The record number of gamers that have competed in online Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 matches has resulted in a large outcry against the game's spawn points. Infinity Ward, the long-time developer of the Modern Warfare subseries, has years of experience fine-tuning the competitive, fast-paced multiplayer that has been the series hallmark. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's spawn point problems have been numerous, spanning multiple maps, with players capturing fantastic clips highlighting the frustrations with the current system.
Just after launch, fans were expressing displeasure over the spawn points in the new Modern Warfare 2 map Al Bagra Fortress. The issue for players on that map was the asymmetrical set-up with the team that initially spawns on the right-hand side of the map getting pinned in and spawn camped. Over time, players developed ways to break the siege inflicted by the poorly placed spawns, but the frustration over playing on the map remained.
A clip shared to Reddit by user Knight demonstrates how bad spawn points can get on every map. In the clip, Knight is killed from behind by a player and then immediately spawns right underneath, getting a revenge kill within seconds of spawning. Thanks to the spawn point being perfectly placed, even the accidentally increased Modern Warfare 2 footstep audio could not have saved their eventual victim.
With over a thousand upvotes on Reddit, Knight's clip is striking a chord with the fan base. Using movement tricks, such as the recently discovered Modern Warfare 2 dolphin hop, is considered more fair since they still require a degree of player skill. Spawning directly underneath an opponent, next to an easily accessible door, requires no player skill and comes down to getting lucky with the spawn system.
Replies to Knight's video range from the expected about how horrible the spawns are, to the humorous in noting how cool the new finishing move animations are with different guns. The fan discussion pointed out how on every map - in particular Al Bagra Fortress and the newly added Shoot House - the spawn points are poorly optimized and lead to a frustrating experience. After all, most, though not all Modern Warfare 2 players will kill their opponents if they get the drop on them, meaning the spawns will continue to frustrate gamers until Infinity Ward addresses the growing problem.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.