A new 6v6 map has been released for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 by Activision. This map has been generating some controversial discussions as it leans very heavily into legacy. The new map is called Backstab.
Activision reuses 2005 Burgundy geometry for competitive 6v6 play
Backstab is a map layout that resembles the 2005 original Call of Duty map Burgundy. Activision’s decision to reuse a nearly 20 year old map layout in a new map very much suggests that Activision is going for a recycle of tried and true geometry, rather than creating new maps and environments. For some gamers, this level of recycling may come across as stale as it relies on tried and true level designs.
Backstab’s layout is a snow-covered community setting. It could be a town in Russia or North Korea. Activision has changed the setting from the World War 2 setting in the French country side to this snow town.
The layout though is exactly the same as the 2005 Burgundy map. The same tight corridors and central choke points are kept in this map layout from the 2005 map. Though it has a completely different look, the tactical flow is the same in this new map layout with a modern look.
Gamers on Reddit pointed out the similarity in layout by comparing the new map release screen shots with old screen shots from the classic game. The similarities aren’t just in textures, but also in the actual route-flow and line of sight which effects player movement. We have seen similar situations with the classic maps before.
For example, the Taraq map was a recreation of the Neuville map from the first Call of Duty. Suldal Harbor was a recreation of the Harbor map from original Modern Warfare.
In this latest release, we see the focus on balance and stability we discussed in the last Modern Warfare 4 update. Activision is still using old map layouts to keep a strong focus on the competitive 6v6 play. So you’ll get all the same tactical play that was the cornerstone of the original Burgundy map for the early competitive tournaments for Call of Duty. There is now a direct line of influence from the current competitive gaming to the very beginning.
Source: IXBT
This is a lazy move. Burgundy was iconic but reusing it for 2024 is just nostalgia bait. We deserve fresh geometry not a snow job on old code.
tbh the snow texture makes it look like a beta build from 2012. not a fan of this recycling strategy at all 😅
Does the collision mesh still have the same hitbox quirks as the original 2005 version or did they patch those out in the engine rewrite?
They kept the original hitboxes. The server tick rate is higher but the geometry is identical so the spray patterns feel exactly the same.