The identity and feel ofCall of Duty’s core gameplay has changed drastically over the years, with the franchise’s annual releases inevitably coming with a range of different creative directions. Movement mechanics are arguably some of the most important gameplay features in any givenCoDtitle, with movement as a whole being one of the most consistently controversial elements of the franchise over the years.
It is no secret thatCall of Dutyhas leaned further and further into the “movement shooter” label as time has gone on, with the series constantly trying to expand upon things like sprinting, diving, and sliding. Recent entries to the IP likeBlack Ops 6have only furthered the debate aroundCoDmovement, setting up one obvious point of comparison between the upcomingBlack Ops 7andBattlefield 6.Call of DutyandBattlefieldhave not gone head-to-head like this in quite some time, andBattlefield 6has seemingly capitalized on a more traditional approach to movement to offer a direct comparison to the twitchier movement mechanics ofCall of Duty.
Battlefield 6 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Will Put Shooter Movement Mechanics Directly in the Spotlight
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6brought the debate around the franchise’s movement to a head byintroducing the “omnimovement” systemalongside pre-existing movement features like tac-sprint. This overhaul of core movement mechanics now allows players to sprint and dive in any direction on the fly, making good movement even more of an integral part to successful multiplayer gameplay. A lot of criticism has been levied at this system since its release, with some players chastising the idea thatCoDis moving further and further away from gunplay in favor of unrealistic and jarring movement systems.
It has been confirmed that an “evolved” version of thisomnimovement system will be making its way over toBlack Ops 7, though this will not include to the jetpacks and wallrunning mechanics of priorBlack Opsentries. This seemingly confirms thatCall of Dutymovement is set to remain complex and fast-paced in the face of these criticisms, putting a lot of attention on howBattlefield 6is going to handle this controversial aspect of many modern shooters.
It is worth noting thatBattlefield 2042faced its own backlash over movement mechanics, with the game controversially featuring its own tactical-sprint system. Many players cited this as one of the many ways thatBattlefield 2042went against the identity of the franchise, makingBF6’s core mechanical decisions even more of a make-or-break moment for the series. Tactical Sprint has been widely criticized byCall of Dutyfans for years, too, as though omnimovement has its share of fans, Tac Sprint has far less defenders. However, from what has already been seen ofBattlefield 6, it seems that DICE has smartly taken things back to basics.
Battlefield 6’s More Traditional Movement is Already Paying Dividends
A lot is already known aboutBF6’s multiplayer thanks to the massive scale of the BF Labs beta testing system. The feedback that has already been generated from early playtesting has generally been quite favorable, validating DICE’s claims thatBF6is aiming to recapture the classic feel of belovedprior entries likeBattlefield 3andBattlefield 4. Early gameplay suggests thatBattlefield 6will feature no tac-sprint, while seeing the return of features like crouch-sprinting, combat dives, as well as things like contextual vaults and grabs.
Battlefield 6is gearing up to finally launch its anticipated open beta, with many reports pointing to early August as a likely window for its release.
The more grounded movement ofBattlefield 6is in direct defiance of the increasingly rapid mechanics ofCall of Duty. While the more arcade-like and faster-paced gameplay ofCoDmultiplayer is always going to warrant twitchier movement compared toBattlefield,BF6will hopefully be proof that movement mechanics do not have to be constantly evolved and intensified. The upcomingshowdown betweenBattlefield 6andBlack Ops 7is already shaping up to be fascinating, and players will have the most direct comparison between traditional and modern shooter movement systems that has been seen for some time.
