• “Aniyah Palace” a 20v20 setting that gave us a look at the Ground War game mode.
• “Grazna Raid” a 10v10 map set to the Headquarters game mode.
• “Gun Runner” was the first 6v6 that showcased Domination
• “Hackney Yard” was a 6v6 featuring Cyber Attack (NEW mode!)
• “Azhir Cave” was a 6v6 with the classic Team Deathmatch
• “Azhir Cave-Dark” was another 6v6 map with Team Deathmatch with something called “Realism” mode.

There were also some of the 2v2 Gunfighter maps. These are small, and we weren’t able to grab any of the map layouts.

• “Stack”
• “King”
• “Pine”

With that, let’s get into the breakdown of each map we saw!

Modern Warfare Maps

Aniyah Palace

This map is MASSIVE! Fitting 40 players on a map isn’t easy, but the 20v20 maps are meant to provide plenty of options for moving around the map. It also allows you to pick your playstyle. Do you want to snipe? Or would you rather run and gun? In either case, the openness of these maps gives you choices without worrying about “lanes”.

If you look closely at the layout, you’ll notice buildings were different colors. The clearer buildings were generally one-story or were missing a roof while the whiter ones were two and three-story buildings.

We thought the 20v20 Ground War game mode would be absolutely insane with the number of people on a single map. However, it was surprisingly well balanced.

Grazna Raid

This felt like a slightly larger map compared to the standard 6v6 maps, but not nearly as big as the 20v20. Players engaged in a few quick skirmishes, but again the map felt very balanced and suited for various playstyles.

Gun Runner

This was a pretty cool map set in what felt like an abandoned train yard. The Domination mode seemed to flow very well, and teamwork was the obvious victor in the end.

Hackney Yard

The map was really cool, but the game mode was very interesting. In it, your goal was to retrieve an EMP and plant it at the enemy objective. If you got killed, you weren’t necessarily out of the game. Your teammates had the chance to come and pick you up (seemed like a 3-4 second revival time), but if your entire team was wiped – that was it.

Overall, the map had an intense and tactical feel to it. You had the opportunity to climb up onto the second floor of a building almost right out of the starting gate to gain an advantage. But there are so many buildings that if your playstyle is more of a “sub-machine gun (SMG) and clear rooms”, you still provided an edge for the team.

Azhir Cave

The map felt open in spite of a portion of it consisting of a large cave. Lots of open areas but still long sightlines that enabled sniping. You need to pay attention to your corners very closely as people can easily hide with a shotgun.

Azhir Cave-Dark

Intense. That’s what this game mode felt like. From what the developers were saying, each map has two versions – normal and dark. In the dark modes, night vision goggles (NVG) enable you to see the battlefield, and they’re a necessity. You have the option to toggle the NVGs on and off, but you can hardly see anything without them.

With the NVGs on, you can tell when someone is aiming their gun at you or near you. While you only see a red dot when aiming down the sight of your gun, you’ll be able to see the full laser line when others are aiming their guns. It gets a little tricky when you’re trying to tell a difference between your team’s lasers and the enemies’.

Gunfight Maps

These maps are small and intend to get players right into the thick of battle. Each round of the gunfight rounds starts players off with matching gun setups. You’ll get two rounds with each setup and then they switch to another setup. The round will end when the other team has been wiped out, a neutral flag is captured, or your team has the most health if neither of the first two objectives is accomplished in time. The flag appears after a set time in the middle of the playing field and a countdown will start. From there you have to finish eliminating the opposition, capture the flag, or be the team that has the most combined health.

Stack

This has a gun range feel to it. Each team starts out above the playing field and has a choice to make. Go down either side of the battlefield to try and flank the opponent, or go head-to-head down the middle. The choice is yours.

King

King felt a bit like an indoor gun range and brought back nostalgia for me as a player. The first two Modern Warfare titles’ campaign modes started you off with a run through a training course. You have several options in how to start this match. Immediately take the high-ground from the starting area, go down the middle, or seek shelter in the containers on each side of the map.

Pine

This map felt challenging. The shrubs, the trees, and the layout almost require you to move with caution in any direction. Shipping containers in the center of the map provide cover but also makes you vulnerable to lethals. The high ground near your starting position provides you with a better line of sight visibility but also takes you out of the majority of the map’s cover. The shrubs conceal your movement but also provide a false sense of security.

That’s all we were able to see during the livestream. We can’t express just how excited we are for the beta to drop in September and finally immerse ourselves in the gameplay. What are your thoughts? Let us know what you think in the comments on Twitter or Facebook at @IPlayCod.

The post Modern Warfare Maps: An Overview of What We Know So Far appeared first on I Play CoD.

Each weapon allows a player to attach a variety of 30 to 60 attachments depending on the weapon. We dissected the below premier footage that shows each of the unique attachments showcased.

There’s a lot to digest. We don’t have full details of how the attachments function from weapon to weapon, but here’s what we saw.

Breaking down the Gunsmith Bench

Assault Rifles

Assault rifles (AR) are a staple of any Call of Duty game, and also seem to have the most potential for variety. The categories available within the M4A1 gunsmith bench were:

• Muzzles
• Lasers
• Optics
• Barrels
• Underbarrels
• Magazines
• Rear Grips
• Perks (for Guns)

Within each of these categories were various options that allow you to tailor the gun to how you play the game. Each attachment has a pro and con list breakdown with plus and minus symbols (sometimes more depending on how much the attachment impacts each pro or con) to help guide you to the right setup.

Keep in mind that we don’t know for sure whether each attachment will be unlocked in some way over time, or if they’re all available when the weapon is available. That said, some similar-sounding attachments have bigger impacts on your stats than others. Also, not all of the attachments were featured within the premier footage.

Let’s break down the attachments we saw in each category.

Muzzles

• Flash Guard: suppresses the flash of your weapon to keep your muzzle flash from alerting nearby enemies.
• Large Suppressor: silences the weapon while also increasing the gun’s range.
• Compensator: reduces muzzle climb while laying down full-auto fire.
• Suppressor: silences the weapon but also reduces damage and range.

Optics

Each optic has its own impact through the reticle available as well as how heavy it is on the gun. Way too many to break down, but we’ll add some features of note:

• Operator Reflex Sight
• Corp Combat Holo Sight
• Aim-Op Reflex Sight
• APX5 Holographic Sight
• Hybrid Scope – West (alt): allows for both 1x and 4x magnifications.
• Hybrid Scope – West (canted): allows for both 1x and 4x magnifications.
• Merc Scout Optic (3x magnification)
• G.I. Mini Reflex
• Variable Zoom: allows for magnification toggle to allow for more effective mid to long-range engagements.

Barrels

• Light weight Barrel: reduces the weight of the gun to aid in mobility at the cost of range.
• Short Barrel: compact barrel that gives up accuracy and range for mobility and faster aim-down-sight capability (think close-quarter battles).
• Long Barrel: increased range with reduced recoil that pays for the pros with decreased mobility.

Underbarrels

• Angled Foregrip: provides better weapon control with a benefit to range while adding weight to the gun.
• Vertical Foregrip: your standard foregrip that provides better control and range with a bigger hit to mobility.
• CQB Grip: foregrip that enables better accuracy, range, and control with a similar cost to mobility.
• Operator Vertical Foregrip: bigger impact to accuracy, hip-fire accuracy, range, and control.
• Grenade Launcher: under-mounted M203 grenade launcher. The “noob tube”.

Stocks

• Heavy Stock: the name gives away its direct impact on mobility, but does provide better range and control (sway and steadiness).
• Close Quarters Stock: tactical stock that has a minimal penalty to mobility with an overall faster aim-down-sight speed.
• Lightweight Stock: a light stock that allows for faster walking speed while aiming down the sights at a cost of increased gun sway and aiming unsteadiness.
• No Stock: the sawed-off approach that allows for much faster movement speed while aiming at a cost of overall gun control.

Perks

• Sleight of Hand: quicker reload speeds.
• FMJ: increased bullet penetration and damage against equipment and killstreaks.
• Stance Training: better accuracy in supported (mounted) positions.
• Mo’ Money: more XP from headshots.
• Burst: changes the firing mode to be a 3-round burst (if not that way by default).
• Frangible – Wounding: causes automatic healing to be delayed.
• Fast Melee: allows… for faster melee…
• Burst Fire (3x) Enhanced: changes the firing mode to be a faster 3-round burst.
• Presence of Mind: “Infinite hold breath”.

Unfortunately, they didn’t jump into the “Lasers”, “Magazines” or “Rear Grips” of the M4A1. However, the combinations that are allowed on it that we could see were pretty impressive. It pulls away from the standard of relying on a perk to provide the desired benefit with a lot more flexibility. You can equip up to five (5) individual attachments from the above categories.

Pistols

The premier allowed for a very brief glimpse at pistol attachment categories and only one of the attachments available from each category. Without assuming too much, here’s what we saw in the .50 GS gunsmith bench:

• Muzzles: none selected, but we presume it would have some similar options available compared to assault rifles.
• Lasers: “Tac Laser”
• Optic: none selected.
• Barrel: “Long Slide” selected.
• Trigger Actions: “Precision Trigger” selected.
• Magazine: “High Capacity Extended Mags” selected.
• Rear Grip: “Pistol Grip – Granulated” selected.
• Perk: none selected.

That’s about all we can see in the coverage, but similar to the M4A1 you could only equip up to five (5)

It can’t be stressed enough. What you do at the Gunsmith bench will have a direct impact on how effective you are as a player. We are stoked to see what they have hidden in each category as well as see how the available attachments change from gun to gun (or even AR to AR).

Got feedback for us? Drop a note in the comments on Twitter or Facebook at @IPlayCod.

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First Things First…

If you’re already reading this and thinking to yourself “But IPC, it’s just another year another Call of Duty, this is no different to the last 6 titles!” That’s where you’re wrong. This is not Call of Duty as you know it. Fundamentally yes, but almost every aspect of the game has been redesigned from the ground up. 

Players will find themselves thrown into a world they are familiar with. The game mechanics, aesthetics, and gameplay itself… this will all feel new. And it’s honestly great. 

Killstreaks

Previously, we wrote about our first look at killstreaks in Modern Warfare (No, not scorestreaks. Killstreaks are back!), and if you missed it take a look here.

We all had a taste of what Killstreaks would be included. Now let’s expand on that a little bit, as we got to witness these first-hand.

• Juggernaut – have a care package dropped locked and stocked with the Juggernaut armor and a mini-gun.
• Chopper Gunner – A fan favorite from the Modern Warfare series last two entries returns, in all its glory. 
• Infantry Assault Vehicle – This killstreak allows you to roam around the map in a manned armored vehicle, equipped with a .50 caliber machine gun. The cool thing about this bad boy, it seats two people. 
• Personal UAV – You can use this killstreak to access the old minimap, functioning as a normal UAV, however, this one only works for yourself.
• UAV – Same as above, however, this one is team-wide. 
• Counter UAV – Classic Counter UAV, disabling enemy radar.
• Care Package – Call in a care package containing a random streak, similar to old titles. 

There are many more killstreaks in the game (and we mean a LOT). If you’re feeling nostalgic, some of you will be happy to hear that stackable streaks are returning in the form of a perk. This perk allows your killstreaks to count towards further killstreaks, at the expense of a perk slot. 

The Minimap and Game Modes

The constant appearance of a minimap as we know it is gone. It’s been replaced by a radar system that pings for enemy gunfire on a compass. The Personal UAV and Team UAV killstreaks are the only way to gain access to the minimap of old. This is a hot topic and the development team is considering different options.

The amount of content here is insane! Here’s a list of a few more things we saw during our time playing Modern Warfare.

• 10v10 and 20v20 maps. Yep, large maps allowing for larger game modes will be in the game, including a playlist specifically for these. This actually means domination on these larger maps will have 5 flags to capture, instead of 3.

• Gunsmith allows you to completely customize the look, playstyle, and feel of your weapon. Some guns can have up to 60+ attachments! With the seemingly endless variations for each weapon, you can really make or break a game at the gunsmith table. Play around and find the right playstyle for you. Never underestimate how much these attachments matter.

• Driveable vehicles on the larger maps. These leave you vulnerable, but allow you to get around quicker. Some of the maps are massive.

• Breach and Clear! You can find multiple ways to enter rooms in multiplayer. Whether you wish to go in full guns blazing or take a quieter approach. Either burst right through, peak and throw a flashbang or just shoot through it. The choice is yours.

This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of content, and we look forward to sharing more with you.

That’s it for our Modern Warfare Post-reveal for now. We’ve got plenty of gameplay footage that our very own Thump3r captured. Once you’ve watched the reveal, let us know your thoughts. Either in the comments, on Twitter or Facebook at @IPlayCod.

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With this, it has been made clear now that Modern Warfare will be taking a somewhat nostalgic trip down memory lane by reverting to the Killstreaks system of old, most notably from Modern Warfare 1 and 2 – rather than the current “scorestreak” system we have seen over the last few years.

Modern Warfare news is coming thick and fast, check out the “Gunsmith” teaser video for our first look at weapon customization if you missed it!

White Phosphorous

Similar to the napalm strike in Black Ops, “WP” will disorient and burn any enemies caught in the strike. This one has received some controversy as White Phosphorous was scrutinized for being used as a chemical weapon. We will let you make your own mind up on this one!

Infantry Assault Vehicle

The Infantry Assault Vehicle is a Player-Controlled streak, sporting a large .50 cal machine gun. This one is sort of a chopper gunner.. on the ground.. that you can control. Fun!

Juggernaut

The Juggernaut suit is BACK! Bigger and better than ever, you will call this streak in via a care package (so find some good cover while you wait). Once inside, you will be able to decimate the field with your very own Gatling gun.

Jump in the comments and let us know which killstreaks you are hoping to see in Modern Warfare, and which of the above you can’t wait to get your hands on. And while you’re at it, make sure to follow us over on twitter @IPlayCOD and Facebook via the social links!

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