Santa Monica, California – Call of Duty is in a bit of a crisis. The last installment in the series – Call of Duty Vanguard – wasn’t nearly as well received as publisher Activision would have liked. In order for this annoyance not to be repeated in 2022, a few things have to happen. We’ve compiled a top 10 of things that need to change in Modern Warfare 2 so that developer Infinity Ward’s game isn’t a failure.

Modern Warfare 2: Here’s why the next CoD is under extra pressure

Why Modern Warfare 2 must deliver: Call of Duty Vanguard was a disappointment for the Santa Monica publisher, to say the least. The latest installment in the series was not nearly as well received by fans as they might have hoped. In addition to several bugs that plagued the game at launch, many players also had their problems with design decisions and the setting itself.

The next part of the series is due in 2022. According to rumors, this will be Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2. The upcoming shooter, which is being developed under the supervision of Activision, has been handed over to a popular studio. Infinity Ward is developing Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 at the same time. However, a few things have to happen so that MW2 doesn’t flop. After all, according to rumors, Call of Duty 2023 will not produce a new game.

Modern Warfare 2: Rank 10 – Complete Game

Modern Warfare 2 must be complete: At first glance, this sounds self-evident. However, if you take a closer look at the last releases of the series, Call of Duty has not been able to avoid some teething problems in recent years. CoD Vanguard, for example, still struggles with bugs in zombie mode to this day. Modern Warfare 2 has to avoid such bugs at all costs so as not to scare players away early on.

The new CoD must also offer enough content from the start. CoD Vanguard launched with 20 maps in multiplayer, while Black Ops Cold War only offered eight maps at launch. Modern Warfare should position itself best in between. However, since the game is supposed to continue the Modern Warfare series, we don’t see a problem here. After all, in Modern Warfare 2, old maps can simply be reissued.

Modern Warfare 2: Rank 9 – post-launch support

Modern Warfare 2 needs to be well supported after launch: The bottom line is that this point directly follows on from the previous one. According to rumors, Call of Duty as a series will not launch a new game in 2023. Assuming this is true, Modern Warfare 2 will have to entertain players for over two years. Developer Infinity Ward must therefore ensure that fans feel well looked after from the very first second.

On the one hand, developers and publishers need to communicate openly with players. Secondly, after the launch of Modern Warfare 2, it should be quickly ensured that exciting content is delivered to fuel the long-term motivation of the fans. Otherwise, Modern Warfare 2 could degrade considerably, especially in the second year.

Modern Warfare 2: Rank 8 – Meaningful content

Modern Warfare 2 needs meaningful content: Key point long-term motivation: Modern Warfare 2 needs meaningful content that motivates players to keep playing. This includes, for example, challenges for weapon camouflage or business cards.

Modern Warfare 2: Rank 7 – Design decisions are important

Modern Warfare needs the right gameplay design: Since the launch of Modern Warfare 2019, there have been some issues for many fans of the series when it comes to design decisions. In particular, dead silence as a field upgrade caused many fans to raise their eyebrows. Also, the fact that Geist protected sitting players* caused more frustration than screams of joy.

These decisions are certainly not easy. Indeed, Modern Warfare 2, like all other CoDs, will have to balance on a fine line. For the shooter, it’s about pleasing both casual and competitive gamers*. This is a balancing act that many big games have to struggle with.

Modern Warfare 2: Rank 6 – Time to Kill (TTK)

The TTK of Modern Warfare 2 has to be right: CoD Vanguard can also be cited as a negative example here. The Time to Kill (TTK) in the current Call of Duty is extremely short. Combined with the high sprint-to-fire time (the time it takes to shoot after sprinting), this makes for a big problem: camping is rewarded. In Vanguard, the rule of thumb is that whoever shoots first usually wins the duel.

Modern Warfare 2 should find a different solution here and raise the TTK slightly. For absolute newcomers, a low TTK may be pleasant because it allows them to get a kill more often. For advanced and expert players, however, a low TTK is rather annoying because it closes the skill gap.

Modern Warfare 2: Rank 5 – Weapon level

Modern Warfare 2 needs proper weapon levels: CoD Vanguard was absolutely flooded with weapons at launch. Most of them had 70 weapon levels, all of which you had to earn in order to unlock attachments. This sometimes took days of continuous play. Modern Warfare 2 needs a different approach here. As a rule, very few gamers have the time to spend another 20+ hours in a game to level up weapons, in addition to school, training, studies or work.

Especially for players who want to play Modern Warfare 2 competitively, this design is a disaster because they have to rely on playing the meta weapons all the time. When the meta changes in Call of Duty, it means even more work for this part of the players.

Modern Warfare 2: Rank 4 – Spawn Logic

No more spawn traps in Modern Warfare 2: This problem started in Modern Warfare 2019, but was taken to the extreme in CoD Vanguard. At the launch of the current part, several clips circulated in which players were killed in the spawn and had no possibility to fight back.

The reason for this was the so-called squad spawn system. This system placed newly spawned players on the map where most of the allies were. However, this did not take into account whether they were in distress or not. Modern Warfare 2 needs a more sophisticated spawn system to prevent spawn traps and frustration.

Modern Warfare 2: Rank 3 – Skill-Based Matchmaking

Modern Warfare 2 needs a new matchmaking: Since Modern Warfare 2019, a large part of the community has been pleading for Call of Duty to get a ranked mode. The reason is Skill-Based Matchmaking (SBMM), where players* playing at the same skill level are thrown into a lobby. Many fans find this tiring because it makes matches more competitive.

However, the fans’ demand to abolish the SBMM in CoD has fallen on rather deaf ears so far. However, it would be quite exciting to see how the influencer scene in CoD would develop if SBMM was eliminated in Modern Warfare 2. Currently, you’re more likely to see high-kill gameplay in Warzone than in Vanguard on the relevant platforms.

Modern Warfare 2: Rank 2 – Unnecessary Gimmicks

Modern Warfare doesn’t need umpteen attachments for weapons: This is very likely just wishful thinking. Cosmetic gimmicks have long been an integral part of many video games. Modern Warfare 2 won’t be able to avoid them either, after all, Activision earns a lot of money from them.

However, these gimmicks, namely end-of-round animations, make individual rounds in Vanguard drag on extremely long, for example. The feeling of “briefly playing a round and then stopping again“, which has always made Call of Duty so attractive, is lost. Here, Modern Warfare 2 can stick to the old adage: Less is more.

Modern Warfare 2: Rank 1 – Ranked Mode

Modern Warfare 2 needs a leaderboard: A solution to the 3rd place problem would be a ranked mode in Modern Warfare 2, where players could prove their skills and earn their victory honestly. In normal mode, you could then deactivate the SBMM and just play for fun.

This should result in more gameplay clips with absurd amounts of kills on YouTube and Twitch. CoD pros like Optic Scump have already spoken out in favor of such a change. This is not least because these pros have a spark of nostalgia when they think of “the good old days”. Regardless of the SBMM, a ranking would also be a good motivator to play Modern Warfare 2 in the long run. For example, you could tie the rank to rewards to keep players engaged.

What do you think? What does Modern Warfare 2 really need to be a success?