Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's beta is getting a lot of attention and generating hype for the upcoming game, while showing off the new features and weapons available to players. Despite this, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beta is missing an opportunity to win players over by limiting its Gunsmith options.
Gunsmith is a feature that has now appeared in six Call of Duty releases and the battle royale Warzone, allowing players to tweak and customize their weapons with incredible precision, including weapon skins, optics, and attachments. First seen in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Gunsmith gives players a way to stand out when a lot of players have the same weapons, optimizing their individual skills and play style. Given certain weapons in Call of Duty will define a player's experience, it is odd that Infinity Ward decided to place limitations on Gunsmith during the beta.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's Limited Gunsmith Beta
Popular weapons like the Fennec and AK-47 are locked at Level 1 in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 beta, meaning players can't use much beyond using their base versions. There is good logic behind limiting some Gunsmith functionality in the beta, but the decision could cost Infinity Ward the chance to showcase what some better weapons in Modern Warfare 2 can do, getting prospective players hooked on a more powerful weapon they want to earn when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 releases in October.
Giving players the opportunity to use more powerful versions of some popular weapons in the beta would show the capability of these guns, and give them the chance to develop affinity toward certain weapons and compare builds. Even more puzzling is that players can have attachments on the M4 rifle, but not weapons like the AK-47 and Fennec. This approach to the beta can create an environment where there is too much "sameness," making it harder to determine what fans can truly expect from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at launch.
On the other hand, a completely open Gunsmith during the beta would likely hurt balance in the beta itself and discourage using a wide range of weapons. Since Infinity Ward almost certainly wants to see a variety of weapons get love during the beta, the decision to limit Gunsmith functionality might offer users a better idea of the balance of all weapons. Because this is only a beta meant to test online functionality and balance, there will be plenty of time later for things like the typical Call of Duty killstreaks, weapon builds, and other advanced options.
Despite that, players like to get their hands on the most complete version of any game they can, and fans won't hold back if they want to see changes made in Call of Duty based on the beta. Balance is important, but so is word of mouth, and getting excited players talking more about the Gunsmith in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 feels like a potential benefit of the beta that Infinity Ward might be missing out on.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 launches on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
