Ahead of launch, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 takes aim at some of the worst parts of the beta

Soldiers creep across the land in the dead of night during Modern Warfare 2
(Image credit: Activision)

Infinity Ward has revealed a host of improvements coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 ahead of the big launch, all inspired by the beta and campaign early access. 

In response to enemy visibility complaints, Infinity Ward has added diamond icons over foes’ heads, hopefully making it easier for you to identify opponents clearly. On top of that, lighting and contrast tweaks have been made to make for a smoother visual experience. 

Regarding audio feedback, you’ll now be able to get closer to enemies before they can detect you. Teammates have also calmed down a little bit, so you won't have to worry about them stamping around as much, which helps when you’re trying to aim. Finally, the Dead Silence’s field upgrade activation sound has been “drastically decreased”. 

As we’ve previously reported, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 also features third-person ADS improvements, though we now have a better idea of what those improvements are. 

“Following feedback from Beta, aiming down sights will now stay in third person POV for low-zoom optics,” the developer says. “Only high-zoom optics (beginning with the ACOG and higher) and special optics such as Hybrids and Thermals will revert to first person POV. We believe this will enhance the third-person experience while keeping the gameplay balanced. The feedback on this mode has been very positive, and we will continue to explore its use as a modifier.”

Naturally, you’re getting oodles of weapon tweaks, too, though you’ll have to wait for a wee while longer for specifics. The good news, though, is that you don’t have long to wait. Check out our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 release time guide to see when you can play in your areas. Preloads are already live across the board, so you can get prepared nicely.

We’ve been working on our Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 review, finding the campaign to be “thrilling from start to finish" - stick around to see how the multiplayer influences things.

Deputy News Editor

Iain joins the GamesRadar team as Deputy News Editor following stints at PCGamesN and PocketGamer.Biz, with some freelance for Kotaku UK, RockPaperShotgun, and VG24/7 thrown in for good measure. When not helping Ali run the news team, he can be found digging into communities for stories – the sillier the better. When he isn’t pillaging the depths of Final Fantasy 14 for a swanky new hat, you’ll find him amassing an army of Pokemon plushies.