Since Call of Duty: Black Ops 7's full launch yesterday, my results in multiplayer have been very mixed, and that's for a couple of reasons.
Treyarch's decision to finally tone down skill-based matchmaking has made the majority of matches feel more random and fun, so that's a good thing. But also, doing the same with aim assist for controller players has me feeling like I am garbage.
The changes for BO7's launch are to what's called Rotational Aim Assist, which helps slow down and hone in on a target when the right analog stick is aiming towards an enemy. It's very, very noticeable, and a lot of players are unhappy with the change.
"Our goal with the adjustments is to create a more balanced and competitive experience for all players, regardless of input choice," the dev explained in the game's launch patch notes. "It is also important to us that these changes preserve the core feel of Call of Duty controller gameplay. When looking at engagements between similarly skilled controller and keyboard/mouse (KBM) players, we found that controller is slightly favored to win at close ranges and KBM is favored at long ranges."
For BO6, Treyarch said it "updated Rotational Aim Assist strength at close range to scale over a short distance," but in BO7, "increasing the range before full Rotational Aim Assist strength is achieved." That's a whole lot of words for "holy shit, I feel like I can't aim anymore."
It's been a harrowing realization that I'm even worse of a player than I thought I was. And in the end, that's fine. But I can't imagine this change is going over too well with the droves of casual players who like to play multiplayer for fun and are now getting relentlessly gunned down as their extra shots are just totally missing.
Aim assist is a slippery slope, because it's likely needed to level the field between controllers and KBM, especially in the age of crossplay. But it's difficult to find the right balance, because if it gets too strong, then it's a crutch. I am crutchless now, as are many others.
But it's not just us lower-skilled gamers who are speaking out. Multiple-time CoD world champion Shotzzy even recently said that the nerf feels "insane," and for someone as dedicated and successful in the grind of CoD to say that, it sure feels like maybe things got overtuned. Either that, or it's going to take a harsh period of adjustment. I'm thinking it's the latter, but I don't know if I have it in me.
Treyarch said it was fielding feedback and "will be gathering more data to continue our push for a level and competitive playing field," and honestly, I would not be surprised to see this nerf reverted just a little bit.
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