In Modern Warfare 2, the minimap is causing a loud outcry. The competitive scene in particular is calling for the return of a classic feature from the past.
Criticism of developer Infinity Ward is currently piling up on social media. The bone of contention is the minimap in the upcoming CoD Modern Warfare 2.
After the developers defended the status quo in the MW2 beta, anger and disappointment erupted – especially from the competitive scene and CoD influencers. We summarise exactly what it”s all about.
What is the minimap about?
As usual in CoD Modern Warfare 2, the minimap is displayed at the top left of the screen and provides an overview of your immediate game environment, such as the map layout. In earlier CoD parts, enemies were also displayed there as red dots as soon as they fired a weapon without a silencer.
However, this feature has been scaled back in recent years: In Modern Warfare from 2019 and CoD Vanguard from 2021, players were no longer shown firing on the minimap. Red dots were then only available when a recon drone was active, which can be earned in CoD via kill series (good news: in MW2 there”s also score series, by the way).
What has been announced now?
Also during the first beta weekend of Modern Warfare 2, the minimap did not show players as red dots when they fired their weapon. Instead, you can only read the direction of the shots on the compass.
To see enemies on the map, a player on the team must have a reconnaissance drone (UAV) active. Developer Infinity Ward continues to adhere to this principle and apparently does not want to change the system. In a (Blogpost) the makers address beta feedback and write:
“The reason behind the minimap decision is that we don”t want to punish players for shooting. We want players to have to actively search for the source of shooting sounds and not just run after red marks on the minimap. We”ll continue to closely monitor feedback on this issue in the future”
A big improvement in Modern Warfare 2 is the audio system, which now allows enemies to be located much more precisely than in the predecessors based on the sound of footsteps.
What do the critics say?
After Infinity Ward”s statement, there is a hail of criticism for this decision. Apparently, many players had hoped that the developer would revise the decision and return to a classic minimap with red markers.
However, the blog post now reads as if no change is in sight so soon. Especially on YouTube, Twitter and Reddit, posts are piling up accusing Infinity Ward of ignoring the wishes of the community.
The well-known CoD expert TheXclusiveAce writes: “It”s disheartening to see that [the developers, editor”s note] seem to be so stuck, even though they get overwhelming amounts of criticism. “
I in no way expect every piece of feedback that the community gives to result in change but it”s discouraging to see that they”re once again set in their ways with so many things that are receiving overwhelming amounts of criticism. https://t.co/q3DT0xv3uS
– Xclusive Ace (@TheXclusiveAce) September 20, 2022
Youtuber Frizzeyes comments, “The classic minimap has been a part of Call of Duty since the beginning. Why the hell do you need to change something that has never been a problem?”
If red dots on the mini map negatively effect casual players, why did it take Infinity Ward or Activision 15 Call of Duty games to realize it?
– CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) September 20, 2022
CoD fan site Charlieintel writes: “If red dots on the minimap are supposedly so negative for mainstream gamers, why did it take Infinity Ward and Activision 15 CoD parts to realise that? “
The criticism comes mainly from competitive CoD players and influencers who have been following Call of Duty for a long time. Their argument: without the red dots, beginners and casual players have an easier time, while more experienced players who have become accustomed to reading the map benefit from the classic minimap. Accordingly, the developer is deliberately neglecting the hardcore fans here in order not to scare newcomers too much, according to the accusation.
Are there also dissenting voices?
Not all players see the minimap as a huge problem. The shooter streamer BuffNerdGaming comments somewhat cynically: “You guys get upset about red dots here. Can you imagine how the Battlefield community is feeling right now?”, alluding to the disappointment surrounding BF2042.
LOL People are so mad over dots. Imagine how the BF community is feeling right now? MWII
– BuffNerdGaming (@BuffNerdGaming1) September 21, 2022
GlobalESportNews talks to the developers
We took the controversy as an opportunity to speak to the developers about the allegations. When asked about the harsh criticism of the minimap, the game”s multiplayer design director Geoff Smith tells us:
“Different groups of players have different tastes. We invest a lot of time in research on the subject and certainly don”t try to reduce the fun for some player groups. Over the years, many have become accustomed to certain things – such as slide cancelling, which has now been dropped. Players use such things because they exist and they become part of the play style. But our community is gigantic and we always have to put feedback from different directions into the big picture. The game has to work for the broadest spectrum of users. And that”s where we have to make decisions. But we don”t try to frustrate certain groups “
So will the minimap certainly never change? We ask if the decision is already set in stone. Smith replies:
“Nothing is one hundred per cent immutable. But we need to look at real gameplay data before we change anything and see clear indicators there in the game itself “
