Modern Warfare 4 Beta's First Update Tones Down Footsteps and Nerfs Weapons

Infinity Ward rolled out the first Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Early Access Beta update on August 22, following the opening day of testing. The August 22 update lowers enemy footstep audio, reduces the lethality of the ISO Nightshade and Oris 8.6, and improves visibility on Transit 213.

The patch also expands the multiplayer rotation with the Cachette map and Inflation mode. Infinity Ward said it is using player feedback to make changes throughout the test, with weapon lethality among the areas it is still evaluating.

One of the first changes targets movement audio. Infinity Ward has reduced both the distance at which enemy footsteps and gear can be heard and their overall volume.

The goal is to keep footsteps useful when an opponent is approaching without allowing players to pinpoint enemies from too far away. Infinity Ward plans to continue adjusting movement audio during the beta based on feedback.

The patch also fixes a bug that could make footsteps use wet-surface audio while players were running across dry ground.

Infinity Ward also responded to concerns about how quickly some weapons were killing during the opening day.

The ISO Nightshade received shorter damage ranges, with its damage at one medium range dropping from 19 to 18. Its headshot multiplier has also been reduced from 1.4 to 1.3.

The Oris 8.6 keeps its maximum damage but reaches its strongest damage ranges over shorter distances. Its headshot multiplier has dropped from 1.7x to 1.6x, while the Oris 8.6 Razor attachment now takes longer between throws.

Frangible Rounds were weakened at the same time. Their slowing effect now lasts 26.8% less time and has 21.4% less strength.

The update adds Cachette as another 6v6 map. Its arrival gives the beta enough maps for Infinity Ward to enable map voting, while Transit 213 has received brighter shadowed areas and an adjusted color balance to improve visibility.

Inflation is the new mode joining the rotation. Eliminations reward cash, while taking down high-value targets lets players steal the money they were carrying. The richest players become marked HVTs for the rest of the lobby to hunt, with larger cash multipliers available during overtime.

Infinity Ward followed the August 22 patch with another beta update on August 23. That update added Lotus and 3v3 Gunfight while making further weapon changes, including another adjustment to the ISO Nightshade and the removal of Frangible Rounds' stun effect. Infinity Ward said time-to-kill remains a focus during the beta.

The Modern Warfare 4 Early Access Beta runs until August 25 at 10 a.m. PT. The Open Beta begins August 28 at 10 a.m. PT and continues through September 1 at 10 a.m. PT.