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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be released on Steam in the fall

Publisher Activision and developer Infinity Ward show the first trailer for the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Tonight the first gameplay will be presented as part of the Summer Game Fest (Livestream overview) for the first-person shooter after an open beta should start in the fall – at an expensive price and also on Steam.

Call of Duty returns to Steam in October

Like 2019’s Modern Warfare (test) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is being developed by Infinity Ward and is scheduled to release on October 28, 2022 – for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Series S and X, and PC. Remarkably, the shooter on PC will not only be offered via Activision Blizzard’s Battle.net client, as usual with the later parts but will also appear on Steam. There should be a free open beta testing phase for that, but there is no date for it yet. In 2023, for the first time in 17 years, there will be no new Call of Duty offshoot; instead, Activision and Infinity Ward are reportedly planning longer support for Modern Warfare 2.

The usual with morals, please

In terms of content, the game is a direct successor to the first Modern Warfare. Set in the present, the single-player campaign follows familiar characters as part of an elite unit fighting a drug cartel that is colluding with terrorists and threatening the United States. As usual, players can look forward to extended firefights under the guise of patriotism, but rumor has it that moral decisions will indeed be made as the story unfolds around the world.

More information will most likely be available later in the evening when parts of a level are shown as a gameplay presentation. Technically, Modern Warfare 2 is based on the same engine as Modern Warfare, but Infinity Ward promises some visual improvements. Water in particular is much more realistic – in line with the announced underwater sections. These should also go hand in hand with modified ballistics and provide variety.

The opponent AI, which according to Infinity Ward is now more intelligent, has also been adjusted. For multiplayer modes, meanwhile, the developers promise optimized skill-based matchmaking, which on the one hand “punishes” good players less after successful games and on the other hand better protects new players. Reportedly, lobbies with less accurate players should even be filled with bots to provide a more enjoyable experience.

High prices cause resentment

However, the award sparked initial controversy among Call-of-Duty enthusiasts. With a suggested retail price of around 70 euros for the standard edition on PC, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is also above average for a triple-A game. For consoles, the title even costs around 80 euros. The also-announced Vault Edition costs around $100 or $110 and lures with early access to the open beta, additional operators and weapons, as well as a Battle Pass and faster progression.