MW3 Season 4 footstep audio changes still won’t make Covert Sneakers balanced

MW3’s Season 4 brought a surprise change to the footstep audio, which might see Covert Sneakers’ usage rate drop.

Audio design has always been a constant battle in Call of Duty, as the developers strive to maintain the perfect balance. When MW3 arrived, the audio balance became an issue yet, creating an overreliance on Covert Sneakers – the Boots that eliminate footstep audio.

In the seasons since MW3’s launch, Sledgehammer Games has worked on adjusting audio but it hasn’t been enough to make other Boots viable, as evidenced by Covert Sneakers dominating player choice. Season 3 saw some changes implemented, though not enough to encourage player experimentation.

A surprise update came with the Season 4 patch notes where Sledgehammer announced that detection distance has been increased in small map spawn selections. The team also decreased the volume of footstep sounds from enemy players.

The devs explained: “In today’s update, our Design and Audio teams have decreased the volume of all footstep types (walk, sprint, and tac-sprint) to encourage more diverse usage in the Boots category of Perks.”

Activision

The general populace has expressed positivity about the changes, especially given the fact Sledgehammer is continuously tinkering with the formula. Proper balance makes for a better experience for all.

Yet, the fact of the matter stands that the Boots category is still in a rough state. Audio aside, Covert Sneakers is head and shoulders better than the remaining Perk choices in that class. Why run Climbing Boots outside of casual modes like Team Deathmatch when players can eliminate their footstep audio?

That said, it may be just enough to get some players to rethink their loadouts as time goes on.

Audio isn’t the only change Season 4 introduced. Various Killstreaks have been adjusted with higher or lower requirements, and the new DNA Bomb replaced the game-ending Nuke.