Despite popular belief, the Call of Duty franchise has seen plenty of innovations over the years. While the vast majority of these innovations are just small features and tweaks to the already-popular formula, these new features are what define certain generations of Call of Duty, and they're what make one era stand out more than another in a fan's mind.
Over the years, there have been countless features added to Call of Duty multiplayer. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is credited with pioneering a lot of these beloved mechanics, from custom loadouts to killstreaks, but every Call of Duty entry brings its own set of unique features to the table. And while not all of these features are remembered fondly, there's one highly underrated Call of Duty multiplayer feature that should definitely make a return in Call of Duty 2024.
Call of Duty 2024 Should Bring Back the Emblem Editor
First introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops all the way back in 2010, the Emblem Editor should make its triumphant return in Call of Duty 2024. In its original form, Call of Duty: Black Ops' Emblem Editor allowed players to create their own emblem by forging together a wide range of different set images. Unlocked at level 10, the original Emblem Editor gives players access to 12 individual layers, each of which can contain a separate image. The player can use a variety of simple editing tools to crop, resize, and rotate their chosen images. These user-created emblems would then be shown on the player's Playercard in place of their rank insignia.
Though Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 would forego the Emblem Editor, it would return with Treyarch's Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, where it was bigger and better than ever. While Black Ops' Emblem Editor was fairly bare-bones, offering only a set amount of images, Black Ops 2's Emblem Editor emphasizes complete user creation, boasting a set of tools that lets the player create an image from scratch. On top of these extra tools, Black Ops 2's Emblem Editor also gave players 32 layers to work with, greatly expanding the player's creative freedom.
The Emblem Editor would return in the next few Treyarch Call of Duty games, remaining largely unchanged. Call of Duty's Emblem Editor was a surprisingly beloved feature of Black Ops 2 and its successors, with dedicated fans spending hours crafting the most unique and creative emblem. The Emblem Editor was simple, and accessible, leading to its widespread use by a good portion of the player base.
With just a few minutes of tinkering, players could have their very own emblem, one which would immediately identify them in a pre-game lobby, and let them stand out from the crowd. Having a unique user-created emblem would also make players stand out during the match, leading to some intense rivalries during the course of a round, with players desperately hunting after the Angry Birds logo-wearing player that just killed them.
Call of Duty 2024 already has quite an impressive foundation to work from. Despite some live-service issues, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has delivered one of the tightest multiplayer experiences in recent years, at least in terms of the Call of Duty franchise, and all Call of Duty 2024 needs to do is copy that gameplay formula closely. But to really go above and beyond, Call of Duty 2024 needs to add the best features from Call of Duty's long history, and the Emblem Editor should certainly make the cut.
A new Call of Duty is in development.