The alpha for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has an issue with footstep volume that the developers say they have patched out for the upcoming beta.
Infinity War announced the Modern Warfare alpha at Gamescom. It began a few days later on August 22nd and runs until August 25th on PS4. The alpha has given players the opportunity to get in the game and try out the multiplayer gunplay before the launch in October. Developers use these alpha versions to stress-test the network and to get some fan feedback on early gameplay while they still have the opportunity to make adjustments.
Apparently, the developers have gotten some pretty unique feedback. Players in the Modern Warfare alpha have complained that their characters have really loud footsteps and that their opponents' footsteps are too quiet. This has made it difficult for them to hear their opponents coming, which makes it harder to avoid getting killed. This helps to show the minutiae developers have to deal with when designing a game, even if they have experience with a franchise.
Infinity Ward has heard the fan feedback and will make changes. Senior Community Manager Ashton Williams acknowledged the way-too-loud footsteps in a Tweet, saying that the team has already taken care of the issue. Players will experience the adjusted volume in the upcoming Modern Warfare beta in September.
Alpha users have communicated some other issues as well. When players' health gets low, the screen will go black and white for a while. The community doesn't care for this effect and has said that it prefers the way the low health screen worked in other Call of Duty games where it would turn red around the edges for a short time. Infinity Ward acknowledged the near-death screen effect as well, but has not announced an official change.
Other than these small issues, players have given mostly positive feedback about the beta. It helps that Infinity Ward has responded to issues promptly. That kind of response shows the team's commitment to paying attention to fan feedback, which is important for the longevity of an online shooter. The company even added a new map during the Modern Warfare alpha for players to try.
Folks who want to try the Modern Warfare alpha have just one more day before it ends. The alpha requires a PS4 and a PlayStation Plus subscription, but otherwise anyone can jump in and give it a go. Players should just make sure to turn their headphones down a bit to avoid those loud footsteps.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare releases on October 25 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.