Chapter 349: Trial Play (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

Chapter 349: Trial Play (Requesting Subscriptions, Monthly Passes)

The moment the video was released, it instantly ignited players' passion.

Over the past period, the popularity of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare had already begun to decline.

After all, there wasn't much left to discuss—mainly just the story.

As for the multiplayer mode, although players discussed it quite a bit, it clearly couldn't match the earlier buzz surrounding the story mode.

Most discussions were now focused on strategy.

For instance, which maps suited certain playstyles, which firearms were more effective, and how to scientifically equip each weapon.

Players were still actively researching these aspects.

Of course, there was also a large portion of players who didn't overthink it—just grab a gun and fight.

While this was extremely satisfying to play, the core content didn't differ much from previous FPS games.

It was just more enjoyable to play.

And honestly, that alone was enough to attract many players to keep playing.

But overall, it lacked that sense of awe and surprise—nothing like the initial impact when players first experienced the story mode in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, nor the stunning first impression created by Rainbow Six Siege's hardcore gameplay.

Now, this brand-new CGI trailer sparked extensive discussion and heated debate among players.

Though not long in duration, the video contained rich content.

First, the return of Soap, Captain Price, and Ghost thrilled many players.

As for Roach?

Many players speculated he was the one giving a thumbs-up on the aircraft, though they couldn't be sure.

After all, Roach had never shown his face in the game.

As for this new mode named 'Warzone,' based on the few hints revealed in the CGI and the visual content shown,

it clearly involved attack helicopters transporting players into a city.

And within this city, there were 150 individuals.

Scattered across the city were various items and vehicles. Players parachuted into different locations, eliminating others,

with only one player or one squad able to survive in the end.

After all, only Captain Price and Task Force 141 would leave aboard the final helicopter.

The 150 participants were most likely all players.

Under this game framework, players could make diverse choices.

Engaging in direct firefights, or like the sniper previously seen in a Ghillie Suit, becoming campers who sniped from hiding.

Besides that, judging from the video, the gameplay was incredibly rich—ground vehicles like Jeeps, even attack helicopters, Claymores, RPGs, and all kinds of firearms were available.

Cluster Bombs, UAV reconnaissance drones—elements present in both the story and multiplayer modes—were also included in Warzone.

Moreover, it seemed that after a player's death, they wouldn't be immediately eliminated but instead sent to the Gulag prison.

There was also a Poison Circle mechanic, seemingly designed to shrink the playable area over time.

Players familiar with the second installment were no strangers to this concept.

Since there were no Battle Royale novels or films in this Parallel World, Chen Xu didn't use the term 'Battle Royale' in the promotion.

After all, players wouldn't have a direct reference.

Yet, despite the similar gameplay and theme, this mode inherently cultivated chaos, and in the promotional CG video, Chen Xu had clearly hinted at a wide variety of playstyles.

Through discussions, players quickly analyzed the content of this new 'Warzone' mode.

Reactions varied widely.

'This doesn't feel that different. Vehicles, kill streak system, firearms—weren't these all in the Regular mode and story too?'

'Yeah, it feels like aside from a larger map, nothing's really changed.'

'Mainly the gameplay has changed. I actually find it pretty interesting—dying and then getting sent to prison to do some boxing?'

'And this mode feels really unbalanced! If you don't bring your own gun, and you don't find one early, you're stuck with just a small pistol!'

'Bro upstairs, I don't know if you're genuinely clueless or just pretending. If you don't have a gun, do you really think others do? Isn't it just down to luck? Just like in Regular mode—if someone gets strong teammates and you get pig teammates, are you gonna call that unbalanced too?'

'Frankly, I think this mode is quite interesting. With such a large map and so many players, there are countless variables.'

'Not sure about the rest, but anyone who loves running around shooting will definitely become the center of attention—might have six snipers aiming at them while just walking down the street.'

'23333333 I can picture it now. Still, I'm kinda disappointed. When I saw Captain Price, Ghost, and Soap, I thought it might be a story DLC.'

'Sigh, don't mention Soap—it makes me sad.'

Players held diverse opinions—some found it intriguing, others couldn't understand why Nebula Games went to such lengths.

Even Howard Warsaw from Atrai was simultaneously shocked and delighted.

The shock? What grudge or feud was this!?

Their own game, Storm Action, had already been delayed to the 10th!

And now Nebula Games was chasing right behind!? Are they trying to cut off all survival routes!?

On the other hand, the delight came from Howard Warsaw immediately studying this new 'Warzone' mode.

Like some players, Howard Warsaw didn't find the 'Warzone' mode particularly exciting either.

It just felt like a chaotic mix.

Looting guns? That existed in traditional FPS games.

Large battlefield maps? Those existed too, though few executed them well—mostly niche, hardcore titles.

As for killstreaks and firearms, those were core elements of Call of Duty itself.

The only slightly novel aspect was the 'boxing in prison' mechanic after death.

But what was the difference between that and the team mode where players could respawn?

Wasn't it just meant to reduce frustration after death?

As for the Poison Circle mechanic, Howard Warsaw could also speculate on its purpose.

The game map might be too large—without restrictions, players might never even encounter each other.

But that felt like taking off your pants to fart (a Chinese idiom for doing something unnecessarily complicated or pointless).

Despite placing high importance on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Howard Warsaw genuinely didn't feel this new mode was that interesting based on these elements.

Much like how, in his previous life, many people hadn't taken Battle Royale seriously upon first hearing about its concept, before it became wildly popular.

Now, there was an awkward situation: should Storm Action still launch as scheduled?

But Howard Warsaw didn't have to agonize for long—the company had already issued orders.

They would stick to the original launch plan.

The reason? Atrai had collected player feedback online and internally analyzed that this new mode wouldn't have a significant impact.

This made Howard Warsaw extremely happy.

Why? Because now there was someone else to be the Scapegoat!

If it weren't for his proposed plan, this blame wouldn't fall on him, right?

………………

July 6th—the day announced in the earlier promotional CG video for the release of Call of Duty: Warzone's trial experience.

Many players, previously filled with doubts, downloaded it immediately.

This included many who hadn't purchased the base game Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

After all, this game mode was open to all players.

Some who hadn't bought the base game took this chance to check out the graphics, movement, and shooting feel of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

But even more were players simply curious about the new mode.

Just finished Sword and Fairy 7—how to put it… it exceeded my expectations, especially since the previous one was truly terrible. As for the 'internet celebrity faces,' I didn't mind them, and the heroine's white stockings were absolutely top-tier~ Finally, Elden Ring got delayed!

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