Call Of Duty Challengers Players Furious At Vanguard Perk Changes

It's not unfamiliar for developers to release patches and updates to their game, especially when the mid-season updates arrive or a new season rolls over. However, Call of Duty's insistent habit of dropping updates prior to events is beginning to grind on the esports community, and this latest patch really has rubbed the Challengers scene up the wrong way.

The preparation for Vanguard and Warzone Season 3 reloaded and the announcement for the Modern Warfare 2 release date served as the perfect cover for Sledgehammer Games to pop their Dead Silence and sneak in some major adjustments to the Vanguard weaponry without too much traction.

However, their cover wasn't enough to slip by the amateur esports scene, whose Challengers Elite Qualifiers was put under pressure by a major rejig in the perks category, leaving players furious.

Vanguard Perks Reshuffled - Ninja And Double Time Clash

The usual set-up for esports classes in Vanguard saw Ninja take the first perk slot, followed by Radar in second and Double Time in third, especially in Search and Destroy when speed and silence acts as a stealthy combination.

However, just 30 minutes before the Qualifiers kicked off, Sledgehammer randomly switched Ninja to the third slot, meaning players would have to choose between silence or speed, and ultimately jeopardising specific routes that relied on the combo.

The same applies to Survival Training, which could come in handy on objective game modes, thanks to the ability to use Fortified (explosive protection) and the equipment protection, making objective players slightly more guarded.

Vanguard Amateur Esports Players Furious At Update Timings

For the most part, this will only affect Search and Destroy, with players opting to use Fortified in respawns, however, with the Playoff games coming just 30 minutes after the update, players were less than impressed with the timing.

The update also affects the professional circuit too, although they will have until the weekend to reconfigure their Search and Destroy routes that relied on the perks. 

Call of Duty has become notorious for this in the past. Their MP5 nerf in Modern Warfare was heavily scrutinised, as it was the best gun in the game all year round and Infinity Ward slipped in a silent nerf just two days before the World Championships.

Updates are necessary in the lifeline of Call of Duty games, albeit competitors will be hoping their schedules can be adapted accordingly in the future.