It's been a long time coming, but Call of Duty fans can finally rejoice as Infinity Ward has announced that Hardcore mode will be part of the new season 2 updates for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The developer took to Twitter to confirm that the highly-anticipated mode will arrive with Season 2, which is set to release on February 15, following a delay.
For those unfamiliar with Hardcore mode, it is an alternative to the regular Call of Duty playlist, offering players a more challenging and realistic fighting experience. The mode has been a staple in every Call of Duty game since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2007, so its absence from Modern Warfare 2 at launch was disappointing for many fans. Infinity Ward did release a ‘Tier 1’ playlist in November 2022, as part of Modern Warfare 2’s Season 1 update, which offered elements of Hardcore mode, but this hasn’t stopped players from hoping for a fully-fledged Hardcore mode to make a return.
So, what exactly is Hardcore mode and why is it so popular among Call of Duty fans? In this mode, health is reduced to 30, meaning that any weapon can kill you in around one or two hits. This matters more now as friendly fire is also enabled, so players must be extra careful and watch out for their friends, as they could easily put a bullet in the back of their head just because they happen to look like the enemy.
In addition to the reduced health, Hardcore mode also has less HUD (heads-up display), which usually gives players a ton of information about map layout, health, ammunition, etc. There’s no longer a mini-map in this playlist, and players won’t be able to see the capture markers or objectives come up on their screen. They don’t even get color-coded allies and enemies, as friends had their names in green above their heads, and enemies were bathed in blood red. Now, these are gone; it seems like Infinity Ward really wants players to shoot their allies.
For casual players, it may be difficult to understand why someone would prefer this headache of a playlist. But the truth is that Hardcore mode isn't for casual players. This complex mode challenges those who want to progress competitively while giving more depth to the FPS. The introduction of Hardcore mode to Modern Warfare 2 is only one of the important changes coming to Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 in Season 2, according to Activision.
In a Twitter post published earlier this month, Activision stated that it delayed the release of Season 2 to make “several changes based on what we have heard from our player community”. The tweet also revealed that some of the other major changes coming in Season 2 include the return of Resurgence to Warzone 2, and updates to the Gulag, while ranked play and new maps will be added to Modern Warfare 2. This delay meant something special for Call of Duty as the lack of content for Modern Warfare 2 compared to its free-to-play battle royale sibling, Warzone, was painfully noticeable – and it looks like that’s the case.
The addition of Hardcore not only provides the depth and challenge that competitive players crave, but it also goes towards solving the issue of lack of content that many were worried about. With the release of Season 2, Modern Warfare 2's playlists will finally include the highly-anticipated Hardcore mode, offering players a more intense and challenging experience. Whether you're a hardcore fan or just looking for a new way to play, the arrival of Hardcore mode in Modern Warfare 2 is definitely something to look forward to.
No comments:
Post a Comment