Call of Duty fans are officially in the final countdown mode. The community is in a state of mixed emotions, half-fuming and half-impatiënt, over the huge integration of Black Ops 7 and Warzone Season 1 that will take place in just five days. The announcement that was made by CharlieINTEL has sparked an avalanche of players’ reactions that show how actively they are participating in the franchise’s next phase even if they cannot decide whether it is a good thing or not.
So, what exactly is going to happen in five days? It is not only a new Call of Duty title but a total incorporation of the title with the free-to-play Warzone experience. This usually includes new weapons, characters, the battle pass, and, most importantly, the map changes. Among the community, SilvaSkata expressed how serious their wait was by sharing that they have been “waiting to play the new wz integration especially with the new map, rebirth changes, and 2 Verdansk pois being added.” A new map, which was already revealed in teasers with snowy surroundings, has definitely captured everyone’s notice as Zerocodename1 has pointed out, “the trailer’s snow looked.” A new playable area is out and the hype that comes with it is nothing but the real deal.
Nevertheless, it looks like the biggest hindrance to the Call of Duty update was the community’s battle, which on one hand consisted of being a little supportive towards the developers while on the other hand they were against the updates. People’s opinions on the divide were all over the place; while some could not care less at all, others were totally vocal in their discontent. On one hand, there were people who were absolutely worried about the whole thing. One user, iam_illogical, who declared “I’m hype for Warzone to be back. Got singularity, weaponized, and dragon camo ready,” was showing that grind mentality indeed. On the other hand, user media_trex admitted that he was initially critical of the game but later conceded that it was a good Cod after all. He said, “At first I was hating on the game, but it’s actually not a bad cod. I’m a fan tbh. And they adding a lot with season 1.” Currently the content preview is winning over some skeptics.
The other side is still much louder than the more positive one. A large section of the player base just wants to get over it. Sal440M shared the sentiment when he said that “Warzone dead as fuck” and he further stated that he wanted the mode to be gone “forever. Same for COD HQ.” This matter regarding game ecosystem is the common thread running throughout. Define_Cinema highlighted that the sole reason for Warzone’s existence is “an excuse to have $30+ bundles in their $70 game,” which hints that the monetization strategy continued by the developer is still at odds with the community. Some players such as guestlistdubz even go so far as to say that they are already out of the loop, stating, “And in 5 days I still won’t play Warzone.”
The whole situation has also been the reason behind some rather bizarre and funny discussions. Noepere23977069, for example, made this super specific request: “Plz don’t add Logan Paul to BO7.” Although it might be viewed as a silly request, it actually shows how the presence of artists in the games can be one of the major points of contention among the core audience. There was also a debate over the game’s setup and complexity. One player named KB was complaining, “Settings is lowkey confusing why can’t it be simple as 123 like cod yo,” and Vanity 999 replied, “It used to be simple but they make things so complicated.” What KB and Vanity are talking about is the situation in modern gaming when menus and options have become so swollen that they drive away casual gamers.
Thus, it would not be a Call of Duty discussion without the usual grievances regarding balance. ManLikeJayzha even went as far as to unhesitatingly ask the developers to: “Better see the snipers able to wallbang…. and NERF THE FUCKING ARS.” The never-ending battle of the gun classes prevails, and gamers are not shy to demand the meta discussion. WarmSZN_ even humorously warned to “bomb the hq” if there is no announcement about the ranked play mode for Season 1 soon, thus showing how much the competitive community takes its features.
One of the game technical issues is quite a bummer. Jaby Maram mentioned a glitch that made his game unplayable and he sarcastically said, “I still can’t play since last update broke my game and now it’s all stuttering and crashes. Amazing.” This serves as a harsh reminder that a steady flow of new content cannot mask the need for a stable experience that lies at the core of PlayStation and Xbox gaming.
