‘Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare’: Season One Battle Pass Impressions
So Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare released their biggest content drop yet Tuesday, December 3rd. There is a whole lot of stuff, with eight new maps as well as new modes and new Special Ops content. It’s the biggest amount of free content Modern Warfare has ever given out in the history of the franchise, and it certainly feels like it. But while there is plenty available for nothing, the first bit you can buy to accentuate your characters and weapons is finally here. Introducing, the Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare season one Battle Pass.
Battle passes aren’t a stranger to video games at this point. Fortnite was the first to really make them popular, with games like Rocket League and Smite following up. This being Modern Warfare’s first jump into a free content/microtransactions system, I wasn’t sure how it would go. After some time with it, I’m liking what I’m seeing.
There are 100 tiers of rewards to earn, with skins, weapon blueprints, and emblems among them. Like several other battle passes, you can earn COD points (in-game currency) which can even be used to buy the next seasons battle pass. Anytime you can purchase something that will “pay for itself”, it’s usually worth it. There are also twenty-three free tiers for free, so those who don’t wish to pay for anything can still get something.
This brings us to my thoughts on the battle pass. I have been a proponent of battle passes for awhile. I think it does two things, gives an optional purchase that adds revenue for the developer. Secondly, it brings an additional reason for your players to keep playing the game. If they are doing that, they might see the other cosmetic microtransactions you have available. It’s honestly a win-win proposition, the devs have a revenue stream, but not at the cost of splitting or nickel and diming their community.
This battle pass is decently constructed with both pros and cons. The pros? I like the new guns that are available. I’ve heard from others playing the LMG is the best LMG in Modern Warfare. As mentioned above, you can earn back your money for the basic battle pass if you play the game a lot. You can earn 1300 COD points, of which 1000 were needed for your battle pass. Lastly, the blueprints. I don’t get a lot of time to play and unlock new attachments for my guns. This gives someone like me an extra leg up without compromising the balance of gameplay.
The cons? I wish their were a weekly challenge list like Fortnite. Yeah, I know it’s not a battle royale and they have other challenges, but I like battle pass specific challenges that don’t involve kills every time. Maybe a play three matches of Realism or sprint for 15 minutes kind of challenge? Another thing, there are no camos at all as rewards. I’m not sure what the thought was with this. Black Ops 4 had some pretty amazing looking camos, several that were event related. Maybe they’re waiting for an event for that or holding them back for another season. But it would’ve been nice to have them in this battle pass.
All in all, I remember one thing. This is the first battle pass Activision has released. It reminds me a lot of Apex Legends first battle pass, although not backed by a humongous free content release. Infinity Ward deserves a “pass” as they’re still learning the ins and outs of this new system. There is good and bad, but I’m glad they chose the right DLC to offer their community.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare is now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Click your corresponding system in order to purchase your digital copy now!
David Burdette is a gamer/content creator from TN. He loves Playstation, Marvel, Star Wars, and many other fandoms. You can check out his content at YouTube.com/SplitEnd89 or on Twitter @SplitEnd89.
