The Call of Duty team has once again sent out one of those usual messages. A universal ‘we’re present’ message with a link put up as the sole accessory. Information wise, the tweet did not reveal much but the image that is attached probably whispers a lot louder. Replies being the main place of action, of course, the gamers have been very vocal and the replies are a vibrant cocktail of love, anger, and even some really accurate requests regarding the future of the series.
The community reactions are like an instant thrill ride. One player, GMDKeepnclassy, has already guessed the next Treyarch product, Black Ops 7, with daring words. He predicted that it will be going through the same journey as Black Ops Cold War- being hated at the very beginning, still, going through the process of getting loved years later. He is calling the present game, not at all including the campaign, ‘phenomenal. Phenomenal.’ That is really a big compliment and it gives a sign that even in the annual cycle some games still can discover their audience later.
On the other hand, there are people who disagree. Discussion about the ‘carry forward’ argument has been probably one of the hottest topics. This is the feature that permits your unlocks and cosmetics to be carried over from one game to another. A player called Kadeorade is pleading for it, mainly for the Zombies mode, calling this ‘last gen’s last hurrah’ the game. They are trying to get 100% completion as they do not have a next-gen console yet. This is a true concern that makes the player base affected by the decisions made on the games of the past look more human. Another player, Dylan, is very direct when he says: ‘Enable carry forward. Stop being stingy and just do the job we pay you to do.’ Ouch.
Then there is the pre-release game with all the ups and downs of emotions just like the next Call of Duty. COD Warfare Forum tweeted, ‘Always here but just hope IW doesn’t produce crap next year that no one wants to play and you market it like a new beginning.’ The same old problem—will the sequel be good or not? Another user, TibekHD, is already begging for ‘Vanguard 2 please’ which is quite… a bold statement indeed, taking the reception of the first game into account.
Microtransactions were a controversial subject and GMDKeepnclassy was once again on the side of the current game. He was double the ‘really aren’t pushing anything this year THUS FAR,’ although he pointed out a tranquil store and nice battle pass cosmetics. It’s going in circles anyway. Are they being fair in their monetization methods or are they overdoing it? This player thinks that at the moment it is pretty reasonable.
The feedback on gameplay was really mixed. One player, Stu, was asking for only skill-based matchmaking, arguing that everyone should ‘be made to toughen up’ through the games, thus open lobbies are ‘for weak gamers.’ On the other hand, another Stu (or maybe the same one, who knows) believes that the game quality is good but needs ‘more weapons & maps operators etc.’ and proposing to reintroduce ‘the crazy operators’ from Black Ops 6 to spice the game up. So, there are those who want the game to be made harder and those who want it to be made more spectacular.
Besides that there are also odd and specific requests. THE CAW is simply asking for the riot shield to be back, saying it was ‘the only reason I actually enjoyed playing.’ On the other hand, Crimson_Fulcrum is calling for someone to be fired because the entire ‘avalon’ area was used for the campaign, labeling it ‘the height of laziness.’ The commitment, man. It’s everywhere.
Of course, no CoD thread ends without some… spicy opinions. One comment is just: ‘Soon you will feel it.’ and it sounds quite ominous. Another one just asking for an unban. Classic.
What is the moral of the story of this fuss? The Call of Duty community, as usual, is very much engaged and at the same time very much divided. While some players are saying that the current situation is an ‘underappreciated gem’, others who are still playing the game are concerned about disallowing carry forward policies which they think are disrespectful since they already put both time and money. Meanwhile, everyone is taking the next release with bated breath and hoping that the ball does not get dropped.
The Call of Duty message might have been unclear, but the players’ response is very unambiguous. They are in, they are playing, but they have a long list of things they want to be different, added, or maintained. This is an ongoing conversation – sometimes it is supportive, sometimes it is brutal.
