Modern Warfare 4 Set to Address Longtime Player Grievances in Call of Duty

Infinity Ward has acknowledged that the movement mechanics in their previous Call of Duty title didn’t quite hit the mark. To address this, the studio is making adjustments in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4.

This insight comes from the latest episode of From the Ward, a behind-the-scenes documentary series on the development of Modern Warfare 4. About two and a half minutes into the video, co-studio head Mark Grigsby discusses the criticism regarding movement in 2022’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and how it has influenced the upcoming game.

“We received some backlash on Modern Warfare 2 regarding our movement, where we removed certain freedoms,” Grigsby noted. “Players expressed frustration, saying, ‘I can’t do this. It doesn’t feel right. The movement’s off.’ For this project, we decided to make some changes.”

Jack O’Hara, the other co-studio head, then shared some of the new movement features being introduced in Modern Warfare 4, such as mantling from a slide and transitioning into a prone position. A blog post accompanying the game’s announcement hints at further enhancements to climbing, hanging, and jumping mechanics.

While we’ll need to get our hands on the game to fully assess the changes, these updates are certainly promising. Recent Modern Warfare titles have felt less engaging compared to the Black Ops series, which utilizes what Activision refers to as Omnimovement. Although the goal is to maintain a grounded movement style in Modern Warfare, incorporating some fluidity from Omnimovement could be a smart choice.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is set to launch on October 23 for Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. As is customary, a free open beta will be available prior to release, allowing players who were dissatisfied with Modern Warfare 2’s movement to experience the changes firsthand before making a purchase decision.