Infinity Ward is looking to shake up the annual Call of Duty formula this year with its latest game. Call of Duty Modern Warfare, while being a reimagining of the hit 2007 title, is also bringing a lot of player friendly features to the table including the ability to cross save and cross play between all available platforms. The once standard season pass is also being dumped in favor of free post-launch updates and content helping to keep the community together. However, while most of the recent news has been good, fans are quickly learning that there might be a different price to pay for all of this free stuff.
A Call of Duty leaker known as TheGamingRevolution claims that Call of Duty Modern Warfare is going to be getting a Supply Drop system that is going to replace the fair system and salvage mechanic. Unfortunately, the potential leak also reveals that the supply drops are not just for cosmetic items like titles and emblems but will also include new weapons. While none of this is official and could still be false, TheGamingRevolution does have good track record, having first leaked the existence of the 2v2 Gun Fight mode.
This latest Modern Warfare controversy comes right on the heels of another revelation following the latest trailer reveal. During Sony's State of Play stream, Infinity Ward debuted the newest campaign trailer which also quickly showed off a new Spec Ops Survival Mode. Unfortunately, fans discovered that this mode is a PlayStation 4 exclusive mode for an entire year and things quickly spiraled out of control. Fans furiously took to social media to denounce the decision, and unfortunately for Infinity Ward, this newest issue is likely only going to heighten the backlash.
Naturally, the community has not taken well to the news. Concerns over the title and the potential of a microtransaction system to include more than just cosmetics have begun to cause some players to start to cancel their preorder of the game. Part of the issue seems to stem from the fact that when the mode unlocks for PC and Xbox players, the next Call of Duty game will be weeks away from release.
Microtransactions have been a staple of the series for a few years at this point, though the system has been progressively getting more and more aggressive. Last year's Black Ops 4 launched nearly mtx free, but a post-launch update brought the system back a few weeks later. That system has continue to expand over time, resulting in numerous pay gates and revenue streams like the season pass, seasonal Battle Passes with weapons included in them, and purchasable loot boxes in the Black Market. While Infinity Ward has repeatedly said it intends to make Modern Warfare player-first experience, recent leaks and rumors are starting to say otherwise.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will launch on October 25 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.