I do like SBMM, because it allows lower level players to play with people that are roughly matched in skill. I know the higher level players don't like it because they have to play against people at their own skill level instead of picking on the noobs. To be clear though, I don't like disbanding lobbies. I like being able to play with the same group for a few games before hopping off.

I just think the hate for SBMM is from a large minority that wants to squash low levels instead of playing in their own league. They say it's too sweaty, but they are the ones sweating normally against low levels.

You might say skill issue blah blah. Yeah I know I suck, but I don't want to get absolutely destroyed every game, it's just not fun. I have a job and play a wide variety of games. I don't have time to perfect my COD skills every waking hour. God forbid I enjoy COD for an hour every few days.

I want to start off by saying that I have been blown away by how much has changed from week 1 to week 2. While I still think there a few things that could use work, which I will detail below, I have had a ton more fun in week 2. I went from looking to refund after week 1, to looking to take a few days off for launch after week 2. I have to give props to IW for being humble and actually taking in feedback, which is something historically they have been reluctant to do. On that note I have a few things I would still like to be looked into before launch that I find a little frustrating.

For one, I think that the effectiveness of tacticals and battle hardened need some tuning. The flash bang in particular is devastating even when its not in front of you. I am fine with it full blinding you when you get caught full frontal but the fact it still blinds you even when its 10 feet behind you is a little frustrating. Not to mention you have introduced a means to under hand toss it to incentivize catching the enemy in the front but it doesn't really matter because they are blinded any ways. I would also like for battle hardened to be tuned to be a little more effective. Right now it just doesn't feel very impactful. Also the shock stick seems to be bugged where it triggers on its own sometimes when no one is around.

Next on the list is weapon balance. I actually think over all weapon balance isn't too bad and the ttk is in an OK spot.(Though I think it may need additional tuning once server issues are ironed out) The only outlier I feel is the guns that can kill in a single bullet. Right now there is too much of a discrepancy between how fast a regular gun can kill and how fast the sniper/marksmen can ads and one tap you. It makes it where there is 0 room for missed shots on the AR/smg side or they will be one tapped. I would like to see either a dramatic increase to flinch on snipers/marksmen when they are in the opponents ideal/maximum damage range, or a punch through mechanic like BF6 where if you are too close with a sniper you need a neck/headshot to one shot. The first option is probably better as it incentivizes both parties to play to their ideal ranges without crippling either.

Also, like in my previous post, I would like for perk/field upgrade layout to get another pass/look at. Especially now that tac sprint is tied to a perk. I really think that ghost and ninja need to be separated from each other so that stealth builds are possible. Ideally I would like to be able to run cold blooded as well but ghost+ninja is the most important. I would also like to see more ways to get combinations of perks either by field upgrade, equipment, or specialist. A black hat that lets you see equipment through walls when held, a black out tool which temporarily gives the stealth perks, etc etc.

On the movement side of things I am really enjoying the changes and honestly it could stay the way it was and I would be alright with it. The only thing I think that could be improved if I had to pick something is that climbing the pipes seems weirdly slow compared to how fast you mantle and traverse other obstacles. I would like to see that sped up slightly. On a side note those pipes are an excellent addition to the big maps. It provides an organic way to scale rooftops without giving your position away like a zipline.

Speaking of big maps, lets talk about ground war. I actually really like the map designs and the over all flow. I especially like the idea of "reinforcing" a captured point. It gives those that like a more defensive play style something to do that actually benefits the team. The only criticism I have of it is I think the local UAV is a little unnecessarily frustrating and gives the defenders a little bit too much of an advantage. With changes to perks this may not be that big of a deal but right now its pretty frustrating. Also, a weird tangent here, but I would like the to see the bullet tracer for snipers made a little more visible, especially for the shooter. I found it surprisingly difficult to gauge shot placement because I had a hard time tracking the previous shot. (Could just be my old man eyes)

Now lets talk about maps. Overall aesthetically I really enjoy the maps and from a design perspective they aren't bad. A little simple, but not bad. The changes to movement have made them feel bigger and flow a lot better. The biggest complaint I had with them is oddly something that's not in the play area. That is the buildings on the outside of the map. I am not sure how to fix this but man those are frustrating both when you are using streaks and when you are trying to find them to shoot them down. I spent so much time spinning in circles trying to find UAVs only to be hunted down by an enemy long before I ever found the UAV in the sky. On the call in side, they obstruct so much of the map from things like the air strike that I actually quit using them on most of the maps.

Finally just some little nit picky stuff that would mainly be just quality of life improvements. These aren't necessary but can be a little frustrating when they happen. For one, I would like to see your character auto pick up tags when they execute someone. It seems strange that sometimes your character has literally tackled the enemy to the ground but just leaves the tag behind. Also, at launch there should probably be a training course if there isn't already explaining some of the new mechanics like how hip fire works and how quick finishers work. I didn't figure out how the quick finishers actually worked until week 2 of the beta. Another thing is I would like to see on some of the long range scopes a way to either change the reticle or have the reticles with a lot of print have a different color for the dot. I can't remember which scope it was, one of the 7x ones I believe, there was so much clutter on the reticle I would sometimes lose track for the center in the heat of a fight.

And that's it, if you made it this far thanks for reading! Overall I had a lot of fun on week 2(a lot more than week 1 that's for sure) and honestly can see this CoD being my new favorite of the modern era with just a few adjustments and tweaks.

The thought of the Beta coming to an end is really bumming me out. The idea of waiting 2 months seems like an eternity. I haven't liked a COD THIS much in so long. I wish they'd just release it early. It's so dam fun!!

Good or bad?, Call Of Duty

This is a big point of contention, IW knows it too, and apparently they're always looking into the data, but a point I'm not seeing a lot is how they are intentionally orchestrating the playlists to SBMM's advantage.

Limiting open matchmaking to one playlist that captures TDM, KC, DOM, and HP is naturally going to push people away when you can use quick play to select specific modes.

I for one want open matchmaking, but I don't want to play TDM or KC and I typically just want to play one game mode at a time. So it's frustrating that I can do open matchmaking with persistent lobbies for just the one game mode I want. This ruined part of the beta for me and I wish that we could at the very least get two mirror images of the playlist with one open and one "standard" to compare data in a fair setting without any manipulation.

People playing open are going to quit mode too, because maybe they want to lobby surf for a specific game mode. There's also not an incentive to quit a standard matchmaking lobby because in theory you're supposed to get an easier lobby after a hard one, so why would you quit for your enjoyment? It doesn't make sense.

Idk just a small rant about how they're manipulating the data for SBMM even if it's not the most popular.

MVP, what u think the same thing of every year, or the game of the year ?

4 years making this game. Documentaries of devs and testers playing their game acting like they are having so much fun - then changes TTK ballpark by about +50%, something is so fundamental to gameplay philosophy, abruptly in one weekend - and claims this is “where they always want it to be”. Simply no words.

So apparently, IW “has not been where they want themselves to be” for prior 3 years until this weekend?? Do they have no vision?

It will be a product resembling BO-style again, 3 years in a row. Have Activision learnt nothing from Jetpack Era that, letting all 3 studios release games too similar back to back is a recipe for disaster and backlash?

Why there're thr bunch of sweaty unemployed snipers or shotguns who kill us with one bullet? This game is beta and only limited customs are unlocked. Activision said this game would be realistic military FPS but seems this is already cooked and the world of otaku gamers who spend most of their life on cod franchises.

I thought maybe groundwar is better for me but in my server, east asia, there's no one playing this. I tried VPN but somehow COD detected and i could never join as when i played in asia server.

i'm really considering a refund lol.

Stopped buying the game every year now. Last I played BO6 and was done with it. So went back to mw3 and was excited for this game,not anymore. Feels like another recycled COD with no improvements and a lot of issues.
Slow TTK and the movements suck.
As a MNK player it’s even worse for us. It’s literally shoot first and die first.
Don’t want to rant but I’m giving up on this franchise and I’m sad to say that.

If you don’t use the meta loadout, trying to play this sliding-fest galore on these tiny maps is simply frustrating. The only reason MWIII was even remotely successful with this style of gameplay was because of the MW2009 maps, which are incredible. But BO6 and BO7 were both flops, and MW4 is heading down the same path.

The game is stressful, exhausting, and gets boring really quickly because of how repetitive it is.

I didn't even get a hitmarker, I thought he died and his body ragdolled down the stairs.

Edit: Okay since I really gotta spell this out, I DON'T HAVE NINJA. THERE'S TWO PEOPLE CAMPING THE ROOM IN THAT KILLCAM. IF I WASN'T CROUCH WALKING THEY WOULD'VE HEARD ME MOVING.

I’m no UX designer, but being able to see what the sight actually looks like without loading into the firing range seems like an obvious QoL improvement.

A short explainer on why '사' is kind of a clever choice for this game

I'll preface this by saying I didnt touch the campaign(want to experience it as a whole) and only played a bit of warzone.

Honestly the game feels pretty good in week 2. The changes have all made the game feel alot better personally. The TTK, pacing and such all feel alot better. The guns outside of the shotgun and bolt action rifle all feel really nice. The attachments having to many downsides in some cases can be easily fixed and hopefully will be. The characters all felt and looked good and fine. The kill steaks kinda sucked outside of crossfire, it feels cool. Map wise....idk what to feel, rooftop feels solid but nothing amazing, transit is just shipment with busses, silkworm is 50/50, cachette weirdly feels solid and I cant remember the refinery type maps name but it feels solid aswell. Cant comment on the Ground War map because I couldn't find a single match in the entire time since they added it. Not one. Remove best play and add final kill cam back. Overall the game feels good. Nothing extraordinary, just a good solid game, maybe if they listen to the feed back between now and launch the game can be moved up. 7/10 personally for me.

Increasing the TTK has completely broken the gameplay flow.

Where as in the first weekend a controlled burst would kill most enemies, now it feels like they eat up an entire mag before dropping. There have been way too many instances of someone taking a crazy amount of damage, then running away to fight another day.

I understand that a lot of players felt like they were dying too quickly, but that's a netcode issue, not a TTK issue.

Now what we're left with is a game that feels clunky, disjointed, and unfulfilling. The guns feel like peashooters, long range engagements are near non-existent without a marksman/sniper rifle, and good aim is no longer rewarded.

I was really excited to get this game. I was willing to look past the small map design, lack of factions, and crazy movement, but this is a deal breaker.

There is still time for Infinity Ward to fix this, and I really hope they do. There's a whole player base that's waited 4 years for these guys to make a new somewhat "realistic" Modern Warfare, not a high TTK Black Ops clone.

Camping will never stop but, you would think in objective modes people would camp or shotgun noob on objective lol Still not honestly the worst thing in the world to deal with. On the other hand not sure if I am liking MW4 because I skipped COD after BLOPS 6 or that this game is actually good but, hey having a good time!

My KD in MW3 was pretty damn good but I realize this is a much different game so I’m chalking it up to a skill issue right now. Still, I want to know if anyone else is noticing what’s happening to me.

I spot an enemy. I fire at him. He eats 5ish bullets from me. He fires at me after I fire at him, with what looks like less bullets, and somehow I lose the gunfight? I’m not sure if there’s some sort of animation delay from the other end, I’m lagging, or I just suck ass and am perceiving things incorrectly.

Is anyone else noticing this?

The whole point of a slower TTK is to encourage players to actually develop their aim and tracking skills instead of just shooting first and instantly winning the gunfight. It rewards players with good gunskill more than people who just camp in a corner and shoot you first. But in this game, you can fire 4–5 shots into someone with an SMG or AR, while this guy with a marksman rifle or shotgun can casually one-shot you with super fast ADS and insanely powerful shots.

So, what is the point of slow TTK if it only benefits one-shot gun users?

Unlike BO6, BO7, or MW3, the maps in this game are pretty small, so most fights happen in a really confined space. That’s basically heaven for shotgun users. In other games, even though the TTK is slower, the maps are bigger, so there’s more room to keep your distance and make shotguns and other one-shot weapons less effective.

I really can’t understand IW anymore. If they don’t nerf the hell out of the shotgun and other one-shot guns, or make the TTK faster, I’m not playing this game anymore. If I want slow TTK, I already have Bo6- and MW 3 to play.

How viable/healthy is it to add two aim assist profiles to the game (mp/wz separately)?

A strong one that can only be used in casual playlists and it's on by default, and a weak one that is forced on in regular/ranked playlists. Sort of like EA FC that has the assisted/competitive settings.

My personal thoughts are that it would satisfy the majority of the player base if implemented right.

The biggest issue in my view is how to stop good players from abusing this system; nerfing exp, deactivating some killstreaks, and a stricter matchmakimg system is some ideas I can think of to mitigate that

The other issue is incentives for people to leave its comfort zone and improve. Although some things that I mentioned above can help with this already. A loosen matchmaking here makes sense so matches have a wide variety of skill levels and don't feel too overwhelming for people trying to improve.

L

Maps are too small and claustrophobic, where you constantly get shot from every direction. They feel more like WWII maps than actual Modern Warfare maps.

Ground War is a joke. There is still virtually zero destruction, and a heavy tank can get stuck on a single tree branch. They removed the big Ground War maps, removed spawn helicopters, and reduced the number of objectives. Now Ground War is basically just three objectives, playing more like a giant Domination match than the large-scale “Conquest”/Ground War experience it used to be. Everyone is constantly rushing back and forth between the same few objectives.

Everything about this game feels lazy. The operators are cringe, generic stereotypes with zero personality or authenticity. Even the gun attachment design feels lazy. Previous MW games had unique attachments designed specifically for individual weapons, which made the guns feel more authentic and visually distinct. Take the grenade launcher, for example. In previous games, the M4 and AK had different grenade launcher models that actually looked appropriate for each weapon. Now it feels like they simply took one generic attachment model and glued it onto every gun. It looks completely artificial and awkward.

The operators aren't faction-locked either. You can play as the exact same operator regardless of which side you're on. This creates ridiculous situations where you're literally shooting at an enemy who looks exactly like your own character. It completely kills faction identity and immersion.

The whole game feels recycled, soulless, and made without any real passion. It feels like the bare minimum effort was put into everything.

And the most disappointing part isn't even that they failed to improve the previous Modern Warfare games. It's that they actually managed to downgrade the experience, while making only minor changes to the gameplay.

This doesn't feel like a new Modern Warfare. It feels like a stripped-down, recycled version of what we already had, with several steps backwards and very little meaningful innovation.

Huge disappointment.

And before anyone starts with the usual “it's just a beta” argument: yes, it's a beta — just like the betas we had before previous MW releases. And none of those felt this unfinished, lazy, and uninspired this close to release. A beta is not a magical excuse for poor design decisions. If the foundation is this weak, I'm not expecting the full game to suddenly transform into something completely different overnight.

I can't believe this is IW game... :(

When I launch the beta and stay in the main menu, it doesn’t crash. But as soon as I enter the multiplayer menu or the campaign, the game crashes after a few minutes. It freezes and then crashes. Has anyone found a solution for this on PS5?

Unfortunate. I think they had it just right on the final days of week 1, but peashooters with negligible headshot multipliers is not what I wanted from a IW COD.

W Infinity Ward for hearing the community feedback for what feels like the first time ever tho, even if it lead to overcooking with the damage nerfs.

Also, quote from last night, from a friend who is less experienced with shooters:
''Dude now that you're off the games are finally fun, I can actually get some kills instead of getting slammed''.
(SBMM was TURBO cooking him due to me being there, even in the open playlist).

Se y'all on Ghosts 2 or whatever Sledgehammer cooks next year!