Modern Warfare 4 Isn’t Blowing Me Away, But Its New Smoke Sure Is
Modern Warfare 4 Isn’t Blowing Me Away, But Its New Smoke Sure Is is the focus of a new gaming update, and the useful part is understanding what has actually changed or been announced. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's early access beta is giving players their first hands-on with the newest entry in the juggernaut FPS franchise, and while it mostly feels like business as usual, I did come away impressed with one particular change in this year's installment: smoke.
What Happened
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's early access beta is giving players their first hands-on with the newest entry in the juggernaut FPS franchise, and while it mostly feels like business as usual, I did come away impressed with one particular change in this year's installment: smoke. Rather than just shrouding an area in fog, equipment like smoke grenades and field upgrades like the smoke wall create actually interesting gameplay scenarios thanks to developer Infinity Ward's new volumetric smoke tech. Throwing a smoke grenade and seeing where bullets are opening up holes in the smog gives you more information on where hostiles are coming from. These moment-to-moment gameplay questions are present to a lesser extent in previous Call of Duty games, but this new volumetric smoke, and all the ways players can interact with it, is a small game changer. The newer Modern Warfare subseries that started in 2019 is known for being more grounded, realistic, and slower-paced than its Black Ops cousin.
What Players Need to Know
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's early access beta is giving players their first hands-on with the newest entry in the juggernaut FPS franchise, and while it mostly feels like business as usual, I did come away impressed with one particular change in this year's installment: smoke. Rather than just shrouding an area in fog, equipment like smoke grenades and field upgrades like the smoke wall create actually interesting gameplay scenarios thanks to developer Infinity Ward's new volumetric smoke tech. Far from being static, this smoke interacts with its environment, moving and morphing as players run, shoot, and slide through it. Being able to disperse smoke with bullets and grenades also presents players with decisions to make in the middle of a firefight: Do you shoot through the smoke to try and clear sightlines but give away your position? These moment-to-moment gameplay questions are present to a lesser extent in previous Call of Duty games, but this new volumetric smoke, and all the ways players can interact with it, is a small game changer.
Additional Context
In many shooters, smoke works one of two ways: It's either like smoke grenades feel mandatory. This opens up all kinds of tactical possibilities, both offensively and defensively.
Attackers can use it to block sightlines while still making temporary kill holes by shooting through the smoke. It's a dynamic that works on defense as well.
Do you throw a grenade and try to disperse the smoke?
Why This Matters
For players, the key question is whether this development changes availability, gameplay, platform support or the timing of a release. The source facts above are the basis for the report; AllStarGamer does not treat unconfirmed speculation as established information.
What to Watch Next
Further announcements may provide release dates, technical details, pricing, regional availability or patch information. Those later updates may change the picture, so the most recent official information should always take priority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main point of this story?
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4's early access beta is giving players their first hands-on with the newest entry in the juggernaut FPS franchise, and while it mostly feels like business as usual, I did come away impressed with one particular change in this year's installment: smoke. In many shooters, smoke works one of two…
Is every detail final?
Not necessarily. Gaming announcements and live-service updates can change after the first report.
Where did the information come from?
The factual basis is the original publication credited at the end of this article.