Despite being around for almost two decades now, the Call of Duty franchise has managed to maintain a clear and distinct identity. Where Halo was offered Sci-Fi weapons and environments, and Battlefield was where fans could take part in large-scale battles, Call of Duty has always been about tight gunplay and intense small-scale environments, where speed and skill are rewarded in equal measure. Though there have been over 19 Call of Duty entries over the years, the franchise has stayed true to this identity, at least for the most part.
Over the years, Call of Duty has experimented with a variety of new and unique game modes. The vast majority of these game modes put a fun spin on the traditional 6v6 Call of Duty formula, such as party modes like Gun Game and One in the Chamber, or modern modes like Modern Warfare 2's Prisoner Rescue. While some of these game modes have become staples of the franchise, there are a select few that have never really been popular, despite their consistent presence. Call of Duty's big team modes had their shot but they should be left behind now.
It's Time for Call of Duty to Leave Big Team Modes Behind
Ground War has been a constant presence in the Call of Duty franchise since its debut in the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, but this mode has morphed into something completely different over the last few years. While Ground War was always designed to be a larger-scale game mode, offering a maximum player count of 18, 2019's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot took things one step further, and increased this player count to a whopping 64.
On the surface, larger-scale game modes like this new version of Ground War can be pretty fun. With 64 players in a match, and a bunch of AI foes as well, Ground War offers constant action, even more so than classic 6v6 modes. This new version of Ground War also gives players some varied types of gameplay, with air, land, and naval vehicles all being available to use. These modes can offer a nice change of pace from the usual Call of Duty multiplayer grind, but they're not as harmless as they look.
Call of Duty is currently undergoing a bit of a content crisis. With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 fully adopting a live-service approach to content, players now expect to see consistent updates, with each one bringing new maps and weapons to the game. However, in the last few months, Modern Warfare 2 has barely received any additional content, and any additions it has received has been remakes and reworks of old maps as opposed to original content. While it can't all be blamed on big team modes like Ground War, they certainly don't help things. Infinity Ward likely feels the need to bring new large-scale maps to the game alongside 6v6 experiences.
So while these large-scale, big team modes can be fun, they're actively getting in the way of the development of more 6v6 content, and it's those modes that the vast majority of Call of Duty fans care about. For Call of Duty's 2024 entry, it may be a good idea to scrap these big team modes altogether. They may be fun, but they're not popular enough to justify the amount of time and effort spent on them during development. At the end of the day, Call of Duty's identity has always revolved around its 6v6 gameplay, and if players wanted larger-scale, big team modes, then they can get those from Battlefield.