A Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 beta update has made targets easier to spot

Infinity Ward details audio changes, new maps, modes and more

Infinity Ward has detailed all of the major changes it has made for the latest Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 beta.

Perhaps most notably, the beta update patch notes reveal that adjustments to player visibility should now make it easier to spot enemies.

Infinity Ward had said earlier this week that it planned to reduce muzzle smoke opacity and increase muzzle flash visibility to help track targets more easily.

Among the audio changes included in the update, the distance from which players can hear footsteps has been reduced and enemy sounds have been made more distinct.

Two new maps, Sariff Bay and Sa’id, have been added to the beta, taking the total to six.

There are also six playable modes following the addition of Ground War and Invasion. The former offers 32v32 combat with new vehicles and dynamic combat.

“Invasion pits two teams of 20 players and 20 AI against each other,” Infinity Ward said. “With large maps, 80 combatants, water play, ground vehicles, air vehicles and more– it’s absolute chaos!”

Weekend two of the Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer beta launched on Thursday. The cross-play test is currently open to all PlayStation players, and available in early access for Xbox and PC players who pre-ordered the game.

Infinity Ward has said it’s working to fix Modern Warfare 2 beta crashes on Xbox consoles.

For the latest beta, the perk earn rate is currently the same as it was for last week’s PlayStation exclusive test, but once all platforms are open on Saturday, Infinity Ward plans to increase the earn rate “significantly”.

The Modern Warfare 2 beta will open up to all players on September 24 at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm BST and run for a further 48 hours.

The Modern Warfare 2 release date is October 28, but players who pre-order the digital version of the game will be granted early access to its campaign starting on October 20.

Activision recently confirmed a Warzone 2 release date of November 16, which will also mark the start of Modern Warfare 2’s first season of live content.