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Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is getting closer to full release, and fans are eager to get back into the game after the recent beta weekends for customers who have pre-ordered the title. Thanks to the beta, fans are now well acquainted with how the game will work at launch, both in terms of positive and negative elements of the current game status.


It’s no secret that matchmaking within the Codfish franchise has long been a source of controversy, and it appears that: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 will be no different. With gameplay elements such as skill-based matchmaking, rewrite of the casual Codfish experience, it’s clear that a special ranked playlist is needed to move forward in the title and the franchise as a whole.

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The basics of gameplay

With an ambitious campaign building on the events of 2019 Modern Warfareas well as a litany of multiplayer modes, the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 will be one of the most comprehensive franchise episodes in Duty history. With its own visceral and highly detailed multiplayer mode, Modern Warfare 2 will launch pretty close to free-to-play War Zone 2with progress registration for both titles.

Of course, the multiplayer in every Call of Duty title is one of the game’s biggest talking points, and Modern Warfare 2 is no different. Given that the game is already breaking franchise standards by having an undisputed two-year life cycle within the franchise, the game is under intense scrutiny to get the gameplay right from the get-go.

The recent beta for Modern Warfare 2 was the largest in the franchise’s history, meaning it generated an unprecedented amount of discourse and criticism. One of the most common of these criticisms was about the level of matchmaking currently in the game. With the looming presence of skill-based matchmaking seemingly still the Duty formula, many fans ask for a special ranked playlist to be added to the game before it launches.

Skills-Based Matchmaking in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

It would be remiss in discussing the need for a special ranked playlist in Modern Warfare 2 without first sketching in the implications and recent history of skill-based matchmaking Duty As a whole. Skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM, is a growing practice in online games that fosters an environment where players only encounter opponents who have a similar skill level.

The ethos behind SBMM is that it helps more casual or lower skilled players by making sure they don’t come up against higher level opponents, but it has been met with continued backlash within the Duty context and beyond. For above average players, it has been argued that SBMM should make every online match an extremely competitive ordeal that requires undivided attention and tactics.

By consistently participating in similar lobbies, many players feel compelled to engage in unrewarding metas to compete, ruining any semblance of casual gameplay in what was a historically arcade-style online shooter. For many players, the continued presence of SBMM significantly reduces the lifespan of their overall playtime for newer titles, with any time they spend on a game being an unsatisfactory high-stakes experience. With SBMM playing a clear role in the recent Beta for Modern Warfare 2Implementing a special ranked playlist could help reunite the fanbase while preserving some of the title’s more casual elements.

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A special ranked playlist in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

an element of Call of Duty’s older online identity that has been pushed aside in recent years is the concept of ranked play. Historically, as seen in the popular League Play on the well-received Black Ops 2there was a dedicated area for more competitive gamers to test their might against opponents of similar skill levels, with each player vying to rise as high as possible in the leaderboards and leaderboards.

Although ranked play elements regularly appear in franchise episodes such as Call of Duty WW2 and even the recent Call of Duty: Vanguard, the reduced capacity in which the modes now exist in the franchise makes them unpopulated and ungrateful. The concept of ranked play in gaming is arguably as popular as it has ever been, with massive online games such as: Overwatch, Rainbow Six Siege, and Rocket League they pride themselves on seasonal rankings that promote a consistently engaging and competitive gameplay cycle. This just makes it all the more confusing why Duty has not benefited from this growing industry standard, with the imminent Modern Warfare 2 be the perfect opportunity to do so.

If the upcoming title were to introduce ranked play, it would offer a playlist that could accommodate the most competitive players in the game away from the hubbub and debate of SBMM, while giving more casual players a much more relaxed and decidedly laid-back experience. overall experience within the title’s main public playlists. While it also encourages the game to compete with the ranked systems of its most popular peers, it would certainly be a huge advantage to Modern Warfare 2 and Infinity Ward if a special ranked playlist was added to the game before launch.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 launches on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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