Shooter expert Daniel is convinced that the focus on making the grind as easy and comfortable as possible was a huge mistake.
Since 2019’s Modern Warfare, Call of Duty has had a huge problem: It has removed so many barriers, pitfalls, and obstacles that it has become monotonous and, ultimately, boring. In 2026, Infinity Ward must therefore urgently make a CoD that dares to be frustrating again!
Everyone predict when MW4 is coming out
I am going September 22nd pic.twitter.com/lxEu2zlNHE
— TDAWG (@tdawgsmitty) April 12, 2026
The fun of the past
When people rave about how great Call of Duty was in the good old days with a nostalgic twinkle in their eyes, what they really mean is: CoD used to be wonderfully annoying, frustrating, and unfair.
It started with the map design: Back then, there was no three-lane design tailored for esports. No, the maps were full of vantage points, nasty angles, and immersive details. They were battlefields, not arenas.
Some maps were designed entirely for snipers and offered clear advantages to them. On some maps, you didn’t even need to show up without a shotgun or SMGs. The maps imitated real-world locations and felt immersive. In those CoDs, you weren’t just fighting against other players, but also, in a way, against the map itself—for example, to control advantageous positions.
Back then, if I got completely crushed in a match, it wasn’t (just) because my opponents were simply better shots—but because they used and controlled the map better. Modern Warfare brought exactly that back with the 2019 reboot. And it was heavily criticized for it. In part, rightly so, because some maps were far too sprawling, which severely disrupted the pacing. But: Infinity Ward was clearly trying to bring back maps with soul and identity.
The general sentiment among many players: If I don’t see any land, it must be the game design’s fault. For some fans and even developers, it was apparently clear at this point: In the future, it must be all about “player versus player” combat. About a balanced comparison of skills. Total fairness. Without annoying distractions like challenging map design, limited resources, or exciting mechanics.
The problem with that: CoD used to be fun in the first place because of (and not despite) exactly these distractions. At least in the long run.
When Only the Grind Remains
The fact that MW19 is still being discussed today (and at times, even 7 years after release, comes close to Battlefield 6’s player numbers) is a clear sign that it is precisely the (deliberately placed!) adversities and the idiosyncrasies in the game’s design that are of great importance. Because they’re what let me experience adventure. Because of them, every match is a little different. Because of them, I learn to get better instead of just mindlessly grinding my way forward.
Mastering a real challenge is a core aspect that’s in danger of being lost because Call of Duty has smoothed everything out so much in recent years that nothing unexpected ever happens anymore.
Every match is nothing more than a dick-measuring contest of pure reflexes and aiming skills. CoD is becoming a glorified version of Aimlabs. The only thing that remains in the long run: more grinding. Pushing numbers up. A higher score. More kills. More unlocks.
But CoD should be about more than that. I should have to take risks. I should have to use my brain. I should have to grasp complex situations.
Instead of whining and demanding the removal of Claymore mines—because they’re unfair anyway and only for stupid campers—players should develop methods and tactics to counter them.
CoD has to be uncomfortable. Because MW19 was so damn uncomfortable, it’s still being talked about by the community today (unlike all its successors).
And yes, that can also include a limited minimap, so people finally open their eyes and ears again instead of just chasing red dots. No matter how many influencers get hellishly upset about it.
We need the courage to be tough
Gunplay and progression alone can no longer carry Call of Duty. There are no more exciting debates, no stories to experience—just the grind. And that gets boring, no matter how many three-lane maps or new modes come out each season.
Modern Warfare 4 is set to release in 2026. And my greatest hope is that Infinity Ward brings back exactly that sandbox feel, which has been so mercilessly lost in the polished, frictionless design of recent years that the last six CoD entries have long since blended into a complete mishmash in my mind.
But that also requires developers who are willing to take on this challenge and dare to make a CoD that’s laborious, unfair, and exhausting again. One that doesn’t obey the rigid rules that part of the community seems to defend tooth and nail, where anything that deviates from the “golden e-sports middle ground” or isn’t a non-stop firefight for maxed-out leveling is immediately treated as a massive faux pas.
Combat must finally feel like a firefight again. And that includes unpredictable situations. It includes weapons and gadgets that aren’t completely balanced for 100 percent fairness.
And it includes daring maps with a variety of sizes and design approaches, where some positions are simply stronger than others. MW4 needs to bring back real character. But real character also needs its rough edges.
I’m convinced: Modern Warfare 4 can only be a success if it dares to bring us back the real highs and lows from the old CoD days. Just like MW19 did once before.
