In Call of Duty’s latest update, Modern Warfare 2 got all the love
There’s a prevailing narrative among Call of Duty fans that the standard 6v6 Call of Duty doesn’t get as much attention (opens in new tab) by Activision as its free-to-play battle royale cousin Warzone 2. While Warzone players will enjoy map updates, franchise crossover modes, and frequent balancing changes, those playing Call of Duty the old-fashioned way will be content (and pay $70 for it). for occasional new map, weapon, and playlist updates.
For once, it’s the traditional 6v6 Call of Duty that gets more love on Patchday. Modern Warfare 2 season 2 reloaded patch (opens in new tab)Out today, includes a new “Core” multiplayer map, the next installment of MW2’s co-op raid, a new M4-based DMR, and the second drop of party modes to brighten the mood after a night of ranked games .
Here is the summary:
- New map: Himmelmatt Expo
- New weapon: Tempus Torrent Marksman Rifle (can also be used in Warzone)
- Episode 2 of the Atomic Grad co-op raid
- Party Modes: One in the Chamber, All or Nothing, Drop Zone
- Warzone anniversary camouflages
- Path of Ronin Event Camouflage Challenges
- Party queue function
Activision surprised Modern Warfare 2 players last month when, in a likely attempt to ease complaints about CoD’s premium side, it announced that a 6v6 map would be coming early in Season 2.
“The @InfinityWard MP team decided to move the map up as it’s already playing well and tracking ahead of schedule,” according to the Call of Duty Twitter account tweeted (opens in new tab) at that time.
This map is today’s Himmelmatt Expo, a modernist mountain chalet in shades of blue, brown, and gray. You can tell it’s a realistic exhibition hall built for business trips that are actually vacations, as there’s a bar, restaurant, and pool between the meeting rooms and reception desks. Guess they need to add bullet holes and RPG craters to the brochure.
If a single new map doesn’t do it for you, you might find yourself enjoying the Tempus Torrent Marksman Rifle, a single-fire shooter that joins the existing M4 weapon tree. It has a 20-round base magazine and a reportedly fast rate of fire, a winning combination for a DMR hoping to compete with full-auto rifles, but Activision says you’ll cope with a “noticeable kick up and to the left.” must. “
Luckily, you can probably equip the Tempus with full attachments right away. As the M4 platform gun, most of the grips, sights, and supplies unlocked for those guns carry over to them. Usually, new CoD weapons can only be unlocked with the Battle Pass at first, but since this one arrives in the middle of a season, you’ll need to score 25 double kills with sniper rifles (or buy a Tempus cosmetic pack from the store to get it early). That’s a pretty steep challenge! Marksman Rifles aren’t the snappiest of weapons in the first place, so multikills might be a struggle, but with luck and a good campsite, you can do it in an afternoon or two.
Those party modes sound pretty fun too. Everyone starts All or Nothing with an empty pistol and throwing knives. Earn perks by getting kills “starting with the Scavenger perk to allow ammo pickup”.
Drop Zone sounds like Headquarters with Care Package drops, which isn’t true, but what I’m most excited about is the return of a Blacks Ops classic: One in the Chamber. The rules are simple: bullets are a one-hit kill, and everyone has a bullet. Kills grant a new orb (including melee). Some Call of Duty traditions feel dated and tired (like killstreaks), but party modes never go out of style.
There is a new social feature in the footnotes of today’s patch that appears to be tremendously useful. “Party Queue” allows you to join a friend’s party while they’re still in an ongoing match, and then automatically join them for matchmaking once it’s over. It’s never fun refreshing the social tab until the join party button is finally available, so this is a win. Overwatch 2 has had this feature for a long time, except in this game you can watch your friend’s game while you wait, so get into Activision.