Modern Warfare 2 Not Changing Controversial Mini Map

Infinity Ward releases a news post after the Modern Warfare 2 PlayStation Open Beta Weekend that its current setup of the minimap will not change.

After compiling data and feedback from the first Open Beta weekend of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, an Infinity Ward forum post addresses some of the most popular topics that have been brought to their attention, including the mini-map. One of the big topics was the design decision for this year’s mini-map not to show enemy dots after firing. The developer has now made a strong stance saying that it will not be making any changes to the mini-map in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

The decision to hide enemy gunfire dots from showing up on the mini-map has been a hotly contested issue for Call of Duty players, and they have been vocal on social media about the removal of the feature. The mini-map has operated this way for years, and the decision to change it this year has stirred up anger and confusion. With the frenetic nature of Call of Duty multiplayer, some see the information given by the mini-map as vital to the players.

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In the news post, Infinity Ward states that the mini-map is only designed to show dots for enemies when the UAV is active. This is a shift from the norm, as firing weapons would usually reveal enemy locations in most past Call of Duty titles. The post states that the developer “does not want to punish players for firing their weapons.” Infinity Ward wants players to rely more on their wits rather than looking at the box on the screen. Potentially, the developer aims to ween the community off of the act of constantly looking at the mini-map and not looking down the gun sights.

There has to be a level of assumption that Infinity Ward sees more value in having players rely more on auditory cues rather than constantly peeking at the map to find where gunfire came from. However, that’s only useful to players that have invested either in quality headphones, especially the PS5 headphones with a focus on spatial audio, or high-quality surround sound or soundbar TV setups.

There is a factor of “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” with fans that rather not see change, but Infinity Ward is sticking with this despite the anger it will stoke. With Modern Warfare 2 perks and gunsmith attachments that decrease the sounds of gunfire and enemy movement though, this may put players without the aforementioned home setup improvements at a disadvantage or decrease the enjoyment of their game sessions.

As firm as it sounded in the news post, Infinity Ward will be using the remaining open beta periods to further study the effects of this decision. There are other issues found during the first open beta weekend that the developers could work on that would have a knock-on effect that improves other aspects of gameplay, including the need for the mini-map. But for now, this design change will remain an upsetting change for some Call of Duty fans.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 launches on October 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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Source: Infinity Ward