Why streamers want to boycott Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2: Explained

Call of Duty streamers and creators believe boycotting the games is the only way to make Activision listen to them.

Why streamers want to boycott Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2: Explained

Best call of duty players 2023 (Activision)

Call of Duty games have been a staple for almost two decades, with so many memorable campaigns and iconic characters gracing the franchise. Players have logged into the game to experience the adrenaline rush of a battlefield. Lots of other games tried to compete with COD, but it still remains the top dog in the market. Even so, in recent times, Call of Duty’s throne seems to be in jeopardy.

Over the years, Activision has released quite a few memorable COD games like Modern Warfare, Black Ops II, etc. Even with such hits, there are also a few misses, like Infinite Warfare and Vanguard. But currently, the cream of the crop is Warzone 2, which seems to piss off even some of the hardcore lovers of the game. Ever since its release alongside Modern Warfare 2, things have been dicey.

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Related: 5 reasons why XDefiant can dethrone Call of Duty

State of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2

Image source Activision

Both Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 just completed their second seasons. Recently, Activison announced the commencement of the third season, where players will see more challenges added to the games. But there’s a catch: to play Modern Warfare 2, players need to spend money to download, whereas Warzone 2 is free to play. Even so, Warzone 2 is the less popular of the two. The reason being a lack of variety in the game.

On the other hand, Modern Warfare 2 does have some popular game modes that players can choose from. But this doesn’t change the fact that people still have to pay in order to play the game in the first place. A lot of people get put off by the price itself, which stands around $70. Another big hurdle to playing the game is that it requires the newest PC configurations, which most people cannot even afford.

But from time to time, Activision allows players to try out Modern Warfare 2 for free for a limited period of time. Even so, this will not change the fact that once that time period is over, you will have to buy the game to keep on playing.

Why are people unhappy with the game and its alternatives

Even though Call of Duty games are the go-to FPS games for most, a lot of people are switching to other games for some variety. Over the years, there have been several games that have tried to challenge COD. Familiar names like Medal of Honour, Battlefield, and Apex Legends, to name a few. But Call of Duty seems to remain a crowd favorite. The recent addition to the long list is Ubisoft’s newest game, XDefiant. It is currently in beta, and some are even calling it the Call of Duty killer.

Now the question remains: why are people losing interest in Call of Duty games? To answer that, people simply want a game where they don’t want to face any glitches, or as few as possible. A game where it doesn’t take ages to queue up for a match or round. Moreover, people want Call of Duty games to have seamless game mechanics without all the complications Most players complain about how laggy the movement feels and Activision increasing the sound of the footsteps did not help either.

When we talk about players not being happy with Call of Duty, nine out of 10 people will point out the hacker problem. It’s no surprise that over the years hackers have tormented players by using wall hacks, aimbots, and various other cheats. Even with Infinity Ward declaring that they will get rid of the problem once and for all, things remain the same.

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Additionally, one of the primary requirements that COD players want is for Activision to listen to them. Over the years, gamers and streamers alike have complained about the lack of positive involvement of the developers with COD. This will definitely show when you play Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2. On top of that, MW 2’s in-game microtransactions have made it pay to win. These transactions give players better guns with several level skips for a head start. This is a hindrance for players who do not wish to spend money and just have fun. 

The streaming community wants a full boycott of Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2

The streaming community plays an important role in making games popular. Developers and publishers tie up with popular streamers and YouTubers in order to promote their games. Besides the promotion, they also give feedback to the developers on how to improve the game. This is the same for Call of Duty, as it is one of the most streamed gaming franchises in the world.

It’s no secret that most COD streamers are not happy with the game. We see from time to time that a streamer will lose their cool and go on a rant against the game. Some even chose to step away from the game entirely due to MW2 and Warzone 2 being stale. There’s also the case of pro players retiring due to falling out with the developers, and one ex-player (Scump) even had to pay a fine.

On top of that, last month there was also news of an organization (COMPANY) paying cheaters to ambush streamers who switched from Warzone 2 to Warzone 1. Now some have even speculated that Activision itself paid the cheater so they could shut down Warzone servers and shift people’s focus back to Warzone 2.  

Shortly after the incident, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2’s player counts took a significant hit. Not long after Activision announced they would be launching Season 3, they finished Season 2 earlier than anticipated.

Cut to present day: most of the streamers believe that if a chunk of the community stops streaming the game, it will force Activision to take some positive steps. Popular warzone handle ModernWarzone raised the same question on Twitter yesterday, and a lot of the comments seem to agree with him.

Twitch streamer Dave @slothzill4 commented on the post mentioning the microtransactions:

Although streamers play a big part, people who buy the game just to paly can’t be overlooked. This people are the ones that make up the majority of the player base. So, one cannot deny that just streamers boycotting probably won’t solve the problem completely.

https://twitter.com/kn1febaby_/status/1648740041147940883

Whether Activision choose to listen to its player base and incorporate changes accordingly only time will tell. Till that time comes Call of Duty will remain the one of the most played games in the world.

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