 Longshot Operator Kills – Sidearms: Get 50 Operator Kills – Launcher – Get 40 Operator Kills – Melee – Get 30 Operator Kills from Behind – And here are all of the other Trophy Hunt rewards in MW2 and Warzone 2: ‘Spade Sunset’ Emblem: 15 Trophies – ‘Enhanced Vision’ Calling Card: 15 Trophies – Double XP Token: 15 Trophies – Double Battle Pass XP Token: 30 Trophies – 1 Battle Pass Tier Skip: 30 Trophies – ‘Mud Skirt’ Heavy Tank Vehicle Skin: 30 Trophies – ‘Valeria’s Stare’ Loading Screen: 30 Trophies – ‘Bleed Out’ Weapon Sticker: 30 Trophies – ‘A Plan Forms’ Loading Screen: 30 Trophies – ‘Trophy Hunter’ Charm: 30 Trophies – ‘The Viper’s Pistol’ Emblem: 30 Trophies – ‘Woodie’ SUV Vehicle Skin: 30 Trophies – ‘Betrayed’ Loading Screen: 30 Trophies – 1 Battle Pass Tier Skip: 30 Trophies – ‘Track and Kill’ Gun Screen: 60 Trophies – ‘Nightsting’ TAQ-V Weapon Blueprint: 120 Trophies – ‘Venom Strike’ M13B Weapon Blueprint: 150 Trophies – ‘Trophy Hunt Master’ Calling Card: 1000 Trophies – There are also two exclusive operator skins that can be earned by purchasing a specific amount of the above rewards: ‘Psyop’ Roze Operator Skin: Purchase any 10 items – ‘Arachnid’ Konig Operator Skin: Purchase any 15 items – When will the Trophy Hunt event end? The Trophy Hunt event will end at the start of MW2 after Season 3 Reloaded Although we don’t have an end date for Season 3, the mid-season update goes live on May 10. Once the event ends all relevant cosmetics will no longer be available through gameplay means. So if you don’t want to miss out on anything be sure to grind out the rewards before Season 3 Reloaded ends. Any unspent tokens that you have left over once the event ends will be automatically converted to XP contributing toward your overall level. That’s all for our Trophy Hunt event guide! For more of our Warzone 2 coverage, check out these guides below: Best Warzone 2 loadouts: Meta weapons and classes to dominate in Al Mazrah | Best Warzone 2.0 Sniper Rifle class loadouts | Best Kastov 762 Warzone 2 loadout | When is the next Modern Warfare 2 & Warzone 2 Double XP weekend event? | Warzone 2 & Modern Warfare 2 Season 3 Battle Pass: Rewards and tiers | When is Plunder coming back to Warzone 2? | How to get the Tempered Plate Carrier

Modern Warfare 2 adds new Prisoner Rescue and Knockout game modes ActivisionInfinity Ward is aiming to overhaul the traditional Call of Duty experience with Modern Warfare 2 and the new Prisoner Rescue breach-and-clear game mode and Knockout playlists could do the trick. Modern Warfare 2 marks yet another turning point for the COD franchise. After laying the updated blueprint for the series in MW 2019, IW is back to deliver yet another facelift to the beloved series. There are a ton of new features this year but few are as game-changing as the two new brand-new Prisoner Rescue and Knockout game modes that will be joining the rotation in October 2022. New MW2 gamemodes explained Prisoner Rescue brings in the classic hostage rescue scenario of franchises like Counter-Strike and Rainbow Six but still retains the high-octane Call of Duty experience. There are two hostages on the map and teams are split into Attackers and Defenders. The Attackers can win the round either by escorting the hostages to safety or by dispatching all of the defenders. Defenders will win by either retaining the prisoners the entire round or by eliminating the incoming forces. Knockout is more akin to the Gunfight mode of Modern Warfare 2019 and Black Ops Cold War. Teams will go head to head using a limited amount of lives to fight for control of a package. Whoever holds the package at the end of the round will take the victory, so it’s going to take some real coordination to break enemy setups and deny them the objective. All of these changes and more (like the addition of new swimming mechanics) are guaranteed to bring a new flavor to the classic arena shooter gameplay. For more Modern Warfare 2 exclusive stories, check these out: MW2 world reveal trailer | EMP gets rework in MW2 | Lethal AI bots coming to Warzone & MW2 | Campaign details revealed | Water rework for MW2 & Warzone maps | New Multiplayer default classes | Major Gunsmith changes | 5 Multiplayer maps confirmed | New MW2 equipment | How to pre-order Modern Warfare 2 | Anti-cheat for MW2

Modern Warfare 2 actually replaced EMPs with a meme ActivisionCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 developers, Infinity Ward, have made the decision to rework EMPs in the CoD 2022 game, replacing them with an internet meme that’s actually based on a very serious risk for gamers. EMPs are electromagnetic pulses that have been available in multiple Call of Duty titles, disabling enemy electronics for a period of time. This can give the aggressor an advantage momentarily, as they pursue the target – making the feature extremely popular in the community. Well, something else that’s popular among CoD fans is the odd meme, which are often used to roast new changes or glitches in battle royales such as Warzone. With that said, the developers have chosen to flip the script in Modern Warfare 2 by adding a meme (of sorts)of their own to the game, at the expense of EMPs. While it may be a meme, though, the new label represents a very dangerous possibility. EMP has been replaced in MW2 The good news for those of you that enjoy EMPing other people is that the function itself is going nowhere. In fact, the feature is going to be given some pretty nifty upgrades in the upcoming game. During a sneak peek preview event at Infinity Ward studios, Charlie Intel – a sister website for Dexerto – gained access to a hands-on experience with MW2. At the event, Multiplayer Design Directors Joe Cecot and Geoff Smith detailed a rework for the popular equipment item. Read More: Best Warzone settings on PC – It has been renamed. In MW2, it will be called: DDOS. Now, while not everybody may get the reference at first glance, those who spend countless hours scrolling through Reddit or Twitch will see what they’ve done here. A DDOS is a form of cyberattack called denial-of-service, which basically makes the target unable to use a machine or network resource. For example, a DDOS attack on a Twitch streamer could mean their broadcast shuts down temporarily, or their service is disrupted indefinitely. Despite its serious nature, many players can be seen discussing DDOS attacks in not-so-serious terms online. How DDOS works in Modern Warfare 2 In Modern Warfare 2, the DDOS will stall equipment or objects in its proximity. The in-game HUD will tell you if there are vehicles and equipment you can hit with it standing nearby. Interestingly, when hit with a DDOS, the driver of the various vehicles will see their car, boat, or helicopter freeze. From there, they will have the option – for example – to take that car back to a gas station to be repaired, or start up the engine if it’s still functioning once the DDOS attack is over. If this is the case, the driver gets a button prompt to restart the engine. The developers admitted that the name change was a direct result of internet memes, which is a cool tidbit for fans to take away. In action, it sounds as if the newly renamed EMP will be as dangerous, and annoying, as ever. For more Modern Warfare 2 exclusive stories, check these out: MW2 world reveal trailer | EMP gets rework in MW2 | Lethal AI bots coming to Warzone & MW2 | Campaign details revealed | Water rework for MW2 & Warzone maps | New Multiplayer default classes | Major Gunsmith changes | 5 Multiplayer maps confirmed | New MW2 equipment | How to pre-order Modern Warfare 2 | Anti-cheat for MW2

Modern Warfare 2 $60k BoomTV ProSim Invitational: Streams, schedule, teams BoomTVModern Warfare 2’s competitive environment is still finding its feet, and the latest tournament from BoomTV is the biggest so far. Here’s everything you need to know about the MW2 ProSim Invitational, including streams, format, schedule and more. Ahead of the fourth Call of Duty League season, Modern Warfare 2 competitors are scratching their esports itch by participating in community tournaments. We’ve already seen Team Insight take home The Flank’s $30k Hardpoint and SnD tournament, while Team Methodz took home the $30k Baktober Bash title. The latest competition announced in the competitive MW2 space is the biggest thus far, with BoomTV announcing the ProSim Invitational on November 3. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming tournament. Modern Warfare 2 $60k BoomTV ProSim Invitational Stream & Schedule First things first. The tournament will be streamed on the Team Summertime Twitch channel, which is also the channel of OpTic Hitch. Embedded below, it’s the best place to follow all the action at once. Past tournaments have also been streamed on the competitors’ channels, so it’s fair to assume that you can tune into the specific streams of participants if you prefer watching one POV. Secondly, the tournament will take place on Monday 7 November. It will start at 12pm PST / 4pm ET / 7pm GMT / 5am AEST. It’s all down to take place on one day, so it could be a late finish, especially for those watching on the east coast and Europe. Modern Warfare 2 $60k BoomTV ProSim Invitational Teams & Format The bracket for the tournament will feature eight 5v5 teams playing Search & Destroy matches, using ProSim rules. This means players will be consigned to using one weapon each: for example, each team will have a dedicated sniper, a shotgun user, and more. Here are the teams after the draft took place on Sunday, November 6: It’s sure to be a blast when it kicks off, and we’ll have all the details on this page when they become available.

Modern Warfare 2 (2022) beats MW3 as most successful CoD launch of all time ActivisionModern Warfare 2 launched on October 28, 2022, following Modern Warfare (2019) in its reboot of the original, very popular Modern Warfare trilogy. Now, the effort has been proven worthwhile, as the game has broken all manner of records and officially become the franchise’s most successful launch to date. When it launched in 2019, Modern Warfare became supremely popular, reminiscent of Call of Duty’s ‘glory days’ as millions started grinding the new game once more. This was exacerbated further with the launch of battle royale hit Warzone, which took over as the most popular BR in the world, with pros and streamers from all different games dropping in on Verdansk, as well as the large casual player base that still plays daily to this day. Three years later, Modern Warfare 2 launched — with the same name as the insanely popular game 13 years prior — and has raked in a serious amount of cash for Activision and developers Infinity Ward. On November 1, it was revealed that MW2 was the number one Call of Duty launch of all time, setting previous franchise records set by Modern Warfare 3 in 2011. Modern Warfare 2 delivered more than $800 million worldwide in sales following the first three days from its release. The blockbuster opening tops any of the biggest worldwide box office openings of 2022, beating Top Gun: Maverick, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness worldwide box office openings combined. “Thank you to our talented team that has created magic through extraordinary artistry and technology, and to the global community of players who find joy and connection through Call of Duty. This milestone belongs to them,” said Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard. This success is likely to continue through the launch of Warzone 2.0 on November 16, bringing a refreshed battle royale title to Call of Duty, continuing on from the success of the original Warzone. While players have aired their complaints about Modern Warfare 2 during opening weekend, it’s safe to say that the game is already a resounding triumph.

Modern Warfare 1.14 update secretly improved Thermal Sights Infinity WardThe Modern Warfare Season 2 update has made a huge improvement to the Thermal scope that makes the attachment much more viable to use in a match. In the weeks following Modern Warfare’s October 2019 release, Call of Duty players noticed that the heat-sensitive scopes didn’t work like they used to in previous iterations of the game. Infinity Ward made a point to say that the change in direction for the attachment was intentional but they’ve since shifted their approach. With the release of the 1.14 update, the Thermals have been improved even more and players are starting to take notice. Reddit user ‘MrNobodyX3’ saw that the Season 2 update revamped the Thermal scope for there to be a noticeable difference when looking for opponents through its sights. The silhouette from a player’s body heat comes through like normal, but there’s a much more defined outline when looking through smokes to pick up people’s signature. After Infinity Ward caved and let people use Thermal scopes to see opponents through smoke grenades, it was still a bit tricky to make out a player through the thick plume of gas. But the Season 2 update now gives people a strong impression of their foes even when shrouded through the tactical equipment. Furthermore, the latest update made Thermals more useful to equip, regardless of the map that’s being played. “Well, for one, you can actually use [Thermal scopes] on every map,” MrNobodyX3 said, explaining noticeable differences after the 1.14 patch. “Where I took that screencap it used to be just pure white.” They took the screencaps on Shoot House, a map that’s brightly lit and would have typically posed a problem for any player using the attachment. The enhancements also gave an indirect buff to the Cold-Blooded perk, too. In the player’s post, you can see that someone who has the perk equipped can barely be made out by the Thermal scope at all as opposed to the other examples. The unlisted quality-of-life changes to the Thermal scope could give Modern Warfare players a bigger incentive to actually use the attachment for their loadouts.

Modern Warfare 1.07 Update patch notes: Claymore nerf, new maps, more There’s a brand-new patch for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Infinity Ward have released a full set of patch notes for players to sink their teeth into, including new maps, game mode, and balancing changes to some overpowered weapons. The update officially went live on Friday, November 8, and introduces new maps to the game for the first time, with multiplayer receiving Shoot House, and Krovnik Farmland added to Ground War. Alongside two new maps, Infinity Ward have also introduced Hardpoint to the game, a fan-favorite mode which sees two teams battle over neutral hills, with the team who spends the most time inside the objective declared the winner The developers have also made some major weapon balancing changes, most significantly to the claymore and the 725 shotgun, which have been nerfed in this update after numerous complaints from the community. Detonating an enemy claymore with bullets will no longer kill you when you’re at full health, while the trigger and damage radius have also been reduced, so it should be easier to avoid the explosive items compared to previous patches. The 725 shotgun has had its damage range reduced, while ADS speed and hip spread have both been increased. Battle Chatter has also been altered, with players no longer able to hear when they’ve been called out by an enemy, while the amount of recoil players receive when mounting their weapon has also been increased. Footstep volume has also been altered at distance, and Infinity Ward state they have another large update coming that will make walking while crouched or aiming down sights significantly quieter. You can view the full 1.07 update patch notes below. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare v1.07 Update patch notes WHAT’S NEW NEW FREE MAPS! We’ve added Krovnik Farmland to Ground War and Shoot House to Multiplayer! – NEW PLAYLISTS AND A NEW MODE! Going live on Friday… Hardpoint is now in rotation! – Shoot House 24/7! This includes a mixture of Team Deathmatch, Domination, Kill Confirmed, and Headquarters – And yes, all of this new content is available for everyone, for free, across all platforms! We’re so excited to share this new content with all of you and this is just the beginning. Thank you all for playing and keep the feedback coming! General Backend fixes to prevent crashes and improve stability across all platforms, include dev errors, and various performance fixes. – Fix for a few bugs where some streaks and Field Upgrades were able to be flown out of bounds without penalty. General out of bound fixes were also added. – Fix for a bug where a player being killed by an enemy with a Variable Zoom Scope would not see the zoom function in the killcam – Fix for the Semtex warning audio being heard at the same volume whether in a building or outside – In Headquarters, players were able to place a Tac Insert and respawn when their team owned the point. This has been fixed. – Fix for various collision issues across maps – Added UI that shows when XP events are active in playlists menus – Sprint and Tactical Sprint speeds are now back to speeds in Beta – Fix for a bug where the progress of the bomb defusal can be seen by the team that planted the bomb – Fix for a bug that revealed players to UAVs when they fired their weapons, even if they had Ghost and a silencer equipped – Fixed an issue where if multiple Personal Radars were active on a team, and are both marking the same enemy, only one player would see the enemy on their minimap. – RIOT SHIELD: Fixed an issue where the throwing knife and Thermite weren’t causing the shield to go on the player’s back when thrown. We’ve also fixed the issue where explosive splash damage wasn’t working consistently. We’ll continue to tune the Riot Shield in future updates. CLAYMORES: Detonating an enemy claymore with bullets is now non-lethal when at full health. We’ve also reduced the trigger and damage radius and also reduced the damage width to better match the trigger width. BATTLE CHATTER: Removed the ability for enemies to hear when they’ve been called out by the opposing team. We also adjusted the enemy callouts so they are never from your Operator. Enemy callouts now use a more restricted cone at the hip and even more restricted in ADS when calculating whether or not to trigger. We’ll continue to monitor this and make additional tweaks to Battle Chatter in future updates. MOUNTING: Slight increase to recoil while mounting. PERKS: E.O.D. now clamps damage to a non-lethal amount, assuming the player is at full health LIGHTING: Continued updates to player visibility in dark windows and dark areas. FOOTSTEPS: We’ve increased the occlusion percentage to filter footstep sounds behind geometry and adjusted the footstep volume at a distance. We have another large footstep change coming in the next update which will make crouch and ADS movement significantly quieter. Stay tuned! CHALLENGES/PROGRESSION/RANK Daily Challenges and Active Missions are getting a full sweep of testing and fixes. We’ll have more updates to these systems in future updates. Fix for a bug where the Infiltrator challenge was not tracking properly – Fix for launchers not giving XP when shooting down killstreaks – Fix for a bug where planting or defusing 5 bombs in Cyber Attack or SnD was not tracking properly – Camo challenge for “Kills After a Reload” didn’t give the player enough time to acquire a kill, so time has been increased – Fix for a bug where your XP require to reach the next rank was higher than the value needed – Weapons For full details about all of the weapon changes, make sure to check out our separate weapon tuning post HERE. 725 Shotgun: Increase to ADS and Hip Spread, reduced damage range – M4A1 Assault Rifle: Reduced damage range, small recoil increase – Assault Rifles: Increased hip spread to reduce effectiveness up close, less damage at long range for full auto 5.56 rifles – SMGs: Increased move speed, increased ADS move speed, small reduction in sprint out time – UZI SMG: Increased damage range – MG34 LMG: Increased hip spread, damage range reduction, small ADS slow down – M91 LMG: Increased hip spread, small damage range reduction – PKM: Increased hip spread, medium damage range reduction – Pistols: Increased move speed, reduced sprint out time, increased damage range – Crouch and Prone no longer adjust recoil – CALL OF DUTY LEAGUE Updated rulesets for CDL competitive modes in private match CYBER ATTACK Fix for a bug where a player could use lose their primary weapon and would be unable to see their viewmodel after being revived by a teammate GROUND WAR Fix for a bug where players would sometimes be unable to pick a spawn location – Fix for a bug where a Tac Insert could cause players to spawn on the enemy home base – Special Ops Pick up Intel! – In the Operations, explore Verdansk to find additional backstory information of Verdansk and the Operators. – Fix for scoreboards displaying incorrect data – XP adjustments and general backend fixes – Various fixes for out of bounds and parachute exploits – Respawn timer no longer stays on screen after teammates are revived from bleedout – Fix for issue where the Munitions were not usable after respawning via Gunship – Fix for losing your weapons when picking up the core – Achievements can now be unlocked in CP – Fix for issue where players could spawn with their weapons in the downed state – Picked up Munitions no longer carry over from match to match. Only the Munitions you purchase with points will. – When respawning via the Gunship, you will no longer be given the Tank role – Selecting an Allegiance Operator or Allegiance as a favorite faction will now properly assign the voice of the correct operator – Operation Headhunter: Fix for a bug where players are not able to lock missiles onto the final boss helicopter – Operation Crosswind: Adjusted stealth for gameplay – Operation Paladin: Fix for a bug where there was no UI or indicator of where to go or how to finish the objective after defending the 3rd arms crate – Fix for a bug where the default weapon was different than the weapon a player would hold if they were placed in Last Stand – – Check out notes for our previous updates here.

Modders are remastering Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer Activision[jwplayer pJ2GcHDn]A group of modders are making Modern Warfare 2 Remastered exactly how fans always wanted it: with the multiplayer back, updated, in all its glory. Modern Warfare 2 Remastered is something that has been rumored for years, ever since the game’s initial 2009 release. It almost looked like a reality earlier in 2020 when Infinity Ward announced they would be selling MW2R — but it turned out to only be the campaign. After the immense disappointment of fans that the game only came with the campaign, and not the classic multiplayer experience, modder Gunoftruth and his team decided to take matters into their own hands. As reported by Eurogamer, 11 people are currently working on the Modern Warfare 2 Remastered multiplayer mod, which is built using the mod tools provided by the PC version of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. Gunoftruth said of the project: “The motivation for this project all began when Activision announced they had no plans on releasing the multiplayer remaster for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. We want people to be able to enjoy and replay Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 in new graphics.” Obviously this is sure to excite die-hard veteran fans of the franchise, but don’t expect the remaster to look and feel exactly like the original. The team have had many discussion over whether to use animations and sounds from the original game or the updated ones available from the remaster, and they also intend on fixing the ever-controversial One Man Army perk glitch, which commonly saw players firing off grenade launchers continuously throughout the duration of a match as they could simply replenish their ammo. Gunoftruth also said that Activision employees have actually seen this mod, as well as his others, and are fans. “They really like the work we have done,” he said. “I hope they see the reception and how talented myself and the guys are who are working on this mod and the passion we have for it.” Gunoftruth and his team plan to launch their multiplayer version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered in December 2020 — so fans won’t have to wait too long.

Mochila, MBoZe and Nelson Try to Recruit Karma for Champs Run Brandon ‘Nelson’ McKinney, Marcus ‘MBoZe’ Blanks and Steve ‘Mochila’ Canle are seemingly teaming up for an opportunity to qualify for Champs. The three veterans have their eye on a magical run through the Last Chance Qualifiers for CoD Champs, but need one more player to join. Nelson spotted a tweet from MBoZe about late night grinding in CoD:WW2, then – maybe jokingly – extended a conditional offer to team up. couple more nights of shooting me and me and moch will pick ya up for the LCQ — bnels (@BNellyNelson) July 7, 2018 When MBoZe was down with the idea, Nelson checked with Mochila if it was fine with him. Mochila approved and suddenly a team of veterans was formed. Almost. Read More: Surprising Statistics Show The Most Clutch SnD Players in CoD: WWII – Joee, Accuracy, Denz and More – The trio still needs a fourth, and decided to extend an offer to the recently retired Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow. Karma has yet to respond, though he is not opposed to competing in the LCQ and Champs. He revealed that he was almost a part of a reunited Fariko Impact squad, and expressed regret at no longer competing. There is one major issue with Karma competing in the LCQ however, his affiliation with OpTic Gaming. My biggest issue right now – and I’ve got to talk to my agents, I really have to call them – pretty much I either lose the OpTic tag or I stay with the tag. And I don’t know man, that’s tough. I don’t want to but I don’t know man. I don’t know what to do. Since MBoZe is also a content creator for OpTic currently, maybe this roster could work something out where others failed. Read More: SiLLY Frustrated With Evil Geniuses Teammates After They Miss Out on CWL Pro League Playoffs – It has been a disappointing year for the veterans who are used to higher placings, with a T24 finish at Anaheim being the best major open result for Mochila. Nelson also placed T24 in Anaheim as well as Dallas, while MBoZe retired from competing in November. Karma also finished below his standards, but below standards for a three time world champion still included a 2nd place finish at CWL Stage 1 Playoffs. The team would most likely be playing for fun, but their talent should be enough for at least a chance at qualifying.

Mochila announces new team and organization for CWL Las Vegas Regal Reserve has officially announced that Steve ‘Mochila’ Canle has joined its Call of Duty team ahead of this weekend’s Call of Duty World League event in Las Vegas. After coaching Lightning Pandas for the 2018 Call of Duty World League Championships, Mochila will be hoping that he can help his new team put in a solid performance this time out and make up for some of last year’s personal woes. The 24-year old experienced the worst placed finish of his career during the 2017 CWL Dallas Open, placing top 40, and was later dropped by Team Allegiance after failing to qualify for the Global Pro League. Regal would like to proudly announce our new #CallOfDuty roster! They are a high caliber team that will be representing and competing for us! Please welcome the whole team and give them a follow!@Swarley @LlamaGod @BNellyNelson @GorgKnight @Mochila pic.twitter.com/AVckZBYQ7B — Regal Reserve ♠️ (@RegalReserveLLC) December 3, 2018 Mochila started his career back in 2011 when he was introduced to Gamebattles by a close friend and has since enjoyed competitive success on Call of Duty titles including Ghosts, Advanced Warfare and Black Ops 3. With the big competition in Las Vegas looming, he’ll be looking to make his mark with his new teammates. Regal Reserve’s team will consist of Mochila, alongside Michael ‘Swarley’ Carter, Devin ‘LlamaGod’ Tran, Brandon ‘Nelson’ McKinney and Adian ‘GorgoKnight’ Provenzano. The CWL event will kick off in the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas on Friday, December 7, and has been organized by Major League Gaming, Activision and Treyarch. This competition will bring together 272 gamers from across the world with a varied skill level, from amateur to pro, as teams will compete to be crowned the Call of Duty World League Vegas Champions.

MLG’s Adam Apicella Provides a Big Update on Streams for the $200,000 CWL Anaheim Open Adam Apicella of MLG provided a big update on live streams for the $200,000 CWL Anaheim Open with new features for viewers and fans to enjoy. With a number of improvements and adjustments taking place over the course of the year, the 2018 CWL season has been one of the most advanced for competitive Call of Duty to date. Following various behind-the-scenes developments in terms of technology, it was recently announced in early May that all live streams for the CWL will be 1080p with 60 FPS, which led to a surplus of positive feedback from community members. More: Treyarch Believes That ‘Blackout’ in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Can Potentially Rival Titles Like Fortnite: Battle Royale and PUBG – However, on May 22nd, Adam Apicella of MLG presented another update on live streams by mentioning how the CWL Anaheim Open in June will include Charlie and Delta gameplay-only streams, allowing for all of Pool Play to be broadcasted live. Anaheim CWL stream updates: First, as you know, ALL streams are now 1080/60. Additionally, Bravo will still have casters but it will only be gameplay on camera. Lastly, we’ll now have Charlie AND Delta gameplay only streams, meaning all pool matches will be broadcast. — Adam Apicella (@MrAdamAp) May 22, 2018 Once again, community members reacted well to the news, however, it is currently unknown at the time of writing if MLG has any plans to bring on casters for Charlier and Delta for events following CWL Anaheim. The competitive Call of Duty community will be gearing up for the CWL Anaheim Open which will feature over 160 teams battling it out for a $200,000 prize pool between June 15th and June 17th at the Anaheim Convention Center.

MLG Confirms UNILAD’s New Fourth Ahead of Stage Two of the CWL Pro League The roster changes that took place between Stage One and Stage Two of the WWII CWL Pro League bordered on being barely believable. High profile roster changes happened across the world, including OpTic Gaming’s lineup making the first transfer in three years as a unit, following a poor CWL Seattle One of the teams that looks completely different heading into Stage Two of the CWL Pro League is the UNILAD squad, who will feature two brand new faces compared to the last time they were in Columbus. The first swap took place before CWL Seattle with Alex “Alexx” Carpenter replacing Tom ‘Moose’ Handley in the team, but it appeared to make little difference as they placed top 16. Much to the surprise of the CoD esports community, Matthew ‘Skrapz’ Marshall declared he was attempting to join a new lineup, with Red Reserve the most likely suitors. Leaving behind his twin brother, Bradley ‘Wuskin’ Marshall, Skrapz joined Red Reserve for £60,000 ($80,000), plus the contract of Josh ‘Joshh’ Shephard. Joshh didn’t want to stick around in the UNILAD team, which resulted in him being bought by Splyce, and leaving a space wide open for a new player to join. Despite there only being a few weeks before the team fly out to compete in Division B of the CWL Pro League, there has been no official confirmation by UNILAD about who will be their permanent fourth. It had been relatively well known within the CoD community that Zack ‘Zed’ Denyer would be joining the side, and MLG has confirmed the move ahead of the official announcement via their CWL Pro League website. UNILAD will be competing in Group B of the Pro League, starting on May 29th with matches against OpTic Gaming, Luminosity, eUnited, Rise Nation, compLexity Gaming, Mindfreak and Tainted Minds. UNILAD CoD Bradley ‘Wuskin’ Marshall – Sean ‘Seany’ O’Connor – Alex ‘Alexx’ Carpenter – Zach ‘Zed’ Denyer –

MLG Co-Founder joins Nadeshot’s 100 Thieves organization @msepsoEsports industry veteran Michael Sepso, who co-founded Major League Gaming and later joined Activision Blizzard as Senior VP of esports, has joined the board of directors at Call of Duty player Matt ‘Nadeshot‘ Haag, who has known Sepso for over eight years personally through MLG tournaments. “I’ve known [Nadeshot] since he literally was a teenager and had just started out in esports as an MLG player,” Sepso said, “So it was a natural fit for both of us. I was really excited when he approached me about joining the board.” 700Since leaving his role at MLG in August 2018, Sepso has continued his involvement in esports, also joining the ownership group of Overwatch League team, the New York Excelsior. 100 Thieves is yet to enter Overwatch, but currently fields a team in the franchised LCS (plus an academy roster), the Call of Duty World League and Fortnite. Given Sepso’s ties with the Overwatch League (he was part of its creation), there is more potential for 100 Thieves expansion into the esport. Sepso is also chairman of advisory firm Electronic Sports Group, which he co-founded in November. 100 Thieves has been growing at an impressive rate, both in esports and apparel, which Nadeshot has said are of equal importance to him as part of the brand. Nadeshot said of Sepso’s arrival at 100 Thieves: “MLG helped launch my career when I won a gold medal at the first X Games. Since then, Mike’s been a mentor to me not only in esports, but in business. There isn’t a better person to help take our vision for the 100 Thieves organization to the next level.” Sepso also said he wants to help 100 Thieves “make esports America’s new pastime” – ambitious goals indeed. The franchised model of esports leagues has been heavily supported by Sepso, and with Call of Duty moving to a franchised system in 2019, 100 Thieves will hold at least two franchise teams soon. 100 Thieves secured sponsors from Red Bull in November, and Totino’s in February, which comes off the back of Series A funding in late 2018, which saw Drake and Scooter Braun join as co-owners. 100 Thieves is also partnered by sponsors like Rocket Mortgage, Razer, StockX, with major funding from Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert (who also founded StockX and Quicken Loans)

MLG Announce Hot Mic Lineup as Division A of CWL Pro League Resumes with an All European Cast Eight of the world’s best Call of Duty teams will return to Columbus, Ohio for Division A of the CWL Pro League resuming on Tuesday June 26th. The teams include CWL Anaheim runners-up Red Reserve, the top European roster who currently sit comfortably atop their division with a 6-1 series record thus far. The two other European sides in Division A are not fairing so well at all, with Splyce and Epsilon sitting in second last and last place respectively – Epsilon are yet to win a series, and have only won four maps total. The middle of the division is made up of a concentration of North American teams, (in order) Evil Geniuses, Team Envy, Team Kaliber and FaZe Clan, who will all be scrapping for a spot in the top four to qualify for playoffs. One team who should be pretty much dead set for a playoff spot though are the leaders Red Reserve, who will be carrying their momentum from Anaheim straight into the league. And so who better to appear on Hot Mic ahead of matches starting than the European powerhouse, who will be expected to hold on to their top spot. None of the other teams in this division had a particularly strong Anaheim event, with the highest placing out of the other seven teams being FaZe Clan’s 5-6th, while all others placed top 12 or lower. We return to with Hot Mic next Tuesday with @Maven and @RedReserve! Get your questions in for @TreiZer0, @RatedCOD, @skrapzg & @Joee_COD using #MLGHotMic. Watch Tuesday, 6/26 at 1:00 PM ET on https://t.co/pUVEvO1d6H pic.twitter.com/FZLAA99fBe — MLG (@MLG) June 22, 2018 Maven will be in charge of proceedings as usual, and will likely discuss Red Reserve’s impressive run at CWL Anaheim, and how they dealt with the tough grand final loss to Rise Nation. And with the hilarious personality of Matthew “Skrapz” Marshall it should be one of the funniest Hot Mic episodes yet. You can also send in your own questions to be put to the Red Reserve squad, simply Tweet them out and include the hashtag #MLGHotMic, and Maven will pick the best. Hot Mic will be streamed at 1pm ET on June 26th, before Division A matches kick off, and you can catch all the action on Call of Duty’s Twitch Channel or on MLG’s official stream.

MLG Announce First ‘Hot Mic’ Lineup for Stage Two of the CWL Pro League With High Profile Guests The first ‘Hot Mic lineup for Stage Two of the CWL Pro League has been announced by MLG with a collection of high profile competitors from across the scene. First introduced during the Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare season, MLG’s ‘Hot Mic’ broadcast was an opportunity for players to discuss a collection of topics with one another in a live setting. Hosted by CWL commentator Clint ‘Maven’ Evans, the show can include a wide range of discussion such as new rosters, tournaments, or other current events taking place within the competitive CoD community. With such a lighthearted nature, a number of hilarious moments can take place over the course of the show, including different bits of banter where players might talk trash to one another prior to the upcoming week of matches, much to the enjoyment of community members. Now that Stage Two of the CWL Pro League is set to kick off with Division A on Tuesday, May 15th, MLG announced that Maven will be joined my Dillon ‘Attach Price of FaZe Clan, Ian ‘Enable’ Wyatt of Team Kaliber, and Matthew ‘Skrapz’ Marshall of Red Reserve. Hot Mic returns to kick off Stage 2 of the #CWLPS4 Pro League! Get your questions in for @Attach, @skrapzg & @Enable using #MLGHotMic. Watch Monday, 5/14 on https://t.co/pUVEvO1d6H pic.twitter.com/MNz8Deu44m — MLG (@MLG) May 10, 2018 Hot Mic will go live on Monday, May 14th, however, no concrete time has been provided at this time, with fans encouraged to submit their questions for the players to potentially be featured on the show. Division A of Stage Two at the CWL Pro League will begin at 2:00 PM EST (11 AM PST, 7 PM BST) on Tuesday, May 15th with Red Reserve taking on Epsilon.

MLG and Scuf Gaming Release ‘Behind the Controller’ Showcasing Rise of CWL Caster and Host Benson MLG and Scuf have released their first ‘Behind the Controller’ episode which doesn’t focus on a Call of Duty professional player, but rather once a wannabe player turned Caster and Host for the CWL, Benson. Fan favorite caster and host Ben “Benson” Bowe is known for enthusiasm, knowledge of the game and signature British charm – which is slowly being absorbed into an American twang. He is now one of the most recongizable faces in all of the CWL broadcast team, as one of the main desk hosts as well as match commentator, employed full time with Activision’s MLG for over two years. But like most in his industry, Benson started from humble beginnings, casting matches between his friends online, to attending low budget LAN tournaments in Hotel function suite’s and working for free – just to get his name out there. In a ‘Behind the Controller’ episode released on May 24th, Benson discusses developing his passion for gaming, his attempts to be a pro player (which were shut down by now retired EU player Ellis “Blackk” Strouthos) and his early casting days. All the way to casting the Call of Duty World Championship grand final alongside legendary caster Chris “Puckett” Puckett, his move to the US and dealing with the loss of his father, a major influence on his life. For aspiring esports casters and hosts, he explains that there is no set route into the industry, but that passion and perseverance are key – and a helping of luck. With Puckett recently departing the CWL to move across to Overwatch and the OWL, Benson has assumed the role of the primary desk host, and has been praised for his work ethic and ability in taking over from Puckett. Benson will be on the desk and in the casting booth for the remainder of the ongoing Stage Two CWL Pro League, and you can of course watch him and all the action on Twitch and MLG.

Mitch Jones pulls off ridiculous CoD: Warzone helicopter massacre Twitch: MitchJones / ActivisionTwitch streamer Mitch Jones wowed viewers during his March 30 Call of Duty: Warzone broadcast when he went on a rampage with his helicopter. The personality created a bloodbath using the aircraft’s blades. Ever since its March 10 release, CoD: Warzone’s popularity on streaming platforms has left fans in no short supply of mind-blowing clips from the battle royale. However during his latest broadcast, Twitch personality Mitch Jones pulled off an insane feat that will be sure to impress any CoD player. His epic helicopter massacre has to be seen to be believed. Mitch Jones pulls off crazy helicopter massacre The streamer dropped into a match, and went straight for the helicopter below. Exuberating confidence, he told his chat “Yeah, that’s my chopper, boys!” Immediately upon flying the aircraft, a player parachuting in got caught in the propeller blades and exploded like a bug on a windshield. “Whoa! You got caught up in the blade there big boy!” he said, mocking his fallen enemy. He then hunted down three other opponents with the blades culminating in a double kill. “Yo, I’m a f**king massacre with my helicopter!” As if that wasn’t impressive enough, he then spotted a player on the rooftop of an opposing building. “For the last kill, we get the boom,” he said. The personality then hopped out of the chopper midair, and sent it flying towards his opponent where it exploded and killed them. “Yo, I’m a f**ing legend!” Mitch exclaimed after pulling off the insane feat that could have been a scene from a Hollywood action film. The Twitch star’s chat went absolutely nuts over his rampage. He continued to pull off crazy plays, such as sniping a player who was waiting for him at the end of the match. The tense exchange left him with close to 10% of his health when he took the enemy down with a perfect headshot. “Get s**t on! F**k you!” he screamed. Unfortunately his insane killing spree came to an end when he got killed towards the last circle after emerging from the toxic gas. The streamer ended up placing fifth – not bad at all. Viewers impressed with his Warzone skills called him “fat shroud,” which caused him to laugh saying “Wait, what? S**t, I’m fat shroud now? I’m with it!” Clearly members of his chat weren’t the only ones blown away with his blood-soaked chopper rampage, as the clip has over 42k views at the time of writing and rising.

Minnesota CoD franchise reveal name and logo for Call of Duty League The Minnesota franchise for the upcoming Call of Duty League starting in 2020 have officially unveiled their name as the Minnesota RØKKR and revealed a first look at their logo and branding. Having already announced much of their roster, which features world champions Justin ‘SiLLY’ Fargo and Adam ‘Assualt’ Garcia, all that was left for Minnesota was to officially confirm their name. Unfortunately, many of teams’ announcements were spoiled after a leak from the Call of Duty League website revealed team names for all twelve brands. On October 29, RØKKR confirmed their unorthodox name, a term from Norse mythology which translates to ‘Twilight’, and is often related to the battle of Ragnaök – “The Twilight of the Gods” In an interview with Esports Insider, WISE Ventures esports COO Brett Diamond explained that the logo represents a “mysterious helmeted figure emerging from the shadows.” The franchise is also backed by Gary Vaynerchuk, who joined as an investor in July. Introducing Minnesota’s own Call of Duty League Team: Minnesota RØKKR.#ROKKR #esports pic.twitter.com/ZhBekZEzMJ — Minnesota RØKKR (@rokkr) October 29, 2019 Despite being one of the first to announce the players they had signed, RØKKR are one of the last teams to reveal their branding. Their announcement follows that of Florida Mutineers, Toronto Ultra, New York Subliners, Dallas Empire, London Royal Ravens, Atlanta FaZe, Los Angeles OpTic, and Los Angeles Guerrillas. We’re still waiting on official confirmation for the Chicago, Seattle and Paris franchises. Minnesota’s roster is a mix of young talent and experienced veterans, as we have seen on a number of lineups. The likes of SiLLY, who has been competing since the very first Modern Warfare released in 2007, is the most experienced on the roster, while the likes of Asim and TTinyy will only be entering their second year of competing at the professional level. Minnesota RØKKR roster Alex ‘Alexx‘ Carpenter – Obaid ‘Asim‘ Asim – Adam ‘Assault‘ Garcia – Kaden ‘Exceed‘ Stockdale – Adam ‘GodRx‘ Brown – Justin ‘SiLLY‘ Fargo – Devin ‘TTinyy‘ Robinson Jacob ‘REPPIN‘ Trobaugh (Analyst) – Brian ‘Saintt‘ Baroska (Coach) – –

Minnesota’s Call of Duty franchise shares first look at incredible future pro team facilities Twitter: COD_MNThe Call of Duty franchise that’s based in Minnesota has shared artist concepts of what their gaming facilities will look like. With the brand new franchised Call of Duty League expected to kick off in 2020, member organizations are slowly starting to share their plans for the inaugural season. Every team will have a base of operations to play their games at in the league’s home and away format, similar to how Activision-Blizzard’s other franchised league, the Overwatch League, operates. Minnesota’s franchise is one of the first to reveal their home base of operations for their 2020 season, through artistic impressions shared on Twitter on September 3. The images shared were of the reception of the building, as well as a lounge for spectators and players, along with a dedicated practice room. Read more: CoD Rostermania hub – “Continuing to work hard at building a championship roster for the North,” the tweet said. “Nothing official to report just yet. In the meantime, here are the latest renders of our future facility.” Continuing to work hard at building a championship roster for the North. Nothing official to report just yet.In the meantime, here are the latest renders of our future facility :eyes: pic.twitter.com/5gZRSHXUe8 — Call of Duty Minnesota (@COD_MN) September 4, 2019 Minnesota have embraced their purple branding throughout the artist impressions, with every room getting a tinge of it throughout. There’s also what looks to be a bar out the back of the reception, which would make a great hub for fans of the CoD franchise to hang out and watch their favorite team. Read more: Minnesota hint at great prospects – Initial impressions for the scrim room also have two walls decked out with computers, with a small sitting area in the middle when players are taking a break from practice. The facility shares a lot of features with other similar team buildings across the world, but the color is a nice touch. The Minnesota CoD franchise also recently held an event to discuss the future of esports in the North. COO Brett Diamond and former OpTic member Ashley “MiDNiTE” Glassel spoke about how the team are close to organizing the official branding for the 2020 season, as well as their interest in expanding to other titles. Their branding will revolve around a Viking, tying back to the state’s Scandinavian culture. They have also hinted at recruiting a content creator team to help promote the organization on a social level. Owned by WISE Ventures, who also preside over the Minnesota Vikings NFL team, the north-based Call of Duty franchise is one of nine that’s confirmed to be competing next year in the CDL. The other eight host cities include New York, Toronto, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Paris, and Los Angeles, which will house two franchises. With the player signing window finally opening on September 3, fans can expect there to be a lot of roster noise over the coming weeks.

Minnesota RØKKR to host two Home Series LAN events for 2023 Call of Duty League season Call of Duty League/Minnesota RøkkrCall of Duty League franchise Minnesota Røkkr have announced that they will be hosting two Home Series LAN events during the 2023 Call of Duty League season, with fans able to go and watch the spectacle and see some of the CDL’s finest go head-to-head between Majors. While the full CDL schedule isn’t yet released, we know that there will be five Majors as well as the annual Call of Duty League Championship, with online qualifier matches for each Major. Following the culmination of the 2022 season, Version1 (Røkkr’s parent company) Chief Operating Officer Brett Diamond claimed in the team’s roster announcement press conference that the organization was planning to bring other teams to Minnesota to play some of their matches on LAN, rather than hosting a full-blown Major — and those plans are now coming to fruition. During Major 4 Qualifiers and Major 5 Qualifiers, the Minnesota franchise will be hosting three other CDL teams to play their matches out in front of a live audience. Here are the dates that spectators can look forward to: Major 4 QualifiersSaturday, April 1, 20232 PM CT (12 PM PT/3 PM ET/8 PM BST): Minnesota Røkkr vs Florida Mutineers – 5 PM CT (3 PM PT/6 PM ET/11 PM BST): Minnesota Røkkr vs LA Guerrillas – – – Saturday, April 1, 2023 – Major 5 QualifiersSaturday, May 6, 20232 PM CT (12 PM PT/3 PM ET/8 PM BST): Minnesota Røkkr vs London Royal Ravens – 5 PM CT (3 PM PT/6 PM ET/11 PM BST): Minnesota Røkkr vs Boston Breach – – – Saturday, May 6, 2023 – Visiting teams will fly to Minnesota and the region to compete and Version1 will make its headquarters and practice facility available for their scrims and match preparations. The venues Version1 is eyeing for the Røkkr Home Series will accommodate about 1,000 fans — less than the 2,000-capacity venue they sold out for their Major in April 2022. “The Home Series is a response to the incredible passion of our fan base, and the interest we’ve seen from both fans and players for more in-person, live event competition,” said Diamond. “It is important that we build on the success we had hosting a CDL Major last season, while also developing a new esports event concept that allows fans in the region to attend more live CDL events. CDL Majors will always be the tentpole events of the season, but rightsizing in-market opportunities like this are necessary to drive continued growth and overall progress in esports entertainment. “These events are a first step in creating more live event experiences for CDL fans, and teams working together to deliver on what the community is asking for is critical to the growth of competitive CoD.” Fans can sign up now for the pre-sale beginning in November. Registering provides early access to tickets when they become available. The venues and locations for the Minnesota Røkkr Home Series will be announced at a later date.

Minnesota Rokkr target fan-favorite world champion in major CDL roster shakeup Call of Duty LeagueMinnesota Rokkr is eyeing up two huge names to bring onto their Call of Duty League team for the upcoming Major 3 and beyond, in an attempt to turn their downward trajectory around. Rokkr turned heads at Major 1 with a top 4 placement but failed to capitalize on that at Major 2, and after a difficult split, is now looking to offload two of their key players in Reece ‘Vivid’ Drost and Joseph ‘Owakening’ Conley. In their place, multiple sources have confirmed that Rokkr wants to bring in Eli ‘Standy’ Bentz and Indervir ‘iLLeY’ Dhaliwal. Standy was on Vegas Legion at the start of the season but found himself dropped after Major 1, while iLLeY was on a struggling Seattle Surge side and ended up removed from the starting roster after facing adderall accusations at the first LAN Major in Boston. Accusations he quickly denied online. While multiple sources have confirmed this to be the latest plan, it’s unclear whether recent CDL rostermania moves will have affected this. On Sunday, March 31, Boston Breach announced the departure of Obaid ‘Asim’ Asim and Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat from the starting roster in a rumored move for Ben ‘Beans’ McMellon and Challengers player Nathaniel ‘Pentagrxm’ Thomas from their Academy team. Make sure to use code REVERSESWEEP when you sign up to PrizePicks for a first deposit match up to $100.

Minnesota RØKKR reveal CDL roster situation for MW2: Attach, Havok, more Call of Duty LeagueMinnesota RØKKR had its 2022 CDL season cut short at the hands of OpTic Texas at Major 4. A season filled with high expectations ended sooner than expected. The RØKKR turns the page to MW2, but its roster has several question marks. Call of Duty Champs 2022 begins on August 4 in Los Angeles, California. One week after Champs, all CDL teams must decide on renewing contracts. Free agency, or as it’s known in CoD, “Rostermania” opens two weeks after Champs. The previous off-season saw some major moves heading into the season, such as Envoy and Octane joining the LA Thieves and the Seattle Surge adding the dynamic duo of Sib and Pred. Some major names are available in free agency heading into MW2, and Minnesota RØKKR revealed its free agents heading into MW2. Which Minnesota RØKKR players are free agents? The Minnesota RØKKR held an end-of-season press conference. Version1 COO Brett Diamond, VP, Head of Esports Strategy and Acquisitions Jake Trobaugh, and coaches Daniel ‘Loony’ Loza and Brian ‘Saintt’ Baroska answered questions regarding the past season and what fans can expect in MW2. Saintt confirmed that Dillon ‘Attach’ Price, Preston ‘Priestahh’ Greiner, Michael ‘MajorManiak’ Szymaniak, and Eli ‘Standy’ Bentz are all free agents. RØKKR did not confirm if the team will exercise the options for Kevin ‘Fame’ Bonanno and Colt ‘Havok’ McLendon. Attach had a phenomenal individual performance this season for Minnesota. The former World Champion finished with a 1.13 KD on the year. Only two other competitors, Atlanta Faze’s Cellium and OpTic Texas’ Dashy, topped that across the league. Since joining the team, Price has provided a steady veteran presence for a team that pulled off one of Call of Duty’s most unbelievable comebacks in Cold War’s Major 5 Grand Final and also snuck into Top 4 at that year’s Champs event. Trobaugh said, “Dillon (Attach) was an incredible player for us this year and was an incredible player for us last year, and is super valuable.” I think every org wants someone of Dillon’s stature. Both in and out of the game, he is the quintessential pro.” When asked how Minnesota will approach its roster construction for MW2, Loony explained that each team is built off a few essential pieces. “I think the first two key elements of a team are a main AR and an entry sub.” If other teams see it that way, then Attach, and Standy will likely garner a lot of attention from around the league.

Minnesota ROKKR replaces GodRx with Exceed ahead of CDL Playoffs Call of Duty League[jwplayer N1RFqG2Z] Update (28/07 – 7:20 PM): The Minnesota Røkkr has since confirmed the roster shakeup involving GodRx and Exceed. In a July 28 video, Head Coach Brian ‘Saintt’ Baroskai and Lead Analyst Jake ‘Reppin’ Trobaugh explained the transition. In order to improve the team’s speed in Modern Warfare, GodRx was forced off of the Assault Rifle and into a Submachine Gun role. Despite this change, results didn’t improve for the lineup. “Unfortunately, over the course of the two events, we haven’t really seen too much of a fluctuation in performance,” Trobaugh said. ” We have come to the conclusion that we’re going to be swapping GodRx and Exceed,” Baroskai confirmed. “We tried our hardest to keep this five from start to finish and it just got to a point where things simply weren’t working.” The original story is as follows. Call of Duty League roster shuffles could be back in full force ahead of the Playoffs on August 19 as the Minnesota Røkkr has been seen scrimming without Adam ‘GodRx’ Brown. As the best Call of Duty teams gear up for the Playoffs, rosters could be in for one final shakeup. The first CDL team to let slip its potential plans moving forward appears to be the Minnesotan squad. Eighth in the overall standings at the end of the regular season, Røkkr will begin its playoff run against the New York Subliners on August 20. This puts them in the upper side of the bracket. Therefore, $100,000 is the absolute minimum they can take home should they lose two games in a row. Obviously looking to push further into the bracket though, the CDL squad appears to be toying with the idea of benching GodRx. In his place, Kaden ‘Exceed’ Stockdale was seen scrimming against the Dallas Empire on July 28. A GameBattles listing appeared online and was shared by CDL Intel soon after. Exceed was playing as part of the Røkkr’s starting lineup in a session against Dallas. While this could have just been an experiment, every set of scrims is vital in the lead up to the $4.6 million Championship event. The organization finished among the Top Four during its hometown launch weekend event in January. Since then, however, the team hasn’t quite reached the same level of success. Back to back second-place finishes in Los Angeles and Dallas soon led to a downward trend. Since May 10 the Røkkr hasn’t been able to crack into the Top Four at any Home Series event. Looking to revitalize the squad prior to Champs, Minnesota has made an early move. Tweets soon followed this Game Battles screenshot that all but confirmed the shakeup as well. “And there it is,” GodRx posted on July 28. Dexerto reached out to confirm his status on the lineup, though GodRx declined to comment further on his situation. While teams aren’t able to make trades ahead of Champs, substitute players can still be rotated in and out. With three weeks to go, there’s still plenty of time for more internal roster shuffles to come through. Whether GodRx makes his way back to the starting lineup in time, however, remains to be seen. The CDL Playoffs are right around the corner so be sure to check the final bracket to see which teams will be squaring off first.

Minnesota ROKKR release 7 players from CDL roster ahead of 2021 season Minnesota MonthlyIn a surprising set of moves, the Minnesota ROKKR have dropped their entire roster from the 2020 Call of Duty League season following the announcement that the CDL will be 4v4 in 2021. In a series of tweets that began very early in the morning on September 7 and extended into the afternoon, the ROKKR announced each individual player’s release from the organization. This not only includes all five starters but their two substitutes as well. There are rumors that the league will lower each team’s minimum player-count requirement from seven to five (four starters and one sub), which might have made several of the Minnesota pros expendable. MINNESOTA ROKKR DROPPED PLAYERS Justin ‘SiLLY’ Fargo-Palmer – Adam ‘GodRx’ Brown – Adam ‘Assault’ Garcia – Alex ‘Alexx’ Carpenter – Obaid ‘Asim’ Asim – Kaden ‘Exceed’ Stockdale – Devin ‘TTinyy’ Robinson – .@GstaAsim, Mr. Route Man himself! From the insane plays to the ridiculous movement in game, you showed us why the route man gets paid. Thank you for being an important part of the first season of ROKKR. pic.twitter.com/VWItPDsx6Q — Minnesota RØKKR (@ROKKR) September 7, 2020 .@silly702 Every team needs a leader and you have gone above and beyond this season. Your talent is unmatched, thank you for an amazing first season! pic.twitter.com/Yyt4Kf50qo — Minnesota RØKKR (@ROKKR) September 7, 2020 .@Alexx1935, we couldn’t be more thankful that you picked us to represent. You’re such a talented player and there is so much more for you to show the world. Can’t thank you enough for spending the first season of ROKKR with us. pic.twitter.com/Jq03Ex7Z5T — Minnesota RØKKR (@ROKKR) September 7, 2020 .@Assault, you helped us slay the competition and were nothing short of amazing. Thank you for playing such an important role this first season! pic.twitter.com/Fo9wpKDJDA — Minnesota RØKKR (@ROKKR) September 7, 2020 .@GODRX, GOAT. That’s one way to describe you. AR? SMG? Sniper? You can do it all and you showed everyone that they shouldn’t count you out. Thank you for killing it this season! pic.twitter.com/rhIcPD2z4I — Minnesota RØKKR (@ROKKR) September 7, 2020 .@ExceedLbX, the young blood! You stepped up when we needed you the most and we couldn’t be more proud. Thank you for joining us in season 1 of RØKKR. pic.twitter.com/JGYWR7mGMD — Minnesota RØKKR (@ROKKR) September 7, 2020 .@TTinyy_ We have had the best time with you and we appreciate you for always cheering us on and supporting the team. Thank you for representing us this season. pic.twitter.com/5BSKzroHdZ — Minnesota RØKKR (@ROKKR) September 7, 2020 The timing of these announcements isn’t a coincidence: as per the league’s offseason roster rules, any player not signed to an extension between September 6-13 automatically becomes a free agent, which was the case for all seven players. Following the final tweet, which declared Asim’s departure, head coach and general manager Brian ‘Saintt’ Baroska posted a video on Twitter explaining the franchise’s decision to let go of the entire roster. “The way we finished the season is not what anyone wanted and when things like that happen, you really have to consider making some changes,” he said. An update from Coach @BrianSaintt #ROKKR pic.twitter.com/OrGA7ysBxo — Minnesota RØKKR (@ROKKR) September 7, 2020 However, Saintt didn’t rule out the possibility of one or more of these players returning to the ROKKR in some capacity for the 2021 season, since any one of them could technically re-sign with the team even if their original contract wasn’t extended. “That being said, don’t be too surprised if you see a familiar face on the roster, whether it be in a substitute or starting position,” he commented. “Just because we decided to not extend their ‘plus-ones’ doesn’t mean we’re not interested in bringing any of them back. As of right now, we have some really ambitious plans for our roster going into the 2021 season. Hopefully, we can share some things soon.” The Minnesota ROKKR started the CDL’s inaugural 2020 campaign as one of the league’s better teams, holding the fourth position in the standings for well over the first half of the season. However, they were impacted the most by the midseason shift to an online format and finished the regular season on an eight-match losing streak, barely squeaking into the playoffs as the eighth seed. That string of poor performances led to a hotly-debated roster change, as early MVP candidate GodRx was benched in favor of Exceed. Despite the switch, their results didn’t improve as they lost both of their postseason matches and finished 9th/10th. What’s next? Well, the long and the short of it is that, as things stand, the ROKKR could be heading into the 2021 Black Ops Cold War season with a totally brand new starting lineup, unless they do decide to bring back at least one of their former pros. As per league rules, however, players cannot negotiate deals with new teams until September 14, and since Saintt said that they want to give everyone a chance to explore their options, it’s likely to be at least a week until Minnesota announce any new signings. As always, you can keep up with all of this offseason’s roster changes, player signings, and more via our Call of Duty League Rostermania hub. Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter @DexertoINTEL for all the latest news, team changes, and more.

Minnesota RØKKR coach explains how dropping MajorManiak was a “big hurt” for the team Twitter: rokkrAt Major 4, Minnesota RØKKR placed top 12 after a Round 1 loss to OpTic Texas, ending their hopes of qualifying for CDL Champs. They played the event with a different roster to the one they started the season with and, one week later, they explained why losing Michael ‘MajorManiak’ Szymaniak was such a loss to the team. MajorManiak was one of the players that helped Minnesota pull off what has become colloquially known as the RØKKR Redemption, when they pulled off a best-of-9 reverse sweep against Toronto Ultra to win the Stage 5 Major in 2021. A respected shot-caller and sturdy assault rifle player, MajorManiak was a prominent part of RØKKR’s success towards the tail end of the Cold War season, but with results lacking in Vanguard, they decided to make a switch. MajorManiak left the team after Major 2, eventually ending up on the Florida Mutineers, and was replaced by Colt ‘Havok’ McLendon, adding some more SMG firepower to the roster. While on paper the move seemed a good one, allowing Dillon ‘Attach’ Price and Preston ‘Priestahh’ Griener to take on the AR roles, it did not end up earning the team a playoff berth. In their post-season press conference, RØKKR coach Brian ‘Saintt’ Baroska spoke about MajorManiak, explaining how big of a loss he ended up being. “Mike was definitely a huge [benefit] to our team in terms of shot-calling in Search and Destroy,” explained Saintt. “I think he had such a big layer of consistency for us in that game mode, starting from the second half of Cold War when we kind of told him to take over that leadership role in that mode. “But when it comes to respawn we never really had a true leader on the team with any iterations of the roster, it was kind of always a team dynamic. But losing Mike was definitely a big hurt in S&D, in terms of default consistency … Mike did a really good job at reading the mid-rounds and having good defaults.” Timestamp 17:02 It’s impossible to tell whether losing MajorManiak’s SnD prowess was what cost Minnesota a Champs spot, though winning just one of those Search & Destroy maps against OpTic Texas at Major 4 will have earned them an extra 10 CDL points, and could perhaps have helped them kick on further. Ultimately, it’s unclear what the future of the Minnesota RØKKR looks like — they refused to comment on specifics when it came to the next iteration of the RØKKR squad — but they’ll no doubt be hoping to find someone who can bring a similar level of expertise to the team to help them win championships again.

Minnesota ROKKR co-owner Gary Vee teases Call of Duty League TV deal The inaugural season of the Call of Duty League is right around the corner, and if hints from Minnesota RøKKR co-owner Gary Vaynerchuk are to be believed, the competition could be on the verge of announcing a major TV deal. Considering how big Activision’s newly-franchised league is expected to be in 2020, it would be no surprise to see the competition’s media rights auctioned off similarly to the Overwatch League’s $90 million, two-year Twitch deal, or its multi-year deal with ABC’s family of networks, including ESPN, Disney XD, and ABC. Now, it seems the league could be on the verge of a broadcasting deal announcement, after RøKKR co-owner Vaynerchuk seemed to tease the fact that something had already been put into writing behind the scenes in recent weeks. “These kids are going to be playing with totally different eyes on them… the league hasn’t done a network deal have they, they might have a non-announce?” the org’s co-owner asked on the Building Minnesota podcast. Minnesota chief executive Brett Diamond was coy on the details, suggesting it “had not been announced,” and Vee replied that “it’s been done,” though both RøKKR executives were careful not to issue anything akin to a proper announcement. “This is no ‘Inside Esports,” Vaynerchuk added, before touching on the impact that Overwatch League’s ABC deal has had on that franchised league. “Obviously, Overwatch has their ABC deal, and where I’m going is: I promise you this, [with the CDL], for a lot of these kids—who have played on big streaming platforms and different things of that nature before—the mass culture is going to be watching in a different way.” Wherever the CDL media rights eventually land, it’s sure to be a hefty cost, with analysts Konvoy Ventures estimating the franchise league’s broadcasting contracts could be worth as much as $24 million per season. That sum, which clocks in at around $21 million less than what Blizzard scooped up for their multi-year Twitch deal, was based on an average 23,861,239 hours watched per month for the esport, with each hour watched equating to $1.39 in value for advertisers. Vaynerchuk, who continued to speak as if it was written in stone that CDL stars would have the eyes of the nation turned on them in 2020 as the inaugural season debuts on TV, suggested a potential deal could “change the face of the game.” Instead of worrying about how much money any potentially already-signed deals may be waiting in the wings, however, the New York entrepreneur suggested any television deal could create new storylines, rivalry, and interest in Call of Duty. “[New eyes] might make them play different,” he suggested, and likened it to the pressure of playing “on center court at Wimbledon” as opposed to an outside arena. “There’s been some of the best players in tennis in the world, that when they get there can’t play.” The RøKKR co-owner also admitted that with more and more eyes turning towards Call of Duty esports with the franchised league, there’s a possibility for teams to create more of a persona, and feed off the energy, and hate, of global audiences. “In an extreme example, my favorite athlete is Novak Djokovic because when he plays [Roger] Federer at Wimbledon, the entire stadium is cheering against him,” Vee said. “In a world with teams like London, New York, and Los Angeles in the league, Minnesota is going to have a lot of people that are against them that are supporting these big cities. That’s what enticed me to the project in the first place. “That’s what competition is, there’s nothing more fun than having the whole crowd [or audience] against you, beating that other person, looking at the crowd, and saying “f**k you.” That attracts me to the Call of Duty League tremendously.” Whether or not there is a television deal just around the corner for Activision-Blizzard’s next franchise league, it’s already clear that hype is reaching a fever-pitch as the comp’s preseason rolls on with scrims and Modern Warfare updates. There’s already drama aplenty before the first bullet has even been shot in the league too, with teams like the New York Subliners and Dallas Empire at each other’s throats over MuTeX’s explosive departure from Empire’s 2020 roster. Ex-OpTic Gaming allies Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter have also waded into the preseason trash talk, taking pot-shots at each other in their Twitch chats and pulling out some friendly banter on Twitter as the CDL looms. As CoD enters its first-ever franchised league, fans are anticipating mouth-watering match-ups and unprecedented storylines, and now there’s a real chance it could all play out across a global TV stage, if Vee’s teases are to be believed.

Atlanta FaZe & Minnesota ROKKR reveal surprise new 2021 CDL rosters Atlanta FaZe / Minnesota ROKKRThe tornado that is the Call of Duty League Rostermania continues to spin as both the Atlanta FaZe and Minnesota ROKKR have announced their full starting lineups for the upcoming 4v4 season in 2021. With the free-agent signing moratorium finally lifted on September 14, CDL teams who don’t have full rosters yet are starting to announce their new players for the 2021 campaign. A day after Dashy’s high-profile move to the Chicago Huntsmen became official, the man he replaced – Arcitys – signed with Atlanta FaZe, completing their lineup for next season. FaZe had an open roster to fill after announcing that Priestahh and MajorManiak would be departing (more on those two below). This reunites Arcitys with former eUnited teammates Simp and aBeZy; the trio, along with Clayster and Alec’s twin brother, Prestinni, won the Call of Duty World League Championship in 2019 with eUnited. DESTINY HAS ARRIVED IN 4V4 😈 And it’s teaming up with the Tiny Terrors, just in time for Cold War. Welcome to Atlanta FaZe @Arcitys; the FINAL BOSS. #EZAF pic.twitter.com/TUDcZtqQSn — Atlanta FaZe (@ATLFaZe) September 15, 2020 Atlanta FaZe 2021 CDL starting lineup Chris ‘Simp’ Lehr – Tyler ‘aBeZy’ Pharris – McArthur ‘Cellium’ Jovel – Alec ‘Arcitys’ Sanderson – Atlanta FaZe departing players Preston ‘Priestahh’ Greiner – Michael ‘MajorManiak’ Szymaniak – Priestahh and MajorManiak wouldn’t remain in limbo for long, however, as moments after FaZe announced their departures, the Minnesota ROKKR unveiled them as part of their 2021 lineup, which also includes Attach and Accuracy, formerly of the New York Subliners. The ROKKR, of course, were free to recruit all four after getting rid of their entire roster just prior to the signing period. Let’s make it happen #ROKKR pic.twitter.com/Jq6028qCw8 — Minnesota RØKKR (@ROKKR) September 15, 2020 Minnesota ROKKR 2021 CDL starting lineup Lamar ‘Accuracy’ Abedi – Dillon ‘Attach’ Price – Michael ‘MajorManiak’ Szymaniak – Preston ‘Priestahh’ Greiner – Interestingly enough, Accuracy is the only player from that group that was officially a free agent prior to this announcement. The other three were still under contract with their respective franchises but their departures were announced just moments before ROKKR unveiled their new team. The Subliners tweeted about Attach’s departure, thanking him for his contributions and wishing him good luck in the future. NYSL had an up-and-down season in 2020, starting off slow before noticeably improving down the stretch and even picking up a tournament victory at their own Home Series. Thank you @Attach for all that you’ve done for the team this season. You represented New York well, and we are grateful for all your contributions. Wishing you the best of luck in your next chapter. #NYSL pic.twitter.com/FcXRGtwX0V — Subliners (@Subliners) September 15, 2020 Atlanta FaZe expressed similar sentiments in their own posts about Priestahh and MajorManiak, which included videos featuring the two players talking about their lone season with the team. https://twitter.com/ATLFaZe/status/1305929797009379328 The oldest player in the league comes with its perks – wisdom, teamwork, and an immense amount of kindness. Add that on top of being great at Call of Duty, and its a scary mix. We know you’ll continue to show all your talents & more in your next journey. Thank you @majormaniak pic.twitter.com/NZT0d5Y4oW — Atlanta FaZe (@ATLFaZe) September 15, 2020 The two were instrumental in FaZe’s tremendous 2020 campaign, which saw them capture the best record in the regular season and finish second to the Dallas Empire at the CDL Championship Weekend. Their vaunted ‘Tiny Terrors’ lineup was considered by many to be the most talented in the league, but with the format shifting to 4v4, fans recognized that one of these two were the likeliest to be the odd man out. That’s why a lot of people were caught by surprise when the organization announced that both would be leaving. Priestahh, who is regarded as a top-tier player, fell off considerably in the final third of the season, while MajorManiak was always a candidate to be dropped since most rank him below everyone else on the team. With Atlanta in the market for a fourth starter, who better to pick up than the experienced and proven Arcitys, who’s already lifted CoD esports’ ultimate prize with two of FaZe’s players. That was during the Black Ops 4 season, and with the next game in line – Black Ops Cold War – also developed by Treyarch, the organization is hoping to rekindle some of that dominant magic that led eUnited all the way to the top. You can keep up with all of the offseason team changes and player signings with our Call of Duty League Rostermania hub.

Ultra Academy wins ROKKR’s $75K Challengers Open: Final results Call of Duty LeagueCall of Duty LAN was finally back in full force with the first Challengers Open event in months finally taking place at the Minnesota ROKKR Major 2. While it was Ultra Academy that came away with the win, we’ve got you covered with a full rundown of how the event unfolded. Ultra Academy NA close out top spot. – Texas Nation, Team WaR, Strike X, finish among Top 8. – First Challengers LAN event since March, 2020 – $75,000 prize pool – It had been 24 months since amateur CoD players from around the world had a chance to prove themselves against other regions on LAN. A lot had changed since the CDL’s first season with Modern Warfare in focus, but the passion from hungry players had nonetheless remained. While $75K was on the line in Minnesota during CDL Major 2, the chance to become a breakout star and qualify for the Pro-Am Classic was all the more important. If you missed out on any of the action, we’ve got you covered with a full look at the results below. CDL Minnesota ROKKR Challengers Open: Final results (Top 8) CDL Minnesota ROKKR Challengers Open: Schedule & Streams The $75K Challengers Open event took place across three days, spanning Friday, April 1 through Sunday, April 3. It all kicked off at 10AM PT on the first day, with day two and day three beginning at 8AM PT. Given the nature of open bracket events, teams were competing late into the evenings as long days followed one after another. Unfortunately, there was no official broadcast for the Challengers competition. Despite teams paying their way and flying out from all regions, the League didn’t have any plans to promote the event. Therefore, fans had to keep a close eye on social media for any mobile streams. CDL Minnesota ROKKR Challengers Open: Format & Prize Pool 96 teams battled through a double-elimination bracket at the Challengers Open. Starting out, games were best of three, with teams needing just two map wins to advance. In the Top 32, however, games swapped to best of five, aligning with the regular CDL format. Not to brag, but it’s cooler in person. pic.twitter.com/xyPeOh3QMq — Minnesota RØKKR (@ROKKR) March 30, 2022 While $75,000 was up for grabs, along with the usual Challengers Points to help with future seeding, the real draw was available only to those who finish among the top four. The four best teams in the Challengers Open punched their ticket to the CDL Pro-Am Classic in May. This first-of-its-kind event is set to pit all 12 CDL teams into a full LAN tournament with the four qualifying amateur teams. Below is a full look at the prize pool split for the ROKKR Open: 1st – $24,000 – 2nd – $12,000 – 3rd – $7,500 – 4th – $6,000 – Top 6 – $3,750 – Top 8 – $2,250 – Top 12 – $1,875 – Top 16 – $1,500 – CDL Minnesota ROKKR Challengers Open: Teams As the first proper Challengers event in two years, squads from around the world descended upon Minnesota to prove themselves once again. From APAC’s finest to Europe’s top contenders, there were plenty of veterans and budding stars alike to keep an eye on throughout the bracket. Read More: Call of Duty League 2022 power rankings – Texas Nation had been dominating NA Challengers for much of 2022. UYU returned with a stacked lineup. ROKKR’s own European Academy team made the trip. While three Aussie squads in Renegades, Mindfreak, and PointBlank also covered their own costs to compete.

Minnesota Call of Duty League franchise hints at “great” prospects ahead of roster signing window Midnite, Youtube / Wise Ventures EsportsCall of Duty Rostermania is in full swing ahead of the new franchised Call of Duty League with a host of confirmed teams already looking to secure the core of their new-look rosters, and the new Minnesota franchise is no different. The northern organization has already begun contract talks with a number of players ahead of the 2020 CDL, Ashley “MiDNiTE” Glassel and Wise Ventures Esports chief operating officer Brett Diamond revealed in an update video released by the franchise. As well as confirming their roster was already on its way to finding its core, the pair also explained how the CDL’s signing window, which opens on Tuesday, September 3, and restricted free agency signings would be working moving forward. Ashley Glassel and Brett Diamond provided an update on Minnesota’s roster plans. “Starting on the third we can sign players, and if they’re a restricted free agent we can sign them that day,” explained Diamond. “Most players, as you know if you have been following player announcements, are restricted free agents. Read more: FaZe makes roster change amid uncertainty – “[That means] if they’re a restricted free agent we can sign them on Tuesday, but at that point, two things happen. First of all their current team have the right to match whatever we offer them, and have a week to decide. If they decide not to match, then we’re in buy-out discussions with that team. There’s a couple of steps to the process.” (R)ostermania explained! What to expect when the signing window opens for us :pencil::eyes: pic.twitter.com/i4g0VjRdqi — Call of Duty Minnesota (@COD_MN) September 1, 2019 The reason Diamond explained the CDL’s free agency policy was to keep things as clear as possible if Minnesota doesn’t announce new player signings on the opening day of the window. “It might take a little while for rosters to come together,” he added. “We’re excited about the discussions that we’re having and we’ve talked to a lot of great guys this week. We’re excited to share with them what this organization is about, and what it looks like to build up this Call of Duty team in Minnesota. We’re excited.” Minnesota is one of nine confirmed teams confirmed for the new franchise league. Diamond’s excitement was shared by MiDNiTE in the update video, and the former OpTic content creator confirmed the Wise Ventures Esports-backed franchise had already spoken to a number of CoD stars ahead of the transfer window opening. Read more: Crimsix drops big hint about leaving OpTic – “The guys that we’ve been talking to, they all have great heads on their shoulders,” she said. “Some of the groupings of players are excited to further those discussions about furthering CoD here next season. We’ll keep you in the loop as much as reasonably possible.” So far, nine locations/franchises have been confirmed for the Call of Duty franchised league: Atlanta, Dallas, Florida, Minnesota, New York, Paris, Toronto, and two Los Angeles teams. Currently, no rosters for the franchise league have been confirmed. You can stay up to date with all roster news and changes via our Rostermania hub.

Minnesota CoD announce UK player as fourth signing to CDL roster @COD_MNThe Call of Duty Minnesota franchise has announced their fourth signing on October 10, Alex ‘Alexx’ Carpenter from the United Kingdom and former Denial/Reciprocity player. The Minnesota franchise for the upcoming Call of Duty League has now signed their fourth player. Alexx joins Justin ‘SiLLY’ Fargo-Palmer, Adam ‘Assault’ Garcia, Adam ‘GodRx’ Brown and coach Brian ‘Saintt’ Baroska up north. CoD MN now has four filled slots, with three open slots remaining. :rotating_light: ROSTER UPDATE :rotating_light: (pending league approval) pic.twitter.com/gfEm6DFVeX— Call of Duty Minnesota (@COD_MN) October 10, 2019 The announcement video shows Alexx viewing the previous Minnesota roster announcement on his phone, before promptly asking Siri for directions to Minnesota. Alexx joins other UK players Zack ‘Zed’ Denyer and Trei ‘Zer0’ Morris on rosters outside of the CoD London franchise, with Zed joining Paris and Zer0 joining New York. Alexx, a 20-year-old player from England, had a breakout summer with the UK roster fielded by Team Reciprocity. They finished 7th/8th in the CoD Pro League regular season, finished 4th in the Pro League playoffs, and then 7th/8th at the CoD World Championships. After establishing themselves as a top ten team in the world, it makes sense that the services of the Reciprocity pros would be sought out by the new franchises. Teammates Dylan ‘dylan’ Henderson and Bradley ‘wuskin’ Marshall are staying home, having joined the CoD London franchise. Zed and Denholm ‘Denz’ Taylor have joined CoD Paris. And now Alexx has gone across the Atlantic to join the Minnesota franchise. The Minnesota franchise is already jumping into the content game with a behind-the-scenes podcast on YouTube called Building CoD MN. Episode 1.5 of Building @COD_MN is here! This time, @Diamond_Sota sits down with Coach @BrianSaintt for an insightful interview. They may even talk about branding… Youtube: https://t.co/X0rks85Akw Find more places to listen via https://t.co/X3DCc71BT5 pic.twitter.com/pLAWXhzH2m— Call of Duty Minnesota (@COD_MN) October 9, 2019 For more on all things Call of Duty, keep it locked to Dexerto.

Minnesota announces core of Call of Duty roster for franchise league Minnesota has unveiled their Call of Duty roster for the upcoming 2020 franchise league. This is the second team to unveil its roster ahead of the new league. Earlier this week, London made history by announcing the league’s first signing, and now Minnesota is quick to join the fray. Justin ‘SiLLY’ Fargo-Palmer, an AR player for Envy, Adam ‘Assault’ Garcia, Adam ‘GodRx’ Brown and Brian ‘Saintt’ Baroska as the team’s coach. This leaves Minnesota with at least four open slots on their roster, with two starters, and two subs. Teams are allowed to have a maximum of ten players, but must have seven by the time the 2020 season begins. ROSTER ANNOUNCEMENT: (pending league approval) pic.twitter.com/iQVz2VgPAr— Call of Duty Minnesota (@COD_MN) September 20, 2019 At the end of the video, the three players take seats on chairs with two more spots vacant hinting future signings to their starting lineup. Assault was the Main AR player for Team Envy. He is a 2018 World Champion and the 2018 World Championship MVP. SiLLY, also formerly of Team Envy, was a member of the same championship roster in 2018. GodRx was a player on Enigma6 Group, who finished fourth at the Call of Duty World League Championship in 2019. Their coach, Saintt, retired from competition on Feb 18, 2018. He made his coaching debut for eUnited before departing for Midnight Esports in August of 2019. During that coaching run, he helped Midnight qualify for the World Championship through the Play-in, but ultimately fell short as they finished 17-24th. 600As is standard practice, all signings are pending league approval. It had previously been announced that former OpTic content creator Ashley ‘MiDNiTE’ Glassel had joined the franchise. In a video back in August, Glassel said she would “start off in a bit of a consulting role” and there were “a lot of areas they need help in.” Earlier in September, the Minnesota franchise shared some concepts of what their new gaming facilities will look like and embraced the purple branding throughout. “Continuing to work hard at building a championship roster for the North,” they said in a tweet with the latest renders. For more on all things Call of Duty, keep it locked to Dexerto.

Minimap is coming to Modern Warfare beta – but with a catch ActivisionFollowing backlash from the Call of Duty community, Infinity Ward are looking to implement the minimap into the Modern Warfare beta less than 48 hours after its release to the public. The minimap has been a staple of Call of Duty multiplayer in previous years of the franchise, with regular game modes allowing players to see the position of both teammates and enemies relative to their position on the map. However, prior to the beta’s release, the developers behind the latest iteration of the franchise announced the removal of the previously indispensable minimap — eradicating it entirely from the top-left corner of the traditional heads-up display (HUD) for players. Infinity Ward have noticed the furore from fans and popular personalities alike, as the lack of minimap continues to influence gameplay within the beta. Not only have the developers been working around-the-clock to fix bugs and connection issues that have plagued the beta up until now, but the team are also reintroducing the minimap (on a trial basis) with a patch that will be pushed out on September 14. Tomorrow: 9/13 #ModernWarfare Beta Level cap = 20 Minimap: ON (will not display enemy fire) Game mode filter: ON NVG Playlist: ON Get more details here: https://t.co/AD2DbuvmCe— Ashton Williams (@ashtonisVULCAN) September 14, 2019 Thus far, players have only been granted access to a minimap via a deployable Personal Radar or UAV scorestreak (albeit for a short period of time). Given that the feature has been integral to the multiplayer experience since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, not having an omnipresent map to assist with player positioning has led to longtime fans of the franchise voicing their opinion via social media and the Modern Warfare subreddit. As per Williams’ tweet, the minimap will be ever-present, but will not show enemy gunfire. Therefore simply allowing players to understand their position relative to their teammates. Infinity Ward also addressed this issue in a Reddit post, stating: “We hear you loud and clear. Along with your feedback and the data we’re continuously collecting, we’ll be experimenting internally with a few different options and will keep you updated if we make any changes that you might see during the Beta.” Of course, this isn’t the traditional minimap that the fans have previously become accustomed to, but it’s a start, and it shows that the development team are happy to learn from community feedback ahead of the official release on October 25.

Mindfreak’s Denz Wants to join an NA or EU Team for Black Ops 4 Australian Call of Duty pro Denz is looking for an opportunity on a team with North American or European players. He believes staying in Australia will prevent him from advancing his professional career. Denz made the announcement in a tweet on September 9. Mindfreak struggled to adjust to the higher level of competition, posting a 4-10 record in CWL Stage 2. Denz however, was a standout performer. He carried his team through Search and Destroy with a 1.28 K/D, one of the highest marks in all of Stage 2. Denz was also solid in Hardpoint, finishing with a 1.08 K/D while leading his team in engagements and finishing second in hill time. It was previously rumored that Black Ops 4 would feature more region mixed teams due to a new ruleset. Rostermania is ongoing, though signings are slowing down over uncertainties about team sizes and format. The Competitive reveal of Black Ops 4 is set for September 19 and a flurry of roster moves is expected to follow. Denz being available may cause even more shuffling among the top organizations.

Mindfreak set to replace BuZZO ahead of the CWL Pro League qualifier Mindfreak became one of the first professional Call of Duty teams to announce a major roster change ahead of the CWL Pro League qualifier, starting in January 2019. On December 20, the organization announced that they had picked up a new player, and it’s expected veteran player Mitchell ‘BuZZO’ Mader will move out of the starting five, after over four years leading the team. In his place steps in former Tainted Minds player Daniel ‘Swifty’ Hickey, leaving Tainted Minds in need of a new player for their own Pro League qualification attempt in January. BuZZO is not expected to leave the team entirely, however, as he is expected to take on a coaching role, remaining with the Mindfreak organization. Dexerto understands that BuZZO was not dropped from the roster, but rather offered to move to a coaching position to allow the addition of a new player. With just under a month to prepare, the new lineup with Swifty will need to practice hard and take the advice of their experienced coach if they are to snag one of 12 qualification spots. The dawn of a new era, welcome @MF_Swiftyy!#MFWIN | @CODWorldLeague pic.twitter.com/0SKQd2fMql — Mindfreak (@Mindfreak) December 20, 2018 Mindfreak was already considered the best APAC team, and recruiting from their main rival Tainted Minds, should in theory only bolster their chances of competing with the top teams from NA and EU. Tainted Minds are expected to recruit another APAC player, however whether they can replace Swifty with a player of similar caliber remains to be seen. Mindfreak CoD Fighta – Shockz – Excite – Louqa – Swifty –

Mindfreak confirm fifth player for CWL Black Ops 4 season The Australian Call of Duty scene has been dominated by the Mindfreak brand for a number of years, and they’re hoping their latest signings continue that trend. Following a reasonably uneventful WWII season in the CWL Pro League, Denholm ‘Denz’ Taylor confirmed he’d be leaving the squad to pursue international opportunities. With the competitive CoD scene moving to 5 v 5, that meant the team would be looking for two new players to join the core of Mitchell ‘Buzzo’ Mader, Conrad ‘Shockz’ Rymarek and Lincoln ‘Fighta’ Ferguson. Mindfreak announced the signing of 18-year-old talent Luke ‘Louqa’ Rigas on September 17, and almost two weeks later they confirmed the final piece of the puzzle. Cody ‘Excite’ Rugolo will rejoin the team who dropped him in mid-2017 for Denz after he returned from his Tainted Minds hiatus. Excite had been dropped originally from the team to be replaced by Denz, but it was concerns over his attitude that he was replaced, rather than being anything skill related. He returns for the Black Ops 4 season as a more mature player according to the Mindfreak management, with expectations high for the squad to re-enter the CWL Pro League. MF will not automatically qualify for pool play at CWL Vegas in December but are likely to have enough pool points to play in the eight-team relegation qualifier for a chance to avoid the Open Bracket. Mindfreak CoD Buzzo – Fighta – Shockz – Louqa – Excite –

Mindfreak CoD announce TWO changes ahead of CWL Pro League qualifier The most dominant team in the history of APAC Call of Duty have announced two changes ahead of the CWL Pro League qualifier. Following a lackluster performance at CWL Vegas in December, it was announced that Daniel ‘Swifty’ Hickey would be joining the squad, but it wasn’t confirmed who would be leaving. Sources close to the situation advised that Mitch ‘BuZZO’ Mader would be moving to a coaching role and taking a step back from competing after four years in the team. This was confirmed during an announcement on January 5. Mindfreak didn’t just reveal one change in that post on January 5, because they also announced that they have dropped Cody ‘Excite’ Rugolo from the lineup and replaced him with Jai ‘Beastn’ Boone. Excite had only joined the Australian side at the start of the season when Call of Duty esports teams expanded to five-man rosters, but his second stint with the organization has been cut short. Beastn has been playing at a reasonable level within the APAC scene since Call of Duty Ghosts in 2014, but has yet to make his mark on the international scene. Mindfreak will be hoping he can help their squad become one of the 12 out of 28 teams who’ll compete in the CWL Pro League qualifier, known as the Play-In, which kicks off on January 16 in Columbus, Ohio at the MLG Arena. Mindfreak Call of Duty: Fighta – Shockz – Louqa – Swifty – Beastn –

Mindfreak Call of Duty star Louqa joins CWL Pro League roster as substitute Australian Call of Duty star and Mindfreak player Luke ‘Louqa’ Rigas will get the opportunity to show what he’s capable of in the 2019 CWL Pro League for Black Ops 4 on PlayStation 4 after joining Gen.G as a substitute. The 18-year-old is widely regarded as one of the hottest prospects in the CoD scene, in the APAC region and beyond, but he was denied the chance of proving his worth when Mindfreak’s CWL Pro League hopes ended in heartbreak at the play-in qualifier event in January. However, there is a chance that he could still see some action during the season after being picked up as the sixth man for Michael ‘SpaceLy’ Schmale’s Gen.G roster. The news was initially shared by Michael ‘MajorManiak’ Szymaniak, who stated: “For those still wondering, our sub going into the Pro League is MF Louqa. The best 6th man in the league.” Louqa followed up with a Twitter post of his own shortly after, saying: “I’ll be the sixth man for Gen.G for the COD World League season.” for those still wondering our sub going into the pro league is @MF_Louqa. the best 6th man in the league — mike (@MajorManiak) February 1, 2019 Formerly competing under the Str8 Rippin and Team Space banner, SpaceLy’s squad was signed by the Gen.G organization – formerly known as KSV Esports – after qualifying for the CWL Pro League. Louqa was snapped up by Mindfreak heading into the Black Ops 4 season after turning 18 and becoming eligible to play at CWL events. He impressed on an individual level despite the team’s disappointing results at CWL Las Vegas and the Pro League Qualifier. Gen.G has been drawn in Division A for the the CWL Pro League against some of CoD’s biggest hitters like OpTic Gaming, Luminosity and Red Reserve. Division A matches for the CWL begin on Tuesday, February 5, with Gen.G’s first match being against Red Reserve. As Louqa is currently the team’s substitute, it is unlikely that he will be in action.

Mindfreak Call of Duty announce roster change following Pro League Qualifier exit Top APAC Call of Duty team, Mindfreak, have announced their first roster change after they narrowly missed out on the CWL Pro League, suffering a loss in the crucial final match. Mindfreak have been the staple APAC team in the Pro League in previous years, and despite bringing in new talents in Luke ‘Louqa’ Rigas and Jai ‘Beastn’ Boone, were unable to secure a spot in the league for 2019. With only one stage of the Pro League for Black Ops 4, there is no second chance to qualify, so the organization is making some changes, with the amateur circuit now their only option in the lead up to the World Championship. On February 10, the organization announced that their newest recruit, Beastn, would be the first to depart, although they say he “more than held his own” at the qualifier. Mindfreak have not yet announced Beastn’s replacement, but it is expected that Tainted Minds player Jayden ‘Setzyy’ Hewitt will take his spot on the roster, first reported by RushBMedia. Farewell @MF_Beastn. Tonight we say thank you and farewell to Jai! He played valiantly and more than held his own during our Pro League Qualifiers. We wish him all the best going forward.#MFWIN | @CODWorldLeague pic.twitter.com/uUXPqiz6qs — Mindfreak (@Mindfreak) February 10, 2019 An online CWL 1K tournament will be played on February 10 for the APAC region, in which both Mindfreak and Tainted Minds are expected to play with their new lineups. With no official announcements made outside of Beastn’s departure, it’s possible that these lineups will be subject to change, as these top APAC teams attempt to organize the best rosters possible ahead of CWL Fort Worth, March 15 through 17. Mindfreak CoD (Rumored) Conrad ‘Shockz’ Rymarek – Daniel ‘Swifty’ Hickey – Jayden ‘Setzyy’ Hewitt – Lincoln ‘Fighta’ Ferguson – Luke ‘Louqa’ Rigas Mitchell ‘BuZZO’ Mader (coach) – –

Mindfreak announce signing of up-and-coming player Mindfreak has unveiled 18-year-old Luke ‘Louqa’ Rigas as the third member of its Call of Duty team. The young player has been unable to compete since Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, after age restrictions were imposed meaning players had to be aged 18 or above in order to take part. Despite this set back, Louqa continued to be a part of the community, practice and play wagers. Although he was previously unsure whether to return to competitive Call of Duty, he announced he was a free agent for the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 season after he turned 18 on August 30th. It seems his perseverance and dedication had not gone unnoticed, as he will be joining the APAC region’s biggest organization, Mindfreak. Welcome 18 year old young gun @MF_Louqa to the #MFCOD line up and @Mindfreak family. We’re excited to welcome a player hungry for success and ready to prove himself on the world stage. :punch::fire:#BlackOps4 | @CODWorldLeague pic.twitter.com/vHRdAHnLXT — Mindfreak (@Mindfreak) 17 September 2018 Louqa will join two of the region’s veterans, Conrad ‘Shockz’ Rymarek and Lincoln ‘Fighta’ Ferguson, who have both rejoined Mindfreak. The young up-and-comer will be looking to prove himself on an international scale, but judging by Mindfreak owner, Albert ‘Nakeze’ Nassif’s tweet, he thinks some new blood is exactly what the team needs to succeed. ANZ CoD players need to reach out of their friendship zones and take a shot on some younger players with huge potential to grow their skill set. If you’re still teaming with those same players that have reached their peak you’re wasting your time. — Naked (@NakeeeZe) 17 September 2018 Mindfreak has yet to announce its fourth, and possibly fifth if the 5v5 format is confirmed, player. Mitchel ‘BuZZO’ Mader has yet to make any announcements as to his plans for the upcoming season, but as a Mindfreak veteran and the team’s longstanding captain, it’s possible he could be the squad’s fourth. Denholm ‘Denz’ Taylor is currently looking for opportunities outside of the APAC region, but if he doesn’t succeed in finding something and the 5v5 format is confirmed, it’s also possible he could rejoin his former teammates for another year.

Mindfreak announce new fifth player ahead of CWL Fort Worth MLGMindfreak have announced the new fifth member of their team and it could prove to be a major acquisition ahead of the Call of Duty World League tournament at Fort Worth. The Australian CoD team, who decided to shake things up after placing 13-14 in the CWL Pro League 2019 qualifier, have finally found their replacement for Jai ‘Beastn’ Boone. Opening their arms to a former Mindfreak.Black Call of Duty player, they have announced that Jayden ‘Setzyy’ Hewitt will be the newest member of their competitive squad. 500Mindfreak made the move official using their Twitter account, where they revealed Setzyy is set to stick around for the entire upcoming season. “After a stint abroad, Setzyy returns home!” the team tweeted. “The former MFBLACK cornerstone joins the team to round out the roster in time for CWL Fort Worth and the rest of the coming season.” After a stint abroad, @Setzyy returns home! The former MFBLACK cornerstone joins the team to round out the roster in time for #CWLFortWorth and the rest of the coming season.#MFWIN | @CODWorldLeague pic.twitter.com/DJuVY9mLoq — Mindfreak (@Mindfreak) February 19, 2019 Setzyy will team up with an already talented roster of all Australian players, which includes: Conrad ‘Shockz’ Rymarek, Lincoln ‘Fighta’ Ferguson, Luke ‘Louqa’ Rigas and Daniel ‘Swifty’ Hickey. Read More: How to watch the Black Ops 4 CWL Pro League – streams, schedule, scores, standings, and more – The CWL Fort Worth tournament is set to kick off on March 15 and will run until March 17, featuring some of the best Call of Duty esports teams from around the world.

Mindfreak and Tainted Minds battle for top spot in APAC CWL 2K – Nov 11 Final Placements The second APAC CWL 2K of Black Ops 4 has concluded with yet another battle for dominance between the two top teams in the region, Mindfreak and Tainted Minds. The two organizations share more than just mind alteration in their names, as they have been vying for the top spot for almost three seasons now, and it looks like Black Ops 4 will be more of the same as the pair met in the grand final once again. The first 2K went the way of Tainted Minds in the end, as the new Mindfreak lineup featuring up and coming player Luke ‘Louqa’ Rigas were still to find their groove. However, it looks like another week of practice was just what the Mindfreak squad needed, as they overcame their rivals with a 3-1 victory in the final. Tainted Minds will still be pleased to have put in another consistent showing, as the APAC region as a whole makes another attempt to compete with the very best from North America and Europe, it will need at least two strong rosters. Mindfreak are not yet guaranteed a pool play spot at the first event, CWL Vegas, so it is a vitally important win to secure extra pro points ahead of their December 7 trip to the US. #MFCOD bounces back with a 3-1 win in this week’s APAC 2K Grand Final against @TaintedOrg. We go again next week!#MFWIN | @CODWorldLeague pic.twitter.com/jL3Gcgtu21 — Mindfreak (@Mindfreak) November 11, 2018

Mindblowing Warzone clip shows just how broken Roze skin is ActivisionThe extremely overpowered nature of the Roze skin has been well-documented in Call of Duty: Warzone, but a stunning new clip shows just how much of an advantage the controversial cosmetic can provide. Warzone has had its fair share of unbalanced weapons and items – remember how OP the C4 was in the early months, followed by broken guns like the ‘Fire Shotty’ and, more recently, the DMR. But some would argue that the most overpowered thing in Warzone isn’t an explosive or a weapon, but rather a cosmetic – the Roze skin to be more specific. Due to its completely monotone black color scheme and design, the skin can be extremely difficult to spot in dark areas, leading to a nearly unanimous call from the community for the devs to do something about it. Lately, however, it’s become evident that Roze’s effect isn’t just limited to shadowy spots; a new clip that’s surfaced on Reddit (via u/ckalinec) shows it can be just as effective in well-lit areas too. As you can see in the video, the player is in the main atrium of Train Station, where there is a lot of natural light flooding in from the openings on the ceiling. He then suddenly gets mowed down by what initially appears to be an invisible character, which turns out to be, of course, the controversial skin. Basically, Roze was still able to camouflage while standing in front of some darkened window panels, even though there’s plenty of good lighting in the room, more than enough to make everything visible. “Yesterday, I got Roze skinned in a well-lit room,” the player wrote on Reddit. “Or maybe I’m blind, you be the judge.” The clip got plenty of comments shortly after getting posted, with everyone coming to an agreement that there was really no way to justify or explain what had taken place. “The problem is this one has NOTHING but black. There’s no face, there’s not other color in the suit, not shoes or anything so it makes it so hard to see. It’s insane,” one user wrote. Another player expressed a similar sentiment: “Nope couldn’t see her at all! I kinda wish she had accents like Ghost. Maybe some white streaks or a bright mask. Ghost has those and I never feel screwed by him BECAUSE I CAN SEE HIM. I legitimately couldn’t see the Roze in this clip.” Whether or not Activision will do anything about this remains to be seen. To be fair, the devs are put in a difficult spot because if they change the Roze skin’s design, it could cause issues with those who paid money to purchase it because of how it looks. And it’s not something that can be easily settled by issuing refunds for those who want to return it, due to the fact that it was originally a Tier 100 item in the Season 4 Battle Pass, so players who obtained it that way already spent a lot of time playing the game to reach that Tier.

Mindblowing Modern Warfare bug kills players before game even starts Infinity WardInfinity Ward have had to fix many bugs since Modern Warfare was released in October 2019, but this latest glitch has to be one of the most punishing yet. Players have had to contend with invisibility issues with the new CDL skins and problematic spawns that have resulted in quick deaths, but this bug kills you BEFORE a game has even started. Yep, those who have been affected by this glitch have been eliminated simply for trying to begin a game. Reddit user ‘cashRb’ revealed the glitch in a gameplay clip featuring the start of a Team Deathmatch on Euphrates Bridge. Ironically, the clip didn’t contain much gameplay, more so showing the bug that eliminated the player before anyone could even move. “Only in this game can you die before the match even starts,” they quipped. The countdown for the match got down to 1 before they were instantly taken out, and to add insult to injury, the kill-feed showed that they actually killed themselves. Though the player is seen in the Loadout Selection screen, that couldn’t have been the culprit since no changes were made. Following this post, other players who have been afflicted by this strange bug began to share their experiences. Fellow Reddit user ‘Mythaminator’ said: “Dude, this exact thing happened to me too! I thought I just wasn’t paying attention or something.” Even more interesting is that there seems to be a host of bugs in a similar vein as this one, with community members saying that teams can be seen capping objectives before the game even starts. “Last night on HC dom, the enemy team had a 3-second headstart,” ’Kortallis added. “The timer was still going down for us when they were capping their objective.” “I had the same thing but it was just me on Search and Destroy in Piccadilly, and [I] got to wipe out their team as it was a 10-second head-start,” ‘aramis1324’ pointed out. Infinity Ward will be keen to put a stop to bugs that affect players and teams before the match even begins, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they attempt to patch these out sooner rather than later.

Mindblowing Jackal PDW stat proves it needs major nerf before Black Ops 6 launches TreyarchIt’s no surprise that a meta has formed in the Black Ops 6 early access beta, but what has been surprising is how dominant the Jackal PDW SMG has been. Right now, it’s the most powerful gun in Call of Duty by a mile, and the stats prove it must be nerfed before the game launches. CoD’s multiplayer modes have always struggled with weapon balancing, and over the years plenty of guns have become incredibly dominant. Who can forget the insanely overpowered Akimbo Model 1887s in 2009’s MW2, or the incredible MP40 in World at War? With the first weekend of the Black Ops 6 multiplayer beta now complete, there’s a new gun we can add to that list, as the Jackal PDW has been the preeminent weapon of choice–and the stats are staggering. On September 5, the final day of the early access beta, the Jackal PDW was by far the most-used weapon in Black Ops 6. According to WZRanked, 61% of players were using the gun. To break that down into real numbers, six of every 10 players in a match chose the Jackal PDW. The XM4 was a distant second, with 18.5% of users opting for it. That’s a difference of 42.5%. Even comparing it to other SMGs in BO6 is astounding. The second most-picked gun in that class is the C9, but only has a 3.73% rate despite being the first SMG to be unlocked. The weapon’s commanding position is even more evident when you compare it to the top guns in Call of Duty’s other active games. The MCW assault rifle is the leading force in Warzone, but only records a 32.5% pick rate, while Modern Warfare 3’s Rival-9 records a similar result at 34.7%. At the end of the day, however, the Jackal’s rate is almost double both of them, showing just how dominant it is. As for why it’s so popular, the answer is relatively simple. The Jackal PDW may be an SMG, but it deals good damage at long range, while its rate-of-fire is fast enough to make it deadly at close range. It also doesn’t have much in terms of recoil, which means it’s easy to control and aim. With all of these combined, you get an SMG that’s solid at any distance and makes it easy to hit your shots with accuracy. Some players have complained that if they weren’t using the Jackal, they were essentially putting themselves at a huge disadvantage. When that’s the case, the only option is to nerf it to bring it back in line with the rest of the Black Ops 6 meta. Thankfully, that looks likely to be the case, with Treyarch confirming they intend to introduce balancing changes before the second beta weekend goes live on September 6. While they haven’t named the Jackal PDW specifically, it’s hard to imagine they won’t treat it like MW3’s Striker, which got a major range nerf when it ruled that game’s beta in 2023.

Mind-blowing Warzone bug puts players in third-person and it’s ruining tournaments ActivisionPerhaps Warzone’s wildest glitch yet is forcing players to have an out-of-body experience by forcing a third-person perspective and all but ruining high-stakes tournaments. Bugs have certainly been plentiful since Caldera arrived in the Warzone Pacific update. We’ve seen everything from invisible Operator skins to magic bushes and even lobbies packed full of cheaters. But in a $20,000 tournament on December 29, we may have seen the most outrageous glitch to date. Seemingly at random, Twitch streamer ‘Ferkull’ was forced out of the standard first-person perspective. After a journey across the island, spectating various teams without explanation, he regained control of his Operator. This time, though, he was playing Warzone from a third-person point of view. “What just happened?” the streamer asked three hours into the competition. After landing at Peak and wiping out some early challengers, Ferkull decided to use his Recon Drone to scout the rest of the POI. It was this harmless action that triggered the first step of the unprecedented bug. “Am I dead? I’m under the f***ing map,” he said as his camera was thrown about Caldera. Every few seconds his view shifted without explanation. At one stage he had clear view of an enemy team, then he was thrust into the gulag for no discernable reason. There was even a moment where the streamer latched onto a killstreak. As a Cluster Strike was called in, his camera decided to morph inside and descend onto the map. While it was non-stop laughter in Twitch chat, the player’s teammates grew concerned. “Can we get banned for this? one of them asked as the $20K tournament continued. Before the team backed out to try and restart the lobby, things only got more out of hand. Ferkull’s camera switched perspective once again, though now, he was back to his original spot on Peak. Rather than playing from a first-person POV, however, he now had control of his Operator from a third-person view. Running, slide-canceling, aiming down sights, it all worked from this unique angle. “I’m playing in third-person,” the streamer yelled at the top of his lungs in complete disbelief. The camera was clunky, with half the screen phasing through the ground. But that didn’t stop the Trio from laughing, even with big money on the line. Im playing in 3rd person in a $20k Tourney ayo is this a reset or somethin? 😂@RealChainGames pic.twitter.com/jMw5P2rTEd— Ferkull (@ScotFerkull) December 29, 2021 Unfortunately for them, the competition continued to roll on. No restart was allowed, so the third-person game was officially in the books. There’s no telling if the bug is repeatable, but Recon Bugs could be the cause of some serious headaches if the issue becomes prevalent.

MiDNiTE explains why she’s leaving OpTic Gaming after 10 years OpTic MiDNiTE – YouTubePopular Call of Duty content creator MiDNiTE has announced that she is leaving OpTic Gaming following the recent takeover of the organization by Immortals Gaming Club. After spending nearly 10 years representing the organization, MiDNiTE announced her departure from OpTic on July 31, calling it the “final day being a member both on paper and in my heart.” In a post she published on Twitter, the YouTuber cited the changes in OpTic as the reason for her decision to part ways, confirming that the upcoming CWL Championship will be the final event where she will cheer for her former org. In her post, she thanked everyone for their support, and especially CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez for believing in her. Read More: FaZe Censor makes incredible gesture – “Huge thank you to H3CZ for always believing in me, being a mentor to me, and most importantly, being a brother to me,” she wrote. “I would not be the person I am today without his guidance, vision, and hilarious laugh.” MiDNiTE also posted a video to go along with her announcement, in which she talked more in-depth about her reasons for leaving OpTic. “OpTic is changing, and it’s going to change more in the future,” she explained. “That alone, that huge shift, it’s not me. I don’t really want that. It’s too bad, but that’s how it is. That’s how the cookie crumbled.” She also reassured her fans and supporters that parting ways with the Green Wall didn’t mean she was “done,” revealing that she had some plans in the works. “I’m not done, that’s for freaking sure. I have some new plans, some new announcements that I’ll be making soon. I’m not just going to leave OpTic and ‘oh MiDNiTE is just floating around out there.’ I have purpose, I have things I want to do within the next few months, years, decades. I still want to be around esports and specifically Call of Duty.” MiDNiTE joined OpTic nearly 10 years ago, become the first female content creator to officially be part of the Green Wall. Since then, she’s grown into a household name within the Call of Duty community, amassing over 649,000 subscribers on YouTube and nearly 170,000 followers on Twitch. She was also ever-present at most CoD events, and could always be found in the crowd cheering her team, greeting and taking pictures with fans, and signing autographs. MiDNiTE’s full post about her departure from OpTic can be found below: Wow Twitter, this is one tweet that I never thought I’d be typing out. Today is my final day being a member of OpTic Gaming, both on paper and in my heart. So much has happened in the nearly 10 years that I have been a part of the OpTic family. I have met lifelong friends from being a part of this organization. I have created unforgettable videos and moments. I have watched my brothers/fellow OpTic members grow as people and creators. Watched the competitive team rise from nothing into the greatest dynasty CoD has ever seen. I spent my entire 20s in OpTic, I have grown so much as a person. This culture and the incredible highlights have truly formed me. Huge thank you to H3CZ for always believing in me, being a mentor to me, and most importantly, being a brother to me. I would not be the person I am today without his guidance, vision and hilarious laugh. All things evolve and change, that’s life. Unfortunately, too much in OpTic has and will change. It’s strange to say, but CoD Champs 2019 will be the last time I cheer for OpTic Gaming as I know it. As for the future, I am definitely not done yet. I am still going to stream and be Midnite of course. I have some very exciting new plans, paths and announcements that I’ll make soon So stay tuned for that. Thank you to anyone/everyone who has enjoyed and supported my content over the years. Whether you used to watch me way back in MW2, or you continue to tune into my streams, just know that I appreciate you for making this last decade in OpTic incredible. Thank you #GreenWallEyes forward Much love, Ashley

Midnight’s Blazt provides update on health situation ahead of CWL Fort Worth Midnight Gaming’s professional Call of Duty player, Rasim ‘Blazt’ Ogresevic has provided an update on his health after being transported to the hospital the day before CWL Fort Worth commences. UPDATE – 6:20 PM EST After being admitted to the hospital, Blazt announced that he was back in his hotel room and that the doctors had told him that there was nothing seriously wrong with him, only that he should get as much rest as possible. He has not yet confirmed his status for CWL Fort Worth, but all indications are that he should be well enough to compete. Made it back to my hotel, the doctor said there was nothing seriously wrong with me and that I should get as much rest as possible. Read every single tweet and just wanted to thank you guys for your positive vibes and energy :raised_hands::skin-tone-2: — rasim (@Blazt) March 14, 2019 Original Article Having missed out for an opportunity to qualify for the pro league with G2 Esports back in January, Blazt recently returned to the CWL Pro League as a member of Midnight Esports after they made major roster changes during the transfer window. Unfortunately, this may not be the return that Rasim or any of his fans were hoping to see leading into his first event under the Midnight banner at CWL Fort Worth. On March 14, Blazt posted a worrying tweet to update fans on his status heading into the event, stating: “Woke up today puking my brains out, and still currently am. This would only happen to me right before an event.” Before later giving the update that Blazt’s fans and teammates were dreading explaining he was being transported to the hospital after he had puked up blood and will potentially miss the event. Update: Going to the hospital since I just puked up a lot of blood. I can’t believe this is happening. — rasim (@Blazt) March 14, 2019 One of Blazt’s teammates and former Call of Duty world champion, Chris “Parasite” Duarte also tweeted saying that the event was probably over for them, highlighting how important the young star was for the Midnight squad, ”This event is chalked. I hope Rasim is ok.” This event is chalked. I hope Rasim is ok :neutral_face: — Christopher Duarte (@Parasite) March 14, 2019 It is still unknown what the cause of his illness is and if Blazt will be able to compete at all this weekend at CWL Fort Worth, but the entire competitive Call of Duty community is hoping for Blazt to recover quickly and potentially put on a show for the fans in Fort Worth.

Midnight Esports announce major roster overhaul for CWL Fort Worth @GGMidnight_Rostermania continues to roll on in the Call of Duty esports scene as CWL Pro League team Midnight Esports have signed four new players to their professional roster. On March 8, the North American org announced that they’ve brought on Renato ‘Saints’ Forza, Rasim ‘Blazt’ Ogresevic, Andres ‘Lacefield’ Lacefield, and Christopher ‘Parasite’ Duarte for CWL Fort Worth and the remainder of the CWL Pro League. As such, Devin ‘LlamaGod’ Tran will be the only remaining member of the Midnight roster. Midnight would like to announce @Blazt @Parasite @Lacefield as part of our Call of Duty roster going forward into Fort Worth and the league!!! #PurpleStorm pic.twitter.com/0SsTzaJkYx — Midnight Esports (@GGMidnight_) March 9, 2019 Saints was the first member of the new roster that was announced early in the day on March 8, while the remaining three new players were announced late in the evening just hours before the roster lock went in affect. Saints joins Midnight after being a free agent for nearly two months. The former Luminosity Gaming star last applied his trade with Pittsburgh Knights, but was ultimately dropped along with the rest of the roster after they failed to qualify for the CWL Pro League. Midnight Esports is pleased to announce @SaintsNato as part of our Call of Duty roster going forward! More announcements to come:rotating_light: pic.twitter.com/eLpYimULvQ — Midnight Esports (@GGMidnight_) March 8, 2019 Perhaps the most surprising addition of all is Parasite, who has previously announced on February 17 that he would be quitting professional Call of Duty if he didn’t get an offer in March. With a full squad of veteran talent in tow, Midnight will now look forward to CWL Fort Worth where they’re slotted into Pool C along with Splyce, Luminosity Gaming, and Excelerate Gaming. This roster moves comes, of course, in the midst of what is a contentious time for the organization, as rumors of their alleged unethical business practices have been swirling around for the past few days. On March 7, an anonymous source made several strong accusations against Midnight, claiming that they blackmailed and threateneed the players into signing contracts and entering agreements that were not equally beneficial for both sides. These allegations came several days after OpTic Gaming star Iam ‘Crimsix’ Porter had already publicly taken aim at the org for refusing to pay four of their players. In response to these claims, Midnight CEO Ken McGraw officially commented: “Un-named and anonymous sources with baseless claims do not merit an official response.”

Midnight Esports address rumors they’re selling their CWL Pro League roster Midnight Gaming / CWLSince the conclusion of the CWL Pro League Qualifiers, rumors have been swirling regarding the fate of one of the surprise teams in Call of Duty, Midnight Esports, and now the org has spoken out on the issue. Before the PLQ, Midnight was a team of relatively unknown amateurs who many had cast aside when filling their brackets of qualified teams. However, things changed after Midnight went a perfect 6-0 to transcend their amateur status into pros. After creating a huge splash at the PLQ, speculation on Midnight selling its roster or its qualifying spot filled the rumor mill, as talk of major orgs swooping in to buy smaller ones reached a fever pitch. We are excited to bring our current roster to Columbus! The rumors of our roster being available is untrue. They’re still under contract, the Organization is currently not accepting inquiries or buyouts of our roster. — Midnight Esports (@GGMidnight_) January 22, 2019 In a Twitter post, Midnight quickly silenced backroom chatter when the org made it clear that they fully expect to see their team play in the Pro League next month. “We are excited to bring our current roster to Columbus! The rumors of our roster being available is untrue,” Midnight Gaming said. “They’re still under contract, the Organization is currently not accepting inquiries or buyouts of our roster.” It seems the temptations of tantalizing offers or inquires into selling weren’t enough to sway the org’s confidence in their team. Although the ragtag collection of players under the Midnight banner had qualified in a pool with the likes of 100 Thieves, Team Space, and others, there was still talk if the new org had what it takes to compete in the Pro League. The CWL Pro League is going to be stacked with talented teams from across the globe, and if the qualifiers were any indication, Midnight could be one of those dominant teams. In addition to the CWL Pro League, Midnight fans can look forward to seeing the team compete at CWL Fort Worth on March 15.

Midnight CEO responds to OpTic Crimsix’s claims of not paying CWL Pro League players Scuf/Midnight EsportsCall of Duty pro Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter stirred up some controversy, when he claimed on Reddit that Midnight Esports isn’t paying the majority of their players. OpTic and Midnight play against each other in the Call of Duty World League 2019, and Midnight won the last meeting between the two teams on February 4, 2019. On Sunday, March 3, on a post titled ‘Why does the midnight org get so much hate?’ posted to r/CoDCompetitive, Crimsix replied, “Well they have a league spot and they’ve only been paying one player during this whole season, so not sure how that works.” Still, McGraw insisted Crimsix’s claims weren’t true, and argued that Midnight players had been receiving paychecks every week, adding that, “dozens of current pros want this deal, and you will soon see who that is.” Players angry as Team Deathmatch playlist removed from Black Ops 4 on PC The CWL transfer period finally opened up at the beginning of March, so plenty of moves and changes are sure to come, but whether Crimsix’s accusations against Midnight are legit remains to be seen.

Microsoft wants to put ads in Call of Duty games on mobile and PC ActivisionIf the pending purchase goes through, Microsoft announced plans to add advertising into free-to-play PC and Mobile Activision Blizzard titles – including Call of Duty. In 2022, Microsoft announced plans to purchase Activision Blizzard for nearly $70 billion. The deal suffered two major setbacks as the UK’s competition and market authority blocked proceedings, and then the Federal Trade Commission filed an injunction to block the acquisition. However, the European Union Commission eventually approved the deal, and Microsoft won its appeal with the CMA in its case against the FTC to push it forward. The merger agreement expired on July 18, but both parties agreed to extend the deal’s deadline to October 18. Activision Blizzard could walk away with a $3 billion break-up-free if the deal isn’t completed. But if both sides reach an agreement, Microsoft laid out bold plans for advertising in Call of Duty titles. Microsoft unveils plan to add advertising to Call of Duty On September 19, CharlieIntel reported: “Microsoft’s plans for Activision Blizzard says the company wants to expand ‘advertising’ into free-to-play PC and mobile games.” This is especially intriguing, because the text under ‘Advertising’ mentions PC, implying that advertising could potentially appear in Warzone. CharlieIntel doesn’t know what to make of the discrepancy, adding: “For now, the list only says Call of Duty: Mobile, but the text says PC & Mobile.” Xbox CEO Spencer revealed that Call of Duty won’t immediately be on Xbox Game Pass when the Activision Blizzard deal closes. PlayStation has had exclusive marketing rights with Call of Duty since 2014, and Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier confirmed PlayStation’s deal runs through at least Modern Warfare 3 in 2023. So even if Microsoft does complete its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it’s unclear whether those advertising changes would take immediate effect. For more, check out the rest of our Modern Warfare 3 coverage.

Microsoft says PlayStation should make an exclusive to compete with Call of Duty ActivisionSony is hitting back at Microsoft for suggesting ten years would be enough time to develop a PlayStation exclusive to rival Call of Duty. Microsoft’s purchase of Activision-Blizzard has divided many gamers as the company looks to take control of the Call of Duty franchise. Amid Sony’s attempts to stop the massive $69B acquisition, Microsoft agreed to let CoD be available on PlayStation for ten years, but this isn’t good enough for the Japanese gaming behemoth. Despite Microsoft saying that ten years would be enough time “to develop alternatives to CoD,” Sony claims that Call of Duty is simply too big and even irreplaceable. Sony says it’s impossible to replace Call of Duty on PlayStation As reported by VGC, Microsoft told UK’s Competition and Markets Authority that it considers “that a period of 10 years is sufficient for Sony, as a leading publisher and console platform, to develop alternatives to CoD.” However, Sony denies this and claims that CoD is an “essential game” with “no rival” and the only gaming IP to break into the top 10 entertainment brands. In response to Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense, Sony cited a 2019 study that claimed CoD’s importance to entertainment is “indescribable” and influences users’ choice of console. It’s just the latest ripple in the ongoing console wars as Microsoft looks to edge out Sony going into the next generation. Whether or not CoD will be on the table, however, remains to be seen.

Microsoft plans to replace CoD Mobile with Warzone Mobile ActivisionIf the Activision acquisition is completed, Microsoft plans to “phase out” CoD Mobile in favor of Warzone Mobile. CoD Mobile has been a resounding success for Activision. In May 2022, VGC reported the game topped 650 million downloads, more than six times what Warzone achieved in its first year. CoD Mobile generated over a billion dollars, close to Warzone’s estimated 1.9 billion annual uptake. Activision capitalized on its mobile gaming success in March 2022, announcing Warzone Mobile. The battle royale title will feature 120 player lobbies and brings back the iconic Warzone map Verdansk. It’s unclear if Warzone Mobile would replace the existing CoD Mobile Battle Royale or coexist alongside it. Despite shattering records and boasting an impressive player base, Microsoft revealed its plans for the future of CoD Mobile, and it’s not the news fans are looking for. Microsoft plans on “phasing out” CoD Mobile CharlieINTEL reported, “Microsoft says Call of Duty: Mobile will be phased out over time and be replaced by Warzone Mobile. Activision has not confirmed this.” Microsoft also revealed Warzone Mobile will release later in 2023. Plans to phase out CoD Mobile depend on whether or not Microsoft completes its landmark acquisition of Activision. On February 21, Microsoft met with other industry leaders and spoke to EU regulators to discuss the potential deal. EU antitrust regulators, the UK CMA, and US FTC all need to make decisions before Microsoft completes its acquisition. The news disheartened Cod Mobile fans. One player responded, “unless they provide a significant multiplayer offering, this is a terrible decision.” A second community member argued, “but cod mobile has multiplayer. Are they taking that away? I’m so confused because an entire esports scene is dedicated to cod mobile.” We will provide an update when we learn more about the Activision acquisition and plans for CoD Mobile.

Microsoft planning to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo Switch Microsoft has revealed it wants to bring Call of Duty to the Nintendo Switch following the shocking $70B acquisition of Activision Blizzard. In early January, Microsoft stunned the gaming world with a shocking planned buyout of Activision Blizzard – the publisher behind the world-famous Call of Duty and World of Warcraft series – for a reported $70 billion. Although the takeover isn’t set to be completed until June 2023 according to Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick – Microsoft has already unveiled some of its plans for the popular first-person shooter Call of Duty. In an interview with CNBC on February 9, Microsoft president Brad Smith was asked if games under the Activision Blizzard umbrella would become exclusive to Xbox. Brad Smith stated that titles like Call of Duty will continue to stay on Sony’s PlayStation, and in fact, revealed that Microsoft would love to bring the popular shooter to Nintendo. “One of the things we’re being very clear about as we move forward with the regulatory review of this acquisition is that great titles like Call of Duty will continue to be available on Sony platforms,” said the Microsoft president. “We’d like to bring it Nintendo devices. We’d like to bring the other popular titles that Activision Blizzard has, and ensure that they continue to be available on PlayStation, and that they become available on Nintendo.” The next Call of Duty, which is reportedly a sequel to 2019’s Modern Warfare, will likely release later in 2022 following the typical schedule. Though, it’s far-fetched to assume we’ll see CoD released on Nintendo platforms this year. With the buyout of Activision Blizzard expected to be complete by June 2023, perhaps we could see next year’s title released on the Switch.

Microsoft offers Sony rights to feature Call of Duty games on PS Plus Activision / SonyAs Microsoft’s attempted acquisition of publishing giant Activision Blizzard hits a road bump, the Xbox creator has now offered its biggest franchise, Call of Duty, up for Sony’s PlayStation Plus subscription service. Over the past two years, Microsoft has announced its intentions to purchase many of the gaming industry’s most prolific development teams. In 2020, they rolled out a $7.5 billion deal to acquire Zenimax Media, the parent company of Skyrim and Fallout creators Bethesda. Then in early 2022, they deployed a reported $70 billion plan that could see them controlling Activision Blizzard in the near future. With rival parties concerned over a possible monopolization, and competitors like Sony expressing worry that a number of marquee properties could be removed from PlayStation hardware, many are seeking to interrupt the deal. A handful of governing bodies have already approved this gargantuan purchase, though other regions have been more hesitant. As Sony and Microsoft trade blows through the legal system, an unprecedented offer has now been made by the latter to appease its biggest rival. The Xbox creators are open to featuring Call of Duty titles on PlayStation Plus, a new report from Bloomberg suggests. Amidst the legal dealings, one of Sony’s biggest points of contention has to do with the CoD franchise. As one of the best-selling games every year, with this year’s Modern Warfare 2 release setting records by generating $800m in revenue in just three days, Sony doesn’t want a future where said games are no longer available on their hardware. To mitigate such concerns, Microsoft has already put forward a 10-year deal that would keep CoD on PlayStation throughout the PS5 generation and beyond. Furthermore, Microsoft has even committed to bringing the hit FPS franchise over to Nintendo platforms too, having struck a separate 10-year deal on that end. However, this commitment and expression to keep CoD in Sony’s wheelhouse hasn’t been enough. Now, in another attempt to appease its rival, Microsoft is offering up one of its biggest cash cows for Sony’s subscription service, a rival to Xbox Game Pass. Hypothetically, this proposal would allow for previous CoD titles to be featured as part of the PlayStation Plus subscription tiers. Any players subscribed at a certain level could have unrestricted access to the CoD catalog, rather than having to purchase each release one by one. Furthermore, it even opens the door for day one launches on PlayStation Plus, enabling players to avoid the annual premium price tag altogether. Though that remains purely as conjecture for the time being. Whether or not Sony chooses to accept this deal remains to be seen. With previous offers falling short, it’s unclear if this step sweetens the pot to their satisfaction. We’ll be sure to keep you updated here as the story develops.

Microsoft and Nintendo strike deal to bring Call of Duty to Switch ActivisionMicrosoft and Nintendo have struck a deal to bring Call of Duty to the Nintendo Switch once the Activision-Blizzard merger closes. While no redebut date has been set, it will be the beloved franchise’s first appearance on a Nintendo device in a decade. The draw of Call of Duty is undeniable. It is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, console franchise in history, with millions upon millions buying each new release every year from when it first debuted in 2003. The games weren’t originally on Nintendo devices. At first, only PC, PlayStation, and Xbox players could join in on the shooter fun. But Call of Duty 4 back in 2007 opened the doors to the Nintendo DS and Wii for the first time, and started a string of releases across all the big names. However, that all collapsed after Call of Duty: Ghosts released in 2013 on the Wii U, as Nintendo’s latest creation at that time struggled. With the booming success of the Nintendo Switch, there’s long been calls for a port back onto the beloved manufacturer’s devices. And now, with Activision Blizzard’s upcoming merger with Microsoft on its way, those dreams have been realized. “Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo following the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King,” Xbox boss Phil Spencer announced on December 7. “Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play.” It comes after there was debate over whether Microsoft would transform some of console gaming’s biggest titles, like Call of Duty, into Xbox exclusives over the $69 billion deal. Instead the opposite has happened with doors being flung wide open. Spencer’s announcement also confirmed “Microsoft has committed to continue to offer Call of Duty on Steam simultaneously to Xbox after we have closed the merger with Activision Blizzard.” As for Sony and PlayStation? The deal is on the table: “Any day Sony wants to sit down and talk, we’ll be happy to hammer out a 10-year deal for PlayStation as well,” Microsoft President Brad Smith said. With 2022’s Modern Warfare II out the door, it’s unlikely a port will be coming to the Nintendo Switch quickly. Activision Blizzard’s merger with Microsoft is expected to be completed in Spring 2023, around the timing of the next release. The 10-year commitment between Nintendo and Microsoft could also lead to bigger things beyond Call of Duty as the tech giant potentially looks to revamp the famed studio amid the merger.

Microsoft lays off almost all esports production staff after CDL Major Call of Duty LeagueMicrosoft laid off thousands of Activision Blizzard employees and many thought that would be it, however, the company decided to gut its esports broadcast team just one day following a CDL Major. Microsoft laid off almost 2,000 employees to start the year thanks to its merger with Activision Blizzard. The gaming industry as a whole has been rocked by layoffs across 2023 and 2024 with companies like Riot Games also letting go of a large percentage of their workforce. Many thought the bleeding from Microsoft was over, however, it seems like the company was just waiting for the right time to lay off a large portion of its staff in the esports department. Multiple observers, behind-the-scenes workers and even on-air personalities from the Overwatch and Call of Duty League announced on January 30 that they had been let go from the company. The news comes just a few days following the CDL Major 1 in Boston. Microsoft cuts esports department The news of the layoffs also comes just a day after Johanna Faries the previous commissioner of the CDL, and eventual General Manager of Call of Duty, was promoted to President of Blizzard. “They did it, they actually did it. They let us work with that over our heads and laid us off on our first day off. The lack of common decency is a joke,” Scott Parkin, the former senior manager of esports operations at Activision Blizzard said announcing his layoff from the company. Multiple observers, some who just got back from working the CDL Major, also announced that they had been impacted by the esports department layoffs. “This morning a bunch of my friends and peers I’ve worked with who were full-time with Blizz and brought you the OWL + CDL broadcasts for the last few years were laid off. My entire team is gone. I’m beyond heartbroken,” Jessica DiPaola, the manager of the OWL observers, said on social media. The company also released some of its more popular on-air talent from the Overwatch League like Matt Morello and Soe Gschwind. “It was a dream come true to work there & I’m saddened that my time was cut short,” Soe said. The layoffs are not all that surprising on the Overwatch side as the Blizzard-ran league dissolved in 2023. However, a new circuit has popped up in its place and is expected to run throughout 2024. The CDL, on the other hand, has seemingly thrived so far and hasn’t had to deal with much drama like teams leaving the league, or the competition collapsing. These cuts are also another tally on a long list of layoffs to hit not only gaming but esports as well.

Microsoft confirms Call of Duty will keep releasing on PS5 and PS4 Activision / SonyFollowing Microsoft’s purchase of Activision Blizzard, PlayStation fans were concerned for the future of Call of Duty on the platform. Now, Microsoft confirmed their intentions to keep publishing CoD on PlayStation consoles. On January 18, Microsoft shocked the gaming world with their purchase of Activision Blizzard for $70 billion. With the acquisition of all Activision titles, PlayStation fans were worried that the popular first-person shooter, Call of Duty could become Xbox-exclusive with Microsoft at the helm. However, PlayStation fans everywhere can rejoice as Microsoft announced that Call of Duty is staying on Sony’s console. Call of Duty staying on PlayStation Microsoft released a blog post on February 9 detailing their plans for CoD moving forward. Read More: Best Bren Warzone loadout – In the post the company said, “Microsoft will continue to make Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles available on PlayStation through the term of any existing agreement with Activision.” Microsoft also added more good news for PlayStation owners, “And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love.” Although there were tons of speculation about the future of the franchise on PS5 and PS4, it looks like CoD won’t be going anywhere. Back on January 20, head of Xbox Phil Spencer announced Xbox’s intentions to honor existing agreements with CoD and PlayStation. Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony. I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship. — Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 20, 2022 Now, the company marked its plans to continue publishing the title on the rival console beyond that original agreement. Microsoft also confirmed interest in supporting Nintendo, “We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo’s successful platform. We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers and for our business.” The next Call of Duty is rumored to be Modern Warfare 2 and is set to release between October and November of 2022. However, Activision mentioned that the Microsoft deal isn’t set to complete until 2023 so we might need to wait and see if there are any exclusives (like GamePass) or bonus rewards for Xbox players going forward.

Microsoft claims Activision almost prevented COD from coming to Xbox ActivisionDuring the first day of testimony at Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard trial, an Xbox executive claimed that COD almost didn’t make it to the Xbox Series X|S. On June 12, the Federal Trade Commission filed an injunction seeking to block Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Microsoft must win its appeal with the CMA and its case against the FTC in federal court for the nearly $70 billion deal to go through. Time is not on Microsoft’s side, as the merger agreement expires on July 18. An extension is on the table, but Activision Blizzard also has the power to walk away. Microsoft started its battle with the FTC on June 22 to clear the first major hurdle, and fireworks already ensued during the first day of testimony. Greater revenue share demands almost kept COD off Xbox consoles CharlieIntel reported that Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick demanded a greater revenue share to put Call of Duty on Microsoft’s platforms. Microsoft’s Sarah Bond says Bobby Kotick made it clear “if we did not move beyond standard revenue share that he intended to not place Call of Duty on Xbox.” Reportedly, Kotick made the demand in 2021 and forced Microsoft to agree to his terms for COD revenue sharing. Bond explained that Microsoft accepted the deal because otherwise there would have been no Call of Duty on Xbox Series X|S. “Time was limited. We had players whose expectations we wanted to meet, so we ultimately made a decision that it was the best thing for the business.” CharlieIntel reported that the current revenue split appears to be 80/20, which goes against the industry standard of 70/30. Four possible days remain for the Microsoft FTC trial. And it will be interesting to see what other nuggets surface during the next few days of testimonies.

Microsoft chief promises Call of Duty will be on PlayStation for “several more years” Activision / SonyXbox’s potential Activision Blizzard acquisition loomed large over Call of Duty’s future on PlayStation, but Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer quelled any fears. On September 1, Xbox Ceo Phil Spencer issued a press release reaffirming the company’s intention to add Call of Duty to Game Pass, pending approval of a $70 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard. Spencer also confirmed, “We are committed to making the same version of Call of Duty available on PlayStation on the same day the game launches elsewhere.” PlayStation players were still apprehensive CoD would potentially become an Xbox console exclusive. However, a signed agreement to Sony signals the franchise’s stay on PlayStation for at least the foreseeable future. CoD remains on PlayStation despite looming Xbox deal PlayStation has had exclusive marketing rights with Call of Duty since 2014. The contract’s full details are not known publicly, so the expiration date is uncertain. In a statement to the Verge, Spencer signed an agreement with Sony in January to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation for “several more years.” Without knowing all of the specifics, Spencer claimed this is “an offer that goes well beyond typical gaming industry agreements.” Industry insider Tom Henderson believes Sony’s deal with Activision Blizard lasts until 2026, but he couldn’t confirm an official date. That timeline would cover the next three Call of Duty games. Modern Warfare 2 releases on October 28 on all platforms. PlayStation players get their hands on the game during its first beta weekend, starting on September 16, and all platforms can access the beta on September 22. If Microsoft’s deal goes through, it will be interesting to see how Xbox handles PlayStation Exclusives moving forward.

Microsoft announces deal with Playstation to keep Call of Duty on both consoles Infinity Ward/Sony/MicrosoftMicrosoft has reached an agreement with PlayStation that ensures that Call of Duty games will remain on PlayStation consoles as well as Xbox in the future despite the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The deal comes after the massive acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft that left many wondering if Xbox would take the opportunity to make Call of Duty an exclusive for their consoles. However, those fears have been put to rest after it was revealed that an agreement will keep CoD on both consoles despite the acquisition. Phil Spencer confirms Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox, announced the deal in a tweet, saying: “We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. “We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games.” The Activision Blizzard acquisition is in its final stages after an FTC attempt to block the buyout failed in Court. Microsoft’s 69-billion-dollar still awaits approval in the UK, where competition laws have halted proceedings. For a complete breakdown of the Activision Blizzard acquisition, check out our full explainer of the buyout and what it means for the industry here.

Miami hotel deactivates Twitter after OpTic’s Scump exposes disgusting conditions Dexerto / Scump – TwitterOpTic Gaming Call of Duty professional Seth ‘Scump‘ Abner did not hold back when censoring the disgusting accommodations at a hotel in Miami, to the point where the establishment shut down their own Twitter account. All eyes in the competitive Call of Duty community will be turning to Miami, Florida this weekend as the world’s top teams are coming together to compete in the $1.25 million CWL Finals tournament. A popular hotel of choice for many pro players was the Cataline Hotel & Beach Club, which, on paper, looked like the perfect place for the competitors to relax ahead of the massive competition. However, what many expected to be the start of a fun weekend actually turned into a horror show, as players discovered the conditions of their rooms to be nothing short of gruesome. Scump decided to put the hotel’s failures on full blast on social media, posting pictures of his bed that were disturbing, to say the least. Just got back to our room, haven’t been under the covers and…. safe to say we are leaving pic.twitter.com/XmEFMae8SF — Seth Abner (@OpTic_Scumper) July 18, 2019 Scump’s mission to expose the hotel did not stop there; he followed up the post with another series of pictures, taking aim at the establishment’s claims of being “the coolest hotel on the beach.” Y’all the coolest hotel on the beach, huh? @HotelCatalina pic.twitter.com/44eFGkRS2I — Seth Abner (@OpTic_Scumper) July 18, 2019 The final bullet in his chamber was a word of warning to anyone visiting in Miami who was tempted to stay at this hotel: “This is the Cataline Hotel and Beach Club. If you stay in Miami ever, do not come here.” This is the Catalina hotel and beach club. If you stay in Miami ever, do not come here lmaooooooooo — Seth Abner (@OpTic_Scumper) July 18, 2019 Obviously, considering the fact that Scump has over 2.1 million followers on Twitter, his warning and images were seen by a lot of people. What’s more, his tweets were shared by OpTic CEO Hector ‘H3CZ’ Rodriguez on his Instagram page, which itself boasts nearly 400,000 followers. Furthermore, other prominent pro players made their feelings known as well, including eUnited’s James ‘Clayster Eubanks and OpTic’s Damon ‘Karma‘ Barlow. moved hotels and boy what a power play. now THIS is Miami pic.twitter.com/UIyqWLV6Kk — eU Clayster (@Clayster) July 18, 2019 I left the minute someone replied saying reviews in 2008 said bed bugs were a problem — Damon B (@OpTic_DKarma) July 19, 2019 Considering all of the exposure that the posts received, and the viciously negative nature of the feedback and comments, it clearly became too much for the hotel to handle. Thus, shortly after the buzzing began, their staff decided to deactivate their Twitter page, to at least cut themselves off the barrage of humiliation they were receiving on social media. CWL Finals takes center-stage Bed bugs and bloodstains aside, these pro players will have a lot to think about this weekend, as the largest tournament of the season so far takes center stage in Miami. Eight of the top teams from the CWL Pro League regular season, along with two more from the Play-In tournament, will all do battle for a share of the $1.25 million prize pool, and the glory of being crowned Pro League Champions.

Miami Heretics takes over Florida Mutineers’ CDL spot following partnership Miami HereticsOn Thursday, August 24, it was announced after months of speculation that Spanish organization Team Heretics will be taking over the Florida Mutineers Call of Duty League spot, with the team rebranding to Miami Heretics. In May 2023, Dexerto first reported that Mutineers owner Misfits would be partnering with Team Heretics to create Miami Heretics with an all-Spanish roster. The move sought to bring back the energy that Heretics became known for in their successful Black Ops 4 season. While there had been no confirmation since the initial reports, both Heretics and Mutineers hinted on social media at something major happening, including the Florida side changing their Twitter bio to Spanish and beginning to tweet in Spanish. There had been suggestions that the deal had fallen through, especially when the Miami Heretics trademark was abandoned in early July, leading to speculation that the Mutineers would be running it back with some of their former players. Now, we know that isn’t the case, as Heretics has confirmed, on the seventh anniversary of the organization, that it will be competing in the CDL as Miami Heretics. Miami Heretics reveal full Spanish 2024 CDL roster A few familiar faces are returning to the main stage with the Miami Heretics, including former players from their incredibly popular Black Ops 4 roster. Eric ‘EriKBooM’ Ferrer, Alejandro ‘Lucky’ López, Adrian ‘MettalZ’ Serrano, and Juan ‘JurNii’ Antonio Gonzalez Munoz join Vikul to form the inaugural Miami Heretics roster. This is the first full Spanish team in CDL history. Every player announced has plenty of experience at the highest level and in Challengers. EriKBoom and Mettalz even placed second together on Team Notorious in the Call of Duty Challengers 2023 Finals, building all-important chemistry to take into the new season and come out all guns blazing. As for the former Florida Mutineers players, some of them are still up in the air. Kenyen ‘Capsidal’ Sutton has officially joined the Boston Breach, but Colt ‘Havok’ McLendon, Tyler ‘FeLo’ Johnson, and Carson ‘Brack’ Newberry are still without teams and haven’t been linked to the other franchises. For more, make sure to follow our complete coverage of the 2024 CDL rostermania.

Methodz reveals one thing he needs to make Boston Breach a dominant CDL team Call of Duty LeagueCall of Duty League veteran Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni has been playing for years, but revealed he still needs to be more consistent as an in-game leader to take Boston Breach to the next level. Methodz has had a rough go ever since the CDL formed back in 2020. He spent two years on Toronto Ultra, where the team did win their home series in Modern Warfare, but struggled overall. As the game transitioned back to 4v4 with Black Ops Cold War, Zinni only saw the starting roster for Stage 1 and spent the rest on the bench. Fast forward to 2022, Methodz is leading the newly-founded Boston Breach, and even though the team is thriving, the star AR revealed he needs to be a better voice for the team. Methodz claims he needs to improve IGL skills In an exclusive interview with Dexerto, Methodz reflected on Boston’s initial start and how it was rocky. The vet mentioned being the IGL (in-game leader) for this young lineup, which he thinks needs some improvement. When asked about being the IGL, Zinni knows sometimes it can be rough. “I’m definitely inconsistent when it comes to the IGL role and I’m still working to get that consistency.” Even though Methodz has never been shy to voice his opinion, as seen through his appearances on The Flank in 2021, it’s a different type of talking he’s getting used to. “I’ve been pretty vocal in my career. I don’t think I’ve ever been the main vocal leader, so it’s an adjustment.” Methodz is confident that if he can lead his young gunner and get the comms clear, then there is nothing stopping them from being a force in the league. Boston Breach entered Major 2 as the third seed and defeated the LA Guerrillas in their opening match. You can check out how Methodz and the rest of the squad are doing by visiting our CDL hub, with all the latest updates from the league.

Methodz perfectly describes his career after reportedly being dropped by the FaZe CoD team FaZe Clan professional Call of Duty player Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni perfectly summed up his recent career with one slick analogy. Methodz looks to be in the middle of a roster shuffle after not playing for FaZe Clan in the third CMG Prodown tournament. Zinni did play in the tournament, however, it was for the current G2 Esports squad in place of Richard ‘Ricky’ Stacy. He was replaced on the FaZe line-up by up-and-coming star Cellium. That move, plus Methodz’ recent Twitter activity in following the owner of G2 Esports, Carlos ‘Ocelote’ Rodriguez, led to plenty of speculation about him being dropped from the FaZe roster and moving to G2. The former OpTic Gaming player added fuel to the fires of those rumors while talking on Kenny ‘Kenny’ Williams’ stream. Zinni offered up a hilarious analogy for where he is at in his career after repeatedly being dropped by teams. Read More: OpTic Gaming continue dominance while some big teams fall early in CMG ProDown #3 tournament – Day 1 recap, scores & brackets, and more – “I’m like that extra grocery you try carrying into the house and it just keeps falling,” Methodz said, sparking a burst of laughter from other members of the call between pro players. After laughing at Zinni’s somewhat-truthful joke, former player turned-analyst Anthony ‘Nameless’ Wheeler, offered up a comparison between he and Methodz. “You know what’s crazy, Zinni, I was the same type of player dude. You just like randomly just get dropped. “It’s like ‘I didn’t do anything wrong’ but ‘yeah, we think this guy can just win us a chip single-handedly so peace.” It remains to be seen just what the future holds for Methodz but his less than subtle hint points to his future being away from FaZe Clan.

Methodz leaves Toronto Ultra Toronto UltraToronto Ultra substitute Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni has officially parted ways with the Call of Duty League team. Methodz was the only potential point of change in a Toronto Ultra roster whose starting lineup will be staying together for 2022. Having been benched in March 2021, the veteran player had announced earlier in the offseason that he had been given permission to explore options with a new team. Now, he has officially left Toronto, with his future unclear. Thank you Toronto. Thank you to Ultra, their staff, my former teammates, and most importantly, the fans & supporters who had my back every step of the way. I’m going to miss your city more than you know and I couldn’t be more grateful for my experience up North. Until next time pic.twitter.com/AWwaSPbzTu — OpTic Methodz (@Methodz) November 23, 2021 Methodz becomes a free agent Methodz spent most of the 2021 season outside Toronto’s starting lineup. Having served as a starter in Toronto for the first season of the CDL, Methodz was benched in March 2021 following the team’s disastrous Stage 1 Major. He spent the rest of the season playing for various pickup teams such as WestR and EastR. When the offseason rolled around, it seemed as though Methodz could be leaving Toronto for greener pastures, and a starting spot. Just to clarify, I’m still signed to @TorontoUltra. They’re allowing me to explore the market as an unrestricted free agent and are willing to transfer me to another team without hassle. They’ve been incredibly helpful and accommodating during this period! — OpTic Methodz (@Methodz) August 31, 2021 He was later linked with a move to the rumored Washington DC franchise before the deal reportedly fell through. Probable rosters for Paris Legion and Washington Call of Duty team •Paris Legion: FeLo, Temp, Decemate and John •Washington: Methodz, Vivid, PaulEhx and TJHaLy Doubt either team has officially signed anyone. If I hear about either team changing, I’ll update. — CDL Intel (@intelCDL) October 25, 2021 With all CDL rosters confirmed, with the exception of the vacant 12th slot held by Envy, it is unclear where Methodz’s future lies. It is unlikely he will accept a substitute spot, given that is what he is leaving behind in Toronto. Read More: 2022 CDL rostermania – However, Methodz himself is showing nothing but confidence. Bittersweet day. I’m not quite sure where we’re headed but I have a feeling that the only way is up 🚀 — OpTic Methodz (@Methodz) November 24, 2021 Fans are sure to keep a close eye on the next move of such an iconic name in the pro CoD community.

Methodz joins OpTic Gaming as a content creator OpTic GamingOpTic Gaming announced the signing of Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni as a full-time content creator ahead of Major 3 Qualifiers. After 11 years of competing, Methodz announced his retirement from professional Call of Duty at CDL Major 2. The Boston Breach confirmed Methodz’ departure on February 15, opening the door for him to begin his next chapter with a new organization. Coincidentally, Methodz’ long-time friend Seth ‘Scump’ Abner also retired during CDL Stage 2. Scump started his own CDL watch parties and dominated viewership numbers. His first stream peaked at around 95,000 viewers, topping the Call of Duty League’s own viewership of 63,000 views. It only made sense for OpTic Gaming to swoop in and bring the duo back together for future watch parties and more content in the pipeline. OpTic Gaming signs Methodz On February 16, OpTic Gaming announced the signing of Methodz. He briefly played with Scump on OpTic during Call of Duty: WWII Scump opened the live stream by saying, “Zinni is back, ladies and gentlemen,” and confirmed Methodz will be joining him for the Major 3 qualifiers watch party starting on February 17. CDL and Green Wall fans celebrated the decision to bring Methdoz into the fold. Former OpTic Gaming teammate and current LA Thieves player Sam ‘Octane’ Larew responded, “is this a fever dream?” FaZe Zooma added, “congrats Tony, happy for you, brother,” and Minnesota RØKKR’s Dillon “Attach” Price responded, “congrats brother! You’re going to kill it.” As for what we can expect from Methodz, he said he plans on playing a little bit of Ranked Play with Scump but is excited to play new games away from Call of Duty.

Methodz explains how OpTic failed in WWII despite being “one of the best in the game” MLGAnthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni, currently a substitute for the high-flying Toronto Ultra, has claimed that OpTic Gaming’s WWII roster was one of the “best in the game”, despite their lack of tournament wins and woeful CoD Champs placement. The turbulent WWII season experienced by OpTic Gaming is well known, mainly because it signaled the end of the infamous dynasty roster – the best roster professional Call of Duty has ever seen. FormaL and Karma departed, with Samuel ‘Octane’ Larew and Anthony ‘Methodz’ Zinni joining in their places. OpTic’s form did not drastically change, though, and the roster fell apart after mediocrity became embarrassment with a 17-24th place finish at WWII’s World Championship. Despite the short-lived roster and obvious frustrations, Methodz has referred to his time on OpTic Gaming as “dream come true”. Speaking to Dexerto’s own Reverse Sweep, Methodz believes the OpTic roster with Crimsix, Scump and Octane was one of the “best in the game”, despite their poor placements. “It’s a shame for sure,” he said, speaking of how the OpTic roster ended. “We were one of the best teams in the game. We placed number one in the pro league, so we were obviously very capable. For some reason we went to events and it just didn’t click. [At] Champs, we [needed to] win one map versus EG, and that’s the tournament winners, we had their bracket. I’m expecting at least a top-three at that Champs if we beat EG at one map.” The failure to take a map win off the eventual World Champions meant OpTic finished third in their group and were eliminated from the tournament. It’s a bold claim given their failure to get through groups but, in terms of raw talent, there’s certainly a discussion to be had. Who knows what would have happened had OpTic managed to get through to the knockout stages, but their shortcomings meant the roster never made it to Black Ops 4.

Meta shotgun attachment is now useless after secret Warzone nerf DexertoThose who use shotguns frequently in Warzone will be familiar with the Crown Breaker Choke, which was by far the best shotgun muzzle, but a secret nerf has left it in a sorry state. In Season 4 Reloaded, the Crown Breaker Choke was given a hefty nerf that has taken it from absolute meta to absolutely not worth using, but this change was not stated in any of the battle royale’s patch notes. This nerf completely removed any benefits to shotgun spread that the muzzle used to provide, meaning all it affects now is accuracy during Hipfire and Tactical Stance. The benefits it previously gave while aiming down sights no longer apply at all, making the attachment largely worthless on most shotgun builds. Any shotgun loadouts with the Crown Breaker Choke equipped should be changed to use the Bryson Choke instead. The Bryson Choke was the best option for MW2’s entire lifespan and now returns to take its throne, with the Bryson Improved Choke being another strong alternative. Unlike the Crown Breaker Choke, the Bryson Choke still tightens spread by a substantial margin. It varies slightly from gun to gun, but you can expect around a 40% improvement on average. This is incredibly useful, as it makes shotguns consistent enough to be worth considering over other, more conventional close-range options. This is especially true in Warzone, where missing a shot will almost always leave you outgunned by just about any meta SMG. There’s a reason why the likes of the Superi 46 and FJX Horus are so much more popular than any shotgun. They are more forgiving and much easier to use, making them more appealing to the average player. The close-range meta doesn’t favor shotguns right now, so you must do everything possible to make your shotgun as accurate and consistent as possible. For this reason, you’ll want to avoid the Crown Breaker Choke moving forward.

Meta MW3 AR now dominates in Warzone too after getting “overbuffed” Metaphor has recommended an assault rifle that has dominated MW3’s multiplayer since launch but struggled to find its place in Warzone, that is before it received a huge buff in Season 2 Reloaded. It’s no secret that some weapons that excel in MW3 struggle to find their place in Warzone. The opposite is also true with top-tier Warzone options like the Bruen Mk9 and KATT-AMR hardly featuring in multiplayer at all. This is something Sledgehammer Games has to consider when balancing weapons to avoid making a gun too strong in one mode when balancing it for another. According to one Warzone expert, the Modern Warfare 3 developers may have made a mistake in Season 2 Reloaded by giving a meta MW3 assault rifle a big buff that has led it to prevail in Warzone too. Best MCW loadout for Warzone in Season 2 Reloaded Warzone veteran Metaphor has recommended fans use the MCW, an assault rifle that despite dominating MW3 has never caught on in Warzone. That is until the recent changes in Season 2 Reloaded that he believes have led to the AR being “overbuffed,” and becoming meta. This follows a buff to the MCW that saw its Near-Mid Damage increase from 24 to 26 and its Mid Damage increased to 23 from 19. This provided a huge boost to its TTK and overall lethality. Here is Metaphor’s recommended MCW build to best take advantage of the buffed AR: Barrel: Orchestra-40 Short Barrel – Laser: Verdant Hook Box Laser – Underbarrel: Bruen Bastion Angled Grip – Magazine: 40 Round Mag – Conversion Kit: JAK Raven Kit – Praising the gun’s potency when used in Tactical Stance, Metaphor expressed, “I think this is the one and only true tactical stance meta gun at this point. I know other people are using other things but they just don’t hit the same.” Though Metaphor would concede that when using the MCW you are “not getting the movement speed,” of other Tac Stance weapons, this is outweighed by the AR’s “unbelievable,” accuracy and damage with it being competitive at both close and mid-range. As expected of any good MCW build, he also complimented its “laser accurate” recoil with the ACR-inspired rifle having some of the lowest gun kick of any weapon in MW3 and Warzone. This makes it extremely easy to use while still dealing a lot of damage to enemy players.

MerK and Benson Back Huke to Turn Round Team Envy’s Performances at the CWL Pro League With the CWL Pro League resuming on June 26th, Team Envy fans will be eager to see the team shake off their poor Anaheim performance and get back to winning ways in Division A. Team Envy were one of a number of top North American teams who badly underperformed at CWL Anaheim, finishing top 16 after a loss to Australian side Tainted Minds. It was a surprising result, given how strong the team had looked during their first two weeks of Division A, but inconsistency was ultimately their undoing. Since the roster change, with Martin “Chino” Chino and Jacob “Decemate” Cato coming in, Cuyler “Huke” Garland became the team’s star, seemingly off the leash in the new setup. More: Octane Clears Up Any Rumors of Animosity Against Scump Following CWL Anaheim Loss to Luminosity “It was just a ‘heat of the moment’ thing” – But none of the players were performing at their best during Anaheim, resulting in the disappointing finish, and with only seven matches left in the Pro League there is no time for the players to feel sorry for themselves. During the most recent episode of Trading Shots, casters Ben “Benson” Bowe and Joe “MerK” De Luca put the weight on Huke’s shoulders to step up for the roster. Benson explained that in terms of respawn K/D, he believes Huke will outperform the other top K/D player, Evil Geniuses Adam “Assault” Garcia. “To me, Huke’s been very, very good. Has he been back to what everyone expected? Maybe not, but he’s been very, very good and he is peaking at the right time, which is important for the squad.” And MerK agreed, explaining that if Envy are to do well and ensure they make the playoff cut, it will likely come down to his performance. Huke is hitting form. Yes, Envy have disappointed these past couple events, haven’t played up to their full potential – we were very excited, especially at Seattle. But even at Anaheim, [Huke] put up ridiculous numbers. If I had to put a bet on who’s going to go off in respawn, I would choose Huke, plain and simple. I believe in Huke, as Benson said, he is hitting his stride at the right time, I’m excited to watch Envy and see what Huke can do this week. You can watch the full episode of Trading Shots from MLG below, with discussion of Huke at around the 35:00 minute mark.

Megan Thee Stallion requests Warzone skin after Call of Duty shoutout Activision, Megan Thee StallionCall of Duty has welcomed an unusual list of operators into battle and this new suggestion from Megan Thee Stallion could be the biggest surprise yet. The universe that Call of Duty sits within isn’t exactly normal. Zombies can suddenly overthrow the streets of Verdansk, strange red doors can teleport players across the map, and cinematic icons like John Rambo and John McClane can join the fight at any moment. Warzone may not be as fantastical as Epic Games’ Fortnite, but the developers are always thinking of new ways to keep the experience unique. One avenue they haven’t explored yet is the inclusion of musical superstars. Maybe this will be the next era of Operators to come. Megan Thee Stallion wants a piece of the action Fans have thrown out numerous suggestions for which iconic characters they’d like to see in Call of Duty. No-brainers like Keanu Reeves’ stoic hitman John Wick or Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 Terminator were among popular picks. After the arrival of the 80s Action Heroes pack, fans have been curious to see what the developers will do in future events. Maybe Verdansk’s time for a concert has arrived? Responding to a clip of rap artist Megan Thee Stallion laying bars down in the studio, the official Call of Duty account showed their appreciation. “We need a hot girl skin ASAP,” she quickly responded, with fans suggesting she could be the perfect fit. With Call of Duty: Vanguard on the horizon, the time for reinvention has never been more relevant. Maybe it’s time Megan picked up a controller herself and helped get the rest of us out of the gulag. Fans naturally flooded the comment section, suggesting Megan could take her talents to other games instead. “Fine, I’ll buy the game because of you” commented one fan. https://twitter.com/cinderellasjuul/status/1429655242010988549?s=20 The developers have yet to respond to Megan’s suggestion. Whether we’ll be fighting along her remains to be seen, but you never know what is around the corner.