The leaks told us that this was inevitable and it’s still a shame to see that the Call of Duty DMZ mode has now gone even further into the pay-to-win model than before. Just before the Season 3 Reloaded update, a new “Roze And Thorn” bundle for 1,800 COD Points was released, and now players can begin paying for a UAV Killstreak with real-world cash.
There have been a few different bundles since Season 3 launched that have slowly introduced pay-to-win items within the COD DMZ. With each one, part of the community defends the practice while the majority realize where this is headed. Not only does a paid-for UAV at the start of every deployment have major implications for the mode, but it could also mean much worse is on the way for Call of Duty as we know it.
Pay-To-Win UAV Could Be a Major Shift in Gameplay for COD DMZ
Players in DMZ have been buying up the cosmetics in the shop, there’s no doubt about that. One of the most recent additions to the shop had a bundle with a TAQ-56 that has insured cooldowns, as well as a self-revive kit on the Operator. I’ve already seen dozens of these players using the weapons and the Operator from the bundle. Up until now, that was the worst bundle we’ve seen.
At least the self-revive kit wouldn’t mean a change in gameplay. Whether you believe it or not, giving players an instant UAV with no effort at the start of the match has huge implications on gameplay. Within the first minute, teams will be able to call the UAV and hunt down squads. 3-Plate Stealth Vests can help curb the standard radar, but if the players being hunted don’t have Ghost, good luck to them.
This gets worse when you factor in squads getting 3-Plate Comms Vests. All it takes is one player to get a Comms Vest, and now a squad can each begin a match with their own UAV. If they give it to the player with the Comms Vest, that’s an Advanced UAV. That means there is no way to hide on the radar. I won’t be surprised if plenty of squads on Ashika Island buy this Roze and Thorn Bundle so they can start every match with radar.
Stop Defending These Bundles Before They Get Worse in Call of Duty
For some reason, a chunk of the community is fine with the bundles. They will come up with every reason to defend these pay-to-win bundles. “You can activate towers too” or “If you’re the better player you can win.” What kind of defense is this for pay-to-win UAV? Do we really want to defend these bundles as a community?
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I already covered why this is a bad move for the COD DMZ, and without even getting into the gameplay side of things, the community should be able to see that it doesn’t stop here. This is not the end of the line, but just the beginning. Players will buy the pay-to-win UAV bundle in droves because it offers up a huge advantage.
Activision’s only takeaway when players continue to defend the bundles, or buy them up, is that they can keep pushing the boundaries. I’m certain that the vast majority of the community is against these, and hopefully, we see more voices as the bundles get released. Expect to see more when Season 4 drops.
