Call of Duty: Vanguard is in its second beta weekend and now allows players on PC and Xbox to join the servers. Compared to the first weekend, there have been some changes. However, the feedback from the community is very mixed – somewhere between joy and frustration.
What type of beta is this? The new Call of Duty: Vanguard is set to release on November 5th and is currently testing servers and key mechanics. The beta is online and will run until September 20 at 7 PM.
As a neutral observer looking at the coverage of Vanguard, it’s hard to say what players overall think about it. There are numerous negative voices, especially on Twitter regarding the developers’ posts about patches or adjustments. But there are also many opinions that rate the new CoD positively and give it a thumbs up.
MeinMMO summarizes a few opinions for you and looks at what the actual problem is.
Vanguard is either hated or loved – What’s going on?
As more and more information about the new CoD became known throughout September, the setting was particularly regarded as one of the biggest problems for many players. Vanguard brings CoD back to the World War setting for the first time in 4 years and faces a lot of resistance. However, there is already a strong base of players who can adapt to or even enjoy the setting.
It’s similar now with the mechanics, as Call of Duty opens the servers of Vanguard for the beta. PlayStation players are already benefiting from an open beta and can join without pre-ordering (PS Plus required). Xbox and PC players currently need a pre-order but can test the open beta starting September 18th.
The picture is again similar to the presentation of the setting. Many negative impressions mix with some positive opinions.
Better gameplay than the predecessor defines positive debate
What is well-received? It seems that especially the fans of Modern Warfare from 2019 are getting what they want. This is not surprising, as Vanguard uses a polished engine from CoD MW and plays similarly. This also applies to Warzone players, who are using the same engine.
The movement and gunplay are the strengths here, and these aspects are rarely criticized. The new sliding combined with tactical sprint brings some negative voices, but in terms of movement and weapons, everything seems fundamentally okay.
The comparison with the predecessor Cold War also often plays a role. If you did not like Cold War, then the chance is greater that you will like Vanguard. If Cold War is your thing, then it is quite possible that Vanguard falls flat for you. A blanket statement cannot be made, but those are the signals from the community.
What is very positively received is the communication and openness of the developers. The studio for the new CoD is Sledgehammer Games. They often respond to feedback and have addressed most of the biggest problems after the two testing phases, aside from the controversial matchmaking.
Very positively received was also the fast balancing of the field upgrade “Armor”. The field upgrade could recharge very quickly and gave you body armor of 150 health points, with a base health of 100 points. Now the gadget recharges “slowly” and provides only 50 points of armor. The removal of the crazy distortion effects when firing at enemies is nearly completely gone.
Bugs, “Noob” mechanics, and SBMM are the ongoing problems
What is poorly received? Vanguard has to deal with similar accusations as Modern Warfare from 2019. The mechanics and the structure of the game are said to favor beginners and “noobs”. The skill gap – that is, the difference in skill levels – is said to be reduced, providing beginners with a better game, while experienced players suffer, that’s the idea behind this opinion.
Accordingly, CoD veterans feel neglected and are disappointed. The reasons stated are:
- Large maps with little reconnaissance reduce speed
- Map layout supports camper gameplay
- Skill-based matchmaking is again very strict
- New weapon mechanics support stationary playstyle
- Low time-to-kill favors beginners
These are all the arguments that have been put forward against Modern Warfare nearly 2 years ago. This does not weaken the arguments but actually strengthens the opinion of the players who already had issues with CoD MW – they are even more frustrated.
Additionally, there are some bugs and a strange audio mix. Some players on PC have trouble hearing anything at all. But even on other platforms, matches are currently considered very quiet in general, and opponent footsteps are hard or even impossible to hear.
Conclusion from the author: The new direction of CoD is right
Maik Schneider – Freelance author at MeinMMO: Modern Warfare from 2019, along with CoD Mobile and Warzone, brought the “Call of Duty” franchise back on the rise and provided the whole series with millions of new players. So why should CoD return to the old problems?
Veterans complain that CoD makes more and more gameplay decisions intended to assist beginners. But franchises that have existed as long as Call of Duty thrive on their newcomers and, accordingly, their “noob” friendliness.
CoD MW and Vanguard are fine shooters and the game and gunplay are top-notch in comparison to the industry. So why not keep up with the times and adjust your own play style? If you end up in a lobby with equally strong players due to matchmaking, the high killstreaks become something special again, much like for a beginner who gets their very first 5 kill streak and proudly drops a glide bomb.
Vanguard is far from free of errors and concerns, but the game is fun, looks great, and the developers seem very committed to addressing community feedback. I remain very optimistic about the new Vanguard.
If you want to get an overview of the opinions from the community yourself, we will embed some videos and Twitter postings from the developers here:
Links
If you’re still unsure about the new Call of Duty, take the weekend and check it out during the open beta. PlayStation players already have full access, and for Xbox and PC, the open beta starts on Saturday at 7 PM (September 18). You can find all important information about the beta here.
We would love to hear your comments and opinions on the beta or the entire situation surrounding CoD: Vanguard. Leave a comment and discuss with us and the community on MeinMMO.
