Summary
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3certainly seems to be aimed at maintaining existing fans instead of attracting newcomers. Alongside the Carry Forward system that lets players keep all their unlocks from 2022’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the campaign is bringing backthe villain Makarovfrom the originalModern Warfaretrilogy. Multiplayer will be comprised entirely of remade maps from the originalMW2, and the Ninja perk and traditional mini map are both rumored to be returning. At this rate, Sledgehammer should keep the ball rolling and address two prominent fan complaints.
To be clear,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is unlikely to solve every major issue fans have with the widerCall of Dutyfranchise. For example,Warzonewill likely continue to be a priority, much to the dismay of fans who miss each game having its own clear identity. Still, with the mini map situation supposedly being addressed, there is an opportunity for Sledgehammer Games to touch on two long running debates: cosmetics and skill-based matchmaking.
RELATED:Rumor: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Zombies Could Be Playable Before Launch
Balancing Call of Duty’s Realistic vs. Outlandish Cosmetics
One of the biggest complaints old schoolCall of Dutyfans will often have is about the newer games' more outrageous cosmetics. Though the series has long since strayed from a fully grounded military aesthetic where the flashiest camo patterns were Gold and Fall, as Bacon camo started the silly cosmetic era all the way back inBlack Ops 2, there has been a bigger shift toward outrageous items. After all, a decade agoCall of Dutyplayers were not encountering anime characters, Godzilla, andHomelanderin their multiplayer matches.
Considering how profitable major crossovers and over-the-top weapon designs are, theCall of Dutyseries will likely never return to the days of completely grounded visuals and Operator designs. Still, there is a happy middle ground. Artistic players are designingCall of DutyMil-Sim bundlesbecause there simply are not enough realistic designs offered in the recent games, indicating a need for change. While players get some standard soldier looks on day one, they almost completely stop appearing in the post-launch seasons.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3can fix this problem by providing an equal amount of serious military getups and funny, flashy designs within the in-game store, keeping the Mil-Sim looks coming long after release.
Finally Reworking Call of Duty’s Skill-Based Matchmaking
While there is a fairly simple way to solve the cosmetic issue, as Activision andSledgehammer Gamessimply need to keep more serious weapon and Operator skins in mind, skill-based matchmaking is a much more complex problem. While mostCall of Dutyfans do seem to agree that skill-based matchmaking has gone too far in recent years, some gamers want it to be maintained, as they feel it gives them a fighting chance and prevents them from getting steamrolled in their matches. For many, though, occasional blowouts are part of what madeCall of Dutygames such casual fun.
Developers have come out and said that eventhe golden era ofCall of Dutyhad skill-based matchmaking, but content creators and fans alike have argued that the current system is much too strict. More often than not in games likeCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, players will find themselves in matches where both sides are perfectly even, ensuring they end up close to a 1.0 K/D ratio in most of their games. Many fans miss regularly having matches where they rack up tons of kills and go on long streaks, so adopting skill-based matchmaking closer to what the olderCall of Dutygames had would likely be preferable. With the game having such a focus on nostalgia, returning to form in this way would make sense.
It could also be time forCall of Dutyto lower skill-based matchmaking to a negligible level, or even remove it entirely, from public matches. WithCall of Duty’s ranked playexisting, players who want intense and competitive matches every single time already have a place to go. If a competitive option exists, it is odd to prevent casual matches from actually feeling casual. Hopefully, some adjustments are made to make skill-based matchmaking less strict inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. If this change happens, and fans of Mil-Sim designs are kept in mind during the post-launch seasons, two common criticisms of modernCall of Dutycould fade away.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3launches on November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
MORE:Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies Can Correct This Missed Outbreak Opportunity
