The modern competitive online shooter market owes a lot to theCall of Dutyfranchise. WhileHalopopularized the notion of online multiplayer on the console,Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfarewas the first real title that ushered in the modern age of online gaming, at least how gamers know it today. Fromcustomizable classes to killstreaksto proximity chat,Call of Duty 4is responsible for popularizing a lot of elements that have since become staples of the industry. And based on the scraps of information released so far, it seems as though the upcomingCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2could be another return to form for the franchise.
Releasing at the end of October,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2is a direct sequel to Infinity Ward’s 2019 reboot of the series and looks to be carrying forward a lot of the same general gameplay mechanics, alongside the more grounded tone. Though it may introduce a handful of new features, it seems pretty likely thatModern Warfare 2will stick close to the franchise’s usual formula, and that means the inclusion of some fan-favorite Perks. However, there are a good fewclassicCall of DutyPerksthat some fans would preferMW2to skip over this time.
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Overpowered Call of Duty Perks That Shouldn’t Be In Modern Warfare 2
One of the most overpowered Perks inCall of Dutyhistory, and perhaps the most notorious, is Stopping Power. First introduced all the way back in the originalCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Stopping Power increases all bullet damage by an absurd 40%. In a game where the time-to-kill is already incredibly quick, a Perk like Stopping Power can make some matches unbearable. During the heyday ofearlyCall of Dutymultiplayer, Stopping Power was simply used by every player, as if they didn’t equip it, they didn’t stand a chance of getting a kill.
Stopping Power also gave rise to an equally notorious Perk, Juggernaut. Another one ofModern Warfare’s original line-up, Juggernaut decreases the amount of bullet and explosive damage dealt to the player, usually by around 25%. As Stopping Power and Juggernaut essentially cancel each other out, the combo became a memorable staple of the series, but for all the wrong reasons. Having overpowered Perks likeStopping Power and Juggernautgreatly limits the amount of freedom players feel they can have over their classes, as if they’re wanting to succeed, the meta heavily encourages them to also use the overpowered Perks.
The same notion also applies to any Perk that increases the damage of explosives, such as Sonic Boom, Fireworks, or Danger Close. Deaths that result from explosions can often be some ofCall of Duty’s most frustrating, as the player has little time, if any, to avoid the AoE blast. It’s vital thatCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2doesn’t give players a Perk that increases explosive damage by an unfair amount.
Dead Silence has been in theCall of Dutyseries since2007’sModern Warfareand has appeared in almost every entry since. Dead Silence, in the majority of its appearances, either drastically reduces the noise produced by a player’s footsteps, or eliminates it entirely. For most players, Dead Silence often goes unnoticed, with the averageCall of Dutymatch having a relentless soundtrack of bullets and explosions, but for those slightly more competitive, a player with Dead Silence can be lethal. While it may be a fan-favorite Perk, and removing it fromModern Warfare 2altogether might be controversial, Dead Silence can lead to some very frustrating deaths, so the series might be better off without it - at least in its usual form.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2launches October 28 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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