Despite being around for almost two decades now, theCall of Dutyfranchise has managed to maintain a clear and distinct identity. WhereHalowas offered Sci-Fi weapons and environments, andBattlefieldwas where fans could take part in large-scale battles,Call of Dutyhas always been about tight gunplay and intense small-scale environments, where speed and skill are rewarded in equal measure. Though there have beenover 19Call of Dutyentries over the years, the franchise has stayed true to this identity, at least for the most part.
Over the years,Call of Dutyhas experimented with a variety of new and unique game modes. The vast majority of these game modes put a fun spin on thetraditional 6v6Call of Dutyformula, such as party modes like Gun Game and One in the Chamber, or modern modes likeModern Warfare 2’s Prisoner Rescue. While some of these game modes have become staples of the franchise, there are a select few that have never really been popular, despite their consistent presence.Call of Duty’s big team modes had their shot but they should be left behind now.
RELATED:The Latest Wave of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 Complaints Are Ironic
It’s Time for Call of Duty to Leave Big Team Modes Behind
Ground War has been a constant presence in theCall of Dutyfranchise since its debut in the originalCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, but this mode has morphed into something completely different over the last few years. While Ground War was always designed to be a larger-scale game mode, offering a maximum player count of 18,2019’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfarereboottook things one step further, and increased this player count to a whopping 64.
On the surface, larger-scale game modes like this new version of Ground War can be pretty fun. With 64 players in a match, and a bunch of AI foes as well, Ground War offers constant action, even more so than classic 6v6 modes. This new version of Ground War also gives players some varied types of gameplay, with air, land, and naval vehicles all being available to use. These modes can offer a nice change of pace from the usualCall of Dutymultiplayer grind, but they’re not as harmless as they look.
Call of Dutyis currently undergoing a bit of a content crisis. WithCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2fully adopting a live-service approach to content, players now expect to see consistent updates, with each one bringing new maps and weapons to the game. However, in the last few months,Modern Warfare 2has barely received any additional content, and any additions it has received has been remakes and reworks of old maps as opposed to original content. While it can’t all be blamed on big team modes like Ground War, they certainly don’t help things. Infinity Ward likely feels the need to bring new large-scale maps to the game alongside 6v6 experiences.
So while these large-scale, big team modes can be fun, they’re actively getting in the way of the development of more 6v6 content, and it’s those modes that the vast majority ofCall of Dutyfans care about. ForCall of Duty’s 2024 entry, it may be a good idea to scrap these big team modes altogether. They may be fun, but they’re not popular enough to justify the amount of time and effort spent on them during development. At the end of the day,Call of Duty’s identity has always revolved around its 6v6 gameplay, and if players wanted larger-scale, big team modes, then they can get those fromBattlefield.
MORE:Call of Duty 2024 Could Make One Big Change To Stat-Tracking
