Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Developer Clarifies "Bug" Is Actually a Gameplay Feature

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare launched late Thursday night on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. And after some [...]

By Tyler Fischer

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare launched late Thursday night on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. And after some initial server issues, things have stabilized, and a large slab of gamers have dived head first into the new Call of Duty, which at this point, looks poised to be the best-selling game of 2019. That said, while players and critics have been praising the game's campaign, the reception to the title's multiplayer has been a bit more of a mixed bag, with many players upset about the game's maps. Further, people have been wondering why you can't see enemies through smoke with thermal scopes. At first, many assumed this was a bug, but turns out it isn't.

According to David Mickner, a multiplayer designer on the game at Infinity Ward, this isn't a bug, but a feature. Mickner notes that Infinity Ward made the change from previous builds in order to provide a more realistic approach. And given that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has been selling itself on the back of realism, this isn't a very surprising adjustment.

Now, it's unclear why you wouldn't be able to pick up bodies in the smoke. Presumably, the smoke is heated, but it shouldn't be the same temperature of the bodies. In other words, you should still be able to get some indication of a body moving through the smoke. I could be wrong though, and at the end of the day, it doesn't matter to most players that aren't happy with the feature what the justification is. In other words, we could see a change around this feature in the future if enough players continue to complain about it. At least that's how these things usually play out.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For more news, rumors, leaks, media, and information on the first-person shooter, be sure to peep all of our previous and extensive coverage of the game by clicking right here. And, as always, feel free to leave a comment or a hot take letting us know what you think or, alternatively, hit me up on Twitter @Tyler_Fischer_ and let me know over there.

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