Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 fans can expect a number of changes and additions with the sequel. Traversal is receiving a boost through ledge grabs and dolphin diving, the Gunsmith is being improved through the use of platforms and shared attachments, and fresh modes like Invasion and Knockout give players access to never-before-seen experiences. The game also makes a brilliant change to killstreaks, and it should not be a one-off feature.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 breaks a long-running trend related to killstreaks and scorestreaks, with gamers no longer stuck with one of the two. In the past, players were either locked into one or the other, or they had to sacrifice a precious perk slot in order to switch to a different form of streak-earning. In the sequel, all that is needed to make the switch is a simple button press, which is a terrific change that should make its way to future games.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Gives Players The Best of Both Worlds With Its Streaks
Most Call of Duty fans have their preference when it comes to streaks. Old school players that like to keep things simple will lean toward killstreaks, as will those that find themselves worried more about a high K/D ration than getting a win. On the flip side, objective players and team-oriented gamers that like to shoot down enemy streaks will favor scorestreaks, as it rewards them for contributing to the match in ways beyond killing.
Whether players prefer Call of Duty’s scorestreaks or killstreaks has been a consistent debate within the community, with half of the player base usually being disappointed when one is picked over the other. This is understandable, as both streak options differ greatly and favor certain styles of gameplay. Fortunately, in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, players concerned with keeping themselves alive and those that are constantly pushing for flags and Hardpoints are both being catered to.
Though Infinity Ward usually favors the killstreak approach over scorestreaks, this time around the developer has aimed to please the entire Call of Duty community. By heading into the streaks menu, all players need to do is press a single button to swap from killstreaks to scorestreaks. This one small change is a massive win for players, as now they have more control over their class setup than ever before. All players being able to make this change with no limitations like perk use only makes things better.
With Treyarch developing Call of Duty 2024, and an Advanced Warfare sequel from Sledgehammer Games rumored to be coming after that, both studios should take notes from Infinity Ward and include this option in their games. Just like streaks themselves became a series staple after Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the option to choose between the two methods of earning them is something that should absolutely be permanent.
Though there will surely be some players that argue having one way to earn streaks is superior, as scorestreak lovers feel like their preferred system forces otherwise selfish players to help with objectives, Infinity Ward has found a healthy middle ground between the two styles. While there are plenty of small things to appreciate about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, this simple adjustment to the streak formula might just be the best of the bunch. There is no telling whether the mechanic will become something that carries over to future entries, as other innovations like Call of Duty: Vanguard's Combat Pacing have seemingly been abandoned, but hopefully it does.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 launches on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.