CoD devs open to keeping collection of same maps with each new release

With every new year comes a new Call of Duty game that brings a new batch of maps for players to explore. Maps are a vital aspect of the CoD experience, and in a recent interview, the devs admitted that they’re open to keeping a collection of the same maps despite the new releases.

Fans of Call of Duty are always engaging in discussions on how to improve the 20-year-old franchise. With Modern Warfare 2 Season 4 and Season 5 on the horizon, followed by the impending arrival of Modern Warfare 3, the devs are hard at work developing new Call of Duty experiences.

In a recent interview with Dexerto, Multiplayer Design Director Geoff Smith took the time to discuss the franchise’s long-standing traditions like annual releases and a new set of maps to discover every year.

Traditionally, every 12-month period marks the start of a new cycle for a Call of Duty title. Dev teams rotate in and out to take the lead on new titles as players get introduced to new modes, weapons, and maps.

However, Smith was asked about the possibility of keeping a collection of the franchise’s most iconic maps from one game to the next as each year brings forth a new title.

While Smith confirmed that this specific idea hadn’t been discussed, the Design Director admitted that “for strategy and play, that makes a lot of sense.” Smith went on to explain the possibility: “We would be down. It’s more just about picking that roster.”

Given the success of the storied franchise and just how many titles have launched, it’s easy to see how picking the roster of classic maps would pose a considerable headache.

The CoD franchise opts for a similar strategy with CoD Mobile. The title is constantly receiving updates that refresh the game with new content, but a classic collection of the most well-liked maps in the franchise remain an ever-present feature for players to enjoy.

Smith did question the format’s long-term sustainability and wondered if players would still be excited to play and watch competitive matches on the same classic maps years down the line: “I would wonder if Dust II for 10 years is still watchable. That’s the big thing. It’s competition, but it’s also entertainment.”

Smith references the classic CSGO map Dust II, which of course is a game that has featured the same maps and competitive viewing experience for over a decade.

Whether a constant set of classic maps ever gets established in the Call of Duty franchise remains to be seen, but Smith did confirm that any such decision would not be made by the developers: “That’s down to the business side of how they want to run that.”

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