Call of Duty devs might stop annual map rotations
The Call of Duty developers have admitted they'd be open to stopping making new maps for every annual release and adopting a CoD Mobile-like map pool.
11th May 2023 16:50
Images via Activision
Call of Duty devs might stop annual map rotations
The Call of Duty developers have admitted they'd be open to stopping making new maps for every annual release and adopting a CoD Mobile-like map pool.
11th May 2023 16:50
Images via Activision
Would you like a Call of Duty title that doesn't have the horrendous map designs of Taraq and Santa Sena Border Crossing?
Well, imagine a console game where you can jump on the likes of Highrise, Raid, Rust, and Slums, and not have to worry about what the next wave of maps will be like, year after year.
That's possibly the future for Call of Duty games, as Infinity Ward has revealed that they are "open" to making a set map pool that could span for years, akin to CoD: Mobile.
Will Call of Duty stop map rotations?
Call of Duty: Mobile is heavily praised for its map pool and weapon selection, cherry-picking the best elements that CoD has created over the last 15 years and marrying them together.
It's a concept often thrown around in the Call of Duty community, but a CoD: Mobile-esque approach now might come to fruition, as Infinity Ward’s Multiplayer Design Director Geoff Smith has claimed the developers "would be down".
Speaking to Dexerto, Smith said, It hasn’t [been discussed] but I think it's a good point." It's far from confirmation this is on the way, but if we shrink the map pool, there are sure to be some major supporters.
Infinity Ward discusses a set map pool for Call of Duty year upon year
The biggest port of call when it comes to a set map pool is on the competitive side of things, given that the CDL is the main form of entertainment on YouTube and Twitch, and a set map pool would have to be weighed up against functionality and watchability.
"I think for strategy and play, that makes a lot of sense," Smith added. "We would be down. It's more just about picking that roster." However, he did have concerns that Call of Duty wouldn't be able to maintain its viewership in the same way that Counter-Strike does with the likes of Dust II.
"I would wonder if Dust II for 10 years is still watchable. That's the big thing. It's competition, but it's also entertainment," concluded Smith.
Keeping a set map pool would eliminate some of the annual maps that we've come to hate, and the developers could spend much more time on making maps that suit the competitive game modes, and other modes like Gunfight and Ground War.
About The Author
Jack Marsh
Jack is an Esports Journalist at GGRecon. Graduating from the University of Chester, with a BA Honours degree in Journalism, Jack is an avid esports enthusiast and specialises in Rocket League, Call of Duty, VALORANT, and trending gaming news.
