Author: Nik Ranger

CoD pro Octane gives 3 crucial tips for using ARs in Modern Warfare Activision / Call of Duty LeagueProfessional Call of Duty player Sam ‘Octane’ Larew has revealed three main tips for assault rifle users to consider to up their game in Modern Warfare. Assault rifles will always be one of the most popular weapon classes to use in any Call of Duty game, be it in the heights of the Call of Duty League down to a regular Team Deathmatch public match. But if you’re aiming to get the most out of your assault rifle classes – whether you’re looking for high kill games, trying to get a nuke or just simply want to get better – there’s few better to look to than Octane. Octane has been one of the best AR players over the past few years, winning multiple championships and often absolutely outshining his opponents in every regard. Now on Seattle Surge, he has been one of the best ARs once again and, although he has made the switch to using a submachine gun going forward, he still clearly knows a thing or two about dominating with an assault rifle. So what are his key tips? Let’s take a look Spawn knowledge in Modern Warfare Spawn knowledge is the first thing Octane points out, saying that it’s vital to predict where your enemies are spawning and react accordingly. Although, he says, it is a bit difficult in Modern Warfare, especially as there “hasn’t been a competitive update one time,” the ability to cut off lanes and know when to flood objectives is vital if you’re using an assault rifle. Positioning in Modern Warfare As Octane notes, a main AR’s role is basically to get to a ‘headglitch’ or “power spot” and just “kill everything you see.” Positioning, he says, is so important as a main AR because if your opponent has bad positioning, you’re “always going to have the upper hand on them.” He essentially defines this as “being able to control parts of the map in certain areas.” Pacing in Modern Warfare Octane’s third and final key point is pacing, which he clearly believes might be a somewhat divisive point to make among other assault rifle players. He says that you need to know when to be moving around the map, and although it’s a “slow role,” every decision has to be well-informed and you can’t give up positions too early, nor hold them for too long. Octane went on to show exactly what he means with specific examples in a Hackney Yard Hardpoint match, commentating over the match to explain why he is doing certain things. He finished the match with an impressive 51-18 KDR, which isn’t exactly an easy task in the CDL playlist. While Octane and other CoD pros typically use the M4A1 assault rifle in Modern Warfare, you might have another preference, but the points remain the same, so this should help you dominate with any AR in the game.

CoD pro Maux explains what OpTic Gaming are doing wrong following CWL Finals Main AR for Gen.G, Chance ‘Maux’ Moncivaez, has revealed what he thinks went wrong for fan favorites OpTic Gaming, after they crashed out of the CWL Pro League 2019 Playoffs without winning a map. Gen.G’s Call of Duty roster have been one of the revelatory teams in this year’s CWL, regularly impressing fans and challenging the top organizations, typified in back-to-back second place finishes, at CWL Anaheim and the CWL Finals. It is at the latter of these tournaments that OpTic Gaming’s stacked roster crashed out with a whimper, despite going into the Finals as one of the favorites. Now, Maux has shared what he thinks OpTic did wrong at the CWL Finals, and what contributed to them being eliminated without winning a single map. OpTic kicked off their Finals campaign against Luminosity Gaming, in a match they lost 3-0. They then faced 100T in the Losers’ Bracket, in a series which saw them eliminated, in yet another 3-0. Gen.G went on to place second at the tournament, losing in the Grand Finals to eUnited, who clinched their first major tournament victory for over two years. Maux, therefore, seems pretty qualified to offer his assessment of what went wrong for the Greenwall. He acknowledges that he “didn’t really watch their series” at the event, but still conveys what he believes to be serious teamwork issues that are holding them back, based on what he has seen while scrimming against them. “Certain players don’t slay well, for sure,” Maux started. “It looks to me, when I’ve played them, they take a lot of individual challs, a lot of egotistical challenges.” He takes this further, explaining that he believes OpTic play “for a bunch of 1v1s”, rather than as a coordinated team, focusing on wider map play and cooperation. When teams play sensibly against them, it’s much harder “for superstars to be superstars”. Essentially, what Maux is saying is that OpTic engage in unnecessary, unplanned gunfights too frequently, and the loss of these is what ultimately proves detrimental to their success. Despite their undeniable individual talents, they are unable to overcome a coordinated defense and often find themselves outnumbered due to a lack of intelligent plays and teammates dying unnecessarily. This kind of criticism for OpTic is not especially new, as many blamed the team’s break up in WW2 on similar issues involving communication and egos. This break up saw Karma and FormaL leave, being replaced by Octane and Methodz. It was a move that ultimately proved futile however, as OpTic failed to win a single tournament after this, and fell to a 17-24th finish at 2018’s Call of Duty World League Championships. OpTic Gaming, at least in Maux’s informed opinion, have a lot to work on if they are to turn their struggles around at August’s World Championships.

CoD Pro ‘Kenny’ Confirms That He’s Left Team Kaliber Ahead of the Upcoming Black Ops 4 Season [UPDATED] UPDATE – 7:04 PM PT It has since been confirmed that Kenny has joined 100 Thieves’ new Call of Duty roster for the upcoming season. More information is available here. Call of Duty pro player Kenny ‘Kenny’ Williams has announced that he is longer a member of Team Kaliber. His departure confirms long standing rumors and speculation that he was planning on leaving the org after the WWII season. Kenny announced that he had left tK on August 28, via a post on his Twitter page. To get rid of rumors. I am officially off @TeamKaliber and Would like to thank @KOSDFF and everyone for everything they have done for me. Words that were said before were not true and TK is a great org, Just time for me to look at other options:) Kenny joined tK in October of 2017 and immediately became an integral part of the newly formed squad, playing a major role in their outstanding success. TK won the first two major events of the CWL season, at Dallas and New Orleans respectively, and also were crowned champions at the Pro League Stage 2 Playoffs. They came just short of winning the ultimate prize however, as they lost to Evil Geniuses in the Grand Finals of the CWL Championships. Having established himself as one of the best players in WWII, Kenny will likely attract major attention from many of the organizations that are involved in competitive Call of Duty. With 100 Thieves having confirmed that they are looking to enter the CWL with a bang, there is heavy speculation that owner and CEO Matt ‘Nadeshot’ Haag will make Kenny his primary target this off-season. Regardless of where he ends up, Kenny’s departure will greatly impact tK, who will now be looking to try to replace the player that many would agree was their best player all season. UPDATE: Another Team Kaliber, Maurice ‘Fero’ Henriquez, has since also declared free agency. More information can be found here.

CoD pro Karma left stunned in Warzone after being outplayed by his wife Instagram: Holllyyy / DexertoOne of the greatest competitive Call of Duty players of all time, Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow was left shocked after his wife gunned him down in a recent Warzone 1v1. Karma might be one of the most accomplished console esports players of all time, and he may have more CoD Championship rings than anyone in history, but he can’t quite win them all. A recent Warzone lobby randomly threw the competitive veteran in against his wife, Holly. The two actually crossed paths in Verdansk and it’s safe to say the Barlow household is full of venerable FPS gamers. While Karma was grinding Infinity Ward’s battle royale with fellow CoD veterans Josiah “Slacked” Berry and Bryan “Apathy” Zhelyazkov, the powerhouse trio was caught off guard. Splitting from his team for just a moment, Karma was gunned down by Holly before he could even truly react. “I just sh** on my husband” she screamed after confirming the full kill. “I just absolutely f***ing destroyed Damon. No f***ing way.” https://twitter.com/HollyyLive/status/1257400103549243392 Late into the lobby with only 37 players left on the map, both were closing in on the final moments of the match. Only one could walk away victorious though. While he tried to argue that he “literally just got back,” Karma was equipped with his full loadout as he was tagged by Holly, even including the title’s controversial akimbo pistols. He instantly recognized the gamertag and threw his hands up in frustration after losing the one on one fight. It wasn’t long before his teammates erupted in laughter as well when they realized who had beaten him in the 1v1. Today in Warzone, @DKarma ran into a worthy opponent… 👀 GGs, @HollyyLive. 😂#DrownThemOut pic.twitter.com/FXKRv2lQ5W — Seattle Surge (@SeattleSurge) May 4, 2020 Holly was soon shut down by Apathy, but the moral victory of besting her husband in Warzone will be one to gloat about for weeks to come. You never know who you might come across in your next Warzone match. This amusing moment goes to show that it could even be a loved one under the same roof — just make sure you’re ready to get that all-important win, and the bragging rights that are sure to follow.

CoD Pro Karma slams Modern Warfare devs for worst spawns “ever” ActivisionThree-time Call of Duty world champion Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow is the latest pro to lash out at Infinity Ward over issues with Modern Warfare’s spawn system. It’s no secret that Infinity Ward has had a turbulent time following Modern Warfare’s release back in October 2019. Although it was a massive success financially, and has been praised for its innovations, it is not without faults. Alongside releasing a plethora of content as part of their season-based strategy, the developers have spent a good chunk of their time fixing a seemingly endless list of bugs, glitches and other snags.. Given how much time pro players spend on the game each and every day, they’re perhaps the most likely to encounter issues first. From Chicago Huntsmen’s Alec ‘Arcitys’ Sanderson uncovering a game-breaking vision glitch on St. Petrograd, to Lamar ‘Accuracy’ Abedi sparking debate among pros regarding the infamous slide-cancel exploit — pros haven’t been afraid to express their opinion on Modern Warfare. However, it’s no secret that Infinity Ward’s latest title has struggled with its spawn system… And another CoD pro, Doug ‘Censor’ Martin, showcased just how bad Modern Warfare’s spawns can be while playing Shipment. Karma is the latest to join a long list of elite players complaining about Infinity Ward’s ‘squad spawn system’ — a framework that has caused quite the stir among pros. After previously falling victim to Rammaza’s unpredictable Hardpoint spawns, Karma appears to be at the end of his tether with Infinity Ward. but won’t ever get fixed in any sort of way because someone thought squad spawn was a good idea. pic.twitter.com/V8C6MiHhxW — Damon B (@DKarma) March 1, 2020 After sarcastically thanking the developers for “most sh*te spawn system I’ve ever played in any game,” Karma also seems to have lost all faith in the spawn system ever being fixed. In his follow-up Tweet, the Seattle Surge pro implied that the spawns system would never be fixed given that the crux of the issue stems from the squad spawning. Former teammate, Christopher ‘Parasite’ Duarte, edged in with “let me teach you,” before going on to explain how understanding the spawns isn’t “rocket science.” However, he also added that they’re “not very CoD-like at all.” I won’t but i have a vast understanding on spawn flip conditions and such it’s not rocket science but they are not very CoD like at all — Chris (@Parasite) March 1, 2020 Fellow CDL pro, Trei ‘Zer0’ Morris, simply responded saying “I like the use of the word sh*te,” while Florida Mutineers’ Chance ‘Maux’ Moncivaez replied detailing a separate issue which he had encountered, with the ‘blue screen bug.’ Both Zer0 and Maux will join Karma at CDL Los Angeles this coming weekend where they will battle it out in the City of Angels for their chance of grabbing 50 CDL Points.

CoD pro John uncovers insane parachute exploit in Black Ops Cold War ActivisionCall of Duty World Champion Johnathon ‘John’ Perez has shared bizarre footage of a parachute bug in Black Ops Cold War, allowing him to float around the map as if it was Warzone, and reach clearly unintended spots. Any game the size of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was bound to launch with its fair share of bugs and glitches. However, some have argued that developers Treyarch need to do more to minimize their prevalence and impact in matches. Furthermore, ahead of the second CDL season getting underway on February 11, some pro players have shared concerns over bugs that could potentially impact professional matches. John, currently playing in the Challengers after some time away from the esport, made this point in a February 6 tweet, showing a bizarre bug on the Crossroads map. The glitch requires players to go to the rocks at the back of Munitions Storage, before button mashing. This launches the player into the air, seeing them fly way above the map and over to the far side. The glitch then becomes even more bizarre, with the game giving John the option of pulling a Warzone-like parachute, and gliding onto the top of the cliff at the other side of the map. It’s a crazy exploit, on a map that is played in pro hardpoint. JKap tweeted the clip, throwing the caption back to a hilarious Clayster rant from Black Ops III, after he was pulled up for using an “unintended line of sight” in a CWL match. Y’all think this is an intended line of sight? @Clayster pic.twitter.com/phieQ8UH92 — Jordan Kaplan (@JKap415) February 6, 2021 Fans and other pros were understandably baffled by the bug, with some comparing it super-jumps in Halo. Whatever comparison you wish to make, it’s absolutely not meant to be in the game, and players will be looking for a swift patch after its discovery. Players would almost certainly be punished for using this exploit in an official match, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be abused at lower levels. Whether we see John back competing in the upper echelons of the CDL remains unclear, but we can hope that his discovery of this particular bug can result in a quick fix.

CoD pro iLLeY dropped from CDL amid drug abuse accusations Call of Duty LeagueCall of Duty professional player iLLeY has been removed from the Seattle Surge starting lineup following drug abuse accusations. Former World Champion iLLeY recently came under fire in the CoD community after his performance at the first Major event. While iLLeY performed above expectations, landing Seattle Surge a top-six finish, fans were concerned with his attitude. During a post-game interview after a match win, iLLeY kept looking at the ground, moving erratically, and running together his sentences, which seemed out of the ordinary among those in the community. Another clip had also surfaced among the accusations that iLLeY was abusing some form of drugs. This clip was a close-up of his camera during the match, where he had wide eyes and looked back and forth in a strange motion. Since these accusations arose, iLLeY has addressed them by saying that he was simply on a lot of caffeine and that the crowd was too loud to concentrate during the interview. However, he has now been removed from the team. Seattle Surge remove iLLeY, add Challengers player After multiple rumors revealed that iLLeY would not return to the Seattle Surge, the team officially announced on February 9 that former Challengers player Breszy would be joining the team. Breszy previously played with Abuzah, another Seattle Surge player that was picked up during the off season. “I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” said Breszy. “I know we don’t have much time before our first games, but I’ve been so hungry all these years. I’m going to give everything for this team and its fans.” Commenters beneath the announcement were quick to discuss the topic of iLLeY. Especially considering that he had the best performance out of the team throughout the Major 1 run. “Exciting to see,” said one user. “I hope whatever is going with Inder gets better, obviously not a gameplay issue.” iLLeY has not commented on the situation with the Seattle Surge or what his next moves will look like. Despite adding a new player, the organization has also made no clarifying statements regarding iLLeY’s position on the team.

CoD pro Gunless’ Twitch command reveals Luminosity’s fifth player Luminosity Gaming Call of Duty pro Peirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman has revealed who their roster’s fifth player is going to be in a command in his Twitch channel. When typing the !team command in the chat box of Gunless’ Twitch channel, a message pops up that names all of five players that will be competing for LG in the upcoming Black Ops 4 season. Included in that list are Gunless, FormaL, John, Slacked, and Nicholas ‘Classic’ DiCostanzo, who has not yet been officially announced as a member of LG. This command, and the fact that Gunless hasn’t bothered to take it down despite its publicity, all but confirms that Classic is indeed joining LG. The only thing left to do is for the org to officially announce him as their newest player, which would simply be just a formality at this point. Even 100 Thieves CEO Matt ‘Nadeshot’ Haag accidentally revealed the news when discussing JKap’s move to eUnited, which both he and JKap claim was mismanaged and poorly handled. Classic, who has played for LG in the past, spent the entirety of the WWII season with Team EnVy. However, due to a largely underwhelming campaign, he and the rest of his former EnVy teammates, save for Huke, were dropped in favor of the former Evil Geniuses roster that won 2018 CWL Champs. Keep up with all of the roster moves, team changes, and player announcements by visiting our dedicated Rostermania hub here.

CoD pro Gunless suggests buying DLC in Modern Warfare affects matchmaking Chicago Huntsmen flex Peirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman has suggested that purchasing in-game content could lead players to easier lobbies, adding to speculation of MTX-based matchmaking in Modern Warfare. Since Modern Warfare’s release in October, Infinity Ward have remained tight-lipped about the game’s matchmaking. The widely held belief is that skill-based matchmaking is used to match up players of similar ability in multiplayer. There have also been rumors – although to a much lesser extent – about microtransaction (MTX) based matchmaking in Modern Warfare. This is when the purchase of in-game content affects the opponents and teammates that a player will be matched with and against. Speaking on Seth ‘Scump’ Abner’s December 28 Twitch stream, Gunless explained his opinion with his Chicago teammate. “The more money you spend on the game with like operator bundles and stuff like that,” Hillman said, “the more and more your MMR goes down.” MMR (‘matchmaking rank’) is used in a variety of games determine a player’s skill level. A more-skilled player will have a higher MMR, while a lesser-skilled player will have a lower MMR. Gunless’ suggestion is that buying content lowers your MMR, meaning players who spend real money on the game will be put into easier lobbies. Scump was clearly skeptical though, questioning if it was ‘100% fact’, but Gunless responded, explaining that: “when I bought two operator packs, I was playing against pure randoms.” While Gunless seems pretty convinced, it’s important to note that Activision and Infinity Ward do not divulge details of their matchmaking algorithms. Hence, it’s impossible to confirm that a certain algorithm exists or not. There have been rumors surrounding MTX-based matchmaking previously, with YouTuber PrestigeisKey echoing Gunless’ findings. Earlier in December, he too suggested he had been placed in easier lobbies after spending money on the game. While it is unconfirmed in Modern Warfare, CoD fans have a right to be concerned. In late 2017 a Glixel report found that Activision had patented a method of matchmaking specifically designed to encourage players to spend money via MTX. The algorithm would match players who had purchased DLC (downloadable content) into matches against lower-skilled players who had not purchased the new content. As a result, players who had not purchased DLC would be beaten comprehensively by those using the new weapons they had purchased. At the time, Sledgehammer Games (developers of CoD: WWII) denied that the system was implemented in their 2017 release or in any other Call of Duty.

CoD pro faces potential suspension after admitting to betting on CWL matches MLGA member of Midnight Gaming’s Black Ops 4 squad could be in hot water, after admitting to gambling on multiple CWL matches, despite being explicitly against league rules. Midnight Gaming has been one of the most intriguing stories in the CWL’s 2019 season, following previous controversy about failure to pay player salaries and accusations of blackmailing their team, and now a player on the roster could be facing potential penalty. A since deleted Tweet from Midnight’s substitute player Aidan ‘GorgoKnight’ Provenzano shows that he had recently reaped a handsome gain from headline matches featuring some of the biggest names in the CWL. Replying to an exchange with Evil Geniuses Jordan ‘JKap’ Kaplan, GorgoKnight had revealed a few wagers that had panned out for him likely in the aftermath of the May 13 CWL game between OpTic Gaming and Gen.G as well as the May 14 game with Evil Geniuses versus UYU. “I bet the spread on the series with GenG/OpTic and you (Jkap’s new team EG) and UYU as long as it went 3-2 3-1,” GorgoKnight said. “I was not down 1K and up 5 cheers brotha, drinks on me at Anaheim.” The tweet confused some CWL fans as to why the pro player would openly admit betting on the matches. In replying to BeZo, who had surmised the bets were against CWL rules, GorgoKnight said “sue me.” 600 600What are the rules on players betting on CWL matches? The introduction for the Official CWL Handbook lists all “teams, team owners, team managers, team coaches and players” as league participants, and as a substitute for Midnight, Provenzano would fall under this category. Section 3 of the 2019 CWL Handbook states “Player Eligibility” as “any person who is registered to compete for a Team during the competition, including both those on the active roster and the designated substitute.” Section 6.2 under “Betting and Gambling” says that league “participants are not allowed to place, or attempt to place, bets on any games or matches or in any other way associated with the CWL.” 700The penalty for “Betting or Gambling on CWL Competitions” carries a minimum penalty of a $1,000 fine and/or a Suspension. The maximum penalty for first and second offenders comes with an indefinite suspension.

CoD pro F3rocitys defends use of racial slur said on stream MLGCall of Duty pro Maurice ‘F3rocitys’ Henriquez defended the use of racial slurs during his stream, and hit back at those trying to make the incident “a big thing” on social media. In since-deleted messages on Twitter, the inactive Team Envy member hit back at a post on the popular CoDCompetitive subreddit pointing out the instance using a clip of his September 2 Twitch stream. After a game of Search and Destroy, Fero and his teammates were reeling from the tight 5-6 loss in the post-game lobby. After light banter, Fero shocked audiences by apparently using the word on stream. 600While there was a ton of fan speculation in the moments after, the 20-year-old seemed to confirm the incident by hitting back at those that worked to “bring (him) down.” “So funny how people try to make me saying the word ‘n***a’ a big thing,” Fero said in reply to the Reddit thread. “Meanwhile 99% of pros say it but everyone loves me a lot so they constantly try to bring me down. So sad. Sorry for saying it (in-game)” While he apologized at the tail-end of his message, he followed up the response with another account detailing why he believes some Call of Duty pros never seem to stream themselves. “I realized why some pros never stream,” Fero said. “Because what’s the point. It’s like I’m getting arrested 24/7 by ‘supporters’ who I’m trying to provide entertainment for… Anything I say can and will be used against me, sorry officers!” 600While the second message was made in support of his initial response to the backlash, the Call of Duty pro quickly took down both messages. This isn’t the first time the young pro experiences backlash from using a racial slur. Previously, clips from 2016 surfaced in which Fero can be heard saying he would never play with “fucking n****rs again.” He later apologized for the resurfaced video. Fero hasn’t had the best 2019 season, according to his reflection about his time on the 100 Thieves and Team Envy rosters. The pro is hopeful that he will “get picked up by a franchised team” in the upcoming Call of Duty competitive season.

CoD pro ‘Dashy’ predicts each OpTic player’s in-game role going into 5v5 Black Ops 4 season New OpTic Gaming Call of Duty pro player Brandon ‘Dashy’ Otell has revealed the in-game roles he predicts he and his teammates will have in the upcoming Black Ops 4 competitive season. In a reply to a question posed to him during during his live-stream, Dashy predicted that he will play the main AR role while Seth ‘Scump’ Abner and Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly will very likely be the main SMG players on the squad. That would leave Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter and Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow, who Dashy believes will play the Flex role on the squad. The Flex role is reserved for players who can play with both AR and SMG weapons, and they switch between the two based on the map, game-type, and opposing team. “Scump and Teej are most likely subs. I’m probably going to be main AR. Ian and Damon are going to flip flop at the Flex role, whatever,” he explained. “Depending on what the game is, if it’s three subs or four subs. No one knows yet.” It appears as though the team will wait to try out Black Ops 4, and its new competitive format, before deciding on finalized roles for the team. Even then, teams often make changes during the season based on their performances, both individual and collective. OpTic did this several times during the WWII season, as Crimsix and FormaL swapped their AR and SMG roles between each other. The addition of Dashy and TJHaLy to the OpTic CoD team was officially announced on September 27, finalizing their transfers from Rise Nation and compLexity Gaming respectively. Karma rejoins the roster after spending the better part of the last three years competing for OpTic, before stepping away from the competitive scene halfway during WWII.

CoD Pro Clayster suffers incredibly unlucky fail in Blackout tournament grand final eUnited’s James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks made it all the way to the grand final of Dr DisRespect’s Code Red Blackout tournament, with his partner Chris ‘Simp’ Lehr, but an unfortunate error potentially cost them the win. The pair had made it all the way through the winners bracket, meaning their opponents, FaZe Clan’s Tommy ‘ZooMaa’ Paparatto and FC Black’s ‘Asim’ would have to beat them over two series to take it. Clayster and Simp threw away a chance to secure it in the first series however, after going down in kills after the first match, and a fatal error costing them in the second. Early in the second game, Clayster and Simp had the lead in kills 6 to 3, but it wasn’t enough yet to secure them the tournament victory. In order to make a quick getaway and continue racking up the kills, Clayster jumped on a nearby quad and Simp joined him, but the World Champion didn’t realize just how damaged the quad was. In the heat of the action, it appears Clayster completely missed that the quad had went on fire, and that even the slightest bump would set it to explode – as he found out after driving through a small wooden fence. At first, Clayster couldn’t understand what had happened, clearly not realizing that the quad had been so badly damaged – “What the f*** was that?” It meant that the series was reset, and ZooMaa and Asim went on to win the final match and secure first place, plus the lion’s share of the prize money. It will sting especially for Clayster, who has had the misfortune of placing 2nd in tournaments twice in a week, after an impressive showing by eUnited at CWL Vegas ultimately ended in a grand final loss to OpTic Gaming.

COD pro banned mid-match for allegedly “cheating” at Challengers Champs Former CDL pro and current Challengers player Bryan ‘Jimbo’ Sabman was allegedly banned mid-Challengers Champs match for cheating. Call of Duty League Champs 2023 recently kicked off in Las Vegas, Nevada. While the eight top CDL teams battle it out for the chance to take home the lion’s share of the $2,380,000 prize pool, Call of Duty Challengers is also hosting its final LAN event of the season. Out of 12 teams in the Challengers Elite Playoffs, eight squads earned the right to compete in Championship weekend. The winner goes home with $60,000 and a chance to put their name on the map. Orbit player Jimbo almost had that opportunity stripped away, as he allegedly got caught cheating during a Challengers Champs match. Jimbo allegedly banned mid LAN match for cheating Call of Duty Challengers news source, The Rotation, reported: “Jimbo’s account has been banned for hacking mid-match.” The Rotation also posted an image of Jimbo’s monitor, which appears to show a ban message in the bottom left-hand corner of his screen. Instead of abandoning the match, Orbit vs. OMiT is being replayed. The league allowed Jimbo to sign into one of his other BattleNet accounts and restart the Hardpoint match. OMiT led the match 114-0, but the map underwent a full reset from 0-0 instead. OMiT founder Rafi responded to the news of the match being replayed from 0-0, claiming: “That’s absurd.” Orbit lost the replay, and OMiT moved on to the next round. In the aftermath, The Rotation confirmed that Orbit has been forfeited from Challengers Champs. Jimbo, GRVTY, Gio, and Classic would have moved down to the loser’s bracket but instead head home early. CDL and Challengers Champs ends on June 18. Make sure to follow along with our full live coverage of the final MW2 tournament of the season.

CoD pro Attach reveals best Modern Warfare S&D classes: MP5, M4A1, AX-50 Activision / Call of Duty LeagueCall of Duty pro player and world champion Dillon ‘Attach’ Price has revealed the best Modern Warfare Search & Destroy classes you can use, with unique classes for the MP5 submachine gun, M4A1 assault rifle and AX-50 sniper rifle to best fit your needs. As one of very few to be able to call themselves a Call of Duty world champion, Attach knows a thing or two about what it takes to win. Of course, one of these things is how you set up your classes, especially in a game mode as both volatile and tactical as Search and Destroy. The MP5, M4 and AX-50 are three of the most popular weapons in Modern Warfare, and it’s clear why, but what is the best way to utilize them? Alongside footage of a small $300 Search and Destroy tournament, Attach explains what you need to be using with your weapons and why. Best Modern Warfare Search and Destroy class setups MP5 Search & Destroy class Attachments Stock: FTAC Collapsible – Underbarrel: Operator Foregip – Ammunition: 10mm Auto 30-Round mags – Rear Grip: Stippled Grip Tape – Perk: Sleight of Hand – Secondary – Combat Knife Perks Perk 1: Double Time – Perk 2: Ghost – Perk 3: Tune Up – Specialist: E.O.D., Battle Hardened, Amped – Equipment Lethal: Semtex – Tactical: Smoke Grenade – M4A1 Search & Destroy class Attachments Muzzle: Compensator – Barrel: Stock M16 Grenadier – Stock: No Stock – Underbarrel: Commando Foregrip – Rear Grip: Stippled Grip Tape – Secondary – M19 Perks Perk 1: E.O.D. – Perk 2: Ghost – Perk 3: Battle Hardened – Specialist: Double Time, Tune Up, Amped – Equipment Lethal: Semtex – Tactical: Stun Grenade – AX-50 Search & Destroy class Attachments Barrel: 32.0” Factory Barrel – Optic: Variable Zoom Scope – Stock: Singuard Arms Assassin – Rear Grip: Stippled Grip Tape – Perk: Focus – Secondary – M19 Perks Perk 1: Double Time – Perk 2: Ghost – Perk 3: Tune Up – Specialist: Amped, E.O.D., Scavenger – Equipment Lethal: Semtex – Tactical: Stun Grenade – Obviously, there are certain limitations on these classes: for example, killstreaks are not permitted in the Call of Duty League, hence why Attach opts for specialist perks instead. While pro players tend to know the game on a much deeper level than most of us, it’s worth noting that these class setups are just guidelines; try them out, but if you prefer to use different attachments or perks, for example, make sure you opt for what you prefer.

CoD pro Arcitys uncovers game-breaking vision exploit in Modern Warfare Main AR for the Chicago Huntsmen, Alec ‘Arcitys’ Sanderson, has shared footage of a game-breaking exploit on St. Petrograd in Modern Warfare, just a week before the Call of Duty League 2020 Season starts. Since Modern Warfare’s October release, the professional community has expressed concern at a number of game features and glitches. The concern is understandable, as a poorly timed glitch could influence the outcome of a professional match. The pro community is no stranger to heated debates regarding exploits and glitches. It’s hard not to think of Clayster’s impassioned rant regarding “exploit spots” in Black Ops 3, after his FaZe Clan roster were punished in the CWL. Regardless, pros just want to see a level playing field so that no one team has the opportunity to manipulate ambiguous game features. On January 17, Sanderson shared a video from mid-map on St. Petrograd, showing a bizarre aim assist and name recognition bug. When prone behind the statue in the middle of St. Petrograd, Arcitys shows that players can benefit from aim assist when aiming through the statue. Even more concerning, players can see enemy nameplates when looking through the statue, giving them an incredible advantage from an invulnerable position. The video was captioned with multiple question marks and garnered responses from a number of other CoD pros. AR for the Seattle Surge, Sam ‘Octane’ Larew, said that “the entire middle of that map is pure fugazery”. On a similar note, Prestinni, twin brother of Arcitys, said: “[You’re] telling me you’re getting aim assist under and through the blocks, but not above them? Holy hell. I’m about to be unbeatable on this map.” You telling me you gettin aim assist under and through the blocks, but not above them? Holy hell. Im boutta be unbeatable on this map. — Preston (@Prestinni) January 18, 2020 Many fans were quick to point out that we are just a week away from the opening weekend of the Call of Duty League. In the current CDL ruleset, St. Petrograd is featured in all three competitive game modes. While Infinity Ward have not yet responded to the glitch, many fans and pros want to see it patched before the CDL starts on January 25.

CoD pro ACHES wants 11 major changes to Black Ops Cold War Call of Duty League / TreyarchTwo-time Call of Duty world champion and former Los Angeles Guerrillas player, Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price has delivered an in-depth powerpoint giving feedback on the issues with Black Ops Cold War and how they can be fixed. [jwplayer ulMZS35X] With the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Open Beta in full swing, the developers over at Treyarch and Raven Software are absorbing a bevy of focused criticisms from the franchise’s ever-eager fanbase. Fortunately, ACHES has balanced his own critiques with a variety of constructive suggestions, giving a professional player’s perspective on how best to balance the newest upcoming CoD title. And that perspective appears to be presented as professionally as the former Call of Duty League pro’s gameplay is, with a series of PowerPoint-esque slides shared on Twitter. Starting with a disclaimer that he is excited by this game’s potential, ACHES proceeds to dive into 11 suggestions spanning movement mechanics, stocks, perks, equipment, and scorestreaks. We summarize those issues and suggestions here. Sliding, movement, and the Duster Stock First, ACHES details how he would adjust the game’s movement mechanics. Most notably, he thinks that sliding needs to be nerfed in a variety of ways so that the game isn’t overwhelmed by a slide-cancel meta like Modern Warfare was. This is in line with others’ complaints about slide exploits in the title. Further, as a countermeasure, he thinks that the game’s base movement speed should be buffed. With the idea of cutting down on movement tricks while boosting general mobility, this would make Black Ops Cold War a more evenly balanced title (and less easily dominated by pros like Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas?). He then touches on how the Duster Stock should be overhauled before diving into the Ninja Perk and some of the game’s equipment. Ninja Perk, EMP Grenades, throwables, and Trophy System For Ninja, ACHES believes that the perk should be buffed “a bit more” in hopes that it improves competitiveness on respawn modes and encourages the Search and Destroy community to make a return. Then, while wanting EMP Grenades and the Hardwired perk to be added to the game, he has also laid out that he thinks throwable equipment needs to be nerfed so that players can’t launch them across the map like an NFL quarterback. Further, he believes the Trophy System field upgrade needs to be balanced so that it isn’t used by every single player at all times. Scorestreak, Wildcard, Stim Shot, and Jump-Shotting Finally, ACHES joins much of the CoD community in wanting changes to the scorestreak system. Further, he adds suggestions for the Wildcard system and Stim Shot to be improved, while offering that jump-shotting simply feels awkward. As of yet, developers have not responded to ACHES’ 11 general suggestions, but the Open Beta is open until October 12 so it is likely that they are still gathering information. As a general note, though, this is probably the best way to offer feedback, as ACHES made sure to offer suggestions for each issue he has with the game’s current iteration.

CoD pro ACHES trolls his critics with perfect boast MLGTwo-time Call of Duty world champion Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price has reminded everyone of his illustrious career, as he looks to secure himself a starting spot on a franchise roster. CoD esports is moving to a franchise league model for the first time next year with the launch of Modern Warfare, meaning a Rostermania like none other is now underway. Players will need to convince all new organizations and team owners that they’re the right person for the roster, and even veterans like ACHES are putting their best foot forward. While many players have kept it strictly professional with simple free agency announcements, ACHES followed up his declaration of free agency with a ‘flex’ to really impress the team owners and managers – and to shut down his detractors. Having won both the 2014 and 2018 World Championship, ACHES has hoisted two oversized checks for $400,000 and $600,000 respectively, and joked that he was struggling to display his many accolades. “Just tried hanging up my $600,000 check and I knocked down my $400,000 check and then it knocked over 6 of my 18 other trophies,” Price explained, “at least my 2 rings are still ok. Hope your night is going better than mine.” Just tried hanging up my $600,000 check and I knocked down my $400,000 check and then it knocked over 6 of my 18 other trophies..atleast my 2 rings are still ok. Hope your night is going better than mine :slightly_frowning_face: — Patrick Price (@ACHES) September 5, 2019 As one of only six players to have won two or more rings (only Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow has three), it’s certainly one of ACHES’ major selling points for prospective teams. Although his Envy team, going through various iterations of rosters, struggled throughout the 2019 Black Ops 4 season, ACHES has shown repeatedly that he is always capable of bouncing back and reaching the top. With the 2019 season coming to an end, I am a restricted free agent for 2020. If any CDL Franchise would like to discuss opportunities, please contact me via email below. Also interested in relocating full time. -> achesbusiness@gmail.com <- Let’s build something special :smiling_imp: pic.twitter.com/ywLQEB5Xaf — Patrick Price (@ACHES) August 25, 2019 It will be a surprise if he isn’t named on a starting lineup when the league commences, given his pedigree at the highest level. But, competition is set to be stiffer than ever with the new system. Rosters will feature up to ten players, seven minimum, and it’s possible that seasoned players like ACHES will feature in more of a leadership role, than the out-and-out slayer he was known as in the earlier stages of his career. You can keep up with all the action in the 2019 offseason Rostermania with our dedicated transfer hub. Modern Warfare is a return to the more slow-paced, tactical gameplay style of Call of Duty though, and this is certainly the type of game the former Envy star has proven himself most effective at in the past.

CoD pro ACHES explains why sniper rifles are too powerful in Black Ops 4 MLG / TreyarchProfessional Call of Duty player Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price has explained why players who used sniper rifles had such a massive advantage over everyone else in Black Ops 4. ACHES, who is a restricted free agent following the end of the 2019 season, competed for Team Envy throughout Black Ops 4, and has one of the most impressive resumes in CoD esports, including two World Championships and as part of CompLexity, one of the most dominant teams of all time. Following the conclusion of the season, the 25-year-old has taken aim at Black Ops 4’s sniper rifles, and explained how one specific decision from Treyarch made them far too powerful. While playing Black Ops 3 with fellow pro players, ACHES and caster Anthony ‘NAMELESS’ Wheeler discussed how difficult it was to punish snipers who miss their shot, with the two-time World Champion comparing it to the issues they had with Black Ops 4. “Think about fucking Black Ops 4,” a frustrated ACHES stated live on stream. “You didn’t have a smoke grenade. You couldn’t punish a sniper!” “That’s why [eUnited pro player] Simp had a 2.0 [kill/death ratio] on Arsenal. You couldn’t stop him from sniping back steps. Treyarch’s been making bullshit.” Throughout Black Ops 4’s cycle, many called on Treyarch to add a smoke grenade to the game, but the developers continuously refrained, leading to those with pin-point accuracy with the weapon in their hands dominating opponents, especially in Search & Destroy. The incredible strength of these weapons means that if you get caught in the crosshairs of an enemy, they can usually take you down in one shot, and with no smoke grenade to give you cover from their sightline, you can become a sitting duck if you happen to peek at the wrong moment. Whether Modern Warfare will have similar issues remains to be seen, but it’s clear ACHES would prefer it if they were able to counteract the destructive power of opposing sniper rifles.

CoD pro ACHES explains why Modern Warfare’s meta could soon change MLG / Infinity WardCall of Duty veteran and two-time world champion Patrick ‘ACHES’ Price has explained why he thinks a meta change could be on its way to Modern Warfare, going off the past behavior of developers Infinity Ward. With the inaugural Call of Duty League Season merely a month and a half old, there have been no notable shifts in the meta. The MP5 submachine gun remains the most popular choice for close to medium range engagements, while the M4A1 assault rifle is the only realistic choice for longer gunfights. This contrasts to some older Call of Duty titles, which saw a host of weapons used. Black Ops III for example, while dominated by VMPs and M8s, saw some pros pick up alternatives, like the Shieva, HVK, ICR and Kuda. ACHES is well-known among the CoD community for regularly sharing his opinions on a host of issues. Despite recently being dropped from the LA Guerrillas starting line-up, the 25 year old remains as vocal as ever. In a March 7 tweet – posted during the ongoing LA-hosted CDL Weekend – ACHES explained that we are fast approaching the time of year when Infinity Ward tends to make large-scale changes to weapon balances. “It’s coming to that time of the year where IW realizes their weapon balance has been very poor,” he opened. “And they address it for the remainder of the year… 4 MP5s isn’t fun to play or an entertaining meta.” Its coming to that time of the year where IW realizes their weapon balance has been very poor and they address it for the remainder of the year. (ghosts mtar nerf/vector buff, iw erad buff) Wonder if they do it this year. 4 mp5s isnt fun to play or an entertaining meta imo. — PATTYP (@ACHES) March 8, 2020 Also in his tweet, he made reference to a host of infamous buffs and nerfs Infinity Ward have made in past titles. To take one example ACHES alluded to, the Erad SMG, alongside all other SMGs, was considered far too weak in Infinite Warfare. The game was dominated by ARs, with many SMG players relying on the KBAR-32 AR. Seeing this imbalance, Infinity Ward significantly buffed the Erad SMG to make it a more viable option in competitive play. This change saw a host of SMG players switch from the KBAR. Similarly crucial changes were made in CoD: Ghosts, leading ACHES to believe there could be some significant alterations coming to Modern Warfare. Read More: Will Call of Duty Warzone kill Blackout? – In contrast to ACHES’ opinion, some fans argued they don’t mind the current meta, and are happy to see things progressing the way they are. Slow/old players hate 4 mp5s . This meta is more entertaining. — Berzerk (@BerzerkGeezer) March 8, 2020 It remains to be seen what changes, if any, will be made. They would likely take the form of nerfs to the MP5 and M4A1, alongside buffs to other weapons to achieve a more balanced outlook.

Aspiring COD pro accidentally exposes his Black Ops Cold War hacks on stream TreyarchA Call of Duty player exposed himself cheating in Black Ops Cold War after apparently trying to clear his name of accusations. Though this competitor was unaware that he was actually broadcasting the hacks on Twitch. British esports commentator Alan ‘Bricey’ Brice called out the aspiring CoD pro player on Twitter with a clip that clearly had the main game running alongside a modded view that had eyes on the enemy team. The player in question goes by ‘yyyunggg’ and quickly moved to delete their Twitter account as soon as the damning clip started to spread. “Imagine being so weird that multiple people figure out you have walls and an aim key,” Bricey said. “You deny and try to get away with it then accidentally put them on stream…” According to the esports commentator, yyyunggg was trying to prove his innocence by pulling up his task manager, but must have crossed the wires to the point where his stream’s sources were now picking up the modded view. In the short clip, two figures can be seen through the walls near the ‘Target A’ icon with a green bar above them in the smaller window of BOCW. Meanwhile, the larger display shows what the stream is seeing and is a normal view of the game. Yyyunggg has deleted all videos and clips from his Twitch channel along with the roughly one-hour February 15 livestream he recorded as the clips were being shared on Twitter. London Royal Ravens’ Trei ‘Zer0’ Morris and Connect’s David ‘Dqvee’ Davies were beside themselves after encountering the player online. “I went on theatre and he was pre-firing through everything on his stream,” Zer0 said. “He went ‘watch this I bet I get this ace’ then got an ace hahaha.” Call of Duty has a big problem with hackers at the moment. Everything from the battle royale, Warzone, being infested with the lot, as well as pros being concerned that cheaters could seep into official matches. In this case, the community was able to plainly sort out that the player wasn’t legit, but there are still people who want to see meaningful solutions from Treyarch or Activision to help with Call of Duty’s many cheaters.

CoD Plutonium mod to start scanning for pirated copies following Activision takedown spree After Activision’s legal action saw multiple Call of Duty modded clients taken down, CoD Plutonium has announced its intentions to implement ownership verification that will scan for illegitimate copies. Although modded CoD clients have been around for years, Activision has mostly left them alone. That was until May 17 when sm2 was forced to shut down its operations after receiving a cease and desist from the Call of Duty publisher. This was followed just five days later with X Labs getting the same treatment, upsetting fans who believe the official release of Black Ops 3 is not safe to play due to security concerns. In an attempt to avoid the same fate, the Plutonium mod has now taken action hoping their plans will be enough to satisfy Activision. Plutonium Mod to scan for pirated CoD copies As posted on Twitter, the creators of the popular Plutonium Mod are adding ownership verification that will make sure users and server hosts aren’t using illegitimate copies. The tweet reads: “In light of recent events, we are trying to show good faith where possible. We would like to inform you all of our intention to add ownership verification to our supported games to ensure players and server owners are using authorized copies of the games. More info to come.” Specifics on how the ownership verification will work have not been detailed yet. A common method used by multiplayer games is to check the used software against a legitimate copy that is defined in a central server. If the two don’t match it is automatically flagged. Activision has not provided an official explanation as to why it has begun targeting modded clients leaving many Call of Duty fans frustrated. Some fans have speculated that it’s due to declining population numbers in Warzone 2, a remastered collection being in the works, or it’s in preparation for Call of Duty to be added to Game Pass after the Microsoft takeover is complete.

CoD players worried MW3 “will die” if spam reports and shadow bans aren’t fixed ActivisionModern Warfare 2 players are fed up with getting shadow-banned as a result of fraudulent spam reports, and worry it might feature in Modern Warfare 3 as well. The Modern Warfare 3 beta has ended, with the Call of Duty fanbase mostly excited about the upcoming release, despite a few complaints about certain changes they want to be made, like improved spawns. However, now that they are forced to return to older games like the recent Modern Warfare 2, they’ve noticed some pressing issues that they hoped have been fixed for Modern Warfare 3, like the current spam reporting that is causing innocent players to be disconnected and shadow-banned. Spam reports are still in Modern Warfare 2 and players hate it One content creator was fed up with being reported and disconnected from games, posting a clip of his frustrating experience in MW: “Call of Duty will die if this continues for another year.” Other players related to this experience, with some talented Call of Duty players being punished for being better than their opponents through the Activision report system: “Yeh can imagine if they keep this system on MWIII, especially with the better movement, etc. Then the game won’t last long at all.” Fans of the Activision franchise pointed the blame at the developers’s trust in players to ban cheaters and not exploit the system: “Players should not be able to have the power to get others banned.” However, in the past, there have been complaints about too little power to get rid of cheaters, especially on the PC port of the game, of too many hackers – particularly in Warzone. So, the Call of Duty fanbase appears to be split on whether increased report power is beneficial, but fan hype for the new game has overpowered worry for Modern Warfare 3 overall- especially with Activision ramping up their marketing for the game, collaborating with hit rapper 21 Savage.

CoD players worried MW2’s story will end in Warzone 2 instead of a sequel ActivisionCall of Duty players are concerned that Modern Warfare 2’s sequel tease could be resolved in Warzone 2, as opposed to a fully-fledged game. Modern Warfare 2 expands the reboot saga onto new ground, as the barnstorming campaign proves to be a buggy yet thrilling entry. Over the course of its fiery gunfights, familiar faces are brought back into the fold – laying the foundations for an exciting sequel. While Infinity Ward are certainly teasing the likes of Modern Warfare 3, many CoD players are worried that the storyline will be completed in Warzone 2, instead of a full campaign. Spoilers ahead for Modern Warfare 2’s campaign… Modern Warfare 2 players urge Infinity Ward to keep storyline away from Warzone 2 With 17 captivating missions to complete, the game’s conclusion has players urging the devs to continue it outside of Warzone 2. Redditor AnonDooDoo banded with players on the game’s subreddit, simply asking “Dear IW [Infinity Ward], please don’t” alongside a meme capturing their worries. Others are in agreement with the Redditor’s notion, too. One player, Alexindr added that they’re “worried they will use Makarov like they did Victor Zakhaev getting tossed into a missile silo at the end of season 6 in Warzone.” Some are even willing to pay for a proper conclusion, as another player responded: “I hope to god they just have a huge paid content update next year instead of another cod title. And include the second half of the story in it. It is possible that the game’s Spec-Ops mode could downplay their concerns. Redditor SwimLessons suggested “Spec-Ops maybe? Seems a better format for a narrative. I wouldn’t mind that as long as you can run the missions solo.” Teases of post-launch DLC have been noted by reputable leakers, but the devs have yet to confirm anything officially. Modern Warfare 2 owners have had the honor of diving into the game already, as campaign early access went live on October 20, 2022.

CoD players warned as “advanced” console cheats evolve ahead of Black Ops 6 release ActivisionA Call of Duty streamer has warned players to watch out for “advanced” console cheats ahead of the release of Black Ops 6. Cheating in Call of Duty is not a new concept, with players consistently calling out opponents for using things like aim-assists, wall hacks, and more to get an unfair edge on players. However, cheating has mainly been an issue when playing on PC, with console restrictions and limitations typically able to block most hacking software but not all. In the lead-up to Black Ops 6, the highly anticipated upcoming installment for the franchise, concerns over cheats and hacking have come to light, with one content creator warning console players to look out for major advancement in cheating, particularly on consoles Call of Duty streamer KapZ shared a clip on X imploring fellow CoD players to watch out for “advancing” cheats when playing on consoles. The streamer claimed that “console is no longer a safe space for competitive CoD” and included a clip in the initial post showcasing an example of these advanced cheating tactics in Warzone. While some were quick to point out that the footage in question was actually using PC hacks, the original poster confirmed that while this was true, the match was being played on console. “The game is running on console but a PC is being used to run the cheats yes.” Given that Black Ops 6 will be released on both current and old-gen consoles, this preemptive warning has already put console players on high alert ahead of its launch. “This is terrible that devs can’t stop this … charging expensive prices for every little thing and can’t guarantee the basics are fair,” one X user commented on the post. “F**king cheating tricks are ruining the game. Every mode almost every game,” another added.

CoD players want Warzone 2 to introduce quitting penalties ActivisionWith Warzone 2 on the horizon, CoD fans have urged Infinity Ward to take cues from games like Rocket League and Valorant and introduce penalties for those who quit mid-game. Warzone 2 finally drops on November 16, and Infinity Ward are introducing plenty of new spins of the battle royale gameplay we know and love. AIs are set to appear on the map for the first time in Strongholds, and even the circle mechanic has been overhauled. The sequel also marks an opportunity for the developers to fix any lingering issues that the community has with the first Warzone, and they’ve been vocal about a number of changes they want to see. The latest problem on the hitlist is players quitting halfway through the game, and fans have called for Infinity Ward to look at titles like Rocket League and start issuing penalties. Warzone 2 players want matchmaking penalties for quitters Having squadmates quit on you mid-game can be extremely frustrating, especially if you enjoy the tactical gameplay of a Squads match but don’t have enough friends online to fill out a full team. One of your random teammates leaving right away or after being sent to the Gulag places you at an immediate disadvantage, and can easily ruin a match through no fault of your own. To combat this, Reddit user EternalMage321 posted asking the devs to introduce an incentive for players to remain in the game in Warzone. They said: “Can we please get a 5-minute cool down for early quitters?” This is something that other games, like Rocket League, have used to great success. Any player who deliberately backs out of a match before it’s over is given a five-minute matchmaking ban, forcing them to sit in the main menus before they can hop back in. The main obstacle would be identifying when a player has purposefully left a match early and when they were accidentally disconnected. Again though, the likes of Rocket League and Valorant have figured this out and even allow players to reconnect to the same game after being kicked. If the devs could pull off a similar system in Warzone 2, it seems as though fans would love to see it introduced. “They really should add this,” said one reply. “If they add the ability to reconnect to disconnected/crashed games, I’m all for this,” agreed another. Infinity Ward are yet to reveal whether or not they’ve got something up their sleeve to deal with quitters in Warzone 2, but there’s no doubt that a system like this would make matches far more enjoyable for those relying on randoms.

CoD players want Infinity Ward to make Warzone 2 with drastic changes ActivisionSome Call of Duty players are demanding Infinity Ward create a new version of Warzone, and have requested some pretty groundbreaking changes to go with it. Warzone has become one of the biggest success stories in CoD history, which is crazy when you consider the size and scale of the franchise globally. The free-to-play battle royale hit has gone toe-to-toe with the most popular games in the world and become a stomping ground for some of the best FPS players out there. That said, some players are unhappy with the direction in which it’s been headed — and they want a reset on it all. Warzone player VinniGreti first brought up the idea and has received a bunch of support ever since. With thousands of upvotes and comments on their Reddit post about it, VinniGreti does not hold back in his damning verdict of the state of Warzone since Raven Software took over as the main developer. “This game has been regressing nonstop ever since Cold War was forced integrated into it because Activision realized it’s cannibalizing their yearly buyers,” the post read. “It’s clear the F2P model doesn’t work in this case because it messes with the studio’s business model of selling a new full-priced game every year. The lower sales of new entries are then blamed on the success of Warzone.” VinniGreti’s conclusion is a simple one: Infinity Ward release Warzone 2 and treat it like any other yearly CoD release, aborting the free-to-play model and not allowing any other dev to work on it. While the post received a lot of support, many comments were also quick to point out that the fact the game is free is what made it so popular, while arguing that the regular updates (including integration with new titles) helped keep the game fresh. While many players express dismay with how Warzone has progressed, they still believe that making this change could kill the game entirely. As HOONIGAN said: “This is why business people make business decisions, and gamers play games.” At this point, it’s unlikely we see Infinity Ward decide to develop a Warzone 2, especially since they’re busy at work on the 2022 title reportedly named Modern Warfare 2. That said, stranger things have happened.

COD players want classic MW2 feature to return in Modern Warfare 3 ActivisionCall of Duty players have called for a classic weapon feature from the original Modern Warfare 2 game in 2009 to return in this year’s COD title, Modern Warfare 3, as nostalgia runs rampant among veteran players. Following the announcement that Modern Warfare III will feature all 16 MW2 2009 maps at launch, fully remastered and brought into the present day, many long-time COD players have been dreaming up how best they can relive the glory days. Whether it’s the return of certain guns, or even fun quirks on the maps, players really want to feel like they’re back in 2009, with a game often considered one of the best in franchise history. Now, players are requesting a much-loved weapon feature comes back, and it would be a huge and welcome throwback for anybody who played Modern Warfare 2 back when it first came out. MW3 players want Tactical Knife back Players have suggested the return of Tactical Knife, a pistol attachment that, back in the day, could absolutely wreak havoc in close-quarters fights. “Tac Knife is my fav, I so hope it comes back,” said one player, while another added, “It would be great if it added decreased recoil control and movement speed and accuracy” so as to better balance it. After switching from your primary weapon to your pistol, it could come out while holding a knife with your other hand, making meleeing far quicker when someone pops up in front of you — and even more lethal with the Commando Pro perk. It’s unlikely that we see Commando Pro once again in MW3, but still, the Tactical Knife could be a good way to make running out of ammo in your primary weapon not feel like an immediate death sentence when confronted with an enemy. Of course, not everybody was in favor of bringing back the Tac Knife, saying that the panic knifing could seriously ruin fights. Whether developers Sledgehammer Games actually want to add it back to the game — especially with recent changes to make melee a two-hit kill instead of one-hit — remains to be seen.

CoD player’s viral controller technique is a bigger “menace to society” than claw Pexels, Luca / ActivisionA Call of Duty controller player has gone viral on TikTok after showcasing his preferred controller technique — and it’s weirder than “claw.” Holding his controller upside down, people have described him as a “menace to society.” Past the controller vs keyboard and mouse debates, the gaming community even has infighting within the controller scene. One brave soldier in those battles is TikTok’s georgeroopz, who saw a video making fun of people who play “claw” and decided to enter the fray. For those who are unaware, claw players grip their controllers in a special, raised fashion where each hand’s pointer fingers can be used to hit face buttons as their middle and ring fingers use the paddles. (The traditional grip has thumbs handling all face buttons and analog sticks, while pointer fingers manage the paddles.) But georgeroopz isn’t part of the normal or claw regiments. Instead, he holds his controller upside-down, with inverted controls. And that is not a lie, he has apparently been doing it since he was two years old — and he knows how wild it is. In response to a video suggesting that claw players are “sociopaths,” George takes things a few steps further and decides to show off his own technique. Explaining that he’s been told multiple times that this grip makes him a “menace to society,” he proceeds to flip the controller around and play a match upside-down. Apparently comfortable fielding frequently asked questions, George even answers some that he’s sure people are wondering: “Are my in-game controls inverted? No, not really. But the inputs for my brain are.” While we won’t judge his brain or his grip, it’s clear that TikTok has some thoughts on the behavior. Some of the popular replies call him a “hazard to the nation” and a “threat to this world.” Others are less concerned and simply call this technique “unbelievably impressive.”

CoD players uninstall over NICKMERCS controversy as #IStandWithNICKMERCS trends ActivisionSome Call of Duty players are uninstalling MW2 and Warzone 2 in support of NICKMERCS after the streamer had his in-game bundle removed after his controversial Pride Month comments. On June 8, NICKMERCS replied to a tweet discussing an anti-Pride Month protest in Glendale at a school board meeting, that some described as “anti-LGBT.” This was followed by the content creator doubling down and defending his stance. He insisted that it’s not the place of a school to get involved with the subject matter. In reaction to this, Call of Duty removed NICKMERCS’ bundle from MW2 and Warzone 2. This upset some CoD players who have responded by uninstalling the game in protest. NICKMERCS supporters uninstall MW2 & Warzone 2 The hashtag #IStandWithNICKMERCS trended on Twitter with Call of Duty players uninstalling the game in protest against Activision. The protest saw both players and streamers alike take a stand against the Call of Duty publisher. MFAM fan and fellow streamer, RICKMA, said, “This is where I uninstall all Activision & Call of Duty games/products. #MFAM #IStandWithNickmercs.” Counter-Strike streamer m0E said, “I’m ok never playing cod again. f**k that sh*t.” Content creator SantanaTheGuy said, “I stand with NICKMERCS. Leave our kids alone! This Cancel Culture is getting way out of hand!! But when a video game decides to start taking political sides instead of fixing the game you know well that ain’t right!” “COD is dead to me! Nick said nothing wrong!” streamer Bruskiiz commented. “His comment wasn’t anti-LGBTQ and people are losing their minds. If you have an opinion about anything these days you’re labeled something ‘phobic’. Sad world we live in! I stand with NICKMERCS.” “I stand with NICKMERCS,” said another streamer, EmacPlays. “Let kids be kids. School should be about Math, Science, History, etc. There is a time and place for everything and it’s not then.” However, not all players took Nick’s side. Others have supported Activision’s decision, and others simply argue they had no choice. “W! You love to see it Happy pride month!” one person responded to Activision’s announcement. NICKMERCS himself has responded since his Operator got removed, but not in a way that directly calls out Activision for removing his skin bundle. He instead said that there “ain’t no hate in this heart” and thanked those who have stood by him. However, this tweet also didn’t apologize for the tweet that put him in hot water, either. The Tracer Pack: Nickmercs Operator Bundle was added to CoD on May 31. It cost 2,400 COD Points to purchase and contained two variants of a Nickmercs operator, the ‘Fate’ Sakin MG38 weapon blueprint, the ‘Plana’ Bryson 890 blueprint, and a variety of other miscellaneous cosmetics. It is currently unknown if players that purchased the bundle will be given the opportunity to claim a refund. Ordinarily, bundles and CoD Points are not refundable, but this is a unique situation.

CoD players to return to Modern Warfare 2 for one day amid viral TikTok plans Activision/TikTokA video is going viral on TikTok that plans to reunite the entire Call of Duty community on classic title Modern Warfare 2, repopulating the once-vibrant servers for one day only. To many, Modern Warfare 2 is the pinnacle of Call of Duty. The 2009 release helped the franchise on its way to becoming the phenomenon it is now, building on the popularity of 2007’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. For many players, MW2 was their entry into the franchise and they now long for the ‘glory days’ of the game to return. That could be set to happen, too, thanks to this viral TikTok. Calling for “one last ride” on the fan-favorite game, gmbnoah is urging everybody who can to get back on Modern Warfare 2 for one day only in December 2021. He says: “Save the date: December 21, 2021. We are bringing back MW2 for one night only. Let’s get the servers packed like the good old days, one last time.” Along with the message is a video of gmbnoah searching for a game but unable to, a sad look at the demise of one of the most popular video games of all time. The TikTok has already picked up over 1.3 million views and around 150k likes at the time of writing, with thousands of comments excited at the idea and agreeing to hop online on that day. One of those people is FaZe Clan’s Brian ‘Rug’ Awadis, who simply responded saying “I’m doing this.” If you still have your old Xbox 360, Xbox One or PlayStation 3 laying around, it’ll be well worth loading up Modern Warfare 2 one more time on December 21 and, if all goes to plan, throw it back to the “good old days.”

CoD players roast $60 Modern Warfare 3 skin that acts as an endless flashbang ActivisionA new Modern Warfare 3 weapon skin can be yours for a $60 sum, though CoD players have quickly come to learn its shocking brightness might be doing more harm than good. When it comes to flexing in Modern Warfare 3, you’ve got a few options. Be it your Operator, their chosen emotes, or even just your weapons of choice, there’s plenty you can do to style on the competition. While some of these cosmetics can be earned the hard way, most are often locked behind paywalls of sorts. Be it Battle Passes or individual bundles, paying is often how you acquire many of the game’s most dazzling skins. That’s the case here with one particular skin that might just be a little too dazzling. By purchasing a $60 bag from the Call of Duty store, one that has since sold out, players could nab the exclusive Royalty Tiger Weapon Camo. But when loading into a game with this camo applied, players have been blinded by its questionable beauty. Put simply, the Royalty Tiger skin is among the brightest ever put in a CoD title. It shines unlike anything else in Modern Warfare 3, lighting up any room you’re in, and thus, making you an easier target. Not only that, but its bright pink glow is so overpowering, it dominates the screen and may even obscure enemies in the background. As many have now begun arguing, the $60 purchase could actually be a detriment to your gameplay. “Why would I want to pay [$60] to get a skin that essentially flash bangs me every time I ADS?” one player on Twitter questioned. Especially with larger weapons, aiming down sights can be quite troublesome with this skin taking up real estate on your screen. “I can’t even see anything else,” another player added. “It’s just bright pink.” Meanwhile, others joked it should come with a Star Wars effect given its vibrance is on par with that of a lightsaber. “This better let you cut people in half like a lightsaber with how bright it is.” For some, there’s humor in the cosmetic, though for others, the $60 item has been labeled a “robbery.” It’s unclear if this degree of brightness was the intended effect or whether the newest CoD skin has gone online with a pesky bug. Devs are yet to comment at the time of writing though we’ll update you here with any further developments.

CoD players praise Black Ops 6 Liberty Falls cinematic as “absolute cinema” Treyarch StudiosCall of Duty fans are loving the new cinematic trailer for Black Ops 6’s Zombies map Liberty Falls, calling it “peak.” Treyarch dropped the trailer for the second round based Zombies map coming with Black Ops 6 at launch. The three-minute video features a creepy flashback from Edward Richtofen, a wonder weapon in action, and extended segments of zombie carnage. Fans of the franchise were quick to call the animated cinematic the best trailer they have seen from Treyarch for a Zombies map. Some compared it to the trailer for the Black Ops 3 map The Giant, which was released almost a decade ago. “I CANNOT BELIEVE MY EYES THIS IS ABSOLUTE ZOMBIES CINEMA HOLY,” one fan said on social media. “I’m not gonna front this is the best cinematic trailer I’ve ever seen for Zombies hands down,” another said online. Reddit users said they weren’t expecting much to come out of this trailer but had their expectations “blown out of the water” with the video to the extent that they are as hyped for Liberty Falls as they are for Terminus. “Crazy when you give studios the time to make games they make bangers, and what I love is both maps are full of lore I can’t wait,” one Reddit user said. Treyarch has yet to confirm if these two round-based Zombie maps will be the only aspects of the mode, as the developer has experimented with other ways to do Zombies in the past. Fans of Black Ops Zombies will have to wait for the game to come out on October 25 to get their hands on Liberty Falls to find out if the gameplay matches up to the hype from the trailer. For now, though, they will have to theory craft, and brainstorm the story Treyarch is trying to tell based on the cinematics.

CoD players outraged over secret MP5 nerf in Modern Warfare & Warzone Infinity Ward[jwplayer ytT6udlT] Outrage has broken out in the Call of Duty community as many are claiming that the MP5 was secretly tweaked in the Modern Warfare Season 5 Reloaded update, just days before the CDL Championship Weekend kicks off. Since the start of the game, the MP5 has been one of the most used SMGs in Modern Warfare, thanks to its high rate of fire, consistent and predictable recoil, and quick movement speed. The weapon has even managed to stay at the top despite multiple nerfs to its range over the past few months. Now, it seems another change may have hit the weapon, although this one is a bit stranger than the others. According to some Modern Warfare players, the SMG has gotten a visual change in the Season 5 Reloaded update, which was released on August 25. While Infinity Ward didn’t list any change to the weapon in the patch notes, many are insisting that it was tweaked. The weirdest part is that fans can’t seem to put their finger on what exactly is different. Some players are reporting that there is more zoom when you aim down sights, resulting in a beefier rear iron sight and a different view. Read More: How to unlock FiNN LMG in MW & Warzone – While the above picture does paint an interesting story, a quick look in-game will show you that, at least for some people, the iron sights don’t look all that different than they did before, which was pointed out by Atlanta FaZe assistant coach ‘Easy Mac.’ Yesterday: Today: Is it that different? pic.twitter.com/YOyGOpNzt3 — AO (@Its_EasyMac) August 25, 2020 Other players, like CDL Royal Ravens star Matthew ‘skrapz’ Marshall, are reporting that the weapon, on top of the visual change, also has had an increase in recoil and that it’s seemingly “bouncing” around the screen way more than it was before the update. While not confirmed, that could have something to do with the fact that it’s apparently more zoomed-in, which could lead to a visual difference in the weapons’ recoil pattern, even if it’s not actually that way in-game. At the time of publishing, neither Activision nor Infinity Ward had commented about this supposed change, but that hasn’t stopped fans from expressing their disapproval on social media. The CDL Championship Weekend, which is the finale of the $4.6 million Call of Duty League postseason, is set to kick off on Saturday, August 29, so many are in disbelief that the devs would make any changes to the MP5, which is firmly part of the main competitive meta. UPDATE Shortly after all of the MP5-related news went viral, esports insider Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau tweeted claiming that Infinity Ward had indeed made some sort of change to the SMG and then asked CDL teams if they wanted it to be reverted. According to Chicago Huntsmen star Seth ‘Scump’ Abner, however, it appears that the change will not be reverted in time for CDL Champs, so he and the rest of the participating players will have to use the new version of the gun this weekend. You can watch all of the action from the finale of the $4.6 million tournament via our CDL Championship Weekend hub, which includes streams, the schedule, brackets, and more. We’ll continue updating this story as more information becomes available.

CoD players on Xbox and PC furious PlayStation-exclusive costs $20 ActivisionCall of Duty players are frustrated with Activision for making a PlayStation-exclusive skin purchasable for Xbox and PC players. Activision was officially acquired by Microsoft in October with the hopes of bringing all of its titles over to Xbox. This leaves Call of Duty’s future with PlayStation uncertain after years of preferential partnerships. With PlayStation’s collaboration with CoD came certain benefits in the form of exclusive skins and early access to betas. The release of Modern Warfare 2 added the PlayStation-only Oni operator skin. That once exclusive skin can now be obtained by PC and Xbox players. But there’s a catch for those who have been wanting it. Fans outraged by purchasable PlayStation exclusive The official Modern Warfare 2 subreddit first addressed the bundle after it appeared in the shop. Now known as the “Combat Pack” the Oni skin can be purchased for $20 USD or 2400 CoD points. “They wouldn’t put a price on it if idiots didn’t gobble up everything in the store,” said one user. Other users agreed with the sentiment, wondering why Microsoft would put something that used to be free in the shop. Users continued to point out that things like these wouldn’t happen if players didn’t pay for content. “I’ll just put it out there,” said another user. “Y’all wanted this live service model, and battle passes, and you clamor for skins that cost $25+. It should not surprise you that they’re rinsing you for cash over something like this.” There is one more exclusive that will come to PlayStation with Modern Warfare 3. However, it is unclear whether the new skin will eventually become available to PC and Xbox players upon its release on November 10.

CoD players on PC claim mouse aim is broken in Modern Warfare 3 beta ActivisionAiming with a mouse in FPS games is typically viewed as the more accurate way to play, when compared to the toggle of a controller, but PC players in the MW3 beta are complaining that something is not right. The MW3 beta has opened up to players on PC now, after being PlayStation exclusive for the first weekend. With lots of keyboard and mouse players entering the fray, there is a lot of fresh feedback for the developers to consider, related to the PC platform specifically. Crucially, one common complaint from players using a mouse to aim, is that something is off, particularly when ADS (aiming down sights). Mouse aimers struggling in MW3 With no aim assist to help, it’s vital that aiming with a mouse feels crisp and responsive in any shooter game, and especially so in a fast-paced, twitch shooter like CoD. But, in the Modern Warfare 3 beta, it appears all is not as it should be, according to lots of keyboard and mouse players. “Mouse aim feels off when in ADS,” one player said. “Mouse aim feels slowed down when ADS. Almost like it has input delay,” they continued. Another player confirmed, “we all are having the same issues on PC with MKB.” A third player added, “Feels like mouse smoothing or input lag or something. MW2019/MW2 didn’t feel like this.” “Wow I really thought I was the only one. I feel like I’m relearning the game or something. Everything feels so f**king weird and off,” another player, clearly rather miffed, added. It’s not exactly clear what the cause of this issue is, with players unable to come to an agreement on the underlying reason for their complaint, or exactly what the complaint even is. Hopefully, with even more players joining the open beta this weekend, the developers will have enough data and feedback to remedy whatever is causing this feeling for many players, before the full release of MW3.

CoD players mock return of wacky skins after shift to realism ActivisionCall of Duty has drastically changed over the years, and fans lament some of the changes, notably the balance between realistic and wacky skin designs. Modern Warfare 2019 and the arrival of Warzone marked a significant period for Call of Duty, where the title would receive the bells and whistles of live service titles. Constant support would be injected into the title throughout the year via new weapons, maps, modes, and more. The biggest standout of new support comes from the in-game cosmetics, which has always been a tricky topic for fans of the series. Some fans petition for a realistic approach to in-game skins, while others are a little more lax with their desires. However, where Call of Duty stands with its skins and cosmetics in 2023 is quite the sight, leaving fans with many questions. CoD fans question the state of in-game skins Shared to the ModernWarfareIII subreddit, one fan opened the floodgates of discussion around the state of the franchise. “Most bipolar franchise ever,” they stated before they continued with: “Why does this keep happening?” In it, four choice photos illustrate the stark difference in tones surrounding CoD over the years, starting with the CoD 4: Modern Warfare days to this year’s Modern Warfare 3. Bear in mind that the pictures on the left are from campaign segments, so it’s not a fair comparison to make between campaign and multiplayer. That said, the fact of the matter is, as one user commented: “Because it sells. It’s that simple.” Nothing makes more money than Nicki Minaj losing a fight to a soldier wearing a giant rat head, or Billy the Puppet and Master Shredder terrorizing your lobbies. Where we currently stand, MW3 doesn’t intend to hold any punches, with new skins featuring wacky reindeer heads or anime themes. That said, it’s always fun to take a step back and look at the evolution of CoD’s in-game skins and cosmetics.

CoD players mock “golden tinfoil” BlackCell skins in Warzone 2 Season 4 update ActivisionCall of Duty players are making fun of the new Black Cell Hutch golden skins in Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 Season 4 for being a “s***y gold-plated” version of the base skins. Season 3 has hit Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2, and despite the hype going in, there’s already been some early disappointment over the newest line of skin bundles and battle passes. Part of the new battle pass is the BlackCell feature, a separate item players can purchase which takes the place of the Premium Battle Pass bundle for $30. In it, players can get everything included in the battle pass, with even more exclusive cosmetics packed on top. However, it seems players are making fun of the new BlackCell bonus skins, with some calling them ‘overpriced’ and ‘s***y’, with Hutch’s skin, in particular, in the crosshairs of most players. A player on Reddit compared Hutch’s Blackcell skin to Cee Lo Green’s 2017 Grammys outfit, decked in full gold. Although Hutch’s skin is not full-on shining gold, his mask does bare a semblance to Cee Lo Green’s golden outfit. Another player on Reddit also likened the new BlackCell skins as Golden Tinfoil. They wrote sarcastically, “Golden Tinfoil for $30, Let’s go baby Season 3 Woo.” Meanwhile, other players even liken the skins to C-3PO from Star Wars. Players are even saying that the Operator’s base skins are better than the “s***y gold-plated” skins from BlackCell bonus. Of course, at the end of the day, these are just skins, and if you would like to purchase the battle pass, you can completely skip over the BlackCell Battle Pass and get the regular pass. Alternately, you can always just continue playing the game without spending a dime, ignoring the golden skins entirely.

CoD players “livid” at state of Warzone 2 & MW2 after CS2 announced and Fortnite thrives Activision/ValveCall of Duty players have been left “livid” at the state of the franchise, after a litany of announcements and major changes that saw Fortnite, Counter-Strike, and more shine, while Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 seemingly struggle. On March 22, 2023, Epic Games added Creative 2.0 to Fortnite, a huge step-up that allows players to create just about anything they want in the game (even emulating Call of Duty maps and modes), while Counter-Strike 2 was officially announced by Valve and opened for limited beta testing. Meanwhile, both Warzone and multiplayer are struggling to reach the heights they have in the past, with multitudes of complaints from players every day. As pointed out by CharlieINTEL, while other games are thriving, players are still “waiting for Warzone 1 features to return to Warzone 2.” This sentiment is certainly one that has rippled throughout all corners of the Call of Duty community since the announcements for other games were made. “Todays gaming announcements have made me livid about the current state that call of duty is in,” said vinny7299 on Reddit, referencing both CS2 and Fortnite’s announcements while also questioning the decision to remove 10v10 playlists from Modern Warfare 2. Many in the comments were in full agreement, saying that some of the decisions made in Call of Duty are “completely absurd.” There’s been a lot of talk across social media of how Call of Duty can work to push back and stop players from flocking over to Counter-Strike 2 and Fortnite, with all its new modes and games available, but whether any major changes come in any time soon remains to be seen.

Lie detector controversy ruins Warzone cheating investigation of Shifty Twitch: Full Squad Gaming / Science Photo LibraryAlleged Warzone cheater ‘Shifty’ was flown out to try and prove his innocence live on-stream. However, the legitimacy of the lie detector result left the situation even murkier than before, with the stream cut short following allegations made against the polygraph examiner brought in. The ongoing saga of aspiring Warzone pro Shifty continues to grow more complicated. What began in early March with cheating allegations amid a $100,000 tournament, soon led to deep dives by fellow pros before esports organization NRG stepped in. The crew at NRG and Full Squad Gaming offered to fly Shifty out for an unprecedented investigation. They planned to have the accused player showcase his skills on a PC of their own choosing, live for the Warzone community to see. This broadcast finally went down on April 5 but rather than clearing the air, a lie detector test just left the situation even more confusing than before. At first, Shifty was required to play a handful of games on-stream. Given the cheating allegations against him, every play was under more scrutiny than usual. Though after playing for a few hours, no conclusions were drawn. Shifty played well, despite not being on his own PC rig at home. Experienced Warzone pro ScummN was even brought into the studio to offer his input as Shifty dropped into lobby after lobby, yet still no concrete opinions were formed. As a result, this all led to a lie detector test near the end of the broadcast. It was something Full Squad Gaming and NRG had been hyping up more than anything else throughout the day. It was with this lie detector test that things quickly fell apart, however. The individual conducting the test, John Grogan, was instantly called out by those watching along live. Grogan, an LA-based polygraph examiner, has appeared on reality shows like the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Beauty and the Geek, among many others. Despite being referred to on TV as “one of the most respected polygraph examiners in the country,” his experience was called into question by viewers. In 2008, Grogan filed a lawsuit alleging “defamation, invasion of privacy (false light), and intentional infliction of emotional distress” against several individuals and companies for making false statements about his polygraph work. The lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount, concluding, “no party in any way admits liability or wrongdoing of any sort.” However, as Twitch chat began to question the authenticity of this lie detector test, the Full Squad Gaming channel quickly threw to an intermission screen. With thousands awaiting results, hosts Jake Lucky and Grady Rains soon returned to address the concern. They opted not to share the results of Shifty’s test. In just a matter of minutes, the stream was shut down, the Twitch VOD was deleted, and the YouTube stream was made private. At the end of the day I did not feel comfortable sharing those results and I think that was the right call. Thank you all so much who came out because beyond that big blunder that was so much fun for me. More important updates coming tomorrow. — Jake Lucky (@JakeSucky) April 6, 2022 “[F**k] me,” Lucky said on Twitter after the broadcast ended. “At the end of the day I did not feel comfortable sharing those results and I think that was the right call.” The hosts offered to cover the costs for a secondary lie detector test, if Shifty wants to continue proving his innocence. For the time being, however, it seems unlikely as the budding Warzone pro “just [wants] to play CoD” moving forward.

CoD players lash out at “grim” Warzone 2 Season 4 Reloaded roadmap filled with Bundles ActivisionCall of Duty players across both Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 aren’t exactly thrilled with the state of the Season 4 Reloaded roadmap. Despite its marquee collab with The Boys, a lack of substance and a reliance on existing in-store Bundles has many labeling it as a “grim” look at the weeks ahead. With each passing season, and the mid-season updates between them, CoD players are typically treated to a new roadmap. These chock-full graphics intend to give the community a condensed look at everything on the horizon. From new multiplayer maps in MW2 to exciting Battle Royale playlists on the Warzone 2 side, and of course, weapons and cosmetics carrying across both, there’s always plenty listed on these roadmaps so everyone knows what’s in the pipeline. However, with Season 4 Reloaded now in focus, the community isn’t quite enamored with the latest look ahead. While a major crossover with The Boys takes center stage, many players have lashed out at the surrounding content, or lack thereof, to be precise. “The Season 4 Reloaded roadmap without Bundles is grim,” one player claimed on Reddit in response to the news. Obscuring all in-store Bundles of weapon Blueprints and Operator skins alike, they shared a rather blank roadmap with only a few notable pieces of fresh content. Furthermore, others quickly highlighted how some of the advertised bundles in the roadmap have actually been available in the shop “for weeks” at this point. “Don’t let the clowns fool you,” another player chimed in to alert the community. “Padding out your ‘upcoming content’ sheet with cosmetics that have already been out for weeks just comes across as desperation.” In total, six cosmetic Bundles are advertised on the latest roadmap, filling the bottom right corner of the graphic. Joining them is a spotlight for new Operator Izzy alongside three standalone Bundles from The Boys crossover. Thus, premium packs in the shop take up nearly half of the entire roadmap. With players already concerned over not only the new Shotgun in Season 4 Reloaded, but also one of the crossover Boys skins too, these complaints only pile onto what’s already a controversial update for the hit FPS titles. It’s worth bearing in mind, however, Reloaded updates are often smaller in scope compared to the dawn of a new season in full. Though whether the upcoming Season 5 content drop looks to address player complaints over a reliance on Bundles in the roadmap, we’ll just have to wait and see.

CoD players impressed by “promising competitor” XDefiant: “Why can’t CoD do this?” Ubisoft / ActivisonThe Call of Duty community has a debate brewing, sparked after a promising CoD competitor, XDefiant, has impressed some players. For quite some time, Call of Duty and Warzone have been shadowed by a cloud of disappointment. Players have long taken issue with some of the latest updates, particularly over pressing issues that they argue make the game unenjoyable. However, a new game is on the horizon. Despite it being in its early stages, Ubisoft’s upcoming XDefiant has already impressed the CoD community, with some labeling it as a “promising competitor.” CoD community impressed with Ubisoft’s XDefiant XDefiant is Ubisoft’s free-to-play arena shooter, bringing together the Tom Clancy universe. The game was first announced in 2021 and is now finally entering its closed beta testing. Several content creators have already gotten access to the beta, and they’re certainly impressed by what they’ve seen thus far. KARNAGE Clan’s CEO Landon claims that XDefiant is already a promising competitor to Call of Duty. Listing the slew of features the game delivers — many of which CoD fans have wanted for years — has got the community excited. “It seems like they’re going to have strong communication with consistent changes based on community feedback,” said Landon. “We genuinely need a Call of Duty competitor, especially with the state COD is in right now. It’s good to have competition and I’m excited about what XDefiant has to offer.” Players have already discovered how to slide cancel using the game’s movement mechanics, which has got fans reminiscing about the controversial feature that was once prevalent in older Call of Duty titles. According to CoD YouTuber Rara, XDefiant delivers where CoD doesn’t. “Bro what the f**k. Why can’t CoD do this?! xDefiant lays it all out. I’m streaming this all week. Skrew cod,” he said. On the other hand, some aren’t hopeful for the new FPS’ future past its initial hype. “Kinda seems like another Splitgate scenario like last year to me. Not denying it’s what the community wanted but without Call of Duty in the title it seems it’s just gonna be another rinse and repeat,” one player wrote. It’s not the first time Ubisoft has tried making its mark in the competitive FPS genre. However, it may be time for a new title to finally dethrone Call of Duty.

CoD players highlight major flaw with Vanguard’s ‘disastrous’ perk system ActivisionCall of Duty Vanguard is the latest installment in the franchise, and before it’s even been officially launched on November 5, many players are calling out the “scuffed” perk system in the game. Vanguard brings the CoD franchise back to World War II, following on from Sledgehammer Games’ 2017 entry CoD: WWII. As news and features have slowly filtered out, as well as some reveals from the beta gameplay, players have been getting a better idea of how Vanguard might end up playing out — and the perks are raising some eyebrows. In particular, the Perk 1 slot looks particularly stacked, and players aren’t happy. With some players able to access Vanguard early and have a look at everything that’s available, the perks quickly became a strong topic of discussion. It was revealed that the Perk 1 slot will hold all of Ninja, Fortified (Flak Jacket) and Survival Training (Tactical Mask), meaning players will have to make some serious decisions. Two-time CoD world champion Patrick ‘Aches’ Price said that this combination, as well as the game having no Trophy Systems, is a “recipe for disaster.” Ninja, Flak, and Tac are all perk 1s w/ no trophy’s in the game? Recipe for disaster my goodness. — PATTYP (@ACHES) November 3, 2021 Former Challengers player Defrag, who recently announced his switch to competing in Halo Infinite, said that “create a class is scuffed” as a result of this. https://twitter.com/Defraaag/status/1456034484571316224?s=20 Not everybody was against this, though. Nik, for example, thinks that “people rely too heavily on these perks in CoD.” I’m not mad about this. People rely too heavily on these perks in CoD anymore. — Nik (@adiceus_) November 4, 2021 Whether this changes over time remains to be seen, but it’s fair to say that competitive players, in particular, aren’t impressed by these perk choices. With ranked and official CDL rulesets all still under wraps, the game could look very different on the competitive side of things down the line.

CoD players highlight major flaw with Black Ops Cold War scorestreaks ActivisionIt may have only just come out of alpha testing, but Call of Duty players are already calling for a major change to how scorestreaks work in Black Ops Cold War. So far, PlayStation players are the only ones to have given the game a trial run, with the alpha phase from September 18-20 giving thousands of players a first look at the next iteration of the CoD franchise. Naturally, with a new Call of Duty game comes a number of major changes, but for the first time in years it looks as though scorestreaks are getting a huge overhaul. The new system has confused a number of players, with streaks retaining through death, but to some players this isn’t even the biggest issue: they want a big change to scorestreaks for other reasons. As you’ll know if you played the alpha or checked out some gameplay, while streaks retain through death, you get score multipliers for staying alive. For example, a straight 5-killstreak is worth more than getting 5 kills with a death in the middle. While the new change is intended to place heavier emphasis on longer streaks, while still giving everyone the opportunity to earn them, players have found a fatal flaw in the system: they believe it struggles to reward objective players, such as those capturing domination flags or collecting dog tags. Here’s what JDFive suggested could be implemented to better incentivize objective play: In Domination, every flag captured adds a x1 multiplier (excluding neutral flags) – So capping an enemy flag = 100 pts x1, and a 2nd flag after that would be 100 pts x2 = 200 pts – In Kill Confirmed, every 3rd dog tag adds a x2 multiplier – Capping 3 tags = 50 pts x 2 = 100 pts. – 6 tags would earn you 50 pts x 4 = 200 pts – In Hardpoint, every 5 seconds on the objective would earn you a x1 multiplier – So 10 seconds on the OBJ = 15 pts x2 = 30 pts, 15 seconds would earn you 45 pts, etc – Objective play has long been an issue under different killstreak and scorestreak systems, where often chasing kills can be more beneficial than helping your team secure the points to win the game more directly, but JDFive thinks this new system exacerbates the issue even further. Obviously, as the game was only in alpha, we may see some big changes ahead of the beta on October 9 and the game’s full launch in November. We’ll have to just wait and see.

CoD players furious over “perfect” camo grinding playlist added to Vanguard over MW2 ActivisionCall of Duty players are outraged over the ideal camo-grinding playlist being added to Vanguard instead of MW2. The Call of Duty franchise’s camo grind is a significant feature in every game. Each new iteration of the game brings a unique opportunity to load up into public matches, grab some friends, and tackle all of the required challenges to unlock the game’s best weapon skins. It gives players something to strive for and adds an element of challenge to the gameplay that’s not found in the normal loop. However, there are a ton of them to complete for those who are after the precious Orion camo in MW2, so when a game type popped up that would make things a lot less difficult, fans were heartbroken to hear that it was a Vanguard exclusive. Call of Duty fans slam the decision to add “perfect” camo grinding mode to Vanguard instead of MW2 As highlighted by the Toronto Ultra of the Call of Duty League, No Limits Shipment is a new addition to Call of Duty Vanguard that increases the time limit of several modes on the classic map. For those out of the loop, Shipment’s tiny design and brutally-fast gameplay make it an ideal pick for camo hunters as they never waste time getting the kills needed to complete each new journey step. The classic drawback to the map is that games end far too fast for people to make significant progress without playing multiple games in a row, so this new extended version would give them more of a chance to get in the zone and start checking things off their list. However, the mode being a Vanguard exclusive has left players scratching their heads or raising their fists since it means they’re stuck doing things the old-fashioned way. At the same time, their Vanguard counterparts get to reap the rewards of Shipment’s extended high-octane gameplay. One player was left in total disbelief over the decision, calling it “moronic” not to bring it to the newest game in the series. “No one even plays Vanguard anymore,” they complained. “These devs are always on some bulls***t…” Another commenter joked that Infinity Ward would “never” let them have a playlist as fun as this one. There’s no telling if this, or any other similar playlists, will touchdown in MW2 in the near future, but it’s clear that there is plenty of demand from the community.

CoD players furious as Activision shuts down H2M MW2 mod ActivisionBefore the Modern Warfare 2 (2009) mod, H2M, launched on Aug. 16, Activision shut the project down, and fans called out Activision for reaping some unearned rewards from the situation. H2M was built in Modern Warfare Remastered and features over 50 Multiplayer maps from numerous Call of Duty titles, a large weapon selection, the original progression system, and every classic killstreak. Several content creators were given early access, and the early gameplay footage excited players. Modern Warfare Remastered coincidentally went half off on Steam days before H2M launched, and the mod’s anticipation contributed to it becoming the third best-selling game on Steam. Given the sudden surge in sales, fears started to creep in that the project would get shut down by Activision after already players took advantage of the deal. Those concerns became a reality as the H2M development team announced one day before release that Activision sent a cease and desist letter forcing them to shut down all operations immediately and permanently. CoD content creator Kalei highlighted that Activision benefitted most from this mod. “You have to buy the game from Activision so they pocket all of it,” Kalei pointed out. “It’s legit to support the older CoDs on newer servers and bring back nostalgia. So disappointing, but not surprised.” Fellow content creator LegacyKilla also questioned the timing of the decision. “Just to understand the scumbaggery of this move, Activision waited until the day before this mod was being released and a day AFTER a Steam sale for Modern Warfare Remastered ended (which the mod required).” H2M’s shutdown follows a trend of other fan-made mods getting shut down before seeing the light of day or shortly after launch. In May 2023, Activision shocked the CoD community by sending a cease-and-desist letter to the Sm2 developers, who had spent over a year creating a free-to-play mod using the MW2019 engine. During that same month, Activision also forced X Labs to shut down as it hosted servers for previous titles such as Black Ops 3.

COD players frustrated with “useless” blueprints in MW3 & Warzone event challenge ActivisionModern Warfare 3 and Warzone players have been left frustrated after grinding the Warhammer 40K event challenges just to unlock a weapon blueprint they deem “useless.” Not every blueprint or weapon can be heavily revered by players, and even the most impressive and OP meta guns will get their share of hate, and it seems as though the Righteous Storm WSP-9 blueprint is going to fall straight into that category. The submachine gun blueprint can be unlocked by completing the Warhammer 40K event challenges, which takes a decent amount of playing and XP to grind through — but it might not be worth the payout. “I’ve unlocked yet again another useless weapon skin/blueprint that the majority of people don’t even use,” said xElemeno on Reddit. “Seriously, why can’t they give us cool stuff to unlock other than pointless ugly camos and weapon skins that look like shit that not many people will even use?” Elemeno even requested a throwback feature from an older COD title, asking “what happened to the mastercrafts that we had back in BO4? A lot of those were badass.” One player replied, sarcastically saying that it “makes sense” that an event based around “big, brolic space marines” would provide a reward of a “dainty SMG.” With so many blueprints, camos, and weapons in the game, there is something for everyone, but there’s no doubting that players are upset about this Righteous Storm reward.

CoD players flame Vanguard’s graphics: ‘It looks like Nintendo DS’ ActivisionThe Call of Duty community has had mixed reactions to Vanguard’s Alpha, with the loudest roasting the game’s console graphics. Likened to the Nintendo DS, among more colorful language, the community is… less than delighted. Call of Duty and PlayStation have a deal in place which means PS players get access to more stuff, and earlier stuff, than their PC and Xbox counterparts. Such is the case with the 2021 Vanguard Alpha, which is exclusive to PS4 and PS5. Unfortunately, while Alphas are usually expected to look less polished than their final product, the return to PlayStation graphics has left streamers and fans heated. One clip in particular has gotten the ire of players, with people reacting and claiming the graphics look like they’re from a Nintendo DS or the year 2000. Above all else, many just seems uninspired by their first look. what are these graphics why does it look like a DS game — ₥𝘦𝐫𝘤Ỿ 💥☔️ (@horriblemercy) August 27, 2021 As you can see in the clip, the graphics aren’t particularly impressive. This can be attributed to this being an Alpha as well as the perils of Twitter compression, but also to the PlayStation exclusivity. That latter point has been explicitly questioned by popular CoD content creators like JGOD, who called it “insane” for the first look at CoD 2021 to be a look at limited console visuals. Insane that we people can only show off/see Console Gameplay for people’s 1st impressions of Vanguard. When it looks better graphically than MW2019/WZ, but you would never know from what is being posted. Should be tons of 1440/4k60 120 Fov gameplay being posted, but no 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️ — James – JGOD (@JGODYT) August 27, 2021 Concerned over the impression people are getting from gameplay, JGOD reinforces that the game actually a graphical improvement over its predecessors: “It looks better graphically than MW2019 and Warzone, but you would never know from what is being posted.” Bemoaning the inability to play and share the game in 1440p or 120 FOV, JGOD was sure to comfort people in the replies that yes, this game looks “better than CoD has ever looked graphically.” While many players aren’t bothered by the Alpha’s presentation, seeing it as what it is — a test of bugs and gameplay, a loud group still isn’t pleased. The overarching theme seems to be: a game on 2013’s PS4 shouldn’t look like it’s from 2004’s Nintendo DS.

CoD players explore potential of Black Ops Cold War diving board Activision[jwplayer br5AuoVJ]The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Alpha is live and the CoD community is having a lot of fun with one area in particular: the Miami map’s functional diving board. Diving boards are one of mankind’s most intuitive inventions: a large plank atop a pool of water that has enough give to allow a prospective diver the opportunity to bounce themself upward. Unlike birds, humans have a tumultuous relationship with the physics of gravity and seek out any and all opportunities to defy its inherent pull toward the earth. In the past, Call of Duty titles have toyed with the gravity by allowing players to rock jetpacks or utilize grappling hooks. While neither appears prevalent in the upcoming title from Treyarch and Raven Software, they have included a functional diving board in their Miami multiplayer map and its bounce appears to be fully intended. As shown in the third-person by players like ‘winterWhiteout’ experimenting on Reddit, the Miami diving board allows you to gain some serious height when utilized correctly as a jumping pad. Unsurprisingly, for a community that truly loves its trick shots, that air time has been fully taken advantage of for some hilarious Day 1 plays. The Call of Duty League’s pros have immediately gotten in on the action too, with a joyful clip from a positively giddy James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks bouncing and securing kills like a lifeguard gone rogue. Can’t wait for you to break this one out next season. https://t.co/gqGn9pTRR0 — Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) September 18, 2020 Clayster’s clip, in which he snags two kills simply by showing off his vertical on the plank, gained enough traction for Activision’s official CoD account to confirm that the mechanic is intended. Their quote tweet suggests that the bouncy board is unlikely to be removed: “Can’t wait for you to break this one out next season.” But Clayster and Reddit aren’t the only ones having fun in Miami. The vintage Call of Duty energy is real with this one, as content creators have already jumped on the opportunity, pun intended, to get some nasty trick shots. https://twitter.com/xFryeGuy/status/1307032016068673537 As Clayster showed, you can get some nice sight lines by bouncing about. As FryeGuy showed, the air time can give you some silly trick-shot potential. There is no cover surrounding the diving board, though, so players must weigh the risk against the reward. All we know is that this fun little plank is expected to increase jumping abilities into the CDL’s 2021 season and that means we could be seeing some hilarious highlights on the regular.

COD players dust off Xbox 360s to celebrate “sudden” Modern Warfare 2 revival ActivisionActivision fixed matchmaking for Modern Warfare 2 on Xbox 360, and fans think it’s because of the pending Microsoft acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Activision shocked and disappointed the COD community in May by shutting down two passion projects. First, Sm2, a free-to-play mod using the MW 2019 engine, saw its doors close before ever seeing the light of day after two years of development. And then five days later, a cease and desist letter forced X Labs to shut down, which featured modded versions of previous COD titles like Black Ops 3. Players were left with nowhere to turn if they wanted to play old COD titles. For example, Black Ops Cold War had an exploit allowing players to gain access to the IP addresses of others in the lobby. Fortunately, Activision launched an investigation, and the devs appear to have also begun revisiting other classic titles. Modern Warfare 2 (2009) suddenly brought back to life On July 12, CharlieIntel reported: “It appears Activision has fixed matchmaking on older Call of Duty games on Xbox 360.” Zekco Trickshots successfully loaded into a Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer match. Previously, servers only worked for private matchmaking. Coincidently just one day prior, the Federal Court sided with Microsoft over the Federal Trade Commission. This helped potentially clear a path for Microsoft to complete its nearly $70 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard before the looming July 18 expiration date. Players speculated that Microsoft was behind MW2’s unexpected reemergence; CharlieIntel responded to those claims. “Activision has not commented on why this was suddenly fixed. Microsoft does not own Activision yet, so they couldn’t have directed this fix yet. But it could be related to the fact that the company that will soon own them would like their old games to be playable.” CharlieIntel shut down any possibility of Microsoft pulling the strings behind Modern Warfare 2’s fix but didn’t rule out a potential correlation. For more on Microsoft’s potential buyout of Activision Blizzard, check out our full coverage.

CoD players divided as classic Black Ops 2 map causes Mandela Effect ActivisionCall of Duty players are no strangers to heated debates about the game. However, in this latest argument we see how one of Black Ops 2’s classic map, Standoff, causes the Mandela effect to sweep over people. There have been many great debates to surface in the CoD community. For instance arguing the greatest dynasty of CoD esports or the best gun of all time, just to name a couple. Players were recently in a huge debate all because of Dallas Empire player Indervir ‘iLLeY’ Dhaliwal. He seemingly broke CoD twitter and caused the Mandela Effect to plague the community — all because of a sign in a map that’s existed in CoD for years. The CDL pro posted a picture from the Black Ops 2 map Standoff that struck the emotions of many personalities and, well, the rest of it is up to you to decide if you agree with iLLeY or not. Mandela Effect takes over Call of Duty community If you’ve ever wondered what the Mandela Effect is, it’s when you believe that a distorted memory is in fact real. iLLeY ensued chaos when he took to Twitter to he claim that Cold War’s latest patch added this sign to Standoff, a map that was brought back to the game with Season 3. This had the community absolutely torn debating if the sign was in fact there before the update and in Black Ops 2. Everyone that’s ever played Standoff was questioning everything and trying to think back nine years to when the map was first released. Some people saying it was there the whole time and other players denying its existence. This was such a hard debate and we had to know for ourselves what everyone thought, so we took to Twitter and asked what side you were on. The community gives their thoughts Turns out that 52% of the community thinks that this sign was just added to the game and has not been there. This just further provoked members of the community to lend their voice to the cause. 100 Thieves CEO Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag joined in on the controversy. He was absolutely shocked, believing that this sign was never in the Black Ops 2 map. I am in disbelief. There is no way this sign was in the original Black Ops 2 Standoff. This is the greatest example of the Mandela Effect that I’ve ever witnessed. https://t.co/G01mcy0OKw — 100T Nadeshot (@Nadeshot) July 25, 2021 He also says, “This is the greatest example of the Mandela Effect that I’ve ever witnessed.” We can confirm that this sign has indeed been a part Standoff in the same location for its entire existence. As Nadeshot mentioned, this is in fact a great example of the Mandela Effect and it created a fun debate across the scene.

CoD players divided after seeing Modern Warfare 2 will be on old gen consoles Modern Warfare 2 is coming to both last-gen and current-gen hardware in 2022 — but the news has caused a divide between Call of Duty players. Excitement for Modern Warfare 2 spread across social media yesterday as the new Call of Duty title was teased. As more details were revealed, that initial excitement devolved into frustration and heated debates with the announcement that Modern Warfare 2 is coming to old-gen consoles. The production of Playstation 3 games stopped four years into the Playstation 4’s life cycle. Following that timeline, old-gen games should be supported until at least 2024. However, some fans believe that Warzone developers are being held back by old-gen limitations, while others say they shouldn’t have to buy new consoles that are not readily available. Is Warzone being held back by old-gen consoles? Console shortages for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S have been a well-documented issue since their initial release in 2020. Consoles are becoming more readily available in some regions, but some people still struggle to get their hands on a new console. In a Reddit thread discussing Modern Warfare 2 coming to old-gen consoles, one user said that “unfortunately, new consoles still aren’t regularly available.” As of writing, 123 people liked that comment. Another user stated: “You must bear in mind that PS4/Xbox still is the majority of the console userbase. I doubt that they would alienate that due to the amount of money they would lose.” Some users supported the claim above by saying that they are not financially able to purchase a new console. Read More: Full Warzone 2 map leaked with all POIs – One commenter said: “They need to ditch the old hardware now. Some of it is nearly a decade old. Let it die and stop kneecapping current-gen consoles.” Call of Duty insider Tom Henderson suggested that Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 may be the last title coming on old-gen consoles. Modern Warfare II (2022) is coming to both current-gen and past generation consoles. It’s currently believed that this will be the last Call of Duty coming to past generation consoles, but it will ultimately depend on the console market conditions. pic.twitter.com/YTucmVCcqY — Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) December 10, 2021 It looks as though the Call of Duty community will continue to be in disagreement over whether or not CoD should be on old-gen until that date does officially come. What the future holds for previous-gen players, though, remains to be seen.

CoD players discover some MW2 skins are “pay-to-win” on MW3’s maps ActivisionMW3 players are sharing their worst fears ahead of the full-game launch, with the latest fear centered on the Carry Forward system. MW3’s arrival is nearly here, and despite the overwhelmingly negative reception to the game’s campaign, fan hype is still relatively high for the multiplayer. It’s for good reason, as MW3 will see sixteen maps at launch, all from 2009′ beloved Modern Warfare 2. Along with that, this title will feature a “Carry Forward” system, letting players bring all of their MW2 purchases and weaponry over. However, this same system is causing some player concern, most notably due to “pay-to-win” skins coming over to MW3. CoD players fear MW2 skins will ruin MW3 In recent years, Call of Duty has heavily invested in making its in-game shop the best it can be. MW2 has reflected that sentiment, with this year bringing in DOOM and even rappers like 21 Savage and Nicki Minaj, complete with unique weapons and character skins. As the name implies, the “Carry Forward” system lets players bring all their MW2 cosmetics to the next title. This has caused some players to brainstorm what MW3 will be like, and it’s raised some questions. Shared to the ModernWarfareIII Reddit, user ThunderTRP showed a glimpse of what’s to come. In an image, the infamous Gaia skin is shown on Estate, and it gave fans a nasty headache. The Gaia skin is just one example, but an infamous one nonetheless. Fans have begged for changes, as it’s nearly unseeable due to its design. “I genuinely didn’t see them for like a solid 10 seconds,” one player reflected. Combine that Estate’s forest foliage, and MW3 players are in for a time like no other. With the spawn’s less-than-stellar, and MW3 already ripped for being a technical step backward, this year’s title may be putting itself in a pickle.

CoD players desperate for simple change to Warzone looting Infinity WardCall of Duty: Warzone players have become more vocal in their demands for a highly requested looting feature, which would see teammates able to drop weapons for their allies. Since release on March 10, Warzone has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the wider Call of Duty community, and even players from other games. Many have praised its mechanics and fast pace, comparing it favorably to Black Ops 4’s Blackout. But, in a gaming landscape dominated by battle royales, fans of Warzone are still eager to see support from the developers. This means regular updates and the incorporation of the most favored BR features to keep it ahead of its rivals like Apex Legends and Fortnite. However, as Warzone turns a few weeks old, a number of Call of Duty players are calling for a simple, yet crucial looting feature to be added. “Please allow us to drop weapons for our teammates,” one fan said, on March 21. “With all the things you can drop, I still can’t believe why the option to drop a weapon for your friend is missing. Your friend can survive the gulag [1vs1] and reach your position but, they can’t have any weapon until they start to loot again. Please add this feature.” Despite being in almost every battle royale game available, the feature remains absent from Warzone. It is a fairly basic feature for a battle royale mode, particularly one dominated by team-based game modes. The sentiment was echoed by a number of Warzone players, who agreed that it is a must-add feature. The suggestion’s popularity is reinforced by the number of upvotes it has received which, at the time of writing, sits at just over 1,500. Some players argued that it is incredibly easy to find weapons on the floor, even in late-game scenarios. However, others countered that it is a staple feature of most battle royales, and would allow players to operate more tactically depending on the diversity of weapons on a certain team. Neither Raven Software nor Infinity Ward have replied to the requests, but they will undoubtedly be keen to provide fans with what they want. Currently, players cannot drop their weapons without replacing it for another. Read More: CoD: MW2 Remastered leaked by rating agency – In such a saturated battle royale market, the most desirable features are undoubtedly essential when it comes to staying ahead of the pack.

CoD players demand Warzone 2.0 adds punishments for early leavers ActivisionCall of Duty players are demanding that Warzone 2.0 bring more punishments for players who leave matches early. Warzone 2.0 is almost here, and dedicated players of the battle royale are hoping that big changes are coming for the Infinity Ward and Raven Software FPS game. Although there are plenty of gameplay changes fans would love to see, there are also a few alterations to the game’s matchmaking and lobbies players want, including how it treats players who abandon games mid-match. CoD fans want Warzone 2.0 to punish leavers User gtgcya posted to the CoD Warzone subreddit a post demanding big changes to how Warzone 2.0 should deal with players who quit matches early. In the body of the post they shared how fed up they are with players who instantly quit a match the first time they’re downed. “It feels literally impossible to have a successful game solo-queuing. You either get teammates who have no game sense whatsoever or teammates who just leave as soon as they go down. This mostly happens to me in Resurgence, but f**k is it annoying. “I know the game isn’t “competitive”, but it would be a lot easier to enjoy a game if one of my teammates didn’t quit out instantly.” It’s been a fairly big topic throughout Warzone’s history, and the player-base is voicing their desire to see it end once and for all in the BR sequel. Other users in the comment section shared what specific changes they’d like to see once the sequel shooter finally drops. One said, “If and only if they properly detect crashes/disconnects versus voluntarily leaving. Even better, catch up to other Battle Royales and add a reconnect button for Pete’s sake!” Another Warzone player said teammates leaving “ruins the experience” of the game, and that the lack of penalties for leaving overall keeps games non-competitive. Hopefully, for players who don’t abandon their teammates frequently, the devs can fix this problem once Warzone 2.0 officially drops.

CoD players delighted as Modern Warfare 2 leaks hint towards long-awaited movement change ActivisionCall of Duty players have responded positively after Modern Warfare 2 leaks hinted towards a major movement change for the series, potentially removing the much maligned slide-cancelling mechanic. Despite the mixed to positive reception of Modern Warfare 2019, fans are incredibly excited for Modern Warfare 2, Infinity Ward’s highly-anticipated sequel set in Colombia amid conflict with the nation’s drug cartels. That is partially because of the poor reception received by CoD: Vanguard, but also because of the plethora of new features we’re expecting from MW2. Among new modes like DMZ, rumors regarding the 2022 title suggest that slide-canceling will be absent. The movement mechanic debuted in Modern Warfare but has split opinions since then. News that it might not feature has been promulgated by prominent community figures like Swagg and ZooMa and players have now responded positively. CoD players delighted at rumors MW2 won’t have slide-canceling One Redditor expressed mixed feelings in an August 5 post but, in response, players were generally thrilled by the prospect of CoD minus the movement mechanic. A player replied: “Very excited to see slide canceling be gone. I’m all for skill gaps. It also screws up the other player’s aim assist. It’s nearly impossible to counter in CQB, especially with peeker’s advantage. And don’t even get me started on the slide canceling with a riot shield that plagued Shoot the Ship.” Another commented: “Slide canceling wasn’t even supposed to be in MW19. They were planning on patching it and pointed out that it was an exploit. But due to how long it was taking them to fix they quietly removed it from the trello board and didn’t say anything more, most likely also due to many thinking it was some great movement feature.” It’s obviously unconfirmed whether slide-canceling will feature in MW2, but the balance of player opinion certainly seems to be in favor of abolishing the mechanic. We expect to hear more in the near future as details on the 2022 installment pile up.

CoD players concerned Warzone is “turning into Fortnite” with its wacky crossovers YouTube: Call of DutyWarzone’s latest season has fans concerned the FPS is turning into Fortnite, as wacky crossovers continue to release. Over the years, Call of Duty has steadily evolved its content plan with unique skins and bundles to enhance player experience. In the blink of an eye, modest skin packs turned into full-blown celebrity and licensed brand crossovers once Warzone hit the scene. Just this year alone, Call of Duty has introduced Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, and 21 Savage as playable characters. Season 6 has upped the ante, with Spawn, the Gaia tree, and many more unique skins joining the in-game store. As cool as it’s been, not everyone’s a fan of these crossovers. Some fans fear that CoD is dangerously close to Fortnite territory should these trends continue. CoD fans fear Warzone is entering Fortnite territory When it comes to insane crossovers in modern gaming, Fortnite is seen as the “pioneer” of this trend. Since its release, Fortnite has almost every video game character, movie character, and celebrity you could name as a playable option. While Fortnite’s approach to crossovers has gone over very well, Call of Duty’s has split the player base. Realism in Call of Duty has always been a hot topic, and each crossover brings this topic back to the forefront of the game. One Warzone player perfectly captured how far the battle royale has come. In a screenshot, Skeletor, John “Soap” MacTavish, a creepy clown, and a “normal” in-game skin are prepped and ready to dominate the Warzone. The original poster of this image had a blast with this screenshot, and so did many others. “I love this about CoD. Something for everyone,” replied one player. However, the other responses weren’t so joyful. “Fortnite lookin ass game,” to which plenty others chimed in with similar responses. In a more measured response, another member replied “I know CoD isn’t milsim but I’m not for this. I’m 36, I started playing CoD on pc with the very first game in 2003. It’s these skins that made me realize I am not the target demo for the CoD games anymore, and I am okay with that.” Don’t expect this conversation to die out anytime soon, with Modern Warfare 3 likely to push that envelope even more.

CoD players concerned for Warzone 2 as cheaters surge ahead of launch ActivisionCall of Duty: Warzone players have already got some concerns about cheaters appearing in Warzone 2 following a rise of activity in the last few weeks of the original battle royale. The highly-anticipated release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is only a few weeks away, and while many players are looking forward to getting stuck into that, it will also mark the arrival of Warzone 2. Warzone 2, which will be a follow-up to the original Warzone release, is expected to release around November 16 and bring a new battle royale experience to Call of Duty players. Though, Caldera, Fortune’s Keep, and Rebirth Island are still expected to carry on in the original Warzone. While the countdown in on for the new game, some players have got concerns about how it will deal with cheaters and hackers, as they’ve apparently been on the rise again in Caldera. Warzone cheaters surge again in Caldera A number of players across social media have flagged the fact that they’ve encountered more cheaters than normal over the past few days, with many putting it down to the fact that a new game is almost here. “Cheaters have shot up this week, not sure why though,” said one annoyed player. “MW2 beta (is coming),” answered another. “Saw this (aimbots and wallhacks) twice last night. And is highly suspicious these players are newbie ranked. Hacked accounts and cheating. Cod future has never looked brighter,” one said sarcastically. While banwaves are still rolling out, new accounts popping up means that players are getting around them in some way. Though, some worry that will also spell bad news for Warzone 2. “Your account will be banned in the new game also. Then again, since everyone starts from zero anyway, not much of a loss to start a new account,” added one. Other players urged Activision and Raven Software to buff up the Ricochet anti-cheat for Warzone 2. Though, others want something a little stronger too. “An anti-cheat, and not the embarrassment that is Ricochet,” requested one player. We’ll just have to wait and see if that happens.

CoD players claim Modern Warfare’s lobby is causing PS4s to overheat Infinity Ward / Unsplash[jwplayer mnhpUTeb]A bizarre issue with Modern Warfare and Warzone’s lobby screen in-game is seemingly causing Playstation 4’s to overheat following claims from multiple Call of Duty personalities such as Jkap and Attach. The release of Modern Warfare and its free battle royale mode, Warzone, has been quite successful in recent months, attracting tens of millions of players to the franchise. However, unfortunately, some PS4 owners have noticed a major issue with the FPS title, following reports that their consoles were overheating when left on certain screens in-game. The issue was recently brought up after Call of Duty pro Dillon ‘Attach’ Price shared a clip of the noise his PS4 was making, even comparing it to the sound of a “jet engine,” while playing the game on June 25. The NY Subliners star asked for any advice on how to fix it and fellow CoD pro Jordan ‘Jkap’ Kaplan responded to the post, claiming that he had also experienced the same issue, highlighting that it was most noticeable in Modern Warfare’s lobby screen, before queueing for a match. “Mine has been the same way lately, sounds like a plane about to take off every time I’m sitting in a lobby” the two-time world champion explained. Mine has been the same way lately, sounds like a plane about to take off every time I’m sitting in a lobby — Jordan Kaplan (@JKap415) June 25, 2020 Their discussion resulted in a lot of feedback from other Modern Warfare and Warzone players who had dealt with the issue, with one fan even demonstrating their Ps4 turning itself off after overheating in the lobby. After Jkap reached out to Infinity Ward to address the issue, Call of Duty YouTuber XclusiveAce also chimed in, seemingly confirming that the problem was stemming from the lobby screen. “I always back out to the title screen when I want to keep the game on standby without the PS4 preparing for take off while I’m working,” he revealed. Yep! I always back out to the title screen when I want to keep the game on standby without the PS4 preparing for take off while I’m working. — Xclusive Ace (@TheXclusiveAce) June 25, 2020 Many have speculated that the issue might be caused by the walking character models in the background, following claims that the lobby screen seemingly has an uncapped frame rate. As of now, Infinity Ward has not responded to the issue and it is unclear if there is any way to fix it besides, as some have previously mentioned, switching to different screens such as the loadout customization to lessen the problem.

CoD players claim Makarov “fell off” in MW3’s campaign ActivisionMakarov has proven himself to be one of CoD’s greatest villains, yet his latest reimagining has left players severely disappointed at how “watered down” he became. 2023’s MW3 has been the center of much attention, for better and worse. While fans have had their fair share of criticism on the multiplayer component, overall reception has been positive due to the return of CoD’s arcade-like roots. On the other hand, the campaign itself has been blasted to the moon and back, as it’s been at the forefront of heavy criticism and jokes, most notably Christopher Judge’s roast during The Game Awards. One of the many campaign critiques was its villain, with players roasting the implementation of a reimagined Makarov. Note: Spoilers for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will follow. CoD players compare Makarov of new and old For those out of the loop, the new Modern Warfare trilogy saw the developers retell the tale of the previous trilogy via a “reimagining.” Fans have seen many familiar faces, albeit with minor shifts to their personas or roles. One constant, out of Captain Price and Ghost, is Makarov, the nefarious villain from the previous trilogy who basically started World War 3. Makarov returned in MW3, and after how evil he was years ago, fans were excited to see if he would remain consistently villainous. However, while his reimagined self remained a villain, his persona felt anything but that. Reception of his return has been evil, with fans claiming he’s the weakest villain to date. Others have charted his “fall off,” such as this post shared to the Call of Duty subreddit. “MW3 has quite possibly the worst campaign in the series,” one player replied. They continued: “Good thing Multiplayer and Zombies are fun because god damn the story was not doing the game any favors.” This seemed to be the general consensus, as players felt Makarovs’ return was heinous in execution, not in action. There were also roasts of the character’s appearance, with many feeling he looked anything less than scary. One player replied: “Also to note that the guy on the right doesn’t look terrifying or menacing at f**king all.” Keep in mind, with Call of Duty’s revised approach to storytelling via Warzone, MW3’s Makarov may see his villainous nature fleshed out.

CoD players claim fan-favorite classic MW2 map is as bad as Gustav Cannon ActivisionModern Warfare 3 players are claiming that the fan-favorite classic MW2 map Rust is “awful” and is on level with the infamous Gustav Cannon map from WW2. Surprisingly, Modern Warfare 3′s maps have come under a ton of criticism since the game’s launch. Despite bringing back the classic maps we’ve come to love and cherish for their nostalgia, feelings haven’t remained positive. Since the game’s release, many have heavily criticized the OG maps for various reasons. However, players are now claiming that fan-favorite map Rust is up there with one of CoD’s most infamous map. MW3 player claims Rust is worse than WW2’s Gustav Cannon In a Reddit post on February 11, one MW3 player claimed that Rust is actually an “awful” map, going as far as to say it’s on par with the notorious Gustav Cannon map from WW2 — one of the franchise’s most hated maps. “Rust is truly an awful map and I have no idea why everybody liked it back then,” the post read. “It’s essentially a much smaller version of Gustav Cannon from WW2.” Not only that, the player went on to clarify that it’s not just Rust, explaining they feel that the majority of the classic maps in Modern Warfare 3 play terribly. They added: “Honestly, almost all of the OG MW2 maps are sh*t in MW3. I loved the original one but they just play like sh*t in this game for some reason. I completely avoid quick play because of it.” In the replies, it appears others feel the same way. However, some players gave some insight as to why, explaining that the original MW2 maps aren’t designed for the game today. “MW3’s movement makes the game really fast-paced so its really chaotic in Rust. MW2 had slower movement,” said one. “Rust was only available in FFA and TDM back in the day,” another clarified. “People never had to deal with chaotic objective modes.” Nevertheless, while it looks like players aren’t huge fans of the classic maps we loved years ago, it appears the devs are taking a step in the right direction. The newest maps released with Season 2 have been praised highly as a “huge step up” from previous games.

COD players claim devs are leaving Modern Warfare 2 & Warzone 2 behind to focus on DMZ ActivisionModern Warfare 2 players are getting frustrated with the current state of Call of Duty, suggesting that the developers are paying too much attention to DMZ and neglecting other modes as a result. DMZ is an extraction shooter that was first introduced to Call of Duty alongside Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare II, bringing yet another layer to the gameplay available in COD. Activision has grand plans for it to see success like Warzone did when the battle royale first launched in 2020. While it didn’t quite get off the ground like some may have expected it to, many players still believe the devs pay extra care to the mode ahead of battle royale or multiplayer. Taking to Reddit, COD player antmaster208 posted the meme of a parent caring for one of her children while another struggles in the water behind her, out of sight, comparing it to how the development studios treat each facet of the game. Quoting “the next generation of Call of Duty,” antmaster shows Warzone 2 and co-op modes struggling to stay afloat while multiplayer lays dead under the water. The post overall suggests that DMZ is being cared for far more than the other modes, something that many in the comments agreed with. “DMZ is probably the most boring sh*t I’ve ever played,” said one player, not holding back in their assessment, but the sentiment was echoed throughout the thread, as well as with the hundreds of upvotes on the post. Despite this, there were a number in the comments who were actually happy about it. “I don’t care about multiplayer anyways, been a s**tshow for some time already, done with SBMM and joining matches with bots on my team and pro players against us,” said one comment. “DMZ is the way, having more fun than ever. Plunder whenever we want to go guns blazing.” “Admittedly, I came for the Multiplayer, then I stayed for DMZ. Loving it. Still play and enjoy MP,” said another. This isn’t the first time players have taken issue with DMZ, with complaints over the mode being pay-to-win. Despite this, some experts have even claimed that DMZ is dying, though with a reset coming in Season 4, only time will tell what happens with the game.

CoD players claim Cold War is “the worst thing” to happen to Warzone Treyarch/ActivisionSome Call of Duty players have grown frustrated with Warzone’s merger with Black Ops Cold War, which they think has “ruined” the acclaimed battle royale. Since Warzone’s release back in March of 2020, over 75 million players have dropped into Verdansk and/or Rebirth Island. Activision have seen its first year grow to be an undeniable success, but the merger with Treyarch’s Black Ops Cold War was an unprecedented step for the FPS series. Despite the long-term collaboration between dev studios, it was the first time that an Infinity Ward developed game mode expanded to include Treyarch weapons, streaks and more. While some have enjoyed seeing Warzone’s content refreshed, others have grown frustrated with the merger, as the bugs it has brought and the new meta are less than ideal. In the weeks since Warzone Season One launched and incorporated Black Ops Cold War’s weapons, the DMR 14 has risen to the top and become the undisputed primary weapon in the game. Certain bugs have also become prominent, as has a brand new Gulag in the image of the original Nuketown. Read More: Who is developing Call of Duty 2021? – One, Redditor u/AFreaq, vented their issues in a lengthy post, hitting out at what they have construed as a decline in the game’s quality. “The Cold War integration is the worst thing to ever happen to Warzone,” it says, before flying into criticism. “From the new “Gulag” that is just a copy of Nuketown, because it looks like that is the only thing they can get right with Black Ops, to broken weapons and bugs that 100% will ruin your match, these changes completely killed our enjoyment for the game.” The post also criticized the game’s color scheme and the return of “sweaty” players. It finishes: “After a few days struggling to enjoy one match, I felt the need to vent my frustration of being forced out of a game that kept us entertained during the sh*tshow that was 2020.” Others players agreed, with one stating: “Ruined one of the best BRs out there. All they had to do was make a season 7 for MW/Warzone and let CW be a standalone.” Another echoed: “CW has 2 completely busted weapons and like 5 top tier while MW is all roughly balanced. Just separate the 2 and we’re good.” While general opinion is often hard to gauge, over 500 people have upvoted the Redditor’s strong comments, suggesting that there is considerably empathy for their issues. The road to a complete merger was bound to be uneven, but some clearly feel the bumps are more similar to cliff-edges.

COD players claim Activision is “scared” after announcing free access at same time as XDefiant beta Ubisoft & ActivisonCall of Duty players called out Activision for announcing a Modern Warfare 2 free access weekend right in the middle of XDefiant’s open beta. A group of former COD devs and players helped develop XDefiant, inevitably leading to comparisons between the two traditional multiplayer offerings. Tensions rose as XDefiant made a strong first impression during its initial closed beta, surpassing Call of Duty in Twitch viewership. FaZe Jev went one step further, claiming that XDefiant’s worst map is better than any COD map in years. Despite glowing reviews, some FPS community members remained skeptical of a new game actually standing a chance against the industry giant. Those same skeptics had a change of heart when Activision announced a free MW2 trial period during XDefiant’s open beta. MW2 free access trial coincidently aligns with XDefiant open beta On June 20, Activision announced MW2 multiplayer free access starting on June 22. The trial gives players access to the COD 4 map remake of Showdown and a long list of other maps and game modes. It just so happens that XDefiant’s open beta runs from June 21 to June 23. Ubisoft Executive Producer Mark Rubin previously addressed comparisons between XDefiant and COD. “XDefiant is a love letter to the arcade arena shooter! Is it a CoD killer? Pfft…I have no idea. We’re just trying to make a game that people can love for a long time.” Community members weren’t as passive with their thoughts on a battle between the two games. One player claimed: “Right after the XDefiant beta…coincidence? I think not. You can tell how scared they are.” A second user responded: “This is clearly a way to get people from playing XDefiant.” Other players shared their interest in jumping ship and playing XDefiant instead. “Same weekend as the XDefiant beta, which feels more like COD than COD. Nice try.” If you are curious about XDefiant’s open beta, make sure to check out our guide on how to sign up.

CoD players can’t believe “eyesore” UI is back in MW3 after everyone hated it ActivisionThe Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 UI doesn’t look like it’s changing anytime soon. Players have realized this thanks to gameplay footage and are naturally frustrated with the revelation. From the start of Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2 to the present day, the devs have made many changes. WZ2 saw big changes to loadouts not long after launch and it has even received promised movement changes recently. Whereas Modern Warfare 2 made necessary audio changes early on, before addressing other issues such as camos much later. However, one issue that has plagued MW2 for the longest time is its horizontal-based UI. It’s not been very well-received by players and the community has wanted improvements. They haven’t been forthcoming, and worse still, it looks like the Modern Warfare 3 UI will remain unchanged. Modern Warfare 3 UI looks like it will stick to MW2 design Reddit user tactikz4 posted to the Modern Warfare 3 subreddit pointing out that the devs are “really bringing the same UI layout. Sorry, but Horizontal scrolling sucks.” Attached was a picture from recent MW3 gameplay footage. The loadout screen clearly showed the exact same UI layout as MW2, which would suggest that MW3 will be following the same overall UI. One of the top comments had this to say on the controversial topic: “I just don’t understand how someone can design a UI like this for a console/PC game, gets it approved, gets massive criticism, and still doesn’t get an overhaul of it with the original designed relocated to a different job.” Another commenter explained the reasoning behind the interface design: “Because it works for mobile, and that’s the intention. It doesn’t matter if it’s an eyesore for console/PC, they would make adjustments as needed.” Over on Twitter, more users expressed their frustration at the MW2 UI coming back for a second round. It was described by one person as “the worst UI/UX Ever in the history of Call of Duty.” Another Twitter post featured even more responses from players desperate for the UI to be updated. “Too bad, because this UI sucks,” expressed one user, whereas another CoD fan simply said: “F**k.” We’ll have to wait and see if the UI does indeed stay the same. What we do know for sure is that Lara Croft is coming to raid Call of Duty.

CoD players are so tired of cheaters they want Warzone 2 to be full price ActivisionWith rumors of Warzone 2 appearing in the wake of Microsoft’s Activision buyout, Call of Duty fans are suggesting that the battle royale sequel should be a paid title rather than free-to-play. Microsoft’s multi-billion-dollar acquisition of Activision could mean incredible things for the Call of Duty franchise, with one prospect landing in the form of a sequel to the incredibly popular CoD: Warzone. The Raven Software developed battle royale is in vital need of rejuvenation as players are frustrated with its continually buggy state. To combat cheaters and hopefully enrich the in-game experience, some players are proposing that Warzone 2 should move away from the free-to-play model. Warzone players want to “wipe out” cheaters with a paid sequel Warzone went against the typical format of CoD games by ditching a price tag, but fans like Redditor 7LyLa feel that Activision needs to reinstate it for Warzone 2: “Warzone 2 needs to cost 60 dollars. This will instantly wipe out the rage cheaters who do it to ruin your experience.” The Redditor expanded upon their idea adding that cheaters “who are foolish enough to pay and cheat will slowly get reported to overwatch and banned,” in an ideal world. While adding a paywall onto Warzone 2 isn’t a guarantee against cheaters, the Redditor feels that “free Warzone” is the “worst experience ever.” The concept of making Warzone 2 a full-price game has led to mixed responses. One commenter said they’d “Honestly $20-40 would probably GREATLY reduce the number of cheaters,” while another thinks that Warzone needs to “be globally accessible, it’s what makes a game so big and the player base so healthy.” Redditor aj6658 thinks it “won’t happen. They make much more money from F2P model. Think the only way we can hope for is console-only cross play.” Another commenter argued that Warzone isn’t the only game guilty of cheaters: “Everyone seems to be missing that MW19 and CW had a lot of cheaters like blatant ones.” If the developers were to sell Warzone 2 at full price, there does come an expected pedigree of quality, especially with the power Activision holds. For now, Warzone has implemented RICOCHET anti-cheat to aid against troublesome players, but there will always be rogue cheaters on the battlefield.

CoD players are now suing Microsoft in hopes of preventing Activision merger ActivisionA group of 10 frustrated gamers have filed a lawsuit against Microsoft in attempt to stop the blockbuster Activision Blizzard merger, claiming the x billion deal would give the Xbox creators too much of an edge in the industry. At the very beginning of the year, Microsoft announced its plans to acquire publishing giant Activision Blizzard for a staggering $70 billion. This move would see all studios under the umbrella, including CoD, Overwatch, and WoW development teams to name a few, all operate under Microsoft moving forward. Since the deal was made public, Microsoft has been busy in legal dealings trying to push the process along. Given the magnitude of the acquisition, regulatory bodies around the globe must approve the transaction before it can go ahead. As a result, we’ve seen rivals like Sony creating roadblocks where possible to delay the deal. Amid the back and forth, another party has now entered the legal battle. A group of 10 gamers spread across California, New Mexico, and New Jersey filed a private consumer lawsuit on December 20, claiming Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard would tip the scales in their favor and limit competition in the region. Namely, with best-selling franchises like the Call of Duty series factored into the deal, the players expressed concern over Microsoft’s “market power” should they control the publisher. Eyebrows were raised over the possibility to “foreclose rivals, limit output, reduce consumer choice, raise prices, and further inhibit competition.” Swiftly responding to the latest lawsuit in their pile, a Microsoft representative told Reuters that the opposite is true and that the deal will “expand competition and create more opportunities for gamers and game developers.” While this group of avid gamers clearly opposes the deal, elsewhere in the world we see gaming crowds all but favoring the move. Take, for instance, a recent public survey from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, as first reported by IGN. More than 2,100 emails were sent through, with roughly 75% of said emails backing the merger. Clearly, there’s a great divide between fanbases, regions, and consumers all over. We’ll be sure to keep our eyes peeled and update you here as the situation develops.

CoD players apparently wrongfully banned from Modern Warfare & Warzone Activision[jwplayer smSAJfPL]Over the past couple of weeks, Infinity Ward has banned over 70,000 accounts globally for cheating in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone. Now, mounting evidence suggests that many players may be caught up and getting unfairly suspended from the game. Across Reddit, Activision’s support forum, and even in our own email inbox, CoD players are complaining that they’ve been unjustly banned. There even seems to be a Discord server dedicated to the problem. Most have been met with permanent ban notifications, while others have noticed signs that they are shadowbanned. None have received any suggested recourse from customer support. https://twitter.com/Vinsanity1217/status/1254259752109895685 For months now, the player base has been demanding that IW crack down upon the rampant hacking across Modern Warfare and its free counterpart, Warzone. Action was necessary and catching innocent players in this wave of bans is most certainly the lesser of two evils. But some sort of appeal process, or even just communication that the system is being ironed out, would go a long way toward satisfying seemingly innocent players who have poured hours and dollars into this game. As it stands, when you go through Activision’s official customer service page to address a banned account, you are met with a dead end: “Temporary and permanent suspensions from all game modes are final and are not subject to review.” This past week, IW revealed some details about their new anti-cheat system – specifying increased emphasis on player reports and backend security enforcement. With one Reddit thread noting 47 different forum posts related to unjust bans, and another receiving over 500 upvotes and 400 comments after using video evidence to dispute their suspension, it is obvious that some innocent players are suffering and desperate to find a solution. There are a few reasonable explanations for damning false positives. For reports, cross-play lends a situation where PC players can easily think console aim assist is a hack while console players can believe PC flick shots are too. As for the backend technology, it appears that otherwise innocuous background programs and VPN usage may be triggering automatic bans (with the former already being investigated by ITWire’s Nick Ross). With players sharing video evidence and unimpressive statistics as evidence, something seems fishy. It’s even just concerning that the shadow ban thread on Activision’s forums has 500-plus responses (more than any other thread). In one particular example, ‘MozzieWipeout’ shares the clip above, in which he hits suspicious flick shots with the RAM-7. That could easily prompt a report for aim hacks, but as shown in the full video – he also regularly misses shots. While everyone is thrilled that cheaters are bearing the hammer of justice, nobody wants innocent players to be collateral damage. As evidence grows, Activision will need to adapt its stance and begin either accepting ban appeals or rework its anti-cheat system.

CoD players angry as devs keep removing game modes for no reason ActivisionCoD players have grown tired of the devs removing popular game modes such as Plunder for seemingly no reason. The removal of game modes is nothing new to either Warzone 2 or Modern Warfare 2. Throughout the year players have been complaining about the removal of duos and trios. On the Modern Warfare 2 side, Shipment 24/7 has been rotated in and out as a featured game mode several times frustrating those in the community that enjoy its unique chaotic gameplay. But it’s the most recent playlist update that saw Plunder taken out of the game on May 10 that has pushed some players over the edge. CoD players are upset as Plunder is removed from Warzone 2 CoD players have taken to the Warzone Reddit to complain about the removal of Plunder, a new game mode to Warzone 2 that was added on May 17. The post states: “Why the hell are y’all removing game modes and not just leaving them like that crap is so annoying Plunder is the only reason I play this game because of SBMM being so strict and me actually having a job and a life (so I can’t just get better than I already am) the other modes are no fun.” Several members of the community agreed with the post with one response reading: “Preach! Plunder is like the only mode where you can go into Warzone with the loadout you paid for, with unlimited respawns. And it’s up for like, what? A week or two?” Believing the removal of modes is related to player count, another fan replied: “If we really do have a lower player count for Warzone 2, then why not reduce the total player count of Battle Royale lobbies? Any less than 150 would make for slow gameplay, but do we really have a choice at this point?” Some fans defended the decision, sympathizing with the developer’s position: “Sadly, the fact that so many players have left the game makes it a lot harder to keep all the game modes humming along smoothly, without insane wait times. This is probably the reason for the shuffle.” Although the most widely accepted explanation for game modes being removed is a decreasing player count, neither Activision nor Infinity Ward has provided an official explanation.

COD players angry as Activision takes legal action against Black Ops 3 mod X Labs ActivisionCOD community members expressed their disappointment as a second mod in five days shut down operations because of legal actions. An annual release cycle makes it difficult to revisit classic COD titles. Once a new game releases, fans flock to the new shiny product. And an unfortunate byproduct of yearly releases is old series entries not having enough players to host servers. Small development teams have put the onus upon themselves to keep classic experiences alive for players that may have missed our or want to relive their favorite maps and weapons. For example, sm2 was an ambitious mod project that used the Modern Warfare 2019 engine and over 100 iconic weapons from previous games. Community members were looking forward to rewinding the clock and rehashing an old era of the franchise, but Activision stepped in and forced the developers to stop mid-development. Players slammed the decision and took to social media again after another passion project saw its run end. COD players mourn loss of second mod within same week Just five days after sm2 shut its doors, X Labs announced on May 22: “We have received a Cease & Desist letter on behalf of Activision Publishing in relation to the X Labs project.” The development team confirmed: “We are complying with this order and shutting down all operations permanently. Thank you all for your support over the years.” X Labs was a community-made Call of Duty project that featured modded versions of previous COD titles like Black Ops 3. ModernWarzone responded to the news by claiming: “The biggest issue with Activision shutting down mods like XLabs is that there is no safe alternative to play older Call of Duty games online anymore.” The Call of Duty insider argued it’s unsafe for players to revisit old games on console because it puts their personal information in danger. Treyarch released an update for Black Ops 3 in March to address hacking issues but didn’t provide the same assistance to console users. FPS streamer strahfe didn’t hold back while calling out Activision. “you guys are absolute fuc*in clowns, maybe make a half-decent product & people won’t be forced to do your job for you.” YouTuber Mutahar added: “I’m devastated. I actually play this about every day at this point. It’s the only fun cod, and fuc*ing Activision ruins it. Fu*k you.” Some COD community members fear that this is only the beginning of a long string of legal action against other fan-made projects.

CoD Players Hilariously Predict Rise Nation to Win 2018 CWL Champs After Streamer ‘Pokimane’ Tweets Out to ‘Gunless’ MLG / PokimaneDespite the fact that the 2018 CWL Championship is barely in its first day of action, the competitive CoD community is ready to crown Rise Nation as champions. Players and fans alike took to social media on August 15 to predict that Rise will win the tournament after popular streamer ‘Pokimane’ tweeted out a good luck message to player Peirce ‘Gunless’ Hillman. Before the first day of Champs kicked off, Gunless tweeted out the anime shirt and shoes he was going to wear for the day’s matches. Pokimane then tweeted a reply to this post, wishing him good luck: For those who may not know the backstory, this all stems from when Pokimane first appeared in a video sending warm regards to Gunless just prior to the CWL Anaheim event in June. This inspired Gunless, who has been very candid about the crush he has on the streamer, to put in an MVP-winning performance in leading Rise to their third championship of the season. Considering that Gunless gave full credit to Pokimane’s video for his strong performance, it should not come as a surprise if the same type of thing takes place in Champs. The team is already 2-0 and will look to sweep Group B as they face Lethal Gaming to wrap up group play on August 16. You can keep updated on all schedules, scores, group standings, brackets, and live-streams via our dedicated 2018 CWL Champs hub here.

CoD player turns Nerf gun into real-life Warzone sniper ActivisionA Call of Duty player is bringing the essence of Verdansk to the real world with a Warzone-inspired Nerf gun sniper. Gaming fans are always finding new and creative ways to support their favorite titles, be it through insane fan-art, realistic cosplays, or even more basic things like creating ideas for reworked characters or maps. The Call of Duty and Warzone community is no different, always finding ways to take their fandom to new heights. There’s no better proof than this incredible Nerf gun sniper, which looks like it could slot perfectly into the Verdansk meta and wreak havoc across the map. While it doesn’t seem to be built based on one singular weapon, this creation from MakerToast appears to bring together the coolest features of a number of them to complete the look of something that wouldn’t look out of place on a Downtown rooftop. As one commenter points out, the gun looks like a perfect blend of the SPR, AX-50 and Rytec AMR, and MakerToast even decks it out with the beautiful gold camo that only the best in Verdansk can adorn. It’s all the more impressive when you realize they thrifted it for $5, turning it into a truly priceless commodity with just a bit of creative and mechanical know-how. They published a video looking at the design process, as well as a collection of images. The finished product looks exquisite and really does look like it would fit in in Warzone. In fact, just looking at the images, you wouldn’t be mocked for thinking you were simply looking at a 3D model of one of the in-game guns. MakerToast has truly exceeded any expectations here, and created a product that Warzone players would definitely love to buy. Though they say they won’t be selling them anywhere, there are certainly fans asking for it.

CoD player shares camo tracker concept that everyone wants ActivisionCamo grinding in Call of Duty requires the ultimate test of patience, in part because the tracking system is very outdated. One player has shared a simple yet effective camo tracker idea in MW3 that’ll hopefully be implemented in the future. Since 2007’s CoD 4: Modern Warfare, the camo grind has provided some of the series’ most satisfying rewards. For example, if you saw someone with a Diamond camouflaged weapon, you knew they earned it after grinding through a truckload of challenges. As the series has evolved, the challenges required to earn the mastery camos have also evolved. However, the problem is the systems that track your progress haven’t received that same creativity, forcing players to swim through menus galore or even create spreadsheets to keep track of their progress. CoD players have shared their redesigns before, yet the most recent one is the best creation to date. CoD player reveals ingenious camo tracker concept in MW3 Shared to the CODZombies subreddit, Reddit user ygorhpr shared the simplest and cleanest camo tracker concept to date using MW3’s Zombies mode as a template. By simply pressing the pause menu, players will see up to five camo challenges next to the Daily Challenge tracker. They don’t mention how the camo system tracks the challenges, but one would have to imagine it’s based on the current weapon equipped. With 912 challenges to track between Zombies, MW3 multiplayer and Warzone, a tracker like this would make players’ lives so much easier. In essence, this is the simplest design to date, and arguably the cleanest. Something like this would work perfectly fine, with many players sharing how much they loved the design. “Thought this was real, just went into a game to try it,” one player replied. Another shared a similar thought: “Man I scrolled over this and thought they added it into the game. Way to dash my hopes lol.”

Call of Duty player handed prison sentence over fatal swatting Sledgehammer Games/Unsplash: Pierre HofmanA 19-year-old Call of Duty player, Casey Viner, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison following the tragic death of a Wichita man back in late 2017, in a ‘swatting’ case that reached global headlines. Back in December of 2017, Viner lost a $1.50 wager while playing Call of Duty: WWII. Apparently angered by this loss, the 19-year-old sought retaliation by trying to ‘swat’ his opponent, 20-year-old Shane Gaskill. NBC reports that Viner recruited 26-year-old infamous swatter Tyler Barriss in order to carry out the ‘swat’. However, the details of Gaskill’s address were incorrect and police were led to the house of Andrew Finch, who was fatally shot by police, after being told that a multiple-homicide had taken place. NBC reports that, in April 2019, Viner pleaded guilty to “felony charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice in the hope that he would not be sentenced to prison.” He has since admitted trying to hide his involvement in the incident. Despite these attempts to avoid prison time, U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren sentenced Viner to 15 months in jail on Friday, September 13. Viner is also restricted from all gaming activities for two years. The death of Andrew Fitch drew global attention to ‘swatting’; the act of pretending there is a police emergency at someone’s address, so their house is raided by armed police. It is often done to live streamers, so it can be viewed by their watching audience. While often done as mindless entertainment and a malicious hoax, it wastes police resources and poses a threat to life in many circumstances. Barriss, the man who made the call from Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to 51 federal charges in November 2018, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison after admitting to making the call that led to Finch’s death. Andrew Finch’s family has sued the city of Wichita and the officers involved. The local district attorney declined to charge the officer involved, after Finch was shot as he apparently reached down to his waistband; a move that was mistaken for pulling a gun. Earlier this year Fortnite World Cup Winner Kyle ‘Bugha’ Giersdorf was swatted while live on Twitch. Thankfully there were no serious repercussions in his case, but it goes to show the problem with ‘swatting’ in the gaming community is still prevalent, and that anyone can be targeted.

CoD player expertly shows how not to use inflatable decoys in Warzone 2 ActivisionInflatable decoys provide a great distraction in Warzone 2, but who knew they would also distract the user? Modern Warfare 2 introduced a plethora of new equipment items and killstreaks, which translated perfectly to Warzone 2. Players will be all too familiar with bomb drones swooping in to end their lives or the sound of a drill charge preparing to explode. Warzone 2 also added AI bots littered around Al Mazrah, sometimes making it difficult to spot real enemies. Inflatable decoys are another new addition, perfect for distracting enemies and adding yet another layer of confusion. With so many distractions, it would be easy to understand if someone got confused during a match. However, you can’t help but laugh as a player lost a Warzone 2 round because of their own inflatable decoy. Inflatable decoy costs Warzone 2 squad A Warzone 2 player thought they pulled one over on the enemy team using an inflatable decoy, but it hilariously backfired. The user turned the corner and shot at the decoy they had just deployed, allowing an enemy to come from behind and take them out. One could only imagine the trash-talking going on in proximity chat if they caught wind of the disastrous blunder. One player responded, “Oh my god, I was not expecting it to go this way, but that was so funny.” A second user added, “This is like me falling for my own decoy grenades in multiplayer, but worse.” Community members couldn’t believe what they saw as a third user chimed in, “I straight up was expecting some John Wick… but this would do.” It will take time to learn how to use all of Warzone 2’s new innovations, but this is a classic example of how not to use inflatable decoys in the battle royale sequel.

CoD player discovers method to unlock missed gift pack cosmetics ActivisionOne CoD player has uncovered a new way to earn old gift packs, although it might be a headache if you’re not a fan of the UI. Since Modern Warfare 2019, Call of Duty‘s in-game customization has massively expanded, letting players deck out their weapons with various stickers and charms. There are a variety of ways to earn said cosmetics, whether by completing in-game milestones during events, completing the Battle Pass, or purchasing bundles. One of the easiest ways to earn cosmetics comes from gift packs, which the developers will drop in the shop during holidays. That said, if you don’t play the game during this time, you’ll miss your window to grab these gift packs. However, a user on MW3’s Reddit showed that if you scroll through the Gunsmith, head over to “Customize,” and scroll through the “Stickers” section, you can redeem any missed gift packs. Following the discovery, CoD players started adding their tips. For example, it only works for gift packs released during Modern Warfare 3’s life cycle. You also don’t only have to navigate through the Stickers tab, as going through “Charms” works just as well. One player shared another helpful tip for PlayStation users: “You can also get any of the Pro Packs that have been released since MW2 by just going to the add-ons page.” That said, cosmetics from these packs are only visible to PlayStation players. With OP sharing their discovery in MW3 and Warzone, players were stoked about the find. However, some were fearful the developers would patch this method, while a few others blasted the UI and the time it takes to find the free cosmetics. While it may take some time to collect them all, it’s a welcome shot at getting old CoD cosmetics.

CoD player allegedly sent threats to opponent after scrim turned sour [UPDATED] UnsplashA competitive Call of Duty player allegedly threatened to shoot his opponent over an argument during scrims ahead of the CWL Finals in Miami on July 19. The accused player has since stated that he is friends with his opponent and meant no ill will towards him. CWL Miami is the last chance for CoD players who are competing in the Amateur Circuit to book their place in the most prestigious event of the year, the Call of Duty World Championship. Good practice can often be difficult to find for amateur teams in the lead up to events and it’s not unheard of for practice games and scrims to result in disagreements. However, one argument among competitors reportedly spiraled far out of control on July 11. After a scrim session between teams was apparently delayed, opposing players started to argue with one another and the situation quickly deteriorated. Claims of one player threatening to shoot his opponents in Miami came after ‘JSwavey’ shared his side of the disagreement between him and opponent ‘ReallySilent’. Although there was no clip of the in-game argument itself, JSwavey claimed on Twitter that he had received death threats ahead of CWL Miami, saying: “He said he got the 40 for me at Miami? LMAO ALL OVER A SCRIM? 600The argument then spilled over to Twitter with ReallySilent responding to JSwavey’s claims, leading to the pair having an intense exchange on the social media platform. JSwavey said that ReallySilent was threatening him even though he was a father, saying: “Lol dude got a whole kid talking about shooting me at an event.” ReallySilent responded, saying: “Take it there and I’ll have to hit the family up and TRUST me you don’t want that.” The pair continued to go back and forth with each other debating which one of them started the argument and trading more personal insults before the exchange eventually ended. Update, 9:40AM PT, July 11: ‘ReallySilent’ has reached out to Dexerto, explaining that the exchange was not as serious as it appears, claiming that he and JSwavey are long time friends, and says the situation has now been resolved. “Basically it meant 0 between the both of us,” he told Dexerto. “He misunderstood what I said and thought I was talking crap to him and told me he would ‘beat my ass” so I said ‘run up on me I got the 40’ or something like that. Didn’t actually say I’d shoot him or anything weird I’ve known him for half a decade and both of us knew our argument had 0 weight. Our mistake was bringing it to Twitter. But no. I was not serious and we have nothing but love for each other it was all a misunderstanding and not that deep at all!” JSwavey also took to Twitter to confirm that the argument had been resolved, saying: “Cops should not get involved. Y’all making this bigger than what it is. The shit was squashed HOURS ago.” 600 Enigma6 star, Adam ‘GodRx’ Brown, took notice of the intense online argument and expressed his feelings about the behavior on display. “Literally see someone threatening to shoot someone over a scrim,” he exclaimed. “What’s wrong with people nowadays?” Literally see someone threatening to shoot someone over a scrim, what’s wrong with people nowadays? Get a damn grip. — E6 GodRx (@AdamGodRx) July 11, 2019 It is unclear as of yet if the players involved will face any sanctions at CWL Miami following the incident. Fans will be able to watch GodRx as well as many other pro Call of Duty players battle it out at the CWL Finals which gets underway on July 19 in the Miami Beach Convention Center. The top amateur teams will also be doing their best at CWL Miami, as the Top 16 placing teams in the Open bracket event will all qualify for the Call of Duty World Championship

CoD pacifist returns to MW3 and reaches 10th Prestige without killing once again ActivisionA now iconic CoD pacifist has returned once more to MW3 and has reached the 10th Prestige without killing once again for the fourth installment in a row. To get 10th Prestige in MW3 may not be as hard as it once was in previous installments, however, it still is a marker of a player who worked their tail off to obtain it. But what about getting 10th Prestige without killing anyone? For one CoD pacifist, they pulled it off without a hitch. In fact, it wasn’t even their first time around. Reddit user Pilgore has once again returned to CoD’s latest installment, MW3, and stuck true to their pacifist playstyle, reaching 10th Prestige all without murdering an opponent in cold blood. With a total of three days, three hours, and 17 minutes of multiplayer logged, with 486 games played, they managed to reach level 500. And to truly prove they weren’t lying, Pilgore really does have a K/D Ratio of 0.00 and a surprising win ratio of 3.91. So how did Pilgore pull it off once again? “Small map moshpit + double XP. I was flyin’,” Pilgore told a commenter. In fact, Pilgore said they’ve never had any itch to shoot an opponent as they have “way too much patience.” Pilgore has been doing this since Black Ops: Cold War when a friend joked they couldn’t get Prestige with zero kills. As it would turn out Pilgore very much could, and has been for the past three years in four different installments. So when the next CoD comes out later in 2024, we can’t wait for Pilgore to once again claim his CoD pacifist crown.

CoD Next 2023 Twitch drops & YouTube rewards: Exclusive weapon Blueprint, charm, more ActivisionThis year’s Call of Duty Next event is shaping up to be a massive celebration of the franchise while giving fans a glimpse at the future. Sweetening the deal, just by watching along live you can grab yourself a handful of exclusive rewards on either Twitch or YouTube. Months after the first teasers of Modern Warfare 3 started bubbling up to the surface, a full-fledged multiplayer reveal is now just around the corner. Fans will get their first look at this year’s release during the CoD Next 2023 event, and not only that, the future of Warzone will be on display as well. Naturally, the blockbuster event is sure to entice hundreds of thousands of viewers from around the globe for another year running. And just by being one of those viewers, you can even grab yourself some easy in-game rewards. By watching along live on either Twitch or YouTube, four exclusive goodies can be yours to keep. Here’s what you need to know about the CoD Next 2023 rewards. CoD Next 2023 Twitch & YouTube rewards Four exclusive rewards are on offer during the CoD Next 2023 broadcast and fans can earn them across both YouTube and Twitch. It’s simply a matter of ensuring your Activision account is linked to the platform of your choice, then watching along live on the day of the event, October 5 from 9 AM PT. Currently, no exact watch times have been made clear for the specific rewards. The order in which you unlock the four items appears to be randomized, but we’ll keep you posted here should that change. Below is the full list of exclusive viewership rewards on offer during the CoD Next 2023 event: Death Upload – Weapon Blueprint – Robotic Gamer – Emblem – Bot Ops – Charm – Curve Monitor – Calling Card – With this year’s CoD release bucking the trend and allowing unlocked items to carry forward into Modern Warfare 3, these goodies can be yours now and stay with you long into the future. How to get CoD Next MW3 The Hundreds Ghost Bomb merch Call of Duty also announced they’ll be giving away 50 sets of the MW3 Ghost Bomb limited-edition collection in collaboration with LA’s The Hundreds. Here’s every item included in the CoD Ghost Bomb collection: Shirt – Ghost Bomb limited-edition – Hoodie – Ghost Bomb limited-edition – Pants – Ghost Bomb limited-edition – Bag – Ghost Bomb limited-edition – Jacket – Ghost Bomb limited-edition – Activision did not reveal how to earn any of these rewards. But all will be revealed by tuning into the event. That’s everything we know about COD Next rewards. For more, check out the rest of our Modern Warfare 3 coverage.

Call of Duty needs to build off its absurd skins to be taken seriously ActivisionDespite the fan frustration with the series becoming less of a mil-sim, Call of Duty needs to embrace its absurdity to be the king once again. Call of Duty is certainly still one of the most popular series in gaming, and that isn’t going to change. But it has also seen its reputation take a hit. With a new title every year, it’s difficult to innovate the core gameplay and keep things fresh, which is exactly what has happened to the series over the past decade. While there have been changes made to movement with jet packs and exo suits, the feel of firing a weapon or how a game mode works largely has remained the same. This has led to a shift in perception of the franchise, as players have gone from taking it seriously to considering it somewhat of a joke. Yes, there are still plenty of players in it, but the overall opinion in the gaming sphere has certainly changed over the years. However, if Call of Duty wants to climb back to the top of multiplayer gaming again, it needs to keep embracing the absurdity in its skins, modes, and events to make up for that lack of innovation. Many players are upset with this perceived focus on weird skins, saying that the series needs to return to its mil-sim roots, where realistic gameplay and skins were supreme since, in the past few entries, Call of Duty has seen a plethora of ridiculous content come to the game. From giving players the chance to use Kong’s B.E.A.S.T. Glove to Snoop Dogg dancing his way to an execution, the game is having fun. Sure, the games have absolutely taken on a different feel than they did back when Call of Duty 4 was released. It isn’t the same game, and that’s good. It has always been an arcadey series, with twitch controls and fast-paced gameplay being what the people want. This doesn’t line up with the realism of a mil-sim at all. When Modern Warfare 2 tried to do that by slowing things down, the player base was not happy. Releasing a mil-sim every year would be incredibly stale, as there is only so much you can do within the restrictions of reality. The games would be boxing themselves in and would grow stagnant, really fast. But embracing absurdity, relishing in the ridiculous, and celebrating the crazy is when the current iteration of Call of Duty is at its best. And there is room to go even further. Trying to implement realistic gameplay with everything else feels like it’s lacking focus and like the devs don’t quite know what the identity of the game should be. Call of Duty should be a game where players are flying around the map, sliding and diving around the corners to pull off an absurd shot with akimbo pistols, and, truly, that kind of gameplay shines when it’s done by Spawn or Paul Atreides. The moment-to-moment gameplay is ridiculous, and the rest of the game should reflect that. There should be more absurd game modes like the limited-time, Get High, that shake things up in a big way. Maybe bringing in new Perks that really cause chaos on the battlefield, or events that collaborate with the most bizarre of properties. Keep pushing further and further into the weird. Even on a subconscious level, getting dominated by a player using a broken weapon is a lot more digestible when they’re a dinosaur. There’s just something about these “so stupid, they’re beautiful” skins that make the game feel less toxic. It truly feels like if the games can keep having fun with themselves, then the overall perception of the series can change, which can only be a good thing.

CoD: Modern Warfare 4 menu ‘leak’ stirs debate: real or fake? The Call of Duty community is on tenterhooks waiting for the official announcement of the next installment in the iconic franchise. However, one new ‘leak’ has sparked a wide-ranging debate over what fans are getting. Will CoD 2019 be Modern Warfare 4? Everything seems to be in place for Call of Duty fans to be getting their hands on Modern Warfare 4, but there has been no official word just yet. Previous leaks have suggested that fans will get the game with a battle royale, a single-player campaign, and a revamped multiplayer mode – with other ‘leaks’ disputing that information. No one, bar the game’s developers are entirely certain just what title they’ll be playing come the next holiday season. However, a new image suggests that the game will have a ‘dynamic and uncensored’ menu – yet, some fans aren’t buying it. The image was posted by Reddit user ‘SwiftNL’, who says they aren’t behind the original photo, on the MW4 subreddit on April 5 and had a caption stating that it was from a ‘developer/alpha test.’ While its legitimacy cannot be confirmed, other Reddit users believe that the image is actually from a different type of Modern Warfare game – a remaster of the popular Modern Warfare 3 title. One fan commented: “Its MW3 remastered, you could see the guy from the cover, aka Frost, in the top left corner.” The captioned photo was taken and later enhanced by user ‘GamingHermit2K17’, giving fans a better look at the images that should in the background of the supposed ‘leak.’ The theory that the image was faked and stemmed from some sort of Modern Warfare 3 remastered menu was backed up by fans dissecting the zoomed in photo. “My God, I swear some of y’all haven’t seen the MW3 Cover before,” added user ‘smurphphd’. “It’s clearly MW3 remastered. Not MW2 remastered nor MW4. Smh [shaking my head].” GamingINTEL, who claim to have their own sources, reported that they believe the menu leak is fake, explaining that menu’s are not usually developed by this stage. It remains to be seen if the image is actually real and if fans will be able to get their hands on a remaster of an old Modern Warfare title alongside a brand new one.

MW3 Zombies players warn of bizarre mimic bug when using cryo freeze Activision BlizzardCall of Duty: MW3 Zombies fans have warned fellow players about a strange mimic bug that occurs when using cryo freeze ammo. Introduced in Black Ops Cold War’s Zombies mode, mimics constitute shapeshifting creatures that usually keep players second-guessing their actions. Mimics pose quite a threat since they can disguise themselves as a variety of in-game tools, from salvage and weapons to loot boxes and random pieces of equipment. Unsuspecting players who get too close will be attacked by the tentacled creature. And now there’s a bug that makes the MW3 version of mimics all the more unsettling. MW3 Zombies players stumble across odd mimic glitch Within the last couple of days, two separate Reddit users have shared gameplay footage of a mimic-related issue plaguing Modern Warfare 3’s Zombies mode. A short clip uploaded by Decision-Internal shows the player firing shots at a mimic, which uses its tentacles to seemingly consume their prey. The Redditor doesn’t die, though. Instead, it looks as if their character turns into the creature for a few moments. Another MW3 Zombies player – LSIV_ODEZ – posted a longer, higher-quality video that paints a clearer picture. Apparently, using the cryo ammo type against mimics may be the issue. The second player similarly got sucked into the creature’s orbit, yet it appears they were stuck beneath the mimic. This chaos lasted for a little less than 20 seconds; however, killing the mimic didn’t rid the user of their problems. On the contrary, they spent the next minute or so trapped inside the pavement before finally falling through the map. The second Redditor noted in a subsequent response, “…you can survive, I managed to swim back up and keep all my stuff by [mantling] onto a wall.” One commenter beneath the LSIV_ODEZ post claims they encountered the same mimic bug in MW3 Zombies. Unfortunately, they ended up losing all of their items. Whether or not Modern Warfare 3 developers are aware of the glitch remains to be seen. But, hopefully, a fix goes live sooner rather than later.

CoD MW3 players blast open cover missions as “sheer laziness” ActivisionModern Warfare 3 players are putting the devs on blast, slamming the game’s open cover campaign missions as “sheer laziness.” Earlier in October, Modern Warfare 3’s beta gave players a glimpse of what’s to come for the next year of Call of Duty. While the game was received more positively than not, Modern Warfare 3‘s early access campaign seems to have killed the hype, with initial reactions less than satisfied. So far, some have slammed the devs for “2009 graphics quality”, while others hit out at them for several bugs that are “plaguing” the early access. Not only that, but players are now putting the devs on blast, calling them out for their “sheer laziness”. MW3 players slam campaign as “sheer laziness” In a November 2 Reddit thread, one MW3 player claimed the open cover missions in the game’s campaign is a cover for the devs’ “sheer laziness.” “These missions are so uninspired and lazy,” they hit out. “It’s just a snippet of the Warzone map with random objectives to run around press X on. The original MW campaigns were memorable due to their sheer scale and memorable scripted moments.” In their opinion, they claimed the open cover missions were the worst part of MW2’s campaign, and are even worse in this year’s Call of Duty. Furthermore, the player compared missions to that of the original Modern Warfare 3, which campaign they say is one of the most memorable in Call of Duty history. “The opening missions of the original MWIII literally had WW3 happening and a huge attack on NYC where you were taking back downtown Manhattan and infiltrating submarines in the harbor,” they said. “The Paris mission on the bridge holding out while the Eiffel Tower collapses is one of the most memorable COD sequences ever. “Here, we just walk around by ourselves in an empty port opening crates to “loot” and then putting trackers on container. The second open combat mission I finished in like 5 minutes sprinting around to 3 objectives.” They added: “It’s an uninspired and lazy mess and an excuse to forgo creating well-crafted set pieces and any greater sense of scale. They just take a map they made for Warzone, drop some stupid AI in the middle, and send you on fetch quests. Basically solo DMZ masquerading as a campaign.” It certainly isn’t the first wave of complaints we’ve seen for MW3’s campaign, with other players slamming the campaign as “Warzone with cutscenes.”

CoD MW2 introduces “massive” changes to movement systems & vehicles Whether it be slide-canceling, tactical sprinting, or even opening doors and windows — movement in Call of Duty can be a very contentious topic. Modern Warfare 2 is adding a few exciting movement changes and a few revolutionary vehicle additions into Warzone. Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019) introduced groundbreaking movement adjustments such as tactical sprinting and slide canceling. Both additions were met with criticism from the community and it seems as though Modern Warfare 2 is adding a few movement additions of its own. MW2 will also introduce massive vehicle changes into Warzone that are sure to excite longtime veterans. Modern Warfare 2 Movement additions Ledge Hang Modern Warfare 2 introduces a new feature that allows players to peek with pistols when hanging off of a ledge or when climbing up a ladder. – Ledge hanging also applies to helicopters, as you can jump onto a helicopter and pull yourself up. – If you miss a ledge while parachuting, you can also pull yourself up. – Swimming Players can swim in Modern Warfare 2 and use pistols and throwing knives under water. – There is also a dive mechanic that allows players to escape and there are traversal maneuvers in the water. – If the water is shallow enough, vehicles can drive land through water. – Land mines that are deployed in the water will float with the waves and have the capability of destroying boats. – Warzone Vehicle Changes Vehicle Gameplay A new feature allows players to lean out of the windows of a vehicle and even the driver can lean out with a weapon equipped. – Climbing on rooftops of vehicle is coming to Warzone. – Players can knock off doors, hoods, bumpers and can blow out tires, which will result in vehicle handling changes. – Tires can be repaired and vehicles can be refueled at gas stations – When vehicles are destroyed they no longer disappear from the map. – Trophy Systems have been reworked so they can stick to vehicles. – Helicopter Troop Carrier The Helicopter Troop Carrier is essentially the truck in Warzone that has a back area to walk around freely on but in the air. – Amphibious Vehicles Vehicles won’t blow up when you hit the water. Vehicles will instead float for a while and then start to go under. – Call of Duty MW2 officially releases on October 28, Make sure to follow our Modern Warfare 2 Hub for all of the latest updates. 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

CoD Mouse & Keyboard players want devs to copy The Finals with aim assist changes ActivisionThe Finals just dropped their latest patch, bringing some celebrated changes to how aim assist works in their game. Now, MnK players in Call of Duty want the devs at Activision to follow suit. There’s been no shortage of controversy about aim assist and magnetism problems for Mouse and Keyboard players in the Call of Duty community. Some players have even gone so far as to joke MnK players don’t belong in the game. But all jokes aside, aim assist is considered a real problem by many players. When Embark Studios came under fire from The Finals community over the game’s aim assist, the developers listened. A new patch dropped for The Finals recently, where the aim assist issues were addressed, with magnetism reduced to 35% down from 50%. The change from the dev aims to lower controller accuracy and provide a more even playing field for cross-play. Meanwhile, some CoD players claim magnetism in Warzone is still 60%. CoD players praised the changes, and the swiftness of the dev response in the FPS rival. They were also quick to ask what exactly is stopping the CoD devs from doing the same, with even controller players agreeing the devs are ignoring the problem “If I were MnK I would move to The Finals. Make CoD devs hear you through your participation rates.” Said one controller user. “The problem is everyone thinks aim assist is a crossplay issue still,” another user commented. “Even skilled controller players should be asking it to be turned down,” adding the trend toward aim assist was lowering the game’s skill cap. “Anyone with any integrity should be asking it to be toned down,” another agreed, going on to say it was no different to when “people cheat to get an advantage”. Mouse & Keyboard players have been departing CoD for a while now over the issue. Some in the community claim the number of MnK players in Warzone is as low as 25% now. “I’ve completely ditched WZ for the Finals and I’m having a blast,” one MnK player said in the thread. But whether or not Activision has any plans to alter aim assist in their games to woo MnK players back is uncertain. It doesn’t seem likely, however, considering the CDL, the game’s official esports league, mandated all pros switch to controllers back in 2021.

CoD: Modern Warfare Spec Ops mode revealed: Trailer, Operations, more Infinity WardInfinity Ward has unveiled the first in-depth look at Spec Ops mode in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, a return to the franchise for the first time since Modern Warfare 3. What is Spec Ops? In Modern Warfare 2 and 3, Spec Ops offered players a single-player or multiplayer experience, a set of fast-paced missions that were intended as an extension of the campaign mode, either with side-missions or using existing levels but with new objectives. On September 24, Activision announced that Special Ops will be returning to Call of Duty once again when Modern Warfare releases on October 25, 2019. Modern Warfare Special Ops reveal trailer The Special Ops mode was revealed in a trailer on Tuesday, October 8 showing off the newest iteration of the mode. Infinity Ward described Spec Ops as “a collection of expansive, interconnected Operations against a new and encroaching threat, players will assemble into strike-teams of four to execute multi-phased objectives, which together will advance the overarching story of Modern Warfare.” Operations and Missions Operations and missions are the main focus of Spec Ops, and are available on all platforms, as well as all post-launch operations coming to platforms at the same time. Operations: As you infil into one of the many war-torn zones within Special Ops, you and your team have full latitude on how to accomplish your Operations. This Special Ops game mode is a 4 player matchmade activity centered around interconnected experiences that take the form of objectives, each culminating in the removal or destruction of a key logistical aspect of the Al-Qatala army. Employ different strategies. Go in quietly or tackle the insurrection head-on. The enemy reacts to your team’s decisions, meaning the outcome of any battle can change. At launch, you will embark on four multi-stage Operations with more scheduled to come throughout the post launch seasons. All post launch Operations will be coming to all platforms simultaneously. Missions: Complementing the multi-stage Operations, and also available across all platforms, are additional Missions, which can be played solo or with up to four players. Whereas Operations give you the widest breadth of strategic and tactical choice, Missions are a more curated experience where your proficiency with specific weapons, killstreaks, and other tools will be tested. These Missions are extremely replayable, and you’re able to achieve a 1, 2, or 3-star ranking based on your performance. Naturally, there will be an “Infinity Ward time” that you can attempt to beat! Survival mode controversy Special Ops will be available on all platforms including Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, though PlayStation users will get to play ‘Survival’ first thanks to an exclusivity agreement between Activision and Sony. As such, PS4 players will be able to play the ‘Survival’ aspect as soon as the game is available at launch, while Xbox and PC players will have to wait a year to be able to play the new missions. Both parties were met with some criticism over the decision to withhold certain in-game content from players on different platforms, and Infinity Ward’s Studio Narrative Director addressed this criticism in a tweet, in which he explained that “we do our BEST every day to give our players the best experience possible. There are decisions that are above all of our pay grades that have to be considered.”

CoD Modern Warfare players outraged over nonstop bugs despite new microtransactions ActivisionCall of Duty: Modern Warfare might be nearly two years old, but it still boasts an active — and passionate — player base that is now speaking out against a focus on microtransactions while bugs continue to ruin the in-game experience. Released in 2019, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was the first soft reboot in what appears to be a reset across the board for the main CoD IPs: Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare, Treyarch’s Black Ops, and Sledgehammer’s World War Two entries. While many Call of Duty fans have moved over to Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, Modern Warfare still maintains an active player base that remains passionate about their top pick amongst the currently supported titles. As the release of 2021’s rumored Call of Duty: Vanguard approaches, that same player base voiced strong criticisms on the current state of the 2019 title, criticizing the game’s stance on additional support (or lack thereof) while simultaneously doubling down on monetization. The sentiment began to spread amongst the community after one impassioned Modern Warfare fan shared their thoughts on the game’s treatment since Cold War’s release in 2020, and aired out several grievances with how the game is being handled. “There is more cheating than ever before,” they began, referring to a common issue in all CoD games, then continued, “we can’t edit our loadouts [mid-game], when I try to change the reticle it takes me back to the lobby, you can’t unlock anything from the battle pass that you can use in Modern Warfare.” “And yet they added two new guns and [new] maps to the game, they still give out infrequent free bundles in the shop, and they keep adding and rotating game modes?” they questioned, before finally asking “What the f**k is going on? Do they care about the game or not?” Hundreds of other fans jumped in to agree. “Yeah, I finally reached my tipping point,” one player commented. “All the bugs and loadout issues, sh**ty matchmaking, bad connectivity, the same broken meta, and toxic players have finally made me give up on this game.” Many took issue with the game’s approach to monetization. “[They] ruined the functionality of the game rather then let a few people have blueprints they didn’t pay for,” another player remarked, pointing out how the mid-game loadout editor was disabled and has yet to be reinstated. Other players specifically criticized the in-game storefront. “Yeah, I finally reached my tipping point,” one comment read, “it’s clear that they’re just drip feeding us bundles so people think they haven’t neglected the game all while they still make money.” It remains to be seen what the future of Modern Warfare holds. With some leaks hinting that Infinity Ward’s 2022 title is a direct sequel to 2019’s reboot, fans could be in for a significant wait before getting a new taste of their preferred CoD flavor, outside of a few unexpected updates.

Modern Warfare makes big changes from Black Ops 4: Healing, TTK, EKIA and more Gameplay from the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reveal shows off a low Time-To-Kill, and does away with the EKIA system and manual healing, a significant step away from its predecessor Black Ops 4. Some of the world’s biggest content creators, such as Michael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek and Dr DIsrespect, flew out to Los Angeles to take part in Modern Warfare’s official multiplayer reveal, and give viewers an inside look at what they can expect from the highly-anticipated game. Thanks to the reveal, we now know some important information on how healing, finding kills and how long you can survive while getting shot at by enemies. Modern Warfare has low Time-To-Kill One of the most interesting aspects of any new Call of Duty item is the Time-To-Kill (TTK) which dictates how much health a player has, how much damage weapons will deal, and most importantly how quickly players will die when they are shot by an enemy. While some Call of Duty titles feature a long TTK to give players a chance to react when being shot, Modern Warfare is definitely on the short side, with players dying incredibly quickly when shot. From footage, it appears that players can find themselves out of the action after just three shots, indicating that the amount of health that players have is likely 100 points again, down from 150 in Black Ops 4. Automatic healing returns to Call of Duty Thanks to the first footage of the game, it seemed set that Modern Warfare would not include the manual healing system featured in Black Ops 4. Thanks to today’s reveal, we now know for certain that health regeneration will take place automatically. In BO4, players would have to manually heal themselves when they took damage, and their health would remain where it was if they were unable or forgot to utilize the system. That’s gone in Modern Warfare, which shows players automatically gaining health once they stop taking damage, in classic Call of Duty fashion. EKIA not featured in Modern Warfare In Black Ops 4, players did not have a kill/death ratio, but instead had an EKIA, which tallied up your successful eliminations in a match. What made this system different from previous CoD’s was the fact that assists were counted towards your EKIA, therefore making it easier for players to pad their stats by landing a few shots on a player and letting someone else clean them up if they were unable to. Going back to basics, Modern Warfare drops the EKIA system entirely, and returns to a normal K/DR mechanic, with kills acting as the only way that players can earn streaks in the game, and assists only serving up 25 points. The multiplayer reveal also showed off how players will be able to get their hands on a minimap – although there’s a catch to getting one, and how field equipment will work in the next CoD title. This is the first time CoD fans have seen actual multiplayer gameplay, and is sure to whet the appetite ahead of Modern Warfare’s October 25 release.

CoD: Modern Warfare 2v2 Gunfight alpha first impressions – Dr Disrespect, Clayster, Karma, more Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s 2v2 Open Alpha is officially live on Playstation 4, and community members from Dr Disrespect to pro players like James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks and Damon ‘Karma’ Barlow have been sharing their first impressions. Call of Duty fans have been eagerly anticipating their first opportunity to get their hands on Modern Warfare, so unsurprisingly there was huge buzz among the community when Infinity Ward revealed that the 2v2 Alpha would launch on August 23. The servers went live one day earlier though, meaning pros and streamers alike were able to hop into games and test their skills – and the game as well. Clayster, who became a CoD world champion for the second time on August 18, shared his impressive 48-1 record in the 2v2 Gunfight mode, before giving his overall thoughts on the game. “Enjoyed it,” wrote the eUnited member on Twitter. “Definitely excited to get to work on the new game!” 48-1 in Gunfight today, not too bad. Enjoyed it, definitely excited to get to work on the new game! — eU Clayster (@Clayster) August 23, 2019 Elsewhere, Dr Disrespect was showing off his skills with an amazing clutch, picking off one enemy with a sniper before turning his attention to his last remaining opponent. The leader of the Champions Club jumped off a platform, performed a 360 degree spin, whipped out his pistol and cracked his foe with it, screaming: “I three-sixty-ed them!” as he celebrated his round victory in typical Doc fashion. I’m 360 people I’m 360 em I’m 360’n n em pic.twitter.com/f3sNGrvBf1 — Dr Disrespect (@drdisrespect) August 22, 2019 OpTic Gaming’s Thomas ‘TJHaLy’ Haly also appeared to be impressed with the new title, responding to Austin ‘SlasheR’ Liddicoat’s query about how much people were liking the game by simply stating: “We’re back.” FaZe Clan star Tommy ‘ZooMaa’ Paparatto revealed that he is heading off for a much needed break following the conclusion of the Black Ops 4 season, but did make some time to play Gunfight before he left. The American wrote: “The 2v2 mode is a lot of fun, hope you guys enjoy playing the game as much as I did!” During the season it’s always tough spending time with friends & family, so we planned a little get away for a week. The 2v2 mode is a lot of fun, hope you guys enjoy playing the game as much as I did. Stream grind will start up when I’m back home next week! #ZooMob #FaZeUp :heart:️:racehorse: — FaZe ZooMaa (@ZooMaa) August 22, 2019 Karma, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest CoD players of all time, decided not to give his opinion on the game, but rather share which weapon he thought was the one to use. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a sniper or an assault rifle, but rather, he believes that the “Desert Eagle with the scope might be the best thing” to use if you’re searching for wins. While pro players and streamers have already started trying out the game, the good news is that there is still time to download it and hop into the action if you haven’t. The alpha runs until Monday, August 26, but remember, you’ll need to own a PlayStation 4 if you want to try it out.

CoD: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered leaked by rating agency ActivisionAn accidental leak from a rating agency appears to confirm the existence of an upcoming remastered version of classic Call of Duty title Modern Warfare 2. Modern Warfare 2 is heralded by many as one of the greatest Call of Duty games – and first-person shooters – of all time. It made some huge advancements from predecessor Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which gained international acclaim for its take on the FPS genre. Since then, many fans have dreamt of playing Modern Warfare 2 again on new-gen consoles, bringing the graphics and gameplay up another notch and letting players engage again with a game that many hold in such high regards. After years and years of rumors, a leak from a Korean rating agency might be just the ticket that hopefuls have been waiting for – albeit, with a bit of a twist. Picking up traction across social media on Friday, March 20, South Korea’s Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC) appear to have dealt a classification to a work titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered. The application was filed by Blizzard Entertainment Inc. on February 26, 2020, which suggests a remastered version of the game could be closer than ever, although many will be disappointed to only see the Campaign in there, as opposed to a full remaster of the game with Campaign, Special Ops, and Multiplayer all included. Of course, it’s not impossible that the campaign and multiplayer versions of the game be both rated and released separately, so while the leak only points towards a campaign remaster, it may be emblematic of much more. Should it only be a campaign remaster, long-time fans of the franchise will no doubt be a little disappointed at the inability to play on classic maps such as Wasteland, Scrapyard, and Terminal in all their glory, but the campaign was still a solid one that players can really sink their teeth into. It’s important to note that while this leak has surfaced now, there have been plenty of seemingly credible leaks point to the existence of Modern Warfare 2 Remastered over the years, but we’re still waiting. So, take it with a grain of salt until there’s a real announcement.

Modern Warfare 2’s cheapest version costs $70 and fans aren’t pleased The cheapest confirmed edition of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 costs $70, and fans have already begun to express their displeasure with the price hike. As previously teased, Activision formally revealed Modern Warfare 2 earlier today, sharing the first details about the sequel’s multiplayer suite, campaign, and Warzone 2. Of course, pricing and preorder-related information accompanied the unveiling. When Modern Warfare 2 lands on Battle.net, Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms this fall, it will launch with at least two editions in tow. The Vault Edition with its additional Operators, Season One Battle Pass, and other extras will run customers $99.99. Meanwhile, the base version of the Modern Warfare sequel won’t drop below $70 on any platform. Modern Warfare 2’s price tag frustrates players The $10 price hike for current-gen titles has been a long time coming, especially since Take-Two and Sony set the precedent at the start of this console generation with the likes of NBA 2K21 and Demon’s Souls. But it appears the increased price for Modern Warfare 2 will even affect PS4 and Xbox One. As of now, the only way to purchase Modern Warfare 2 on last-gen hardware is through the $70 cross-gen bundle. Many Call of Duty players haven’t taken the news well, either. In response to a post from charlieINTEL, Twitter users MrGruntington and Edco noted that such “premium” pricing should only be reserved for games without microtransactions. Twitch streamer Antt added to the chorus, too, joking that users will have to submit to the cost increase just so Activision can “resell all the skins that won’t carry over.” Why? A game like COD that’s already full of MTX does not need to be $70??? https://t.co/HU503hcnsQ — MrGruntington | | (@mrgruntington) June 8, 2022 $70 for the base version of Modern Warfare 2 just to resell all the skins that won’t carry over — Anthony (@TheAntt_) June 8, 2022 Others such as MilesMangrum and Nokelal have a hard time believing that a publisher will charge $70 for a game on PC. And countless Call of Duty fans from around the globe can’t help but lament the much higher prices in their domestic territories. In Canada, the base version of Modern Warfare 2 bears an $89.99 CAD ($69.99 USD) price tag, with the Vault Edition costing $129.99 CAD ($99.99 USD). And the lowest-priced option in Australia costs $109.95 AUD; the Vault Edition comes in at $159.95 AUD. It doesn’t seem as though it will be long now before $70 becomes the industry standard for AAA releases.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 PC requirements: Minimum & recommended specs ActivisionModern Warfare 2 is the newest game in the Call of Duty franchise. Before you look into purchasing, be sure to check if your PC has what it takes to run the game with a look at the minimum and recommended system requirements. Call of Duty is famous for releasing large titles with plenty of weapons, skins, and fast-paced gameplay. However, to cope with all of the additions, many PC players will need to check if their setups meet the recommended or minimum specs in order to enjoy Modern Warfare 2. Interestingly, after the beta, Activision have lowered the minimum and recommended specs for PC players, allowing those who enjoyed the beta originally to feel comfortable with the game as a whole. Of course, the space needed will be higher so make sure you have enough storage. Nevertheless, even with the lower specs, you’ll still need a decent rig to get the most out of Modern Warfare 2. Here’s all there is to know about the minimum and recommended PC specs for Modern Warfare 2. Modern Warfare 2 Minimum PC specifications While each new iteration in the CoD franchise looks to push boundaries and evolve the formula, devs still look to reach the biggest install base possible. As a result, Modern Warfare 2 is still available across hardware from 2013 in the Xbox One and PS4. Therefore, you can expect even fairly dated PCs to still hold up alright. Although you might not be able to run the game with all settings cranked up, and you might not be able to play at 120FPS or above, you should still be able to enjoy the experience without breaking the bank on a high-end rig. Below is a full look at the minimum PC specs for Modern Warfare 2, based on the listings just before Modern Warfare 2 comes out. Modern Warfare 2 Recommended PC specifications For many, CoD is one of those games that needs to be played on the best machine money can buy in order to really get the most out of it. Higher frame rates, better lighting, and improved textures can all lead to a smoother experience in both single-player and multiplayer settings. While there’s never any limit when it comes to customizing your rig, you do need to ensure you exceed the recommended specs. Clearing this barrier will all but guarantee a solid performance on PC, so anything extra is just a cherry on top. Below is a full look at the recommended PC specs for Modern Warfare 2. Activision has also provided some alternate suggestions, including a Competitive recommendation for those who want to get the absolute best of both worlds in terms of quality and function. So that’s all there is to know about the PC version of Modern Warfare 2. While making sure your PC is up to scratch, be sure to brush up on more details about the game right here. Or take a look at some of our handy Modern Warfare guides: How to play Modern Warfare 2 in 3rd person & adjust FOV | Best FSS Hurricane loadout | Every Modern Warfare 2 map & mode | Best M4 loadout | Best Lachmann MP5 Sub loadout | Modern Warfare 2 post-credits scene and Campaign ending explained | Will Modern Warfare 2 have Zombies? | How long is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 campaign

CoD Modern Warfare 2 could have paid DLC in 2023: report ActivisionActivision is reportedly looking at ongoing DLC for Modern Warfare 2 in 2023 as the company delays the launch of the next game in the series. Earlier in February, a report by Bloomberg claimed that CoD would take a break in 2023 following the release of Modern Warfare 2, a new mobile CoD and Warzone 2. With the 2023 installment of Call of Duty being delayed, players have been wondering what the plan will be for Infinity Ward and their second year of Modern Warfare 2. Now, according to reporter Jason Schreier, Activision held several town halls with development studios to go over the plans and the new release cycle. Activision held several town halls yesterday to brief COD studios on the news. Sounds like plans for 2023 are still a little nebulous but will include ongoing DLC for 2022’s Modern Warfare game among other things. And Treyarch gets an extra year. — Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) February 24, 2022 Modern Warfare 2 might have paid DLC In a tweet following up on his earlier report, Schreier indicated that the plans for 2023 are “nebulous” but downloadable content is on the table. “Sounds like plans for 2023 are still a little nebulous but will include ongoing DLC for 2022’s Modern Warfare game among other things. And Treyarch gets an extra year,” he wrote. When asked if this DLC would be in the form of a paid expansion or traditional season-style content that players have become accustomed with, Schreier replied, “That’s what’s nebulous.” As such, it seems as if paid DLC could be returning to CoD, at least in theory. Nothing has been confirmed just yet, and it’s possible that Activision is still in the process of deciding what way to go. If we do end up getting paid DLC, it will be interesting to see what route Activision takes, whether it’s in the form of maps or something larger to fill the year-long gap. In any case, with studios only just being made aware of the plans, we’ll have to see how things play out and what Activision decides on come fall of 2023.

Modern Warfare 2 leak reveals campaign will get DLC Activision BlizzardA reputable Modern Warfare 2 leaker claims Call of Duty campaign DLC will come bundled with a special map pack in 2023 for the brand’s 20th anniversary. Twitter user and leaker TheGhostOfHope shared cursory details about Modern Warfare 2’s supposed classic map pack last week. Apparently, the content in question will launch as a “greatest hits” compilation of Call of Duty’s best maps as a part of Modern Warfare 2 Year 2. Meant to celebrate the brand’s 20-year history, the pack will feature classic maps from titles developed by Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer, and Treyarch. TheGhostOfHope additionally claimed Activision plans to charge for the DLC, though price-related specifics remain under wraps. Is campaign DLC in the works for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2? According to TheGhostOfHope, Call of Duty will receive story DLC sometime late in 2023. What’s more, it’ll supposedly arrive in a bundle with the aforementioned map pack. Since the greatest hits-themed pack is rumored to launch during Modern Warfare 2’s second year of content, it’s possible the sequel will similarly support the campaign DLC. Naturally, this uncorroborated report raises various questions about the future of content support for Modern Warfare 2. And there’s no telling when Activision will begin addressing them. For now, though, Call of Duty faithfuls patiently await the release of the next major entry. Led by Infinity Ward, Modern Warfare 2 constitutes a direct continuation of the 2019 reboot. Beta sessions hosted throughout September offered players a taste of what’s to come, but the full experience is now only a few weeks away. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 hits PC, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms on Friday, October 28.

CoD mod brings over 100+ weapons, 40+ maps, and more to Modern Warfare 2 engine sm2A modded Call of Duty client is venturing to bring a free mashup of the legendary franchise with the best maps, weapons, perks, and more running on the Modern Warfare 2 engine. A group of developers are putting together a CoD client aiming to provide a fun and balanced experience. Called ‘sm2,’ the upcoming mod aims to be one of the biggest remixes for Call of Duty to date. “Our main goal is to create our dream Call of Duty game,” the sm2 devs said. “A mash-up of the best COD experiences in one place, completely free and player-friendly, with ongoing updates and community feedback to help make this project the best it can be.” A release date for the mod has yet to be revealed. While the devs have been making solid progress on it, their ambitious project will take the team some time. On their site, the devs say they plan to include: 100+ weapons on release, complete with attachments and camos. – 24 perks, some new, some old. – We’re re-introducing MW3’s point streak system, along with all 3 strike chains (Assault, Support, Specialist) and some new streaks for you to play with. – A complete party system, including voice chat, and the ability to join servers together. – A new currency system: Credits (Cr), along with Wager Matches. Restored MW2’s removed clan tag support. – A new Melee weapon slot, similar to Modern Warfare Remastered. – 24 free Menu Music options. – A brand new progression system, which we’ll talk about more later. – A one-click ping system for enemies, danger, objectives, and more. – Every menu, every HUD, redesigned. – They have plans to share more features at a later time. The CoD mod is also going to have controller support that will have aim assist. There’s will be a Prestige mode that will let players go from level 1 to 100 before resetting. In Prestige mode, there’s only one reset. After that, it’s going to be a grind from level 1 to 1000. Every 50 levels will unlock Prestige Tokens and Credits that can be used in the respective Prestige and Rewards stores. You’ll be able to buy Custom Class slots, Prestige icons, and the like in the Prestige Store, while the Rewards store holds cosmetics, melee weapons, emblems, etc. There’s going to be a lot to unpack for longtime Call of Duty fans when sm2 launches, and it’ll be interesting to see what else the devs put in.

CoD Mobile’s Prop Hunt return date confirmed ActivisionCall of Duty: Mobile’s Prop Hunt mode is making a return during Season 9, with the devs confirming it’s release date in their newest community update. As Call of Duty Mobile has taken some of the best parts about previous CoD titles and put them all under one umbrella, fans have seen some of their favorite things make a return. There are a whole host of fan-favorite maps, weapons, and characters, but on top of that, you also have modes. These include the standard ones like Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy, and Hardpoint, but there have also been limited-time modes to shake things up too. One of the most popular LTMs has been Prop Hunt. Yes, that classic mode where you take the form of an object and try to outsmart enemies in a game of hide and seek has made it’s way to CoD Mobile as well. It hasn’t been seen for a while, but it will be returning in Season 9. During their August 20 Community Update, the CoD Mobile devs confirmed that their big Season 9 event, Finest Hour, is starting on August 21 and after that, there will be a whole host of mode changes that follow. This includes Prop Hunt, as the popular limited-time mode will be returning on August 28. Until then, you can dive in and play Finest Hour, the new 10v10 mode, and Gungame Moshpit. There is no end date listed for Prop Hunt’s return, but, it probably won’t last all that long anyway, so CoD Mobile fans will have to savor its return. On top of that, the Attack of the Undead limited-time mode will also be returning in Season 9. The devs haven’t given a release date for that just yet, so, we’ll have to keep an eye on things as the season unfolds.

CoD Mobile’s Grind mode explained: Tips to master the new playlist ActivisionGrind may be a brand new mode in Call of Duty: Mobile, but it’s an old classic from the franchise itself. If you’re yet to jump into the experience or just want some advice on how to win, here are some of the best tips to master the mode. First introduced in Call of Duty: Ghosts, Grind stood out as one of the more unique experiments from that iteration. The mode was only ever available through custom games and the same carried through to 2016’s Infinite Warfare as well. However, the unique playlist eventually went live as a proper multiplayer mode in 2019’s Modern Warfare. Now, it’s made the jump to CoD Mobile as well. The mode is a blend between Kill Confirmed and Hardpoint with a key emphasis on objective-based play. Every enemy drops dog tags upon death, no different from Kill Confirmed. Though in Grind, you need to collect these tags and then bring them back to your team’s objective marker on the map. It can be a difficult task trying to keep on top of everything in the moment. So here are our best tips to help you pile up the wins in Grind. Less is often more in CoD Mobile’s Grind The most important thing to remember in Grind is that less is often more. Sure, going on a rampage and collecting 10 tags at a time might be a flashy way to play, but it’s not the most effective. If you’re on a big streak and die near the enemy base, you’ve essentially done the heavy lifting for them. All of the tags you’ve accumulated over time drop at their feet for an easy deposit. Instead, you should focus on smaller amounts. Find a handful of tags and head back to your objective marker as often as you can. Obviously not for every single kill, but try to cash in smaller drops than bank up for a big one. Positioning is vital in Grind You’ll want to keep your positioning in mind while playing this mode. You can get away with long flanks or aggressive pushes in other playlists, but Grind will punish you for not being cautious. Controlling the middle of the map is key, picking up tags where you can before running back to base. Pushing too far out could leave you out in the open and make your efforts worthless. That’s not to say you can’t still play against the grain, however. Rather than focusing on collecting tags, your goal for the match could be to simply prevent the enemy team from banking. As a result, you’ll want to position yourself close to the enemy base but ignore every tag along the way. Shooting down enemies as they look to deposit can be a huge thorn in their side. They’ll have to focus on taking you out before they can safely rack up any further points. Pick the right class for the job Last but not least, your loadout of choice is absolutely vital. There’s never a reason for a sniper to be running in the middle and collecting tags. You need to be wary of what you’re using and try to play around it. SMGs should be up front leading the charge when it comes to picking up tags. Meanwhile, ARs can often be further back towards the base protecting allies and shutting down opposing players. The same can be said for snipers in this role as well. Read More: CoD Mobile Magma Eruption Mythic drop – Ultimately, it pays to focus on a specific role and build your class around that.

CoD Mobile’s first Mythic weapon: Fennec Ascended release date & details ActivisionCall of Duty Mobile is set to launch a brand new weapon rarity that goes above Legendary and we’ve got an early rundown of the first details for the upcoming Fennec Ascended. [jwplayer sEnFsekG] CoD Mobile players have been treated to five unique types of loot since launch. Weapon’s scale from Common all the way up to Legendary with the latter being extremely hard to come by. Soon, there will be an even more shocking weapon tier to unlock. Mythic weapons are on the way to the mobile experience with the Ascended drop right around the corner. While the Fennec has been available to unlock in its base form, you’ll soon have a new Mythic version to track down. It’s shaping up to be the rarest unlock in the game, so if you see one in the wild it should feel pretty special. From when it becomes available to how it functions, we’ve got you covered with some early details. CoD Mobile’s first Mythic weapon drop The Fennec will be the first weapon in CoD Mobile to be given the Mythic treatment. Already known as a powerful SMG that you can dual wield in any multiplayer mode, the new tier looks to be another step up. Cosmetic improvements is a big focus as the Mythic gun can be customized in a number of new ways. Trading out attachments is obvious but this weapon also appears to change color – perhaps with each sequential kill. From a vibrant orange to red and through to blue. This weapon can be made to feel like your own as the first-ever Mythic takes customization “to the next level.” https://twitter.com/PlayCODMobile/status/1322946505456590849 When will the Fennec Ascended be available? While the announcement post itself hinted at a release date later in the week, the accompanying video locked in a solid time. The very first Mythic weapon in CoD Mobile will be live on Friday, November 6. There’s currently no telling how this new rarity will be unlocked. While some cosmetics are locked behind Battle Pass Tiers, others can only be accessed through randomized loot crates. There’s even a chance that a specific Mythic pack is purchasable at launch. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as that information becomes available. As the first of its kind, a lot of questions still remain unanswered for the new weapon rarity. It will still appear as a basic weapon blueprint “at the surface level,” the developers confirmed. However, the new rarity provides all-new options for “bada** cosmetics.” “Nothing about this is meant to alter gameplay balance or make you better competitively, but it is meant to make your item look unique, just like reactive camos or death effects.” Be sure to start saving up your in-game currency to prepare for the drop over the next few days. The first Mythic weapon is sure to make a splash. After all, we already know how powerful the Fennec can be in the right hands.

CoD Mobile devs confirm popular Zombies mode finally returning “soon” TiMi StudiosCall of Duty: Mobile players have been begging for the popular Zombies mode to return for a long time now, and in the latest community update, the developers confirmed it’s on the way. Last week, Call of Duty: Mobile leakers revealed all kinds of new content they found in the Chinese version, including new maps and a prestige system. However, the biggest drawcard was the return of the beloved Zombies mode. It looked promising, but some players were skeptical about whether it was true. Fortunately, the developers have now confirmed the news in the latest community update. It’s coming to other versions as well. The community updated outlined all the latest in-game challenges, events, modes, and new operators. But before getting stuck into that, the developers knew they had to address the elephant in the room. “The first thing we’d like to address this week is something that is important to many players out there and always asked about every single week – ZOMBIES!” they wrote. “Our original ZOMBIES map, Shi No Numa, will soon be available in the Chinese version of Call of Duty: Mobile.” Naturally, that means the leaks were accurate but probably came from the public test build. “For the rest of the world, we haven’t forgotten about you! Hang tight a bit longer Call of Duty: Mobile players — we are planning to release a new ZOMBIES experience later in the year. We’ll talk about that more once we get closer.” So, it seems like Call of Duty: Mobile players will need to wait a while longer for the Zombies mode to return. But the good news is that it’s definitely coming, and it shouldn’t be too far away. There’s still plenty of new content to enjoy in the meantime. However, there’s no denying the hype for ZOMBIES is off the charts.

CoD Mobile World Championship 2020 Finals canceled ActivisionHot off the heels of the regional playoffs, the Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship Grand Finals have been canceled due to the ongoing global crisis. The remaining prize money will be split among the winning teams from each major region. After lengthy tournaments in eight distinct regions, the world’s best CoD Mobile players were all set in stone. Top teams from across the likes of Europe, Asia, and America were all locked in for a proper, global finale. However, this ultimate showdown is no longer in the cards. The Grand Finals for the 2020 event have been called off. “We are putting the health and well-being of our players first,” the CoD Mobile developers said in a December 7 post. “Out of an abundance of caution, the Stage 5 Grand Finals of the CoD Mobile World Championship will not take place.” A whopping $750,000 was allocated as prizing for this landmark event. Now, it’ll be evenly spread among the eight regional champions since a true LAN final isn’t in the cards. https://twitter.com/PlayCODMobile/status/1336084322072354823 “As a result of the Stage 5 Grand Finals cancellation, the remaining prize pool will be distributed evenly across the Stage 4 Regional Playoff Champions.” That means each team will receive just under $94,000 USD without having to leave their home country. Obviously not how anyone would have liked to see the global event come to an end, though the developers have understandably taken every precaution to avoid any risks. “We do not wish to place players at risk by traveling to a hosted, live event,” they stressed. CoD Mobile scrapping its international finals isn’t the first major event to do so. 2020 has seen the cancellation or alteration of many prestigious events. Even console Call of Duty players were forced to play their $4.6 million championship tournament online. It’s the nature of the beast in such a turbulent year. However, champions in each region can rest assured that they’re still being taken care of. There’s obviously no telling when a global CoD Mobile LAN event could be possible in the future. Though the devs outlined that more plans will be shared relatively soon. So expect to see some announcements on the 2021 pro scene over the coming weeks. We’ll be sure to keep you updated as information comes through. In the meantime, you can view the final regional results for the 2020 World Championship here.