Modern Warfare 2 scraps decades of tradition with new third-person mode

Soldier in skull mask submerged in water with eye just above the waterline
(Image credit: Future Owns)

New details have dropped for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 including a brand new third-person mode.

Call of Duty has historically been a first-person series. That's part of what made it difficult to get the hang of it when I first dabbled in the franchise all those years ago.  But if you have a friend who's first-person challenged, then the Modern Warfare 2's new third-person mode could be just the ticket to get them involved.

The new intel comes courtesy of Call of Duty: Next – the dedicated showcase that covers the future of the series, including Warzone 2.0, and the next Call of Duty  mobile title. You can check out the trailer below, which handily starts at the third-person mode announcement. 

Change in view

There's only a brief second or two showing off the new Call of Duty third-person mode. But it looks like it's only in third-person while you're running amok on the map. 

As soon as you aim, it switched to first-person. The feature has been a labor of love, and has been in the works for a while. Infinity Ward's co-design director (and former multiplayer designer), Joseph Cicot, says "it's a modifier on our game". 

Call of Duty third-person mode is also coming to VR – possibly something for PSVR 2 fans. He also mentions a 'water camera' and 'vehicle camera' which are presumably variants in the different environments.

Cicot says the mode is coming this year, so it'll no doubt roll out in Modern Warfare 2 at launch. Right now, Call of Duty players can prep for the Modern Warfare 2 beta which kicks off tomorrow for PlayStation players.    

Shabana Arif
News Editor, TechRadar Gaming

Shabana has been writing about games for almost a decade now, as well as covering tech, politics, food, and other random tidbits at Gizmodo UK. She's stepped outside of news every now and then to write game guides, and always appreciates a DM if she's helped get you out of a pickle. During her time freelancing, you may have spotted her words at VG24/7, GamesRadar, and IGN. She's also held the position of news editor at Gizmodo UK, T3, and The Sun Online.