This is how it currently looks in MW2 multiplayer: An enemy in front of us is firing without a silencer, we see the marker in the compass (top center), but no dot on the minimap (top left).
Updated September 22nd
We confronted the developers with the allegations and the criticism on the net and received a statement from the lead multiplayer developer of MW2. You can now find the statement in the section Now GameStar is talking to the developers!
Criticism of developer Infinity Ward is currently piling up on social media. The stumbling block is the minimap in the upcoming CoD Modern Warfare 2.
After the developers had defended the status quo in the MW2 beta, anger and disappointment erupted – sharp words came especially from the competitive scene and from CoD influencers. We summarize what it is about.
What is the minimap about?
As usual in CoD Modern Warfare 2, the minimap is displayed at the top left of the screen and provides an overview of your direct game environment, such as the map layout. In earlier CoD parts there were also Enemies shown as red dotsas soon as they fired a gun without a silencer.
However, this feature has been scaled back in recent years: in Modern Warfare from 2019 and CoD Vanguard from 2021, players were no longer displayed on the minimap when shooting. There were only red points if a reconnaissance drone was active, which you can earn in CoD via a kill series (good news: by the way, there are also score series in MW2).
For years there has been a call to bring back the classic minimap from before. You can see what the current system looks like in our beta gameplay:
11:18
CoD MW2 Beta Gameplay: GameStar gets his nose in the new Prisoner Rescue mode
What has now been announced?
Also in Modern Warfare 2’s first beta weekend, the minimap didn’t show players as red dots when firing their weapon. Instead, you can only read the direction of the shots on the compass.
In order to see enemies on the map, a player on the team must have a Reconnaissance Drone (UAV) active. Developer Infinity Ward continues to adhere to this principle and apparently does not want to change the system. in one blog post, the creators respond to beta feedback and write:
“The reason behind the minimap decision is that we don’t want to penalize players for shooting. We want players to be actively looking for the source of gunshot sounds and not just chasing red markers on the minimap. We will continue to closely monitor feedback on this topic in the future.«
A major improvement in Modern Warfare 2 is the audio system, which now uses footsteps to locate enemies much more accurately than in its predecessors. You can read these and other beta findings in our conclusion:
beta conclusion
7 gameplay takeaways from the MW2 beta
What are the critics saying?
After Infinity Ward’s statement, criticism for this decision hails. Apparently, many players had hoped that the developer would reverse the decision and return to a classic minimap with the red markings.
The blog post now reads as if it were so fast no change in sight. Posts accusing Infinity Ward of ignoring the wishes of the community are increasing, especially on YouTube, Twitter and Reddit.
The well-known CoD expert TheXclusiveAce writes: »It is disheartening to see that [die Entwickler, Anm. d. Red.] seem so deadlocked despite receiving overwhelming amounts of criticism.”
link to Twitter content
Youtuber Frizzeyes comments: “The classic minimap has been a part of Call of Duty since the beginning. Why the hell do you have to change something that has never been a problem?”
link to Twitter content
The CoD fansite Charlieintel writes: “If red dots on the minimap are supposedly so negative for mainstream players, why did Infinity Ward and Activision need 15 CoD parts to recognize that?”
link to Twitter content
The criticism comes mainly from competitive CoD players and influencers who have been with Call of Duty for a long time. Their argument: Without the red dots, beginners and casual players have it easier, while more experienced players who have gotten used to reading the map benefit from the classic minimap. Accordingly, the developer is deliberately neglecting the hardcore fans here so as not to scare newcomers too much, according to the accusation.
Are there any dissenting voices?
Not all players see the minimap as a huge problem. The shooter streamer BuffNerdGaming comments somewhat cynically: »You are upset about red dots here. Can you actually imagine how the Battlefield community is feeling right now?”, alluding to the disappointment surrounding BF2042.
GameStar talks to the developers
We took the controversy as an opportunity to talk to the developers about the allegations. When asked about the harsh criticism of the minimap, the game’s multiplayer design director Geoff Smith explains:
Different groups of players have different tendencies. We invest a lot of time into researching the topic and we certainly don’t try to reduce the fun for some groups of players. Over the years, many have got used to certain things – such as the now deleted slide canceling. Players use those things because they exist and they become part of the playstyle. But our community is gigantic and we always have to put feedback from different directions into the overall picture. The game must work for the widest range of users. And that’s where we have to make decisions. But we don’t try to frustrate specific groups.
So will the minimap definitely never change? We ask if the decision is already set in stone. Smith replies:
Nothing is one hundred percent incontrovertible. But we need to look at real gameplay data before we change anything and see clear indicators in the game itself.
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