5 worst Modern Warfare beta issues that need to be fixed

After the curtain call for the Modern Warfare beta on September 23, Infinity Ward will be looking to fix all of the issues reported before its official launch. So what exactly does the development team need to work on ahead of the next Call of Duty release?

Thus far, the intentions of the Modern Warfare developers have not gone unnoticed; from adding a brand new platform-wide ‘cross-play’ feature, to introducing entirely new game modes, it appears that Infinity Ward is pulling out all of the stops to ensure the next Call of Duty title is a success. 

However, the testing period has not been plain sailing, as expected, and the first-person shooter’s beta ran into a number of problems. Here are the five worst issues that need to be fixed for launch.

Ground War redefined the scope of ‘big-battle’ with the 32v32 game mode.

1. Hit registration issues on map elements

There have been reports of players running into issues when shooting towards enemies through the gaps of pylons, while also having the ability to shoot through doors, where, in some cases, doors have been entirely transparent. 

2. In-game textures and graphics

Alongside players discovering bugs in relation to specific elements within the map, there have been reported issues with the global color saturation/distortion, both when loading into the server and in-game.

3. Grain on weapon sights

Modern Warfare has introduced a depth of field (DOF) effect when aiming down sights, which has, in turn, caused grain and blur distortion around the reticle when targeting enemies. Although there is a fix to work around this issue on PC, there is currently no function to do so on console. A simple addition to the options menu would solve this issue.

4. Spawn system

There have been spawn issues across all game modes during the beta. However, Ground War, in particular, seemed to struggle with keeping up with the spawning frequency of players based on enemy positions.

Nonetheless, the devs have recognized the issue and are looking to have a fix patched in time for launch.

5. Mini-map

It’s no secret among those keeping tabs on Infinity Ward’s updates, that the mini-map (or lack thereof) received instant backlash from the community. With various Reddit threads gaining traction during the first day of the beta’s release, the devs re-introduced the mini-map less than 48 hours into testing.

However, it’s not the mini-map of old, as it doesn’t show enemy gunfire, and is circular rather than square. Some players have also voiced concern with the zoom level of the map, which seems off compared to previous games.

Notable mentions

Alongside the above issues, that will likely draw most of Infinity Ward’s resources, the team will also need to focus on various other problems that have been encountered along the beta’s somewhat bumpy road. 

• Skill-based matchmaking – though not proven, there are fears that strict SBMM is being used.
• Intermittent issues when interacting with maps (e.g., opening doors, defusing bombs).
• Players spawning under/within the map (specifically when playing Ground War). 
• Settings don’t always save in the Options Menu on PC.
• Unable to chat from PC to console in cross-play lobbies. 

Ashton Williams kept the CoD faithful up-to-date throughout, by frequently updating the subreddit and affiliated socials. 

The Senior Community Manager reached out and thanked the community (alongside detailing what the developer is looking into right now) in a Reddit post on September 23.

The best Call of Duty yet?

Infinity Ward have been extremely proactive in listening to (and implementing) community feedback during the beta’s lifecycle. Of course, it goes without saying that this was a pre-release version of the game, and as such, the feedback obtained will aid Modern Warfare’s transition into its full release.

Regardless of complaints regarding the issues encountered, popular personalities and pros alike have given glowing responses to the next iteration of the franchise.

On the whole, players have been left wanting more, after the beta provided a balance between two important elements within a first-person shooter: maps that require tactical awareness and a fast-paced movement system to navigate said maps. 

Whether Infinity Ward will fix all of the aforementioned issues before release remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure, Modern Warfare could be the dawn of a new era for Call of Duty, as we move into the first year of franchising for esports with (what will hopefully be) a polished game upon release. 

Thought of something that didn’t make the list? Be sure to send your feedback to the development team via the Modern Warfare subreddit before the official launch on October 25.