The first public test phase of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is over, and many testers have noticed the extremely powerful sniper rifles. A developer reassures: They were specifically made this strong for the alpha.
What was going on? Over the weekend of September 18 to 20, an open test phase was held for all CoD players with a PlayStation 4 and PS Plus. Many took the opportunity to get an initial impression of the new Call of Duty: Cold War, which celebrates its release on November 13.
However, many testers agree: There is still a lot of balancing to be done before the game can be released to the broader audience. Particularly, the sniper rifles felt completely OP to some – and the soldiers were probably right about that. A developer spoke up and said: It was intended.
Snipers in the CoD Cold War Alpha heavily – developer reassures
What does the developer say about that? The “Lead Game Designer” Toni Flame from the leading development studio Treyarch commented on the topic on Twitter:
Flame says: “OK, let’s talk about sniping in Cold War. Crossplay is coming, but we knew it wouldn’t be available in the alpha. We buffed the snipers to specifically assess their performance in the alpha. There will be balance changes for the sniper rifles before the upcoming beta based on our analysis data from this weekend.”
What does that mean? It clearly indicates that the sniper rifles were deliberately strengthened for the alpha tests to gather data that would assist in balancing.
He justifies this with the significant crossplay component of the title. This could also be related to the fact that many players on PlayStation are using controllers, providing the CoD developers with a data foundation that allows for better comparisons. Once many PC players are mingling on the servers, the proportion of soldiers using mouse & keyboard also rises. It is quite possible that they wanted to hit two birds with one stone:
- The sniper experiment with many controller players
- Offering an exclusive test phase to their close partner Sony
Whether the sniper rifles become noticeably weaker with the beta remains to be seen. Here you can find all the information about the beta test phase, in which you can also participate if you are on Xbox or PC. Another criticism from players of the alpha is the matchmaking.
Most reactions call for a nerf
What are the players saying about the sniper rifles? Looking at the feedback on reddit or under Flame’s tweet, there are mixed opinions, leaning towards – “Nerf the snipers to pieces!” Some players would like a “flinch” (a camera jerk when hit while aiming) for the rifles, while others feel the ADS speed (aim down sights time) is too high.
The topic of aim assist is also controversial. While some claim there is no aim assist for snipers, others argue that the sniper aim assist still strengthens the rifles. Here are a few reactions from the community:
- TheMegaWhopper on reddit: “The biggest problem with snipers is, in my opinion, how quickly you can aim down sights. It makes quick-scoping f***g ridiculous.”
- GooBoi1 on reddit: “Lightning-fast zoom speed and demonic aim assist for snipers? Yeah, these things are broken. At least I haven’t been taken out by a shot to the toe yet… not yet…”
- name___taken___ on reddit: “You definitely haven’t used a sniper. There is no aim assist, which seems to be the new thing in Treyarch games. It’s the same every year. Those who invest the time to get good with snipers will dominate the lobbies.”
- @qtSera on Twitter: “Please, don’t nerf the snipers. They mostly need a buff for their damage range and everything. Listen to the people who have been sniping for a decade and not to players who get angry when they get quick-scoped.”
The larger part agrees with the developer and sees a nerf positively. Others seem rather disappointed after the announcement and hope that the adjustments will not be too severe or that everything stays as it is. You will see the result in the beta phase. If you want to learn more about the innovations and changes in the multiplayer of the next CoD, check out our special with 6 important differences between CoD MW & Cold War in multiplayer.
