Modern Warfare 2’s open beta was the most downloaded beta in COD history, offering brand-new game modes, impressive gunplay, and a powerful graphic overhaul.
Nearly three weeks have passed since the open beta of Modern Warfare 2 filled up my SSD. Here’s how it went.
Immediately jumping into the game felt different — most notably new skill trees for progression, an overhauled gunsmith experience, and the lack of slide canceling. The combination of all these changes is pushing Call of Duty in a new direction. Time to kill has increased, granting more opportunities to evade your enemy and grab some cover. Killstreaks and scorestreaks feel incredibly rewarding, returning classic awards like the mortar strike and chopper gunner.
With a seemingly overwhelming amount of customization options, the new gunsmith overhaul packs some serious heat. The M4 shined in the multiplayer experience. Customization options helped me pick a setup for the new large 40+ player lobbies, as I opted for longer barrels and ranged optics for the open roads my team traversed in domination lobbies. I bounced between game modes equally, dividing my time between Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Search and Destroy.
The Launch of the SteelSeries X Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Limited Edition Collection
Before I get back to my beta impressions, here's an important announcement: SteelSeries and KontrolFreek just launched a selection of Limited Edition collection items! These are in very limited supply, so you might want to score these ASAP!
First, complete your setup with the badass QcK L Task Force Edition, sporting the design of Task Force 141 while providing you with the best mousepad for pulling off great shots. Alternatively, go for the QcK L Ghost Edition, featuring the visage of the Ghost. There are only 1,000 of each!
There's also a Limited Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Ghost Keycap! This custom zinc alloy metal keycap is embossed with the Ghost icon. It feels awesome to the touch. They are printed with unique numbers, 1-1000.
KontrolFreek is bringing the heat with new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Performance Thumbsticks, designed to boost your accuracy and performance in-game! Get those for your controllers, your thumbs will thank you.
See all the items on our Call of Duty landing page!
Back to the beta impressions
Vehicles blew my mind. New tanks and helicopters disrupted matches, creating new metas for field infantry. Check out this twitch clip from the beta when I was able to drive the brand new Heavy Tank and go on a 20 kill streak.
Imagine being in a 1v1 unable to see over a crate while in Search and Destroy. Fear no more, as 3rd person mode changes everything. Its addition has caused some to cry out "blasphemy," yet I have found it to make the game feel entirely fresh. A new perspective felt strange but clicked in as I had just come off a Red Dead Redemption 2 playthrough. These new mechanics suprised me with how well they worked.
Something worth noting is that the game's colors and ambiance felt modern. Map locations were set in museums, markets, and cities. I’m beyond excited to see where this campaign leads Task Force 141 as we recently got our full campaign trailer last week.
Sadly, the beta has ended, and we’re craving some more COD. The Campaign releases early on October 20th for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 pre-orders, with the multiplayer going online globally on the 28th. You can catch us on our SteelSeries Twitch Channel on launch playing live.
Hot-mics were on. Lobbies were full. GGs were dropped. COD is back.
just staring at my screen....
— SteelSeries (@SteelSeries) October 3, 2022
i miss the #mw2 beta 😭
