Call of Duty: Modern Warfare multiplayer beta — Infinity Ward reveals more maps and modes

On the third day of its multiplayer beta test, Infinity Ward opened up the spigots for more users for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. And it also released new maps and modes.

I’ve been playing it quite a bit, and I’ve hit level 17 in the beta test over three days of combat. I don’t have my stats, as that doesn’t appear to be activated yet. But it’s pretty good, and I’m actually faring better than I have in the past. I can get through a lot of matches with more kills than deaths. And if you know me at all, that’s better than I usually do. (You can see some of my more recent gameplay in the video).

The Activision-owned developer said the beta is now open to anyone with a PlayStation 4. It is testing new maps, modes, and increased the level cap to 20. It also turned on the mini map, which many players have been lobbying for.

The first broad beta for Modern Warfare began on Thursday and it continues until Monday morning. The game debuts on October 25 on the Windows PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Starting on Thursday, I started playing 6v6 multiplayer battles on daytime maps including Azhir Cave, Hackney Yard, and Grazna Raid. On day two, I also played Gun Runner. Infinity Ward started adding 10v10 games on maps such as Grazna Raid as well.

I mostly played Team Deathmatch and Domination modes, but on Saturday I also played an HQ mode, where a teams have to fight for control of an HQ spot on the map. The spot shifts around every couple of minutes. And now players will be able to select the modes they want.

And the mini map is now available, which is a big deal because the developers tried to get rid of it it in the name of realism. But players who are used to it — particularly really good players — complained that it was gone. It is back for those who deploy a drone (UAV) or have a personal radar equipped.

Infinity Ward is working on some bugs related to the cruise missile, spawning, clipping, smoke, and Semtex grenades that sometimes don’t explode.

Next week, Infinity Ward will expand the beta to other platforms like the PC and Xbox One. There will be massive battles with Ground War, and more Cyber Attack (where you retrieve an enemy electromagnetic pulse device and plant it near the enemy’s data center)  and Night (where you play with night vision goggles) modes. The devs will also show a Realism mode.

Cyber Attack

In Cyber Attack, two teams spawn on opposite sides of the map and are tasked at picking up an EMP device to plant it at the opposing team’s data center.

Should a team plant the EMP device, the opposing team has the chance to defuse it before it explodes. Players only have one life per round but can be revived by a teammate after being knocked down to 0 health.

A team wins the round when either the EMP device goes off at the enemy base, or if all players on the other team are eliminated. The first team to win five rounds wins the match.

The EMP device has a built-in Heartbeat Monitor, which can help you spot enemies for your team. It can also be swapped out with a weapon and still be carried on your soldier as you fight through to the enemy’s data center.

Planting and defusing the EMP device are fairly quick tasks; by default, planting or defusing only lasts a second or two. Reviving a player, on the other hand, takes a bit longer, and if a player is left in a down state for a short period of time, they will be eliminated for the round. The devs say it may seem a lot like Search & Destroy, but Cyber Attack introduces some additional mechanics with the ability to revive players and spawn rotations.

Night Maps

I have yet to try this out. But the devs say multiple maps in the multiplayer map pool have night variants.

While the map design for these locales are the same, the variant version of these maps requires the use of Night Vision Goggles – NVGs – to see in the dark. Night variants of maps can appear in all playlists, so pay attention when voting on maps and loading into a new lobby.

Upon spawning into the game on a Night map, your Night Vision Goggles will automatically activate. Although it is possible to take off these goggles, it usually is not the wisest move given that these maps have limited light sources in otherwise total darkness.

But bright light sources will blind anyone wearing goggles. Those lights — perhaps produced by flash bangs or other means, can turn gunfights into a cat-and-mouse game with light sources. You can, for instance, turn on a light switch.

Outside of existing light sources on the map, Laser Sights on weapons can also cut through darkness.

Conclusion

You should try it out while you can. The visuals don’t look as good on the PS4, but the sense of realism is very well done. You jump off a helicopter on a rope, cock your gun, and run straight into combat. It never breaks the immersion. The maps are very well done. I like to play Domination (where you have to dominate three flags on the map) on Grazi Raid.

I’ve been using my light machine gun to defeat foes with higher firepower, but the weapon I have no is not good at long distances. But quite often I lose gun duels to those who have lighter weapons like assault guns and submachine guns.

I’m looking forward to try some of the more unusual experiences like Night mode. But as a Call of Duty regular, I like this multiplayer game. Of course, I haven’t played the single-player campaign yet.