Call of Duty hides more pay-to-win features behind nostalgia

Call of Duty hides more pay-to-win features behind nostalgia
Infinity Ward

Written by 

Jack Marsh

Published 

28th Apr 2023 17:10

Despite a huge community backlash in Modern Warfare 2 Season 3, the Call of Duty developers are doubling down on their pay-to-win features for the DMZ mode. This time, hiding them behind the iconic faces of the franchise.

Infinity Ward recently came under fire after releasing physical pay-to-win bundles for DMZ, where the in-store characters would have additional slots to carry UAVs.

But after indirectly admitting their intentions and covering it up with a UAV nerf, the developers have now released even more pay-to-win features in Call of Duty. Surprisingly, fans are actually pretty happy.

Infinity Ward release more pay-to-win skins for DMZ

Click to enlarge

The newest pay-to-win DMZ bundle comes with a rather nostalgic Soap skin. The designers have used the black face paint on the character, which is synonymous with the old-school Modern Warfare 2 campaign mission: Gulag.

The outfit resembles the one which Soap wore when breaking Price out of the Russian prison, and will likely be a popular choice for players across the franchise. However, the 1,800 CP bundle also comes with an extra Active Duty Armour slot - allowing players to be better equipped when heading into DMZ missions.

MW2 fans actually like the new pay-to-win Soap bundle

In comparison to other pay-to-win skins, the new Soap bundle is actually looking quite attractive to DMZ fans. Most realised that the bundle doesn't support pay-to-win in a PvP sense, but can help against the AI.

"This is pretty okay compared to the insane pay-to-win things they've done in the past," admitted one fan, showing that the microtransaction-heavy players are softening to the pay-to-win elements.

Another added, "As far as the pay to win goes, this bundle ain't so bad," while, popular content creator "StoneMountain" concluded, "I think it’s a better direction for a pack than giving benefits for every spawn like their previous ones."

If Call of Duty really want to push this pay-to-win system onto DMZ, then similar bundles might be its best bet. It should at least give players more chances to be prepared pre-game, rather than giving them any additional benefits against other in-gamer players.

Jack Marsh
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.
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