Modern Warfare 3's ranked play developers have decided to make a significant change to the competitive ruleset.
The 2024 Call of Duty esports season is in full swing and for those who want to play using the same rules as the top players in the CDL, ranked play provides a more competitive alternative to the more casual game modes on offer in Season 2.
To keep the ranked rules in line with what the best in the world are using, Treyarch has decided to restrict all sniper rifles resulting in a significant shift in the long-range meta.
With maps such as Highrise providing the perfect lines of sight for snipers, the decision has split the opinions of players loading into the action.
One frustrated fan says: "They really call it a shooter game but restrict 90% of the weapons. Can someone find the irony here? Wait for Season 3 until all SMGs besides the Rival-9 are getting restricted too." Another adds: "Now the most boring mode is even more boring."
On the other hand, there are plenty of players delighted with the removal of snipers from ranked. One happy player says the change is a "major W" and believes "sniping doesn't belong in ranked."
Sniper rifles have featured in previous seasons of competitive Call of Duty as an option to pick off opponents from afar. In recent years, the category has caused debate due to its ability to eliminate a player with a single bullet. On one hand, they add a layer of strategy in Search and Destroy but on the other, the high damage output leaves little room to counter them.
There's every chance this is the last time sniper rifles will appear in the competitive Modern Warfare 3 cycle. While it's disappointing for those wanting some kind of weapon variety, it's good to see Treyarch updating the rules quickly to reflect what the pros are using on the biggest stage.
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