Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has lived up to its pedigree, becoming the most played Call of Duty game of the current console generation. Part of what has made the game so successful is its willingness to hearken back to the great contributions of its predecessors, described by the developers as a "back to basics" approach.
Modern Warfare's solid campaign, focus on realism, attention to detail, and tried-and-true shooting mechanics all pay respect to the pioneering efforts of early Modern Warfare titles. While many players at first bemoaned the large, open maps that the game started with, these too were a way to increase tactical realism in Modern Warfare.
Of course, small maps with tight design were also a big part of what made so many Call of Duty games great. At their best, these maps were easy to learn and tough to master, encouraging constant movement, quick reactions, and split-second decision making. In a good map, a player could roam around smoothly and freely, getting into gunfight after gunfight from the moment the match started to the second it was over.
The current Modern Warfare has made strides to add maps of that caliber to the game. Maps like Shoot House are a great example, but adding classics from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was a masterstroke. The classic Modern Warfare maps that were re-made and added to the current game for Season 1 are not only able to break up the monotony of huge maps, but also have the benefit of already being known and loved by many fans. Crash, Shipment, and Vacant are great for Modern Warfare, but are also the most tangible way for fans to re-live their nostalgia for great games past.
However, many fans feel a pang of missed opportunity when looking at the classic maps added in Season 1. There is one map that has been teased since the beta, and by all means should already be in Modern Warfare, but is not there. That map is Rust.
Why Should Rust be in Modern Warfare?
Put simply, Rust is a great map. It is arguably one of the most famous and most treasured maps in any Call of Duty game ever, brushing shoulders with giants like Nuketown. Even people who have never played a Call of Duty title in their lives have likely heard the phrase "1-v-1 me in Rust" at some point. The phrase isn't just an irreverent joke: for years, the best way to resolve a dispute online was to load up a custom game and duke it out in a map that gained its legendary status for that very purpose.
With the addition of Gunfight as one of the fan-favorite modes in Modern Warfare, adding Rust to the game makes even more sense. As an original fan-chosen arena for small-scale fights, it spawned the beginnings of something like Gunfight long before it was considered by the developers. For those who believe that such a small map would be too chaotic with modern killstreaks and game modes, it should be pointed out that killstreaks could already wipe the entire map back in Modern Warfare 2. Shipment, a smaller map than Rust, is already in Modern Warfare as a 6v6 map, and its propensity for hectic bloodbaths is what makes it great.
Why Isn't Rust in Modern Warfare Yet?
