Episode 611: Infinity Ward Changed DMZ Matchmaking Without Telling Anyone

Infinity Ward changed DMZ matchmaking in Modern Warfare 4 and didn't put it in the patch notes. Charlie Intel reported that the update increased PvP matchmaking for everyone, and that replaying a story mission you've already finished now puts you in a regular lobby. Raz and Jake go through what changed, why players noticed before anyone said anything, and why leaving it out of the October 28 patch notes is the bigger problem.

We also talk about reports that MW4 is selling worse than Black Ops 7, even though BO7 was on Game Pass, and why Warzone season 1 might be the game's last chance. We go through a few theories for why Infinity Ward made the change, from slowing down progression to holding onto PvP players until Warzone launches.

Then EA shut down BioWare, and early work on the next Mass Effect is ending. We talk about Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Mass Effect 3, Larian as the new BioWare, and which games we'd want turned into TV shows, from Tarkov and Gears of War to Knights of the Old Republic.

Also: Al Mazrah coming back to Warzone in season 4, and GTA 6 reportedly being around 210 GB.

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot

0:00 - Intro

4:52 - Patreon shoutouts

6:52 - DMZ matchmaking drama

11:16 - Charlie Intel: more PvP in DMZ

13:02 - Nothing in the patch notes

15:04 - Last "Live from the Ward" of the year

15:56 - MW4 sales vs Black Ops 7 and Game Pass

21:13 - Infinity Ward's yearly pattern

23:56 - Warzone is MW4's last chance

27:15 - Just write accurate patch notes

28:33 - A game for everybody is a game for nobody

33:32 - Call of Duty is mall pizza

37:04 - Charlie Intel confirms it

40:38 - Built for the next earnings call

43:12 - Why would they make this change?

50:41 - Holding PvP players until Warzone

55:01 - How the patch notes should have read

57:27 - The tiger did tiger stuff

59:17 - What do IW devs do all day?

1:01:35 - Is Call of Duty dying?

1:06:20 - The DMZ trailer and why CoD still feels good

1:08:47 - CoD is lucky most players don't look around

1:16:12 - "Beckoning of Responsibility"

1:19:00 - Is the matchmaking change a test?

1:20:53 - Al Mazrah returns to Warzone

1:25:43 - GTA 6 at 210 GB

1:27:56 - Is a DMZ PvE mode coming?

1:30:04 - Warzone season 1 date

1:32:43 - EA shuts down BioWare

1:37:21 - Veilguard sealed it

1:39:47 - Next Mass Effect is over

1:41:38 - Larian is the new BioWare

1:43:30 - Video games as TV shows

1:44:16 - Drew Karpyshyn

1:45:56 - Tarkov, Dead Space, Gears of War shows

1:50:18 - Star Wars is oversaturated

1:55:54 - #SaveMassEffect and EA's RPG studios

1:59:17 - Outro

_Note: timestamps may be slightly misaligned on podcast apps (but not on YouTube) due to dynamic ads._

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