Why is Slide Cancelling such a hot topic in MW3?

MW3’s marketing team on social media has whipped players into a frenzy, and you’ve got to hand it to them for getting the whole community talking. The developers seem willing to put conversations about movement and mobility center stage. Pros and popular content creators have been quick to lay praise on MW3 for these changes. CourageJD, a prominent figure in the shooter space, even remarked that much of the MW3 marketing simply reverses what was introduced in MW2. That said, some players are very upset with the direction MW3 is taking, particularly when it comes to mobility and Slide Cancelling. Are you wondering why Slide Canceling is such a hot topic in MW3? Well, let’s talk about it.

Related: How to perform a Slide Cancel in MW3

Why is Slide Cancelling such a hot topic in MW3?

Just so we’re all on the same page, I should quickly explain what Slide Canceling is. As the name suggests, Slide Canceling is a technique that lets players cancel their Slide animation. In practice, a sliding player can quickly stop, ADS, and engage targets while staying evasive. With practice, it’s an easy technique to pull off, whether you like the ability or not.

Now you know what Slide Canceling is, you may wonder, is Slide Canceling a problem? The answer depends on who you ask.

Call of Duty has a divided community

With so many players, it’s impossible for any design choice to please everyone. With MW3’s stance on mobility, the player base is split into two groups: those who like the extra movement options and those who don’t. To fuel the fire, the trend seems to be that content creators and players who are good at the game enjoy the mobility. On the flip side, self-proclaimed “casual” players are concerned they won’t be able to keep up with their G-Fuel-guzzling competition.

MW3 caters to different players than MW2

MW2 ushered in many changes that were met with disdain and arguably promoted camping. MW2’s ‘Time To Kill’ (TTK) is extremely short, so you will almost always win the fight if you see someone first. Unsilenced shots don’t appear on the Radar, and you can’t shoot while sliding.

These features put the advantage in the hands of players who prefer slow-paced gameplay. In my experience with MW2’s multiplayer, I get killed by players who sit still and collect dust in the corner far too often for my liking. As a result, I much prefer Warzone, where players have a larger health pool.

Many of MW3’s features are a stark change to MW2’s M.O. MW3 boasts a longer TTK, so there’s counterplay in fights. Unsilenced shots appear on the Radar, and with practice, you can land shots while sliding. These changes promote faster-paced gameplay and shift the advantage toward a more mobile playstyle.

After having a blast with the Beta, I’m squarely in the ‘pro mobility’ crowd, but different players enjoy different things, and that’s why Slide Canceling is a hot topic in MW3. I don’t enjoy hiding under a table for minutes, waiting for my prey to walk by, but many players do.

Just “Adapt”

When the complaints rolled in about MW2’s movement at launch, many relished telling unhappy players to “adapt.” A quick browse on X will tell you this is still one of the community’s favorite words. With MW3, time will tell if adapting works both ways.

To summarize, Call of Duty has a massive player base, and you can’t please everyone. Many mechanics in MW2 felt like they promoted a very slow playstyle, and camping was a massively powerful strategy. This time around, it’s pretty clear that the developers are eager to change that.

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