Modern Warfare 2 players baffled after Infinity Ward make “pointless” Hardcore mode change

Liam Mackay
Soap Operator in Modern Warfare 2

Hardcore has long been a staple of the Call of Duty franchise, offering an incredibly fast time to kill and a limited HUD. Of course, the mode returns in Modern Warfare 2, but players are baffled to see it’s been renamed.

Modern Warfare 2‘s multiplayer is almost here, bringing brand-new maps, modes, and weapons on October 28. With a new Mastery Camo to grind, many are looking forward to jumping into the Hardcore mode for its fast time to kill (TTK) which makes almost any weapon viable.

Infinity Ward announced their new “Tier 1 Playlist“, describing the mode as “a more challenging experience compared to traditional Multiplayer.” In this mode, “Operators have less health and limited HUD elements, and friendly fire is on.” As many were quick to realize, this is just the classic Hardcore mode with a new name.

As some pointed out, this is likely because a Tier One Special Mission Unit is a term used to describe highly secretive American military special operations forces. But, the move away from Hardcore has left players scratching their heads.

“Guess it being called [Hardcore] for over a decade didn’t work,” said YouTuber JGOD. “Change for the Sake of Change.”

Many players echoed the sentiment, not understanding why Infinity Ward made the “pointless” change. Some joked that it’s because “core is already hardcore this time around.”

Others were confused as Tier 1 implies that it’s a mode for the best, but players such as YouTuber TheXclusiveAce suggested the name change will feed into the “delusion” that Hardcore has a higher skill gap.

But, while many were baffled, others pointed out that it won’t make a difference at the end of the day. “People are really complaining about this when it changes absolutely nothing in the game,” replied HunterTV. “Literally no reason at all to change the name but it doesn’t matter,” said another. “As long as hardcore stays the same.”


To get ready for Modern Warfare 2’s launch, be sure to check out the best PC, controller, and FOV settings.

Image Credit: Activision

Related Topics

About The Author

Liam is CharlieIntel's Editor who focuses on Call of Duty but also plays lots of fantasy RPGs or anything else in his massive gaming backlog. After graduating in Journalism from Edinburgh Napier University, Liam freelanced in games journalism before joining CharlieIntel in November 2020. You can contact Liam at [email protected].