Modern Warfare 2 Season 5 Reloaded has an alternative to disbanding lobbies, sort of

The next Modern Warfare 2 seasonal update is adding a couple of new social features, one of which could address a long-standing community need.

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If you follow the discourse around Call of Duty from a certain segment of the player base, you’ll no doubt have heard the cries about disbanding lobbies, which has over the years taken on a sort of mythical status that YouTubers and the most dedicated players always claim would make the experience better for everyone if it got removed.

Modern Warfare 2 , like its predecessors, disbands every lobby after the match is over, which is likely necessary to how the game’s matchmaking works, as it constantly reevaluates player performance and moves them around into more suitable lobbies.

While this doesn’t look like it’s changing, Infinity Ward has made a concession that could, in theory, keep teams together. Season 5 reloaded - which arrives tomorrow, August 30 at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm BST - adds the Play Again feature.

Play Again comes from Warzone, but it has a bigger impact on multiplayer. All party leaders, including solo players in their own party, will be asked whether they want to stick with the same team. This only occurs within the same team, not the entire lobby.

With Modern Warfare 3 bringing back map voting , this sort of half measure to lessen the effects of disbanding lobbies could be a test for the full removal of the feature down the line.

As noted in the blog post for Season 5 Reloaded, there’s also the new Friend Recommender feature, with suggests friends of friends for you to play with. But it can also suggest other random people to befriend.

The post explains that recommendations are based on a multitude of factors, such as being in similar social groups, playing at similar times, having a preference for certain game modes and other behaviours.

The blog post also confirmed that Season 5 will not be the last for Modern Warfare 2, teasing that Season 6 will be the one that links Modern Warfare 2 with Modern Warfare 3. As for this year’s game, the next big moment is Call of Duty Next on October 5 , which will unveil multiplayer one day before the first beta weekend starts.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)

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Call of Duty: Warzone

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Modern Warfare 3 beta weekends set for October, new campaign trailer released

Right on schedule, Opening Night Live has brought us a fresh look at Modern Warfare 3 gameplay.

Image credit:Activision

Modern Warfare 3 is officially a real game that Call of Duty fans can look forward to. Following an underwhelming reveal that didn’t actually tell us anything that hadn’t already leaked, all eyes have been on the Opening Night Live to deliver something that will get us more excited.

Well, we did get a new trailer, as promised, though we’ll leave the judging on whether or not it was worth the wait to you. It showed off Operation 627, the first mission of the Modern Warfare 3 Campaign. Developed by Sledgehammer Games in partnership with Infinity Ward, the Campaign is the direct sequel to the events of Modern Warfare 2.

As mentioned in the full game’s announcement, this Campaign features a seamless integration of missions built around cinematic moments and brand-new Open Combat Missions promising to provide plenty of player freedom.

In Operation 627, Alpha Team invades a stone fortress in Verdansk, an area which will be seen from a new perspective, and it features a new threat that has completely locked down the capital of Kastovia.

The video above shows off Alpha Team infiltrating the Zordaya Prison Complex via amphibious tactics, using water suits, oxygen tanks, and diver propulsion vehicles to reach the base. It shows the team using plans, suppressed weapons, night-vision goggles, and stealth tactics to reach a breach in its western section.

There are plenty of explosives, some smokescreen for cover, muzzle flashes, lasers, and even a prison riot that spills out into the corridors.

In addition to a look at the Campaign, the developers announced it would discuss Open Combat Missions tomorrow, August 23 on the Call of Duty Blog.

Finally, for all of you out there who like multiplayer, October 5 will see the return of Call of Duty Next where the multiplayer portion of the game will be revealed.

Now, about that multiplayer beta.

Open beta dates were also announced today, which will go live during Call of Duty Next. It will feature a variety of maps such as a selection of Core maps from the modernized 16 originals in Modern Warfare 2, as well as new experiences in Ground War. There will also be a variety of modes and a litany of new loadout options to choose from.

There will be two multiplayer beta weekends and each will feature Early Access days as well as an open beta period, and it will be First on PlayStation, and a PlayStation Plus subscription is not required.

More details are to come on the full Beta details.

Weeked One will go live on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on Friday, October 6 at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm UK . It will end on Tuesday, October 10 at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm UK .

Day one will only be available for PlayStation users who pre-ordered the game. This will be the early access period, and it begins Friday, October 6 at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm UK .

The rest of the weekend, October 8-10, is accessible to all PlayStation players regardless of preorder status.

Weekend Two will test out crossplay, is for all platforms , and is scheduled to begin on Thursday, October 12 at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm UK and end on Monday, October 16 at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm UK .

For PlayStation users, this is a free open beta weekend regardless of pre-order status.

Xbox and PC Early Access will be available for those who pre-ordered the game for Xbox Series X/S or on Xbox One, or who pre-purchased for PC via Battle.net or Steam. These folks can being playing the beta on Thursday, October 12 at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm UK . An Xbox Live Core Subscription may be required for Xbox players, and a Battle.net or Steam account is required for all PC players.

The rest of the weekend, from Thursday, October 12 at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm UK and its end on Monday, October 16 at 10am PT, 1pm ET, 6pm UK , is accessible to all Xbox and PC players regardless of pre-order status.

For Beta Weekend two, an Xbox Live Core Subscription will not be required for Xbox players, for this period only.

Modern Warfare 3 is betting big on player nostalgia. At launch, the game will include every single original Modern Warfare 2 map , remastered in the new engine - with not a single original map. The single-player campaign, of course, brings back series villain Makarov . And there’s even something for Zombies fans, even if they’re not sold on it just yet.

Modern Warfare 3 is out November 10 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. Campaign early access also returns, letting players who pre-order the game to play the campaign up to one week early.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023)

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , PC