Some Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 players have noticed a suspicious similarity between a paid operator skin in the brand-new BlackCell battle pass and certain free operator outfits found in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. Billed as the ultimate premium purchase, the BlackCell battle pass offers players additional rewards alongside the free and premium offerings. However, a section of the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 player base is voicing their opinions against the content paywall, and the number is growing with each passing day.
Call of Duty's microtransactions boasts a storied history throughout the long existence of the franchise. The earlier titles in the series saw the introduction of DLC map packs, allowing players to play in new and oftentimes remastered old maps. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 was the first game in the franchise to introduce a weapon as a part of a DLC, which then became the norm in subsequent titles. Subsequently, Advanced Warfare was the first game to introduce the infamous loot box system in the Call of Duty franchise. The Supply Drop system garnered severe community backlash, leading Activision to change its monetization structure to the current battle pass system seen in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
BlackCell is the newest iteration of the battle pass system, offering players extra cosmetics adorned in its signature black and gold livery for a premium. However, observant players like KNEXIUM on Reddit have noticed that Ghost's BlackCell exclusive skin looks astonishingly similar to operator outfits players could obtain for free in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. The image accompanying the Reddit post paints a troubling picture, with ornately shaded gear boasting an eerie similarity in both games. With Call of Duty's DMZ getting pay-to-win bundles and issues such as this, several players are questioning whether the developers actually worked on the product or just reused assets for a cash grab.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 was the first game to introduce the earliest iteration of the battle pass, subsequently improved in the 2019 reboot Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The irony of the situation isn't lost on players, with Veterans reminding others that while Black Ops 3 was great for fashion-oriented players, the acquisition methods weren't player-friendly. Several players have even suggested that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's BlackCell cosmetics do not deserve the $30 price tag and should become mission rewards, similar to Modern Warfare's operator skins.
Considering the number of cosmetics present in the Call of Duty franchise, it's easy to write this off as a coincidence and an oversight from the developers. However, as Activision continues to aggressively push microtransactions, the player base is growing concerned over the direction of the title and the future of the prestigious franchise.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.