Boots are officially on the ground.
Players were treated to a massive surprise Thursday morning when the highly anticipated Call of Duty: WWII private beta was opened for code-holders a day early on the Playstation Network. We tracked the early reactions to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in the pas and the excitement for this game is already surpassing its predecessor.
Ahead of the game’s release, pro players and casuals alike had complained mightily about the current esports title Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, with the general complaint surrounding the game’s “jetpacking”. The Infinity Ward developed game was the third in the cycle of Call of Duty productions, and the game’s jump-boost movement mechanics and futuristic weaponry reflected a trend from years past.
When Call of Duty: Ghosts was released in 2013, the mechanics and maps were all ground-based and the setting wasn’t particularly futuristic. The release of blockbuster dystopian fantasy FPS titles Destiny and Titanfall the following year coincided with the new cycle of Call of Duty titles, and the next three titles would all rely on heavily futuristic elements. As trends go, the jetpack-influenced games came in and out favor, and as a result Infinite Warfare’s sales suffered an initial setback. Esports-wise, the scene continued to draw significant crowds at events and the increased involvement of Activision in the scene added more money to CoD esports events during the Infinite Warfare season.
Now esports fans say they are hungry for a return to “traditional” Call of Duty, which means players using human movements and firing non-advanced weapons. Call of Duty:WWII has the potential feed the masses with its period weaponry and realistic movement. This weekend’s beta will be an important test for the Call of Duty esports scene and the Call of Duty franchise for the next few years.
Can a “boots on the ground” game satisfy the loudest Call of Duty fans (the esports community)?
Watch the following streamers this weekend to get Beta feedback:
Karma (OpTic Gaming)
Nadeshot (Former pro, Owner 100Thieves)
Midnite (Streamer for OpTic Gaming)
Clayster (eUnited)
Feature image courtesy of Activision.
