Devs restore Modern Warfare's mini-map after two days of beta backlash

After years of annualized releases, you might think the basic elements of Call of Duty-Like the user interface and heads-up display-would be pretty standardized by now. But this weekend PS4 beta test for the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has been generating controversy thanks to its off-again, on-again, changed-again relationship with the mini-map.

Activision announced back in August that Modern Warfare would be the first game in the franchise since 2007's original Modern Warfare to get rid of the mini-map in multiplayer. It was a bid to add more "realism" to the game, and the game's beta test this weekend was most players' first chance to see the change in the multiplayer showdowns. Without a mini-map to give players a quick situational awareness Modern Warfare felt too slow and cautious.

"No Minimap in Call Of Duty = Everyone on the map playing turtle, "FaZe Clan CoD pro Austin "Pamaj" Pamajewon tweeted about the move. "We need minimap, is not the same." Matthew 'Skrapz' Marshall echoed the same feeling in a short video rant (NSFW audio): "What is this? 98% of my gameplay is the fucking minimap! I can not even play pubs! CoD needs it bro Bad idea."

These thoughts just scratch the surface of the immediate pushback. An informal poll of Trevor "TmarTn" Martin's Twitter followers found 76 percent wanted the mini-map back after over 25,000 votes.

The reaction did not go unnoticed. "Let's talk about minimap," Infinity Ward Communications Senior Manager Ashton Williams wrote on Reddit Thursday, after the start of the Early Access beta. "Along with your feedback and the data we're constantly collecting, we'll be experimenting internally with a few different options and we'll be able to see you through the Beta."

That was not just idle chatter, either. By Saturday, the mini-map had been turned back on, but with a slight twist in that it did not show enemy fire. That's not a small change, either: the telltale red dots that show a mini-map whenever a opponent shoots a non-silenced gun have been key to planning tactics and positioning in a fast-paced firefight. For Monday, the last day of the open beta, the developers went a step further in the UI tweaking and "[turned] off outlines that exist on your teammates within the world. "

"We're still looking at different ways to work with the minimap, team outlines, and the compass," Williams tweeted Friday evening, before the revised mini-map relaunched. "Let's see how tomorrow goes and rest for the beta for weekend two."

"Williams added on Reddit Sunday, after the revised mini-map was live. "Do not be afraid to have a good time at the studio, so again, thank you."

While many online beta tests are just a few examples of the game, this is the kind of gameplay that the concept was really designed for. It will be interesting to see how Infinity Ward synthesizes all the data and feedback from this A / B testing for Modern Warfare's launch October 25.