Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 initially launched with 10 multiplayer maps last year, one of them being the Santa Sena Border Crossing, which has been a pretty controversial map since launch due to its layout. Read on to know why the map is controversial.
The Santa Sena Border Crossing map consists of a border crossing where the two teams are pitted against each other. The border crossing is filled with abandoned vehicles. The map features a three-lane structure, with a wide lane in the middle that is surrounded by lanes on either side separated by two corridors.
The map was criticized because of its abandoned vehicles, which have a tendency to explode at any moment, leaving hardcore players frustrated. But now, Infinity Ward has finally provided the logic behind the controversial layout of the map.
In an interview with Dexerto, Infinity Ward’s Multiplayer Design Director, Geoff Smith, addressed the backlash regarding the Santa Sena Border Crossing map, saying that the team’s responsibility is to balance between experimental maps for casual players and maps for hardcore players.
Smith said, “Not all of them are super sweaty, balanced ones. There’s ones where ‘hey, it’d be really cool to fight over a border crossing.’ And I know that map’s not super popular in certain groups, but we like to keep it fun and it’s really neat to move through those cars, channeling Sicario. So we try to keep it fun and switch it up, but there’s a balance.”
Smith also stated that the map was supposed to channel the movie Sicario. “I know that map’s not super popular in certain groups, but we like to keep it fun and it’s really neat to move through those cars, channeling Sicario,” he said. “So, we try to keep it fun and switch it up, but there’s a balance.”
He continued by talking about the game’s playerbase. “You know, our user base is so huge. We try to balance as much as we can. I think it’s important to have these fun, experiential maps, and we obviously have enough for the CDL to have their play space.”
“[We aren’t] trying to ruin people’s fun on every single map. I think we even looked into keeping those cars from blowing up every round in search and destroy because that gets really old. We kind of just make adjustments as we go, but I think it’s important to have a wide variety of experiences. Not everybody’s into super sweaty matches, so we kind of balance it for everyone. We do our best.”
Some players have suggested that the vehicles should either not explode at all or explode when the match starts. But then again, Call of Duty relies on realism for its design, so it would be kind of unrealistic to not have the vehicles explode when they’re hit with firearms.
On the brighter side, it’s good to see that Infinity Ward develops maps with both hardcore and casual players in mind, in order to make the maps more unique and dynamic. After all, Call of Duty is played by millions of players, so it would be unfair to develop content solely catering to just one side of the player base.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is now available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
About Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is a first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is a direct sequel to the 2019 reboot and will serve as the nineteenth installment in the CoD series. It was released on October 28, 2022, for PS 4, PS 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Season 2 of Modern Warfare II released for every platform on 15th February 2023 at 9 AM PT, along with additions of newer maps and game modes, along with new content and bug fixes.
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