"At the end of the day someone has to make the enemies scared of the dark.” – Captain Price, Modern Warfare One of the many new features within Modern Warfare’s Multiplayer is NVG Mode, where you will play on map variants that require you to go into combat in near-total darkness. On these night map variants, the only sources of light are artificial, which is why your Operator comes prepared with Night Vision Goggles (AKA NVGs). You may have already experienced NVG Mode if you played the Modern Warfare Beta. But for those who haven’t, or who want to celebrate the spooky season with NVG, we’re here to help you become a true terror in the night.

Shedding Some Light on Night Vision Goggles At the beginning of a match, your Night Vision Goggles will be turned on. You can take them off, or put them back on again, by pressing and holding the same command used to reload (by default). While wearing Night Vision Goggles, the world will be seen as tints of green, as the technology within the goggles amplifies light – including invisible infrared light – to give the wearer enough light to see in the dark. These goggles are important to your success in NVG Mode and, in most cases, should remain on throughout the match.

Laser Focused Instead of aiming down sights with a weapon while your Night Vision Goggles are activated, your Operator will turn the weapon sideways and use a laser sight to show where projectiles will be fired. While this laser will help you identify targets, you are not the only one that can see it. Enemy players can see your laser when you ADS, which could potentially give away your current position. Because of that consider considering using caution when you ADS on a night map variant. If you see a laser pointed near you or out in the map, you might want to get to cover and deduce where it came from.

Who Turned the Lights On? On night maps, larger buildings or complexes may have a fuse box outside which, when activated, turns on the lights inside that area. At first, flipping a light switch might not seem so tactical, but any Operator will know that Night Vision Goggles work by amplifying existing light sources (including invisible infrared light). Turning on the lights while someone is wearing Night Vision Goggles is like shining a giant flashbulb in their face; the goggles will amplify the new light source, practically blinding the wearer. If an enemy team is huddled indoors near an objective, turning on the lights might be a good way to begin a tactical breach and clear of that area.

The Heat is On Outside of NVGs and artificial light on the map, the other way to get a brighter picture of enemy forces is to use a thermal scope. Thermal imaging highlights enemies by their heat signatures, providing visibility while aiming down sights regardless of lighting conditions. Because these scopes conflict with NVG technology, they are only usable when your goggles are off. What you see in the dark with the thermal scope is limited to anything in its sight picture, but while aiming down sights, your weapon will not have a laser protruding from it. Therefore, thermal scopes can act as an unconventional stealth attachment in NVG Mode, allowing for quasi-night vision. Thermal scopes can also be combined with other attachments, such a Suppressor, on a weapon to further kit it out for those who thrive with sneakier tactics. Bear in mind that not all weapons have the ability to equip a Thermal optic, but if your weapon of choice does include this attachment option, it is definitely one to consider.

Don’t Go Alone into the Night! NVG Mode play is a bit more tactical than regular game modes, as the cover of night can be conducive to stealthier and shiftier play. With that in mind, communication and teamwork might play an even bigger role when it comes to playing for a victory in the dead of night. If you are comfortable doing so, turn on voice chat or use text chat to communicate enemy intentions or positions, and work together to complete objectives. Furthermore, great teamwork might lead to unique strategies during night infiltrations. For example, a few members of a team could infiltrate a building without Night Vision Goggles while another flips the switch outside, potentially ruining the vision of enemies inside and giving their team an advantage. No matter how you dive into NVG Mode, we you hope you enjoy going dark in celebration of All Hallows Eve. We’ll see you online. Stay frosty. Additional Information and Content Also be sure to check out Infinity Ward’s Community Blog, with even more Modern Warfare content straight from the source! Purchase the game now at CallofDuty.com.