Every Map In The Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Beta, Ranked
The beta period for "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" was extremely successful. According to SteamDB, the beta for the game had a peak of nearly 170,000 players, who unlocked beta rewards that included skins, stickers, charms, and even weapon blueprints. These players had a lot of feedback for developers. While there was concern over the cheating problem that Activision had already warned gamers about prior to the beta, most of the complaints were about things like wonky footstep sounds and a bad UI for PC players.
One of the controversial topics of the beta was the maps. Some players seemed to really enjoy the maps while others had major problems with some — or all — of them. While there were best and worst guns, there also definitely seemed to be best and worst maps. Keep reading to see how the "Modern Warfare 2" maps in the beta ranked against each other, starting with the worst.
Sa'id
Sa'id was one of the two maps that were available during the beta for Ground War, a 64-player mode. The main issue with the map is that it encourages camping, which many players just don't enjoy.
One Reddit user explained that the map also has issues that give one side an advantage. According to the user, the side with the houses that are shorter than the other has an advantage because of the places that people camp. Considering others argued that the map is built to help campers, this gives one side an unfair advantage. The same user pointed out that the kill streak incentives further increase the gap between the two sides.
One interesting thing about the map is that there's one building that looks just like another map from "Call of Duty 4," Strike (via Reddit user jmust44). While Sa'id didn't resonate with players, the building from Strike was exciting for many to see.
Sarrif Bay
Sarrif Bay is the other Ground Wars map, and people had many of the same problems with it that they experienced with Sa'id. According to one Reddit user, the map was almost too big for 64 players, and their experience on the map was a lot of running around and looking for enemies. These enemies were often camping in buildings.
The reason this map, and Sa'id, might be on the bottom of many players' tier lists is because these maps may eventually end up as part of the "Warzone 2.0" map (according to Reddit user Tylymiez). Considering one map's a Battle Royale and the others a 32-versus-32 game mode, it's understandable that they play a bit differently than the others, especially when it comes to the abundance of camping spots.
While the same problems existed for both Ground Wards maps, some people still enjoyed Sarrif Bay – just not enough as the next best map.
Valderas Museum
Unfortunately, Valderas Museum just didn't hit home for a lot of players. In a now deleted post, one Reddit user shared a picture of the map and commented "there's no way whoever designed [Valderas Museum] actually plays multiplayer.
One of the biggest problems players had with the map was that it was too big, which led to spawns in the middle of the enemy team and players struggling to actually play the game. Another issue was just the way the map looks. One Reddit user pointed out that it's like a map from a decade ago, and another agreed, saying that "it's the way it has that same low-quality wall texture everywhere." Others actually enjoyed the map and praised some of the artwork that some players might have missed. One player noticed that the map looked different on last-gen consoles versus next-gen, which could be why players were so split on the map.
It wasn't just players who were unhappy with the map – the map was removed because of exploits and glitches. In another Reddit discussion, players voted on their favorite map. Valderas Museum tied for last place alongside Breenbergh Hotel.
Breenbergh Hotel
While some of the maps got constructive feedback, others were just hated or didn't stand out enough to be considered one of the best maps. When Reddit users were asked what their favorite map of the beta was, Breenbergh Hotel tied with Valderas Museum as the least popular.
Players just weren't sure how to feel about the map, and some really enjoyed it while others weren't fond of it. One player felt like it was the better option out of the four standard maps in the beta, even though it was prone to campers. Another complimented the map by saying that it had great angles and was pretty clean overall – however, the size was just too big and left people scrambling for enemies. This does, as a player pointed out, lend itself really well for flanks, which could be fun for some players or for the eventual competitive scene.
Mercado Las Almas
Mercado Las Almas was a close runner-up to the best map in "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2." There were 108 people who chose this as their favorite map, and some people even placed it at the top of their own tier lists.
One thing that stands out about Mercado Las Almas is that it's much harder for people to camp on, as one player wrote to developers. The same player explained that a lot of the maps are too defensive because of all the places for snipers to hide, and the games are slowed down as a result. Mercado Las Almas doesn't have this problem, and there are fewer locations for players to camp out. Another player pointed out that the layout of Mercado Las Almas is much better than the other maps.
Despite most people agreeing that this is one of the best maps in the game, others were frustrated with things like spawns and the amount of clutter strewn around the map.
Farm 18
Most players voted and said that Farm 18 was the best map in the "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" beta. One player said that it was the standout map while another simply called it "a good time." Some just liked the color scheme of the map or the options they have when it comes to style of play. "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2" players might think the map is familiar. One player linked Farm 18 to the map Standoff in the way it feels and its general layout. For series veterans, this may make the map feel nostalgic and appealing.
While Farm 18 was considered the best map in the game, it wasn't without fault. Multiple people complained about the game stuttering and lagging on the map, which can take all the fun out of the game. There were even some players who just didn't like the map in general. At the end of the day, players will have to determine which map makes them the happiest, and with so many different ways to play "Call of Duty," it's unlikely fans will agree.