CoD community unhappy with Ghost’s updated look in Modern Warfare

An early look at Ghost in Modern Warfare is splitting the Call of Duty community, due to the character’s updated design for season 2.

Arguably the most iconic piece of imagery from the CoD franchise is a simple skull imprinted on a balaclava, which British special forces operator Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley wears with dark-red sunglasses to conceal his identity.

However, it looks like there’s going to be a hefty change in his appearance when he makes his way into the new era of Modern Warfare when the Season 2 Battle Pass releases on February 11.

Contents for the next major update leaked ahead of its official reveal, giving fans a glimpse of what’s to come after Infinity Ward’s huge Season 1 offering that gave players a ton of in-game items to collect.

While any incarnation of Ghost in Call of Duty is enough reason to turn heads, some feel that Infinity Ward should have just given him a straightforward remaster in Modern Warfare, rather than an entirely new design.

• Read more: How to watch CDL London: Stream, schedule, results, more

“Words cannot describe how much I dislike his new look,” user ‘Divulci’ wrote in a ModernWarfare subreddit post that has since been removed. “He looks like he carved the mask out of one of those cheap plastic Halloween skeletons you put in the yard.”

Even people who don’t outright dislike the design can see why this direction might not have been the play for the Season 2 headliner, whose firm roots in player nostalgia is bound to produce hype.

• Read more: Which Call of Duty is being remastered? Activision tease classic remake

Reddit user ‘JediJulius’ said: “I think the look itself isn’t bad, but I feel like the skull mask, black eyeliner, and cape is a bit overdone, if that makes sense. In contrast, previous Ghost just wore a balaclava… I feel like the old look was a bit more practical in its simplicity.”

There are plenty of fans who like the updated design for Ghost, since Infinity Ward modernized him a bit to fit in with the new era of Modern Warfare, but Reddit user ‘Black_Hussar’ nailed it when they said he just, “looks… weird.”

It’ll be interesting if the pushback gets to a point where developers either retool his Battle Pass appearance or create a totally new skin for a more classic vibe throughout the second season for Modern Warfare.