Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s beta is getting a lot of attention and generating hype for the upcoming game, while showing off the new features and weapons available to players. Despite this, theCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2beta is missing an opportunity to win players over by limiting its Gunsmith options.
Gunsmith is a feature that has now appeared in sixCall of Dutyreleases and the battle royaleWarzone,allowing players to tweak and customize their weapons with incredible precision, including weapon skins, optics, and attachments. First seen inCall of Duty: Black Ops 3, Gunsmith gives players a way to stand out when a lot of players have the same weapons, optimizing their individual skills and play style. Given certainweapons inCall of Dutywill define a player’s experience, it is odd that Infinity Ward decided to place limitations on Gunsmith during the beta.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s Limited Gunsmith Beta
Popular weapons like the Fennec and AK-47 are locked at Level 1 in theCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2beta, meaning players can’t use much beyond using their base versions. There is good logic behind limiting some Gunsmith functionality in the beta, but the decision could cost Infinity Ward the chance to showcase what somebetter weapons inModern Warfare 2can do, getting prospective players hooked on a more powerful weapon they want to earn whenCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2releases in October.
Giving players the opportunity to use more powerful versions of some popular weapons in the beta would show the capability of these guns, and give them the chance to develop affinity toward certain weapons and compare builds. Even more puzzling is that players can have attachments on the M4 rifle, but not weapons like the AK-47 and Fennec. This approach to the beta can create an environment where there is too much “sameness,” making it harder to determinewhat fans can truly expect fromCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2at launch.
On the other hand, a completely open Gunsmith during the beta would likely hurt balance in the beta itself and discourage using a wide range of weapons. Since Infinity Ward almost certainly wants to see a variety of weapons get love during the beta, the decision to limit Gunsmith functionality might offer users a better idea of the balance of all weapons. Because this is only a beta meant to test online functionality and balance, there will be plenty of time later for things like the typicalCall of Dutykillstreaks, weapon builds, and other advanced options.
Despite that, players like to get their hands on the most complete version of any game they can, and fans won’t hold back if they want to seechanges made inCall of Dutybased on the beta. Balance is important, but so is word of mouth, and getting excited players talking more about the Gunsmith inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2feels like a potential benefit of the beta that Infinity Ward might be missing out on.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2launches on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
