tl;dr I've played hundreds of hours of MW19, MWII, and MWIII and have been steadily improving over the years, and I understand that this is a new game so I'm not gonna dominate right out of the gate, but at the moment I'm not even close to being able to compete

I know I know, the sub's been filled with posts about how bad MNK feels but this shit is actually unplayable. This isn't just an aim assist complaint post either, as I've gotten used to how this shit works over these games, and was able to compete against good controller players in previous entries. I'm strictly talking about how MNK seems to put you at a massive disadvantage, rather than controller giving you an advantage

I'm not just talking about not dropping 2.0 kd every game, I mean that I am unable to win even close to half of my gunfights. I was pretty proud of my skill progression, as I wasn't that great at MW19, then started doing alright in MWII, with a 1.5-6ish K/D if memory serves, over to consistently dropping swarms and even a couple nukes in MWIII, then finally not being able to even make 1.0 K/D in MWIV.

I'm not just mad that I'm not doing well, the game fundamentally feels wrong and like it shouldn't play like this.

I didn't get to play the beta, but from what I understand everyone loved it in week 1, before the patch that changed all the TTKs

I know aim assist has been nerfed in this entry, but every time I go to shoot at an enemy my view just becomes completely unmanageable with the amount of screen shake and camera movement, not to mention the extreme flinch from being shot at, which aim assist has pretty much always nullified. This is on top of the horrible TTK and weapon balance issues, and the apparent hitreg problems

It's a real pity because the campaign was fuckin incredible, but coming over to MP has completely killed my hype and enjoyment

This little DMZ PvE petition is getting noticed.

Truth is, I don’t even need PvE for myself. I started this because I saw a group of players asking to be heard.

Sometimes it’s not about what YOU want. It’s about using your voice for others.

Keep signing. Keep sharing.

COD aim assist is by far and away the absolute strongest in the entire FPS industry. Players from other games generally agree that the most aim assist should do is “slow down” your reticle as you pan over your target.

COD has left that line in the dirt long ago, the modern aim assist in COD don’t just slow down your reticle, it will literally move your crosshair as enemies move through your screen without player input. When it comes to rotational aim assist doing more than it should, COD is KING no question.

And I get it, Activision want to make every boy in America who’s high as a kite after smoking his third blunt of the night to be able to vaporize any enemies who appear on his screen and feel good. From a corporate business perspective, I get it.

Now onto SBMM; Aim Assist genuinely is the biggest contributor here. Everyone is a separate player from another. People are not clones of each other. Even people of the SAME skill bracket are not clones of each other. Maybe some are better at tracking than others, maybe some are better at snapping on target than others, maybe some are better at jump shots, slide shots than others, etc….

However, with aim assist being so strong and raising the skill FLOOR so high, everyone is shooting way too good in every category of shooting. There is so little room for errors left, of course you’re going to feel like everyone is sweaty af and too good at the game.

I swear to god if they left SBMM exactly the same; and toned down aim assist a few notches to the point where COD is inline with the rest of the FPS industry; I am 1000% sure that everyone will see more variety in their matches on a gunfight to gunfight basis even if all their opponents are still the same skill bracket as them.

Because as I said before, people are not clones of each other, it’s only because of aim assist that it appears so. And don’t worry about kbm players getting a buff from nerfed aim assist, maybe 1/10 gunfights you’re in will be kbm players; the other 9/10 time it will be controller vs controller and you will see more variety in those gunfights.

Infinity Ward is single handle the worst cod studio out of all them. They should be removed from all future cod mp projects/games. They're core mp maps are bad, spawns are bad, weapons are bad, the ttk change is awful. The whole mp experience and with the games sbmm is terrible. They don't have anyone good steering the ship for mp. Mw2 maps were just as bad or maybe better than mw4 maps.

Dmz is the only thing I really enjoy in this game. The campaign was good but I'm not going to replay it.

Heck cod ghost was more enjoyable than this cod.

The studio should just be demoted to being a supportive studio at this point. Honestly Id rather Raven studio take the charge as a mainline studio who works on major cod titles.

I've played a ton of FPS games over the years. I grew up playing classic CoDs, have thousands of hours in competitive shooters like CS and Valorant, and I can confidently say that whatever is happening with mouse and keyboard in MW4 right now is an absolute joke.

I genuinely feel robbed and lied to after the beta.

Week 1 of the beta was amazing. Guns felt punchy, aiming with a mouse was actually fun and rewarding, and having good aim felt like a genuine advantage. For the first time in a while, I actually felt good at Call of Duty again, with or without SBMM.

Week 2 was a complete 180. Everything suddenly felt off, but I brushed it off as the developers experimenting with the beta.

Oh boy, how wrong I was.

I'm not Infinity Ward. It's not my job to figure out whether this is down to netcode, questionable balancing decisions, catering to streamers, or making the game more accessible to casual controller players.

All I know is that playing this game on MnK feels like a chore, and I'm constantly at a disadvantage.

My thousands of hours of FPS experience mean jackshit when I'm getting outaimed by people whose aim assist does half the work for them. And the few weapons that actually felt great on mouse, like the Osiris and bolt-action snipers, have been nerfed into the ground. Now they barely tickle enemies while I'm getting absolutely beamed from across the map.

And before anyone says I'm just bad at the game, that's exactly what makes this so frustrating. I've played enough shooters to know when I'm missing my shots and when the game itself is working against me.

I had a great time with BO6 at launch. BO7 was pretty meh, but I could still pull off some satisfying plays with bolt-action rifles. Here, though? I genuinely feel like I'm playing with a deliberately designed handicap.

And that's why I needed to vent.

Because the worst part is that I actually want to like this game. I loved the first week of the beta. I still really like the art direction, the weapon selection, and the overall aesthetic. There's a genuinely great game buried somewhere underneath all this bullshit.

But every time I sit down to play, I'm reminded that apparently I'm just not the kind of player this game wants anymore.

I know the mouse and keyboard experience has been going downhill in CoD since 2019, but MW4 feels like someone decided to crank that shit up to 11.

I’ve been playing since OG MW2. I’m a higher skill player (2KD+ every game since Ghosts) who only plays TDM solo.

This. Is. Rough.

I’m absolutely certain that anyone who says they’re having a good time, that they’re on the low bracket matchmaking where it’s far more chill and relaxing.

As soon I see someone on my screen, I’m already getting shot at. There’s absolutely no room to breathe. Everyone I get matched with is playing like $500k is on the line. Whether they’re spamming movement or just having the most catlike reflexes, this isn’t fun.

BRING BACK OPEN MATCHMAKING.

I've always loved Call of Duty multiplayer, but the SBMM in this game is absolutely ridiculous, especially in Hardcore mode. Usually, Hardcore made SBMM much less noticeable, but in this game, it's completely out of control.

Every single match feels like a competitive tournament. Everyone is constantly pre-firing corners, camping, and playing like their lives depend on it.

If you're not 100% focused and sweating every second, you simply can't compete.

It's impossible to just relax and have fun anymore. The game itself is actually pretty good, but the matchmaking is completely ruining the experience.

I've always maintained around a 2.0 K/D in previous Call of Duty games, but now I'm down to 1.29 and it keeps dropping.

Hardcore is supposed to be fun, not a fucking World Championship final every single match.

everything feels wrong with MW4 right now.
i don’t even know where to start because there are so many things that feel inconsistent or completely broken in this game

weapon inconsistency: you can literally empty almost an entire magazine into someone standing less than 10 feet away, and somehow they’re still alive. meanwhile, they turn around and kill you in what feels like three bullets. how does that make sense?

footstep audio: the directional audio is all over the place. sometimes you hear someone approaching from your right, only to realise they’re actually coming from behind you. other times, you barely hear anything until enemy already at point blank even when they are not running ninja

inconsistent ttk: one gunfight feels normal, and the next feels like your bullets aren’t even registering as it takes longer to kill like you’re playing WZ. you can shoot first, land your shots, and somehow still die almost instantly.

excessive gun recoil and visual recoil: why do so many weapons have this much recoil and shake when firing? it’s already difficult enough trying to control the actual gun recoil, but the excessive visual recoil makes it even harder to see and track your target properly. mid to long range gunfights are especially frustrating because your weapon is bouncing around so much that you can barely keep your sights on the enemy. sometimes it feels like you’re fighting your own gun more than the person you’re shooting at.

terrible map design: why do these maps have so many corners and angles to check? genuinely, which of the developers team play tested some of these maps and thought, “yeah, this is amazing. let’s put it in the game”? especially coal map?

the matchmaking: bro, what the actual fucc are these lobbies? why does every single match feel like a cdl final? i’m not even a main mp player, but i know when a game feels unnecessarily sweaty. there’s no money on the line, yet everyone seems to be playing like their lives depends on it. it’s supposed to be fun, not feel like a competitive tournament every single match.
you can barely string two wins together, and even the matches you manage to win feel like you’ve just survived a championship final.

terrible spawns: how am i spawning right in the middle of the enemy team? sometimes you barely have enough time to react before someone is already shooting at you. how did this make it through testing?

suspicious players: and don’t even get me started on some of these players hitting ridiculous headshots with marksman rifles. i’m not saying everyone with good aim is cheating, but some of these kills genuinely make you question what you’re watching.
what worries me even more is the experience new players are going to have. imagine someone who’s never played call of duty before buying mw4 as their first cod game, only to be thrown into lobbies like these. what kind of first impression is that supposed to leave?
i mainly play warzone, so mp isn’t even my primary mode, but what i’ve experienced so far genuinely has me concerned about how warzone will feel when it drops next week.

at this point, i will probably just stick to dmz and level up my weapons until warzone releases, because i’m struggling to find anything enjoyable about mp right now.
the developers seriously need to address these inconsistencies and make the game feel fun and enjoyable again. i’m not asking for easy lobbies or free wins. i just want consistent gunfights, reliable audio, decent spawns, better maps, and matches that don’t feel like a cdl tournament every time i queue.

am i the only one feeling this way, or are you guys experiencing the same things? what other inconsistencies or issues have you noticed that i haven’t mentioned?
because right now, this is genuinely frustrating.

I’ll be honest, I went into this launch with zero expectations. With how hit-or-miss the franchise has been lately, I was fully prepared to drop a few matches and move on.

Instead? I can't stop playing. Whatever team handled this project actually cooked, because this is easily the most fun I’ve had with a Call of Duty game in years.

Here is what stands out:

• The Campaign is phenomenal: It completely nails the military thriller atmosphere. Great pacing, incredible set pieces, and a story that actually keeps you hooked from start to finish.
• Multiplayer is addictive: The gunplay feels so crisp and satisfying. The weapon variety is huge, giving you tons of viable options depending on your playstyle.
• Immersion & Audio-Visuals: The graphics look stunning, and the overall atmosphere of the maps is top-tier... though I will say, footsteps are a bit too loud right now. Sound whoring is definitely strong and could use a quick patch.
• The SBMM Situation: Look, I’d still prefer zero SBMM or a strict connection-first system like the older games. But whatever they tweaked under the hood for this release, it honestly doesn't feel nearly as oppressive. Lobbies feel much more varied.

It's not 100% flawless but as a complete package, it completely blew my expectations away.

How are you guys liking it so far?

Please give players the option to play DMZ without PvP.
Losing your operator, weapons, equipment and collected loot because another squad ambushes you is incredibly frustrating. Having to pay upwards of 60k just to revive your operator, without recovering any lost gear, makes it even worse.

DMZ already has challenging AI, dangerous zones and a great risk-versus-reward system. We don’t need PvP to make the game challenging.

Keep the existing PvPvE mode for players who enjoy it, but introduce a separate PvE-only mode with the same missions, difficulty, loot and extraction mechanics.
Players should have the choice to enjoy DMZ cooperatively without constantly worrying about being hunted by other players.

Give us the option.

I've had several discussions regarding SBMM and nearly all who complain claim there's a protected bubble of lobbies that the rest of us play in, and even though they won't admit to it, they want to be playing in these protected bubble lobbies they think exist. These players often quote that they want "variety" in their lobbies but they have no variety because they all use the same meta tactics, high sensitivity and bounce about like they're having a seizure. It's pretty clear that there's two different partitions to the game. The sweats are all placed together in their own lobbies, with everyone abusing the same mechanics and then there's the players who play the game the way the developers intended it to play. I'm really enjoying the game and love that I just have normal, non meta abusing sweats in my lobbies.

This is easily the hardest cod by far for KBM. everyone is a god now you watch the tracking and literally everyone looks like they are cheating now. The controller kids say i have my whole arm. But i gotta use it and control it. now with slow movement its shots on first wins. and aim assist has a 0 second delay. My brains gotta process what i'm seeing and what angle they are going. The gap is so wide now. Also what is the end result. as they make it stronger and stronger. they keep making it stronger so people can keep up. in 10 years no one is going to have to aim anymore. just spam jump and spam ADS. it looks comical.

Genuine idea, all the people hating on sbmm because they can’t get kill streaks or nukes. Because an even and fair game where you play against other players your skill level is just no fun.

Why don’t you all go into a private match and load up a game against easy bots, that way you’ll have loads of fun 🙂🙂

Sick of hearing about sbmm issues from shitters. 🤢🤢

Is that true or just the loud minority?

Im a 1.3 k/d player, usually play an hour or two after work at night, i remember the SBMM in BO6 was so bad i literally left the game and uninstalled it after 200ish hours... I skipped BO7 and currently interested in MW4 for the Korean aesthitics & DMZ, i like longer ttk and slower movement so those are a plus for me.

It’s like it says in the title, the new multiplayer is fantastic and genuinely brings me back to the good old days of Cod. My guess is the people hating are newer players who never played old mp. This is a return to form imo and I hope next years Cod and beyond learn from this.

People complaining about sbmm are just a bit sad, it’s really not that bad. But we all know cod haters will bark about anything 🫠

The gun play is sharp and the movement is smooth but not too over the top. The UI looks amazing and the classic perk system returning is great.

Now to start with, I am very happy for people who have had a good time and enjoy the game, good for you!

Cod is a shooter game, the main point is to shoot people, yet that doesn’t even work, the ttk is inconsistent and hitreg is beyond terrible, how can a game be good if it’s main point doesn’t work properly? I am sure it will be fixed quite soon( I hope), but till then the game can’t be good.

SBMM, i’m sorry, but the only people who like it, are the noobs. Now i’m not saying you need to be good at the game, at the end of they day, it’s a worthless skill and should be treated as a hobby, however people who are above average, every game feels like a ranked game, that shouldn’t be the case for a normal pubs game, BO7 open playlist was very liked and it was fun.

Maps, they’re playable yes, but the way they are made, the gameplay they bring, it’s boring.

Overall, the game just launched, it has a whole year ahead, and it will be a good game, but so far it’s been pretty sad

I loved playing on meat, it’s my favourite „small“ map. It was not too big like rust or too small like shipment. I really hope they will bring it back

Pretty bummed that DMZ turned out to just be another rat fest.

I got early access and logged 20 hours in the first four days and absolutely loved the PVE aspect. Had very few player encounters and a few truces that actually worked as truces. It reminded me of the special ops / co-op missions you got with some of the earlier COD games.

Now the rats are all onboard i haven't had a single game where i haven't been picked off while clearing an objective or picked off while trying to extract each time with me unaware of the other player before its too late.

This is no point even playing the PVE objectives. Your best bet is to load in with a free kit then run to any source of gunfire sound and pick off another player while they are not even expecting it.

Such a shame as for the first few days this felt like a really fund PVE extraction based addition to the campaign but now feels like a mode i'm never going to invest time in unless we get a PVE only option.

This is the best multiplayer experience since the heydays of 2007-2011. 90% of the movement techs that ruined fps gaming are gone. M&K players have been put back in the backseat where they belong, and the game is actually fun for casual players again. The skill ceiling has been dramatically lowered and people who play video games for fun instead of as their identity actually have a chance to play some CoD after work and have fun doing it! Thank god the devs finally stopped listening to the streamers and unemploidos and made a game that normal people can have fun with. 10/10 will recommend. Please bring back headquarters!

So far I’ve seen pretty unanimous support for making the TTK shorter, no one seems to be happy with its length right now.

I personally just feel like this is a Modern Warfare game, and needs a lower TTK for that more tactical-MW “feel”.

Given everyone wants it to be lowered, why don’t the devs just balance it to be like one body shot less for all guns? It seems like an easy win.

Then again, this is IW we are dealing with…