The Headquarters (Headquarters) in Call of Duty WW2 fully embraces MMO elements. World of Warcraft served as a model.
A major innovation in the multiplayer of Call of Duty is the Headquarters, introduced in WW2. This is a social space, a hub area that will replace the main menu. Up to 48 players can be in the same Headquarters instance and interact with each other.
Michael Condrey, the co-founder of Sledgehammer Games, the studio behind CoD: WW2, spoke with Eurogamer about this new social space – comparing it to Orgrimmar from World of Warcraft.
A shooter with MMO elements – a sense of community is emphasized
Condrey is himself a WoW player, who knows Orgrimmar, the capital of the Orcs, very well as a member of the Horde. This is the place where Horde players pick up their quests. Condrey fondly recalls the time when he first entered Orgrimmar and was overcome by a sense of community as he saw all the other players proudly displaying their high ranks, gifting each other and pursuing their business.
A sense of community has been neglected in Call of Duty so far. But with the Headquarters in CoD: WW2, the aim is to create a positive community.
What to expect in the Headquarters?
When you first start the multiplayer of CoD: WW2, you land directly in the Headquarters. This is a place on the coast of Normandy, three days after D-Day.
Here you can visit your superior officers who have quests of all kinds for you. Some quests require you to achieve victories in multiplayer. Others ask you to create your first emblem, challenge someone to a 1v1, or start the Nazi zombie experience.
However, in the Headquarters, there are not only quest givers waiting for you. You can communicate with up to 48 other players via voice, text, or various emotes. For example, saluting is mentioned as a gesture. If you have cool gear, you can proudly show it off in the social space.
Moreover, you will find a shooting range, a 1v1 arena, and a display with leaderboards (which track your performance in almost everything). At the shooting range, you can test your weapons. However, don’t take up too much space there, as other players also want to test their weapons, as you can see in this video:
For a “positive community,” Sledgehammer Games introduces a new feature: a Commending System. This allows players to commend others – for their skills, for their emblems, or just because they are nice. By commending others, you increase your social score. The higher this value, the more rewards you will receive, such as new gear or medals.
In short: With the Headquarters, Sledgehammer Games brings MMO elements to the CoD series. They want to emphasize the social aspect, the sense of community. How hardcore shooter fans will react to this remains to be seen.
Call of Duty WW2 will be released on November 3 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
