Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2is drawing ever closer to its full release, with fans being more than eager to get back into the game following the recent Beta weekends for customers who have pre-ordered the title. Thanks to the Beta, fans are now intimately familiar with how the game will operate at launch, concerning both positive and negative elements of the current game state.
It is no secret that matchmaking within theCoDfranchise has long been a source of controversy, and it appears thatCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2will be no different. With gameplay elements such as skill-based matchmaking re-writing the casualCoDexperience, it is clear that a dedicated ranked playlist is needed moving forward in the title, and the franchise as a whole.
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The Basics of Gameplay
With an ambitious campaign that carries on fromthe events of 2019’sModern Warfare, as well as a litany of multiplayer modes, the upcomingModern Warfare 2is set to be one of the most expansive franchise installments inCall of Dutyhistory. Possessing its own visceral and highly-detailed multiplayer mode,Modern Warfare 2will launch fairly closely to the free-to-playWarzone 2, with progression tracking across both titles.
Of course, themultiplayer in any Call of Duty titleis one of the biggest talking points of the game, andModern Warfare 2is no different. Given the fact that the game is already breaking franchise norms by having a two-year uncontested life cycle within the franchise, the game is under intense amounts of scrutiny to get gameplay right from the offset.
The recentBeta forModern Warfare 2was the largestin the franchise’s history, meaning an unprecedented amount of discourse and criticism has stemmed from it. One of the most prevalent of these critiques was regarding the level of matchmaking that is currently in the game. With the looming presence of skill-based matchmaking seemingly still dominating theCall of Dutyformula, many fans are calling for a dedicated ranked playlist to be added to the game before it launches.
Skill-based Matchmaking in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
It would be remiss when discussing the need for a dedicated ranked playlist inModern Warfare 2without first outlining the implications and recent history ofskill-based matchmaking withinCall of Dutyas a whole. Skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM, is a growing practice in online games which fosters an environment in which players only come up against opposing teams of a similar skill level to them.
The ethos behind SBMM is that it aids more casual or lower-skilled players by ensuring they do not come against higher-level opponents, but it has been met with asustained backlash within theCall of Dutycontext and beyond. For above-average players, SBMM has been argued to turn every online match into an extremely competitive ordeal that demands undivided attention and tactics.
By consistently partaking in such similarly skilled lobbies, many players feel forced to engage in unrewarding metas just to compete, ruining any semblance of casual gameplay in what was a historically arcade-like online shooter. For many players, the sustained presence of SBMM greatly reduces the longevity of their overall play-time for newer titles, with any time they do dedicate to a game being an unsatisfying and high-stakes experience. With SBMM playing a clear role in the recent Beta forModern Warfare 2, the implementation of a dedicated ranked playlist could help re-unify the fan base and preserve some of the more casual elements of the title.
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A Dedicated Ranked Playlist in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
An element ofCall of Duty’solder online identity that has fallen to the wayside in recent years is the concept of ranked play. Historically, as seen in thepopular League Play on the well-receivedBlack Ops 2, there was a dedicated space for more competitive gamers to test their might against opponents of similar skill levels, with each player vying to rise as far up in the rankings and leader boards as they possibly could.
While ranked play elements have periodically made appearances in franchise installments likeCall of Duty WW2and even therecentCall of Duty: Vanguard, the reduced capacity in which the modes now exist in the franchise make them unpopulated and unrewarding. The concept of ranked play in gaming is arguably as popular as it ever has been, with massive online games such asOverwatch, Rainbow Six Siege,andRocket Leaguepriding themselves on seasonal rankings that foster a consistently engaging and competitive gameplay cycle. This only makes it all the more confusing as to whyCall of Dutyhas not capitalized on this growing industry norm, with the upcomingModern Warfare 2being the perfect opportunity to do so.
If the upcoming title were to introduce ranked play, it would offer a playlist in which the most competitive players within the game could exist away from theclamor and debate of SBMM, while providing more casual players a much more relaxed and decidedly laid-back overall experience within the core public playlists of the title. While also propelling the game to compete with the ranked systems of its most popular peers, it would surely be a huge benefit toModern Warfare 2and Infinity Ward if a dedicated ranked playlist were to be added to the game before launch.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2launches on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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