Slide canceling receives major nerf in Cold War Season 3 update
Call of Duty’s most common movement technique, slide canceling, has received a significant nerf in Black Ops Cold War’s Season 3 update, essentially removing the mechanic.
Although slide canceling arrived with Black Ops 4, it became especially prominent in Modern Warfare and Warzone, and continued into Cold War. As it says on the tin, this is a method of canceling the slide animation before it finishes to speed up gameplay and get the advantage on opponents.
By canceling the slide mid-way through, you could continue moving at full speed afterward, allowing you to move faster than usual. Players have long used this mechanic to maneuver the map quicker, precisely slide behind cover, and offensively push players using erratic and unpredictable movement.
However, Treyarch has essentially removed this mechanic in Cold War’s Season 3 update.
It has been clear that Treyarch never intended slide canceling to be as powerful as it was, as devs addressed slide mechanics in Cold War’s day one patch notes. “Sliding is intended as an escape mechanic or quick entrance into crouch or cover,” they explained. “It’s not intended to be over-used during engagements, or to be too advantageous in close quarters.”
Although they have made adjustments to sliding in the past, the Season 3 update has essentially eliminated slide canceling altogether. Instead of canceling the slide mid-way through and quickly returning to a standing position, Cold War will now force you to finish the slide, causing a significant delay before you can stand up.
For players who have been using this mechanic, it will be especially difficult to adjust to the new movement system. As it was a somewhat advanced movement technique, it was especially common in League Play and the CDL, so expect a different style of play in the upcoming Stage 3.
Alongside this update comes adjustments to all Shotguns and LMGs, as well as quality of life updates for Zombies. Once Season 3 officially goes live on April 22, new weapons, maps, and Operators will also arrive in the game.
Image Credit: Treyarch