“Call of Duty” is a continuously evolving franchise, and Activision still see a lot of potential in it. They keep making changes to the formula, experimenting with new ideas, and it’s clear that they aren’t going to stop anytime soon, at least for as long as the franchise continues to generate good revenue.
In a more recent change, an update released for “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare” has made some changes to the playlists of the game, merging two classic modes into the same playlist. Namely, “Team Deathmatch” and “Search & Destroy” have now been added to a single “mosh pit”, mixing them with all other classic modes. Classic modes in this game differ from standard ones in the fact that they remove access to Exo Suit abilities, such as double jumping and dashing, making the game play more closely to the previous “Call of Duty” installments.
In other news, the game also got an update which introduced Gun Game, a fan-favorite mode that was present in some previous “Call of Duty” games, and involves players progressing through a list of weapons by getting a single kill with each of them, starting with an ASM1 and eventually getting to the notorious crossbow. The mode is based on skill to a large extent, but it’s also quite a bit more fun than other standard modes, and regularly attracts large numbers of players.
And in about a week, players of the game will be treated to a brand new DLC pack, titled “Havoc” – arriving on February 26, it will introduce four new multiplayer maps, as well as new weapons and Exo Zombies. Activision have always tried to put a little extra effort into the DLC they create for their games, especially in the “Call of Duty” franchise, and they’ve been continuing that trend with this release as well.
Some players have been a bit against the idea of introducing new weapons in DLC packs, however, claiming that this will serve to split up the game’s community more than maps already do. Weapons can have an actual effect on balance, unlike maps, and preventing players from owning a certain weapon unless they buy a content pack could be a bad move.
In the end, it worked out okay for “Black Ops 2” with its Peacekeeper submachine gun, even if players had to endure a period of 1-2 weeks during which this was the most popular weapon. It did not upset the balance in the long run, and it was actually seen as a fun addition to the game. And in the end, a player using the Peacekeeper drops it on the ground for everyone to use upon getting killed, giving everyone a chance to try out the gun.