Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is very much a return to the studio’s classic formula, with little frills or goofy abilities getting in the way of the core gunplay. It’s a change of pace from what some veteran players might be used to, and newcomers to the series could always use a few pointers on how to get a good head start. Here are some tips and tricks we’ve gathered for success at Call of Duty: Modern Warfare gathered during our time with the beta so you can hit the top of the scoreboard when it launches on September 12.
Call of duty: Modern Warfare tips and tricks
Copy loadout
Get killed by an enemy with an interesting mix of weapons and gear? Steal it! After you are killed in Modern Warfare’s competitive multiplayer, a prompt will let you copy that player’s loadout when you respawn back to the game. This will only last for your current life, but it gives you the chance to try out weapons you might not be familiar with. We were surprised by how much we enjoyed using light machine guns, for instance, and copying a loadout lets you give them a spin without swapping classes entirely.
Plant mines behind doors
You can choose to have an explosive such as a Claymore or proximity mine in place of a traditional grenade, but if you do this, you need to make the most of them. Doors can be opened and closed at will in Modern Warfare, and it’s tremendously effective to enter a building, plant a mine, and then close the door leading outside. Eventually, you’ll get a free kill as an unsuspecting enemy opens the door – and you can guarantee they are screaming at their television.
Save sniping for later
You will have plenty of time to use sniper rifles when the full game releases in October, but the Modern Warfare beta’s maps aren’t exactly the best place to try them out. There are a few long corridors where you’ll definitely get sniped a few times, but it can be more frustrating than it’s worth out of the gate. Begin by using an assault rifle and then give sniping a try only after you’ve grown accustomed to the maps. Sniping itself is not terribly difficult, with one shot taking down players hit in the chest.
Don’t be afraid to run
The “time to kill” in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta is fairly short, as the maps themselves aren’t very large. Much of this also comes from how few bullets are needed to kill you, however, so if you find yourself already damaged with an enemy waiting for you to pop your head out, it is often a better idea to flee. Otherwise, you’ll often get killed for good as soon as you turn the corner. If there is more than one enemy waiting for you on the other side, your choice is even more obvious.
Check those corners
Listen to Captain Price’s words of wisdom from Call of Duty 4 and sweep every room you enter, as there are a ton of spots for enemies to hide, just waiting for you to run by. Letha grenades and flash grenades can be effective for luring them out, but you need to approach every situation with caution. If you’re the one camped out in a room, you should close doors in areas you aren’t pointing your weapon, as it will give you a brief chance to react when someone opens one.
Coordinate UAV usage
Unlike in the original Modern Warfare, the new reimagined version ditches the mini-map by default. In order to get the mini-map and see where enemies are located more clearly, you need to use the UAV kill-streak reward. It only takes a few kills to unlock, but you want to make sure you are not wasting it by using yours at the same time as someone else. Hold off until you see your mini-map disappear, then use your reward to keep all enemies visible on the map.
Keep track of ammunition
You don’t spawn with very much ammunition in Modern Warfare and can easily run out after just one or two gunfights. Make sure your weapon has plenty of ammunition before entering a dangerous area, as the pistols aren’t the most effective alternative. You can also choose the Munitions Box field upgrade, which can be deployed after a cooldown period to give you much more ammunition. Teammates can also make use of this, and you’ll get additional points for every person who resupplies. By default, the Deployable Cover will be your field upgrade, and it has limited usage compared to the Munitions Box.
