The latest Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 open beta has had a few updates put in place to help players get the best out of their experience. Developer Infinity Ward has outlined a number of adaptations to the current multiplayer beta test, which kicked off for its first weekend last week with a PlayStation-exclusive beta. This weekend sees the beginning of weekend two of the multiplayer beta for those on Xbox and PC to join in on the action.
Those who pre-ordered the upcoming shooter sequel on PC and Xbox will have had the chance to get a feel for it since yesterday if they’ve taken part in the open beta. It opens up to everyone on all platforms as of tomorrow and will be available for another two days after that.
However it seems Infinity Ward has taken the opportunity to make some changes, presumably based on the feedback its had from its first beta weekend. Revealed in a new set of patch notes for the beta are updates to the game’s audio, gameplay modes, perks and maps. The main update that players will be pleased to learn about is to do with player visibility. The developers have now made suitable adjustments to this in the beta, which should make enemy targets much easier to spot.
In addition to improved enemy visibility, adjustments to the audio of footsteps have had some subtle tweaks that could make a big difference to players’ gameplay. The footsteps of allied team members will now be much softer, whereas enemy footstep audio will be markedly more distinct, thanks to an equalizer now added to the game’s sound effects. To boost the effect of this, the distance from which players can hear enemy and ally footsteps has also been decreased.
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beta will also feature two new maps this weekend. The battle maps of Sariff Bay and Sa’id have been added to the game, making the number of playable maps now a substantial six. Weapon tuning has also had some tweaks in the latest update.
For some more of the notable updates to the multiplayer beta this weekend, you can check out some of the patch notes below. Full patch notes can be read over on the official Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 developer update on the Infinity Ward blog.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Beta Patch Notes
Modes
- Ground War is back! Enjoy up to 32v32 combat with brand new vehicles and dynamic combat.
- Introducing our Sandbox TDM, Invasion (or what we like to call the Shipment of Ground War). Invasion pits two teams of 20 players and 20 AI against each other. With large maps, 80 combatants, water play, ground vehicles, air vehicles and more– it’s absolute chaos!
- Third Person Moshpit is returning for Weekend Two.
Perks
- The perk earn rate will remain the same for the start of Beta Weekend One. Once all platforms are open, we will be increasing the earn rate significantly.
Audio
- Decreased the overall distance from which you could hear enemy and ally footsteps
- Mixed the volume of local and non-local player slide sounds to be more in-line with other movements
- Added an equalizer to soften ally footsteps versus enemy footsteps, making enemy audio more distinct
- Adjusted mix presets– particularly the mix of ambient sounds, which will make footsteps slightly less pronounced
User Interface
- We’ve addressed a number of UX bugs including Gunsmith and progression issues. The level cap for Weekend Two is level 30. If you played in Weekend One, your progress should carry over to Weekend Two.
- We are also working on a number of UI and UX improvements for launch.
