Modern Warfare 4: Infinity Ward Pushes Impromptu Beta Update

The first beta weekend for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has barely ended, and Infinity Ward is already pushing out the next update. And it's an unplanned one, at that: According to IGN, the studio is specifically responding to community feedback – with spawns being the main focus. We already covered the mixed reactions in our report on the first beta weekend – now the developer is apparently reacting directly to it.

What Exactly Is Infinity Ward Changing About the Spawn System?

Spawns were considered one of the biggest annoyances throughout the entire Early Access weekend: Players repeatedly landed directly in enemies' line of sight or were caught again shortly after respawning. Infinity Ward itself admits that the spawn logic across all maps and modes still needs further refinement. According to IGN, the current update is intended to address exactly this – however, the studio emphasizes that this is not the final solution, but rather another step in an ongoing process leading up to launch.

What Other Issues Arose During the First Beta Weekend?

Spawns weren't the only topic. During the Early Access Beta, Infinity Ward adjusted the gunplay multiple times:

• The attack helicopter's health was reduced by approximately 45 percent
• The M4's headshot multiplier was reduced from 1.5 to 1.2
• The ISO Nightshade's damage was weakened across its entire range
• The audibility of enemy footsteps and equipment sounds was reduced so that audio cues can serve as reliable warning signals without revealing enemies from too great a distance
• A new 6v6 map, Lotus, was added, and the 3v3 Gunfight mode was introduced on Kill Block

When Does the Open Beta for Modern Warfare 4 Start?

The Early Access Beta ran until August 25th, and the free open beta for everyone starts on August 28th. Since the official launch at Call of Duty: NEXT, Infinity Ward has essentially been working non-stop on adjustments, and the changes from the ongoing fine-tuning are likely to be directly incorporated into the open testing phase. From our perspective, that's a good sign: With Modern Warfare 3, Infinity Ward also had to quickly improve spawn selection and operator visibility after the first beta weekend – the fact that the studio is apparently reacting faster this time suggests that they've learned from the early beta issues of previous titles.

Source: IGN, PCGamesN

Did you encounter spawn issues yourselves during the Early Access Beta? Share your experiences in the comments – we're curious to see if things improve in the open beta!