CDL pros Clayster & Simp share mixed reactions to Vanguard mutliplayer

Call of Duty’s 2021 title, Vanguard, has been having private multiplayer sessions and is already getting mixed reviews from CDL and Warzone pros like Clayster, Simp, and Swagg.

Like every year in the CoD world, there are a lot of questions surrounding Vanguard’s release. A highly anticipated return to the forefront for the Sledgehammer Games studio, the new game is no standard title — as it is expected to integrate heavily with Warzone and build on Modern Warfare 2019’s engine.

After the Vanguard Champion Hill Alpha was made available to the public for a weekend, the studio also invited content creators and pro players to test other multiplayer offerings. This came in advance of the full multiplayer reveal and the upcoming Beta.

But, as fans may have come to expect, opinions are divided. While FaZe Clan’s Kris ‘Swagg’ Lamberson and Chris ‘Simp’ Lehr were encouraged by the game, CoD veteran James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks appears concerned.

A multi-time CoD champion and current New York Subliner, it’s unclear if Clay was part of the recent playing sessions — but it is clear that he is worried about the new game. Laughing on Twitter, he made a point to ask if the devs “even took a shred of feedback after MW.”

• Read more: How to watch CoD: Vanguard Multiplayer reveal on September 7

This response echoes popular pro concerns about MW19, which centered around disliked mechanics (doors, weapon mounting, minimap changes). 

But MW19 and Warzone, both operating on the same engine as Vanguard, are possibly CoD’s two most successful releases of all time. And two of the players most successful on those titles, FaZe slayer Simp and content creator Swagg, had more favorable reactions.

Simp seems ready for the new title and understandably so since he apparently almost dropped a 100-bomb on the lobby during his session. But Swagg shared more specific feedback.

The popular Warzone creator explained that, trying the game on PC instead of console (unlike the Alpha), he found that it “felt amazing and so smooth.” 

• Read more: All Call of Duty: Vanguard weapons: Confirmed guns & predictions

So far, these mixed reactions only lend intrigue to the game’s upcoming reveals and eventual release. And, as this is the time period during which Sledgehammer are sifting through feedback, the more nuanced reactions, the better.