With Call of Duty games traditionally released in November, now is the perfect time to outline a competitive wish list for the next entry of the Call of Duty franchise.
What to expect from Call of Duty Vanguard?
At the moment, we know very little about what Sledgehammer has planned for the next iteration of the shooter apart from that the game will be set during WWII and it will likely be titled Call of Duty: Vanguard.
The competitive Call of Duty scene is no stranger to the WWII setting, and as we move back into familiar territory, here are just a few elements that fans of the franchise should hope for.
Functioning ranked play
For several years, Call of Duty has failed to hit the mark when it comes to ranked play. For top competitors and those looking to improve, ranked play is an essential aspect of competitive play. A ranked system incentivizes players to grind the game and improve their rank by defeating opponents of similar skill levels.
It’s strange to see Call of Duty fail to provide a decent ranked play system considering how effortless other major competitive games make it seem to implement this.
Some may argue that Call of Duty: Cold War offers League Play for those who are looking to grind a ranked system. Unfortunately, it has been met with unanimous disdain by professional players and casual players alike.
The mode has several issues, starting with the inability to properly rank players by skill level. We’ve seen numerous occasions wherein professional players find themselves in game lobbies with players who are new to the game.
A robust third game mode
Competitive Call of Duty is structured around three game modes. For years, Hardpoint and Search & Destroy have been the backbone of competitive play. However, the third and final game mode changes from year to year. We’ve previously seen the inclusion of Domination, Capture the Flag and Control amongst other modes.
It seems as though the constant debate surrounding the ideal third game mode never seems to simmer down. It’s safe to say that Control has provided some moments of excitement this year: yet, very few professional players seem to view it as the ideal third game mode. With Call of Duty moving back to WWII, we can confidently rule out fan-favorite Uplink – the evident lack of jetpacks in the game effectively eliminates the chance of its return.
2017’s Call of Duty also took place during WWII and Capture the Flag was utilized as its third game mode throughout the competitive season. The game mode lends itself to the gameplay mechanics of the WWII era. Although it is a slow-paced game mode, the meticulous playstyle required alongside the reliance on proper timing can lead to some exciting moments. Capture the Flag is certainly far from the worst-case scenario. Perhaps Sledgehammer will throw fans a curveball and develop a brand new game mode to slot into the third spot.
The need for weapon variety
Yet again, Cold War represents a failed opportunity in this regard. The fact that snipers have been absent in competitive play this year is absurd. To make matters worse, fans have only seen the use of two weapons throughout the year’s competitive cycle. Due to Gentlemen’s Agreements and flawed weapon balancing, the Krig 6 and AK-74u have been the only two weapons in use.
Whenever we’ve seen glimpses of other weapons being utilized, they’ve either been nerfed to the ground or fallen victim to GAs. Adding a diverse set of weapons to the competitive mix offers viewers more excitement. Seeing how the best players in the world can utilize different weapons based on their playstyle and position adds to the allure of the Call of Duty League.
There’s one series that comes to mind to showcase the benefits of this. Back in May, OpTic Chicago played a series against the La Thieves that saw Brandon “Dashy” Otell use the FFAR in map two. The Express Search & Destroy resulted in a dominant 6-3 victory in favor of OpTic. What’s more is Dashy finished 12/4, posting a 1.33 K/D. This was the first occasion in which fans truly got to see the FFAR in action. Dashy put on an incredible show. Strangely enough, the FFAR vanished from existence following the series with no explanation.
A slower time to kill would also be beneficial for the competitive scene. Most guns have a quick TTK due to Warzone’s integration, in addition to being incredibly easy to aim. Gun mechanics have changed drastically over the years: professional players have stated that the skill gap between players has closed considerably due to the steady aim of weapons.
Well-designed original maps
Sledgehammer must deliver some incredibly well-designed maps. The current state of the CDL map pool is quite embarrassing: three of the five maps in the Search & Destroy map pool are throwbacks.
It’s understandable that players and fans alike are drawn toward classic maps such as Raid, Standoff and Express: these maps occupy a special place in our hearts thanks to the nostalgia factor. There’s no denying that indulging in the past is tempting, but if we don’t try to make new memories and more iconic moments on original maps, then how will the community continue to grow and attract new viewers?
I don’t believe that throwback maps in the competitive landscape are a negative. However the problem is that, Cold War failed to provide brand new top-tier maps. Cold War maps such as Miami and Garrison are not well-liked by the competitive community. Vanguard cannot afford to underdeliver in terms of map quality. This is something the esports scene has been craving for over two years. Delivering with stellar map design is long overdue.
