Why Modern Warfare is Set to be the Biggest Call of Duty Release on PC for Years

Infinity Ward’s newest instalment in the Call of Duty franchise launches later this week, and it’s looking set to be the most successful launch for PC, or perhaps across all formats, in a number of years.

Of course, we don’t have any confirmed pre-order figures from Activision, but Infinity Ward has certainly been trying to take the right moves in the lead up to launch. The successful beta last month demoed the much lauded crossplay feature, along with the new 32 vs. 32 Ground War mode, akin to what Battlefield offers in its various multiplayer options.

Early last week, Infinity Ward went on record to promise that DLC packs are a thing of the past, with the aim of trying to keep all players on a level playing field. The studio also confirmed that no weapons or upgrades will be locked behind microtransactions, a fact that many were desperate to hear confirmed after the “pay to win” formula that seemed to evolve into recent previous instalments. Instead, all will be readily accessible just by playing the game and earning in-game credits. Obviously, if you’re terrible like I am, it’ll probably take you a bit longer than the pros.

But it’s the previously mentioned crossplay feature that I personally believe will be the turning point for this years’ entry, at least for PC players. It’s no secret that previous Call of Duty titles have had their numbers begin to wane after the “honeymoon” period of a new launch. Console doesn’t have the same impact as PC, but with crossplay it’ll mean those on PC will have options. The beta showcased options to let console players choose which type of player they wanted to join; those using a controller, or mix in with those using a keyboard and mouse too.

Many also noticed that there were quite a large amount of players on console using a keyboard and mouse, making it even easier for PC players to get into an equal match.

The biggest negative reaction came a couple of weeks ago, in the form of a PlayStation 4 exclusive game mode, Spec Ops Survival. Sony has bagged this particular mode within Spec Ops for a year, expiring on 1st October, 2020. As one might imagine, this sparked a lot of outrage from players across all formats.

It’s important to note though that all the others modes within Spec Ops will still be available on platforms come launch day. It’s only Survival that is held back for the PS4.

Personally though, I don’t believe this will largely affect the game at launch in terms of raw sales. For me, Infinity Ward has done enough and been vocal enough with the community that they have earned a lot of respect over the past few months.

Now, let’s just hope they don’t go back on any of it.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare launches on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 25th October, 2019.