Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 did away with the new reveal style established by Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Vanguard. Not only was there a simple trailer release instead of a special event within Warzone, but the game was unveiled roughly five months before release. This is a far cry from Black Ops Cold War and Vanguard, which were unveiled to the public just a few months before actually releasing.
While there were benefits to the previous strategy, as it allowed fans to hop into a beta mere days after the official reveal and helped maintain the hype until launch, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 approach also has its upsides. Not only can Infinity Ward take a slow burn approach to its reveals, dropping new footage every month that spotlights different aspects of the game, but if it wanted to it could hold multiple betas. This would be ideal, as it could allow for all modes and maps to be fully polished before release.
What Multiple Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Betas Could Accomplish
While only one beta for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is confirmed, it would be nice to see more being released after. Obviously, the focus for the main beta should be on 6v6 multiplayer, but even traditional online play could benefit from multiple betas. For example, the first beta could focus entirely on modes like Domination and Hardpoint, while the following beta could focus on Demolition and Search and Destroy. This way, fans could try every core game mode, providing feedback on everything from the rules to the amount of points earned for playing the objective.
This would allow for testing on more of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s maps as well. Typically, Call of Duty betas only allow player to test out four or so maps, a small portion of the game’s overall map count. With multiple betas, Infinity Ward can get feedback for every original map ahead of release, saving any remasters as day one surprises. This way, changes like Black Ops Cold War’s Miami rework can happen ahead of launch if necessary, leading to a stronger map pool on day one.
Outside of maps and basic 6v6 multiplayer balancing, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is expected to have some unique modes. The rumored modes include a Tarkov-like experience and an experience inspired by Rainbow Six Siege. Much like with the introduction of Gunfight in Modern Warfare 2019, testing out a brand-new game mode and type of gameplay via a beta makes sense. As such, holding separate betas for these new modes would be ideal.
A case could also be made for each beta to feature a different chunk of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s weapon lineup. Players could see two Assault Rifles in one beta and two more in the next, testing out the entire arsenal in the lead-up to release. With Infinity Ward able to get feedback on every single gun through this method, the developer could ensure that every weapon is balanced upon release, making for a rare Call of Duty launch where one or two guns are not utterly overpowered.
Even a beta for the highly anticipated Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is viable, as there are several months that Activision could fill with exciting testing periods for the latest entry in its beloved series. While there was only time to hold a brief Alpha and Beta with the previous two Call of Duty releases, that is not the case with Modern Warfare 2. Infinity Ward has a long time to kill until launch day, so getting community feedback on as many aspects of the game as possible would be wise. Multiple betas is the best way to do that, or at the very least one extensive beta that consistently expands throughout the Summer. Hopefully, this is the approach taken with Modern Warfare 2.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 releases on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.