Call of Duty has put out their Season 6 update The Haunting and it looks like they embrace the dark and mysterious feature of the update. The official Call of Duty account via Twitter hinted with “Some footage isn’t meant to be found ☠️👀” and using the hashtag #TheHaunting, announced the new season. The update says players can “switch from being hunted to Hunter”.
Reacting from the start, community reaction has been… let’s simply say mixed, better still, very mixed. Some players are excited about the Predator character, but the majority seem to be more focused on the fact that the release of this update coincides with the launch of Battlefield 6. A typical example of drama in the gaming community, am I right?
A user going by the name @nzlegend_ made the joke very fast, “Are we hunting Dr. Disrespect? W” and it did bring a good smile to my face. His reference to this popular streamer who sometimes plays Call of Duty was indeed clever. However, @allala996 had a response that was very relatable: “No jump scares please I’m gay and scared” – it is indeed a mood, horror games have been torturing us all in a way.
There was, however, a lot of buzz in the replies about the Battlefield 6 rivalry. Several players pretty bluntly replied to Call of Duty “don’t mind us, we’ll be in Battlefield 6” with @GoldenOtaku6197 even posting a screenshot of his Battlefield pre-order. Ouch! It must be painful for the Call of Duty social media team to read such replies.
On the contrary, the reverse situation is that not everyone was switching sides – @Nucazoid countered with “BF flopped EA app doesn’t work. I will be playing COD tonight. Pre-ordered B07” demonstrating that the loyalty factor is unbeatable in the Call of Duty community irrespective of the new game releases.
To be honest, the game mechanics for The Haunting event sound really awesome. Players will be able to play with the original Predator from the movies, and that is just fantastic. @RicRA1DER could not contain his excitement: “I got my first win with a team of Yautja. ‘Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr’ through the mic… everyone on proximity was too shocked to even try bothering.” Just visualizing the chaos and thrill is truly awesome.
Nonetheless, the same old complaints about the technicalities are still there. @RealScapeHunter was upset about “Limited Matchmaking” and lack of content, while @2ombie7ron was more direct: “Can we fix the blood? His blood isn’t red. Honestly, that’s my only complaint with the skin” – gamers seem to be really observant to every little detail.
Again the debate about carryover coming up appeared a few times in the replies, with gamers like @jordan13377 pleading for the predator and Jason to move to even future Call of Duty titles. “I don’t care about other stuff not getting carry forward but this will be the second time we have had some nice crossovers sadly losing them in the next game” – this is apparently a common annoyance in the community.
A player confusion regarding how to find some available modes was raised by @kaylaunicorn2 who asked, “Where’s the Slasher Deathmatch mode? No one seems to know how to find it” – this makes me think that the event’s guidance might not be very casual-player-friendly.
The timing of this whole announcement is, however, the most intriguing aspect. Releasing a massive seasonal update on the day your primary competitor’s game launches? It could be considered either very bold or very desperate, and judging by the reactions, players are certainly aware of it. @210Issac pointed it out: “shadow banned on the day bf6 comes out what a coincidence” – no doubt the theorizing has already begun.
Still, the event has caused a lot of noise, but the main idea of The Haunting event is pretty strong. Converting players into the Predator and giving them the classic thermal vision and cloaking power? This is the type of creative seasonal content that can keep a game alive. Even with the launch of Battlefield 6, many players will seize the opportunity to hunt down the iconic predator in Call of Duty.
A split appears to have occurred within the online gaming community, with some users eager for the new content and others ready to jump to the next game. Nonetheless, one thing is sure – the Call of Duty franchise has the ability to engage people in conversation, whether it be through positive or negative means. The Haunting event is reportedly bringing some good Halloween-themed content, even though its timing compounded some unnecessary complications in the replies.
But, even after everything the Predator being part of the Call of Duty universe is still a big deal, no matter the situation with other games. The users being able to go ghost-like and kill their rivals with plasma casters and wrist blades? This is such a powerful-negative fantasy, that players would want to return to the game even when facing newcomers in the market. The community might be fractured at present, but the appeal of becoming the most iconic cinema hunter is simply irresistible. The PlayStation and Xbox platforms both feature exciting gaming content.
