Modern Warfare 2 launch: diamond icons for better enemy visibility, shorter footstep audio range and more

We’re just hours away from the big moment that Call of Duty fans have been eagerly awaiting since the beginning. modern warfare 2 beta concluded last month. To celebrate the impending release, Infinity Ward has outlined all of the high-level changes made based on feedback from the beta.

Those of us who participated in the beta should already know that some tweaks arrived between the two beta weekends, so today’s list is along the same lines, and actually touches on similar topics.

in a blog post, the developer revealed several changes that should make a lot of people happy. Most are a response to various beta pain points.

Enemy visibility was by far the biggest issue in the beta. Infinity Ward isn’t bringing back name tags, but is adding diamond icons that appear above enemies’ heads to make them easier to distinguish from friends. The release version also brings updated lighting which should further improve enemy visibility.

Footstep audio is another important element, and the developer has further reduced the range of enemy footsteps, meaning enemies will have to get closer before you can hear them. Teammates’ footsteps should also be quieter now.

Towards the end of the beta, players noticed that the Dead Silence field buff had an unusually loud activation sound, which nullified its effect if activated closer to enemies. That sound effect now has a “drastically” shorter range.

The beta saw the return of third-person mode to Call of Duty, but players immediately took issue with one change in particular. When aiming down sights, the camera switches to a standard first-person lens, which makes the whole thing a bit redundant.

The release version of Modern Warfare 2 will remove that, so aiming will simply zoom the screen without changing your third-person point of view. This applies to all low zoom lenses, but ACOGs and above, as well as hybrid and thermal lenses, will go into first person when aiming.

Although the blog post doesn’t mention any details, it does say that movement mechanics, such as sliding, ledge hanging, and diving, have been “further refined,” with the developer also removing certain movement vulnerabilities.

A combination of bugs and poor flow gave everyone a terrible impression of Modern Warfare 2’s UI during the beta. This is something the developer has been working hard on ever since, and it should now be easier to navigate menus and easier to access/customize loadouts.

Finally, as promised, Infinity Ward confirmed that the release version of the game will include adjustments to make lobby dissolving between matches less common.

Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer, along with the rest of the game, will launch in a few hours. If you were hoping to change your console region to New Zealand to play sooner, you might want to wait.

You can expect more multiplayer coverage from us in the future. Until the full game is available, why not check out our campaign review?