TheCall of Dutyfranchise has a long history of locking content behind paywalls, whether it be map packs or platform-exclusive content. The new era ofCall of Dutyis supposed to move beyond that, according to Activision. Yet once againCall of Dutyplayers are decrying perceived paywalls, even going so far as calling a recent change inCall of Duty: Modern WarfareandWarzonepay-to-win.
The current inflammatory situation inCall of Duty: Modern WarfareandWarzoneis due to a recent balance update. The update shifted the power balance towards two specific weapons that players find problematic. The weapons being the Bruen Mk9 and the Grau 5.56. These weapons have specific requirements players need to achieve before either can be unlocked. These requirements, it turns out, are significantly easier to accomplish inModern Warfare' multiplayer as opposed to thefree-to-playWarzone.
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In bothModern WarfareandWarzone, to unlock theBruen Mk9 playershave to get 3 LMG kills near smoke not once, but 15 times. Smokes are not only rarely used inWarzone, but getting three kills in the same general area is all the rarer. Accomplishing this task 15 times would be incredibly rare. The Grau 5.56 is also unlocked in a challenging fashion, requiring players get 5 kills in a minute not once, but 25 times. An easier task than the Bruen’s, for sure, but getting 5 kills in a minute would prove a challenge even for top-levelCall of Dutyplayers.
The problem is readily apparent. If the top weapons inWarzoneare incredibly challenging to get, but can be acquired with comparative ease inModern Warfare, then it’s effectively restricting powerful weapons behind the paywall ofpurchasingModern Warfare. This is what’s frustratingCall of Dutyplayers right now.
There are certain caveats to the players' frustrations, of course. After all, Infinity Ward could re-balance weapons within the week and weapons that are much easier to unlock could then be powerful instead. Infinity Ward could also redo the requirements for these weapons to be moreWarzonefriendly. There are relatively easy solutions for theCall of Dutydevelopersto move forward on.
But a deeper issue has been discovered, here. Fans are very likely to ask, “Is this a fair system?” going forward regardless of the genuine impact it has on the game. A system that enables premium players to unlock weapons that free players don’t have access to is problematic. And, unfortunately, there’s no real way to rebuild that system with ease. It may just be somethingCall of Dutyplayers have to live with,pay-to-winor not.
Call of Duty: WarzoneandCall of Duty: Modern Warfareare available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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