Should Raven Software Perform More Testing Before Releasing New Warzone Weapons?

Season 3 of Warzone is expected to be one of the biggest yet thanks to the addition of a brand-new iteration of Verdansk set in the 1980s along with the usual additions of new weaponry and Operators to unlock or purchase from the in-game store.

Since Black Ops Cold War was integrated into the battle royale, the ever-evolving metagame has been the subject of much scrutiny due to the additions of new weaponry that are significantly superior to the existing weapons, leading to one or two weapons dominating the game until the developer intervenes with a hefty nerf in a bid to bring it in line with the rest of the available weapons.

Rather than having to intervene with a hotfix or a full-blown patch full of changes to stabilise the metagame, a far simpler solution to a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place could be the way forward.

So why isn't Raven Software taking additional time to test new weapons before releasing them into Warzone?

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Bug Prevention

Additional testing would do wonders when it comes to eradicating any unintentional bugs and exploits that seem to appear on a regular basis.

The most recent example of new weaponry being added along with a bug that instantly makes it the very best gun to use is the Sykov pistol which was added as part of the April 15th update.

Just days after it was added, the pistol that can feature a fully automatic firing mechanic alongside an 80-round magazine was the talk of the Warzone community after players realised it was capable of downing and eliminating a player in just a matter of seconds.

Since its addition, Verdansk and Rebirth Island is full of Sykov players, and thanks to a recently-discovered exploit, players have been using the pistol with no recoil and maximum levels of accuracy, much to the annoyance of those hoping for some kind of stability after the AUG nerf.

If the developer spends a few additional weeks fine-tuning the Sykov rather than subtly pushing it live as part of a hotfix update, there's every chance its release would have had minimal impact on the existing metagame.

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The Way Forward

Nobody wants another case of DMR-Zone to rule the game ever again, so surely taking a bit of extra time to ensure new additions to the arsenal are somewhat balanced before players get their hands on them is a surefire method of preventing any kind of overpowered weapons having a negative impact on the game.

Whether Raven Software will adopt such a method remains to be seen but when the positives outweigh the negatives, it's certainly something that should be considered as Warzone enters a period that could either consolidate its position towards the top of the battle royale genre or a period of decline due to a lack of developer support and players taking full advantage of overpowered weapons in order to take a ride on the victory chopper.