Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will have a Battle Pass, but not Loot Boxes

With so many games trying to earn extra moolah from loot boxes, one would expect Call of Duty: Modern Warfare to have them in spades. But, surprise, it doesn’t.

In a new blog post today, Activision clarified its stance on post-launch content for the upcoming first-person shooter. Along with trumpeting the fact that it’s the first CoD with crossplay, the company noted the following:

• The Season Pass will be “removed,” and instead replaced with “a la carte DLC multiplayer map packs.” This is kind of a reflection of the “good ol’ days” of the series.
• Free post-launch multiplayer maps and modes are coming for “all players.” This means there won’t be those that have an advantage via paid DLC.
• Post-launch multiplayer maps and modes will release simultaneously on all platforms. Keep in mind this does not include the Special Ops Survival mode that’s exclusive to PS4 through October 2020.

The company made it clear that they will sell a new Battle Pass in the game. This will, however, take the place of traditional loot boxes. With this system, players will “see the content that they are earning or buying.” Battle Passes will apparently launch alongside the game’s seasons as it goes along. That way, “you can unlock cool new Modern Warfare-themed content that matches each season.”

Battle Pass comes to CoD

The Battle Pass system will unlock COD Points for use in Modern Warfare. There will be a free and a premium version of the pass available with a number of goodies to choose from. However, Activision specified that the items do “not impact game balance.” They’re mainly cosmetic. Base weapons and attachments are instead unlockable simply by playing through the game.

That said, the Battle Pass actually won’t launch alongside Modern Warfare next week. Instead, it’s coming later this year. Activision noted that “it’s important to us that everyone who is playing Modern Warfare has the chance to work their way through the new game and unlock all the rewards that are waiting for you.”

We’ll see how this new system goes. But regardless, it is a nice step away from Loot Boxes. Whew.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare releases on PC through Battle.net on October 25. It’ll also come out for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One the same day.