The Season 5 update for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is, of course, too big, and is available for pre-load now. This isn’t the first time the game’s file sizes have been called into question, as the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot has been criticized for large updates since its launch in 2019. The title’s file size seems to perpetually increase in unprecedented increments, making it difficult for players with lower-capacity drives to keep other games stored on their systems without deleting other games or shelling out cash for more storage devices.
Accompanying the title’s ongoing file size controversy is the problematic bans of players not guilty of cheating or not violating the code of conduct. While Infinity Ward has reversed many of these bans, the company has also issued a warning that another wave of bans is coming. Despite plenty of community controversy, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has maintained a solid player base. Season 4’s climactic end saw the return of the popular Juggernaut Royale mode, hyping players up for the kickoff of the new season. The latest entry in the franchise received a free-to-play spinoff, Call of Duty: Warzone, which gamers can download and play without ownership of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
Modern Warfare’s season 5 update, according to Infinity Ward production director Paul Haile, is another big file size, with pre-loads available now. However, Haile also claims once players download the update, Modern Warfare’s overall file size “will actually shrink” on consoles. The update contains all the season’s new content as well as asset pack optimization. “It’s a priority for us to keep working on reducing the overall size of MW & WZ on [players’] hard drives,” Haile said, adding, “but at the same time also delivering new seasons for everyone to enjoy.”
Infinity Ward’s efforts to rein in Modern Warfare’s file size is admirable, especially given the frustration gamers have lamented since the game’s launch. However, despite the attempts at change, Modern Warfare’s overall size remains one of the primary subjects of fan criticism, with some arguing the size reduction hasn’t come quickly enough. It wouldn’t be a gaming community if everyone was pleased, and Infinity Ward wouldn’t be a true developer if it didn’t hit the mark in some ways and miss it in others.
Hopefully, Infinity Ward will continue to make progress with a game that has weighed down consoles and prevented the storage of other titles for almost a year. Many gamers have larger, or sometimes multiple, storage devices and, thus, circumvent the problem. However, some players can’t afford multiple storage devices while others simply refuse to justify acquiring more than one solely because a single game takes up so much space. The happy median lies somewhere in the middle, but most of the onus is on the developer to remedy the problem.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Source: Paul Haile