Despite creating a massive resurgence for the Call of Duty franchise, Modern Warfare still suffers from one glaring issue: the game has too many bad maps. Players have become frustrated with the amount of maps in Modern Warfare that simply don’t work for certain game types. Activision can solve the issue by adding a feature that has been a staple in online multiplayer games for years: map vetoing.
Every online shooter comes with maps that aren’t loved by everyone, and most of the time, that’s just fine. You can play the game and then move on to the next map. Maps really become and issue when games can’t even get started because so many players are backing out of the lobby in order to avoid a specific map. This has been occurring frequently in Modern Warfare, as many players would rather restart their multiplayer search than play one of their least favorite maps.
A main example of this is the map Piccadilly, which many Call of Duty vets consider to be the worst map in the franchise’s history. With a confusing layout that makes cover nonexistent at times, some players would rather restart the game rather than struggle through a match on this map. Another example is Rammaza, a map that seems aimless during non-objective modes like Team Deathmatch. Randomly dying from campers that you can’t see isn’t fun for anyone, and players are taking action to avoid these situations.
Modern Warfare has largely been leaning on classic maps from previous titles, such as Crash, Shipment, and Vacancy. While this is fine, it also points to Activision’s inability to come up with fresh and exciting new maps for the game. Although Modern Warfare’s multiplayer gameplay is excellent, there are too many new maps that prevent the experience from becoming as fluid as it has the potential to be.
Luckily, the solution for this problem is quite obvious: add an option to veto maps. Players will immediately stop backing out of lobbies, and if a majority of players in a lobby don’t want to player a specific map, they won’t have to. Given that the option was present in previous Call of Duty titles, as well as other classic franchises, such as the Halo series, it seems like a no brainer and a move that would improve the game significantly. So, Activision, what are we waiting for?
