Call of Duty: Warzone is approaching its highly anticipated fourth season, but there are still certain mechanics plaguing some player’s experiences. One issue that is getting fans riled up is the seemingly unbalanced melee damage in fights, where at times, it seems a few whacks with a sidearm wins against live rounds.
Sure, there could be crazy neon lights and inescapable trucks, but disproportionate melee damage is a seemingly overlooked issue in Warzone. Melee damage shouldn’t be non-existent by any means, yet being more reliable than a shotgun shell seems like a stretch.
Over on Reddit, “u/OneDestinty” voiced their frustration over the melee imbalance, stating that getting killed by someone rushing in for melee damage is becoming “tiresome,” despite landing their shots. Other users also shared the same frustration, recounting situations where a flurry of fists somehow beat a thrown C4. Redditors in the thread pointed the finger at the game’s audio issues making it difficult to point out where people are, allowing players to rush in with absurd melee attacks. However, other users took the stance that they enjoyed the risk-reward factor involved with bringing fists to a gunfight.
Fun Factor vs. Balance
While being on the receiving end of the fists can be a pain, it is a rush for the person landing them. Think about it; you’re the last person in your squad, bullets whizzing past as you sprint in, the enemy missing their shots – and suddenly you land the game-winning kill with two quick bonks to the head. In a game where accuracy is king, especially landing headshots, why should the player punching be held accountable for exploiting a weakness from the opposition?
Yet, it is entirely understandable for players to be upset with being knocked down by two whacks of a gun. For the sake of immersion, it makes sense for melee damage to be weaker than a shotgun shell; it would pair with the somewhat grounded atmosphere that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare exudes. It feels unfair when a player (who has full armor and a fully-customized primary) unloads several rounds into the enemy, but loses the fight because they did not melee. It feels almost counter-intuitive to go for your fists when you have an entire arsenal of weapons at your disposal. The game goes from shooter to Tekken real quick.
Possible Solutions And Moving Forward
There is merit to framing the current melee damage as a fun challenge to the meta-game, but there are other nuisances involved that compound the issue. While anyone can make the case that players should just be aware of their surroundings and land their shots, that can be easier said than done considering the terrible sound cues that torment the game. You can be walking in a building, and your footsteps sound like an enemy right behind you; steps from only 20 meters away barely register, and you will only hear them once it is too late. The bottom line is that sound of footsteps is terribly inconsistent. Until sound issues are fixed, the playing field favors crazy melee dive-bombs all-too-often.
Perhaps the damage melee does to armor can be toned down, while keeping the damage to unarmored enemies the same, to be a bit fairer. It feels wrong that two whacks from the butt of your pistol can rip through several armor plates. Slightly increasing the damage threshold of armor plates from melee damage can help give players on the receiving end some time to react, while also punishing those throwing careless punches. Whether this can come in the form of equipment, perk, or balance change is yet to be seen, but could be an exciting proposition to discuss.
For the time being, the best bet to counter rushes is to simply improve your Warzone fundamentals. Get to know the map, try new playstyles, work on reaction time, and practice!
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