Five Ranked Play tips for beginners in MW2
With the next big update for Modern Warfare 2 approaching, a true competitive playlist arrives to Infinity Ward’s latest entry in the Call of Duty Franchise. Hardcore fans have been waiting patiently for this mode since launch, but there will be plenty of newcomers as well. For those who are diving into the competitive side of Call of Duty for the first time, take note of these five tips that will prepare you to climb the leaderboards in Ranked Play starting on February 15.
5. BRING SOME FRIENDS
This piece of advice applies whether you’re grinding public matches, Warzone 2, or any of the other modes that Modern Warfare 2 has to offer. It is ESPECIALLY important when loading into Ranked Play for the first time. This 4v4 competitive playlist requires a lot of teamwork, communication, and strategy in order to win matches and climb the ranks. Unlike public matches, Ranked Play does not favor those who prefer to drop into a map as a lone wolf. Having teammates who you can callout enemies and make decisions in real time makes a world of a difference.
4. PLAY THE OBJECTIVE
Competitive Call of Duty features three game modes, all of which revolve around an objective. Hardpoint, Control, and SnD are what you will be playing and solely focusing on top fragging every match will not be received well by your teammates. Ranked Play is all about defeating the other team by winning the most rounds of SnD, having the most hill time in Hardpoint, or capturing the most segments in Control. Slaying out is a component that contributes to a team’s success, but actually playing the objective of each game mode is what will help you rack up more wins and climb the leaderboards.
Find gun guides for Ranked Play here!
3. KNOW YOUR ROLE
As previously stated, slaying is one of the various roles for a team in Ranked Play. Along with this, it’s important to have designated players who use either the Assault Rifle (TAQ-56) class or the SMG (Vaznev) class. AR players focus more on watching long sight lines and holding spawns for their team. SMG players play with more pace and are the first ones to take a gunfight or dive into an objective. You need to have the right balance based on the map and mode (typically 2 of each roles) in order to have the best shot at winning each match. Be mindful of your preferred playstyle and adjust your role as you continue to gain experience in Ranked Play.
2. DON’T LEAVE MATCHES
In case you didn’t know, you will not win every match you play. Ranked Play is competitive for a reason and will have more skilled players who care about winning then your typical public match. Leaving matches is not only bad for your teammates, but even worse for yourself. Leaving will cause you to be hit with a drop in SR, penalty timers that prevent you from loading your next match, and doing it enough times will earn you a reputation within the community that you don’t want to have. For those who end up with teammates that leave your matches, Treyarch has added a SR Forgiveness feature so that if at any point during a match you have a teammate leave, you will not lose any SR for finishing out the match while the other team has the man advantage.
1. LEARN FROM THE PROS
The Call of Duty League is the official Professional esport for Call of Duty. 12 teams battle it out over the course of each game’s lifecycle through online qualifiers and LAN events (Majors) that culminates with COD Champs to end the competitive season. Watching the pros during official matches as well as streams is a great way to pick up on strategies and habits that will help you improve as a player in the competitive playlist. Once you determine whether you’re more comfortable with running an AR or SMG, you can find a pro that plays the same role as you to try and learn a thing or two from.
Best of luck and be on the lookout for more Ranked Play guides from Breaking Point and myself!
