Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s first beta weekend is done and dusted, and developer Infinity Ward has updated players on changes they can expect to see when it returns.
The highlight here is Infinity Ward’s explanation for Modern Warfare 2’s divisive mini-map, which has come under fire from some players for failing to provide enough information on enemy players.
Unlike some previous Call of Duty games, Modern Warfare 2’s mini-map only shows enemy player dots when a UAV is active. This means it does not display red dots when enemy players sprint or fire their weapons.
In its blog post, Infinity Ward explained the design decision around Modern Warfare 2’s mini-map:
“The design reason for this is that we do not want to punish players for firing their weapons. We also want players to actively search out the origin of a gunshot versus just traveling directly to where the dot is on the mini-map. We continue to gather feedback on how the game is playing in regards to this topic.”
Infinity Ward’s comment here has certainly set the cat among the pigeons within the core Call of Duty community, with subreddits and social media alight with opinion on the rights and wrongs of this approach.
Part of the negativity around Modern Warfare 2’s mini-map has to do with the feeling its design helps so-called casual Call of Duty players have a better time in multiplayer. As Infinity Ward alludes to in its comment, players can no longer zero in on a red dot on the mini-map for a kill. This potentially gives casual players more breathing room as they move around firing.
Here’s a snippet of the reaction:
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A Classic mini-map and a Ninja Perk just feels like the DNA of Call of Duty.
I don’t get why they’ve been absent in the two latest Modern Warfare games.
That’s part of what makes CoD gameplay.
— Greencade (@greencadecom) September 18, 2022
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Infinity Ward have officially refused to change the mini-map after 35% of the beta feedback was to bring the normal mini-map back.
They’re already not listening… 😅
— Call of Duty Black Ops 7 Informer (@CODBO7Informer) September 20, 2022
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12 years of traditional mini-map and now it’s suddenly an issue. Really is baffling
— Sam (@xFleXy_) September 20, 2022
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Really disappointing to see that they wont be doing anything about the mini-map.
“We do not want to punish players for firing their weapons” just doesn’t make sense.
— KARNAGE Clan (@KARNAGEclan) September 20, 2022
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I do not understand the logic behind: “We do not want to punish players for firing their weapons”
You’re firing, taking a risk to engage a gunfight and secure a kill / streak. That’s *always* been the risk. Also, why value a suppressor / subsonic rounds / Ghost???? 🤨
— Jordan – Espresso (@eColiEspresso) September 20, 2022
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As with most features of Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer, the mini-map should not be considered in isolation. Many factors go into the pace and feel of the shooter, including, for example, the loud footstep audio, which Infinity Ward said will be toned down a bit: