Infinity Ward reveals key Modern Warfare 2 Beta changes: Footsteps, Perks, more

As the opening week of the Modern Warfare 2 Beta draws to a close, Infinity Ward has revealed a number of key changes in the pipeline for the second and final round of action. From footstep audio tweaks to Perk system adjustments, here’s what to expect.

After months of anticipation, CoD players around the world finally got their hands on Modern Warfare 2 in mid-September. Those on PlayStation got in first with week one of the Beta treating fans to a mix of new maps, modes, and even perspectives.

While some changes look to freshen up the experience, many have been met with controversy in this initial stage. From excessively “loud” footstep audio to controversial Perk changes, not everything has gone down well with the community.

As a result, devs have provided a new update ahead of the second Beta week to assure they’re listening. Although not all criticism is being met head-on just yet, Infinity Ward has revealed a handful of key changes on the way for week two of the Modern Warfare 2 Beta.

Footstep audio & Perk system changes in Modern Warfare 2 Beta

First things first, arguably the biggest talking point in week one has been the game’s audio. Footstep sounds have been “very high,” devs admitted in a September 20 blog post. Not only could players hear their opponents through surfaces, but the range in which these cues can be heard made it near-impossible to sneak around.

Moving into the second Beta period, Infinity Ward is “reducing the range of footstep audio for various player movement states” including sprinting, tactical sprinting, and more. New audio cues will help players distinguish between enemy and friendly footsteps.

Next up, Perks were overhauled in a unique way to start the Modern Warfare 2 Beta. Rather than simply choosing your Perks in the create a class system as always in CoD, you now have to pick from a Perk Package which includes a few regular Perks along with bonus ones that unlock in the middle of a match.

“Some players love it and others feel it’s an unnecessary departure from the original system,” devs acknowledged. “We feel it’s a nice shake up to how Perks work and to the general progression of a match. We’ve also balanced Ultimate Perks to be more powerful as you earn them later in the match.”

While devs seem mostly content with the changes, they’re “drastically accelerating the earn rate” of Ultimate Perks in week two to try and “[improve] the flow of all Perks ahead of launch.”

Slide canceling & target tracking

A major talking point at the CoD Next reveal event was the outright removal of slide canceling from Modern Warfare 2 and thus, Warzone 2 as well. The popular movement tech was intentionally pulled from the game, but players quickly found a new workaround within the first day of the Beta.

Currently, devs are unsure on how to approach this new method of advanced movement in Modern Warfare 2. Put simply, they’re “contemplating how to handle it” for week two of the Beta, so expect to see some adjustments there.

As for visibility in the Beta, Infinity Ward “agrees” that once you’re in the midst of a gunfight, it can be “hard to track targets.” As a result, they’re looking to “reduce muzzle smoke opacity and increase the visibility of the muzzle flash” to help improve moment to moment gameplay.

On top of that, “a few changes” will be tested in week two to help differentiate enemy and friendly operators in the midst of combat. So expect some improved clarity in that regard too.

Week two of the Modern Warfare 2 Beta kicks off on September 22 and is open to players across all platforms.