Weapon customization has long been a major part of the Call of Duty franchise. With the upcoming release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, however, the traditional system of unlocking attachments for individual guns and progressing linearly through a singular weapon is getting a revamp. In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, players will still be able to focus on their favorite weapons and progress accordingly, but their efforts will allow for a greater degree of customization than ever before.

With the implementation of the new Gunsmith, Modern Warfare 2 will bring a far greater degree of realism to weapon customization — more akin to weapons in games like Escape from Tarkov. Customization will revolve around the weapon platform, allowing players to switch their favorite weapon between an SMG, LMG, and Assault Rifle by simply changing the receiver, with all unlocked attachments remaining as available options regardless of the chosen configuration.

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Customization Is Centered Around The Receiver

Modern Warfare 2 Receiver FJX Cinder

In a step toward realism, Modern Warfare 2 is focusing on a weapon platform rather than an individual weapon. To clarify, rather than solely leveling up an M4, players will now be unlocking attachments for the weapon platform — a collection of similar weapons differentiated primarily by their receiver — that includes the M4. The idea is that every weapon related to the platform will share attachments in Modern Warfare 2. For example, as players unlock various foregrips for the Tempus Armament's M4, they are also unlocking foregrips for the 556 Icarus, a gun that shares the same weapon platform as the Tempus Armament's M4.

A consequence of Modern Warfare 2's Gunsmith 2.0 is that players will be able to seamlessly switch between weapons in a shared weapon platform while maintaining their desired stats. For instance, if a player's main objective is to reduce recoil while maintaining a fast aim down sight time, they will be able to quickly apply their chosen attachments to various weapons within the platform to see which gun their attachments perform best on.

Gunsmith 2.0 Should Theoretically Ease The Grind

Gunsmith 2.0 Weapon Platform M4

Perhaps the most successful aspect of Modern Warfare 2's Gunsmith 2.0 is its appeal to both casual and hardcore players alike. For casual players, Gunsmith 2.0 may be the perfect antidote to the time-intensive nature of keeping up with the multiplayer meta. In Modern Warfare 2's predecessors, players were forced to pour hours into different weapons in order to stay relevant in the prevailing meta, but with the implementation of Gunsmith 2.0, players will already have made meaningful progress toward other guns just by using their favorite weapon.

For instance, if a player elects to use the Lachmann-556 as their primary weapon, they will be inadvertently unlocking attachments that could be used in creating an MP5K build within Modern Warfare 2. In previous titles, that same player may have been hard-pressed to find a viable SMG as a secondary weapon, but in Modern Warfare 2, they've already unlocked the attachments to build one while using the Lachman-556. While leveling up an Assault Rifle, they could also be inadvertently leveling up a useful SMG, DMR, or LMG.

For the more dedicated players, Gunsmith 2.0 will offer them a greater degree of variety than ever before. Since a weapon platform shares attachments, a hardcore player will also be earning more for their effort than in previous titles. With Modern Warfare 2's shared progression, those same players will be able to experiment with weapons like they haven't been able to in previous games. As they unlock attachments for a variety of different weapon platforms, the potential combinations of attachments, guns, and perks, will allow for an absurd level of optimization.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 launches on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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