Call of Duty fans disappointed in lack of gore in Modern Warfare 2

Call of Duty fans have noticed something missing from Modern Warfare 2— Gore.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is rated M for good reason. The game is violent—it's an FPS with realistic enemies after all. It also has pretty serious messaging about terrorism and civilians in danger. The "No Russian" level in the campaign has especially ruffled some feathers.

But some old-school players are not phased by the bloody violence in Modern Warfare 2. In fact, they want more.

On Reddit, one Call of Duty player questioned why the most recent installment has "distanced" itself from gore and violence. While they appreciate the "blood trails" in the game, they miss the "brutal" gameplay that was present in older titles like World at War.

"Are they catering to a chunk of the player base that aren’t old enough to play their games?" they questioned.

Others shared similar sentiments. One player said they are "frustrated" that they can't see their blade "since into the opponent" and bleed out, instead of collapsing and disappearing. Another said that recent games, like Vanguard, did the gore "wrong."

"You can hit someone with a shotgun or rocket launcher and there won’t be a scratch… But sometimes you shoot them with a pistol and their body splits in half?" they questioned.

While there have been some gorey moments sprinkled in, it's clearly not enough for players that are looking for World at War-style violence. It's considered the most brutal in Call of Duty history and some players are frustrated that more recent games aren't living up to its violence.

Some have pointed out that it could be due to the developers, since there are multiple teams behind the ongoing Call of Duty franchise. Treyarch Corporation appeared to be more into the gore aspect of combat while Infinity Ward has been more focused on realistic violence. This has shined through in their weapon design but left some players wanting more when it comes to the dismemberment and brutality against opponents.

Rumors in 2021 pointed to Modern Warfare 2's campaign having realistic gore and death animations. A leaker known as RalphsValve said that enemies may beg for their lives, insult you, or even hallucinate. When shot, they will gurgle, moan, groan, and have convulsions. Some limbs may fly off in the process. This was just a rumor, however, and it's still yet to be seen if this level of violence exists in Modern Warfare 2.