Fans are glad to see an infamous Season 2 weapon is banned from Ranked Play in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Ranked play in competitive games is a delicate balance that can be broken if one small thing were to change. From nerfing or buffing character abilities to removing certain weapons from that season of the game, developers try all they can do to make sure ranked play can continue unabated. Such choices need to be made to make sure that the majority of the player base's experience isn't ruined by one little thing, as seen in the recent case of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's Season 2 delivered Ranked Play and its several tiers, a mode many have been wishing for, but with it came a weapon known as the ISO Hemlock Assault Rifle. What was at first welcomed as a new addition to the arsenal of weaponry that the game provides, it quickly became known that the weapon was ruining Ranked Play. Many players complained that the assault rifle's time-to-kill, accuracy, and handling made it a powerhouse in multiplayer. As a result, players called for its banning in Ranked Play.It's not just a case of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's katana having a longer reach than the knife, but a weapon with reportedly no recoil and pinpoint accuracy. Thankfully, players don't have to wait for it to find its way onto the banned list, as it has been confirmed that the overpowered weapon has now been banned from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's Ranked Play mode. As tweeted by the official Treyarch Studios Twitter, the developer reports that both the ISO Hemlock, as well as the TAQ-V, have been restricted. They go on to explain that the weapons will be restricted in-game, and are to be made hidden in the custom loadout screen in the future.
In the comments, many players were celebrating the weapon's banning, some remarking they could finally play the game again, while some were saddened by the game losing more variety in its weaponry. Season 2 has done much to add more to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, where not only the Ranked Play was added, but the Call of Duty staple that is Gun Game as well, giving players more to do. So it's understandable to see people upset that a weapon is removed when the season promises the variety that players crave from competitive games.
Needless to say, balance is important to competitive games, and more in ranked play, like when all tanks in Overwatch 2 were nerfed recently. However, there also is the issue of making sure players can still have fun despite the changes. Yet, another thing to keep in mind is that not everyone will be content, regardless of the changes made.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
