The multiplayer beta for Call of Duty: Vanguard is officially complete, and it gave players a solid idea of what to expect from the main game. Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Gunsmith will be the most in-depth yet, with a massive number of attachments able to be used with each weapon. Popular streaks like Attack Dogs are returning, while fans got a solid idea of just how crucial destruction will be to the core gameplay of each map. Further, fans also got to experience many of the game modes that will be available when the game releases.
Call of Duty: Vanguard will feature the usual assortment of modes, including Search and Destroy, Team Deathmatch, Domination, and Kill Confirmed. However, two new modes are also being introduced. Plenty have weighed in on Champion Hill, with the interesting Gunfight and battle royale hybrid proving popular with many. However, Patrol could also be a fan favorite game mode if a big issue is fixed in time for launch, as its concept is excellent.
How Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Patrol Mode Works
Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Patrol Mode is heavily inspired by the classic mode Hardpoint. In Hardpoint, players fight over a zone that moves across the map. The zone has several set points, with players able to memorize them and set up at the next position. They have to hold the points in order to build score and work towards a win, and the objective-oriented nature of the mode has made it a favorite amongst many players.
Just like Hardpoint, Patrol features a zone that Call of Duty: Vanguard players need to stand in so they can build up score for their team. However, the key difference between the two modes is that the zone is constantly moving in Patrol. This means that players trying to win need to move along with the zone, something that could risk them being flanked or killed by people waiting in the moving zone’s path. This is a nice change from Hardpoint, as players get to fight across all parts of the map and are not struggling to get through a camping team’s defenses.
Apart from the moving zone, though, those that have played Hardpoint in the other Call of Duty games will find the mode very familiar. The first team to reach 200 points wins, and Patrol can be incredibly intense or slow based on Call of Duty: Vanguard’s combat pacing. Overall, the mode is an enjoyable twist on a fan favorite, and while it could end up being a great addition, one key issue will need to be fixed by Sledgehammer Games before launch.
The Issue With Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Patrol Mode
In the Call of Duty: Vanguard beta, the spawns in Patrol were completely broken. Countless clips were posted online of players spawning in front of enemies, dying because they were shooting someone else. Likewise, some Call of Duty: Vanguard players would drop in right behind a team, wiping them out and starting a killstreak instantly. While this was especially bad in larger lobbies, even 6v6 matches suffered from the busted spawns.
While a Call of Duty: Vanguard patch did help with the issue, it certainly did not solve it completely. As such, developer Sledgehammer Games needs to make sure that spawns are working as intended when the full game launches in early November. If fixes are not made, all the potential tied to this clever Hardpoint variant could be wasted. If the spawns are improved, though, Patrol might just become more popular than the more that inspired it.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is available November 5 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
