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Call of Duty gets brutally realistic with Modern Warfare 2 Season 2

Call of Duty is set to bring the crushingly difficult Hardcore mode to Modern Warfare 2 Season 2, as the FPS game gets fresh updates alongside CoD Warzone 2.

Call of Duty gets brutally realistic with Modern Warfare 2 Season 2. A soldier, Graves from Modern Warfare 2, smiles enigmatically

If you want brutal realism, a steep difficulty curve, and a Call of Duty experience designed to shred your nerves, Modern Warfare 2 Season 2 – which is sadly delayed until February 15 – is likely what you’re after, as Infinity Ward confirms that the classic multiplayer Hardcore mode will be coming to the FPS game, alongside fresh updates for CoD Warzone 2.

Hardcore mode has been a mainstay of Call of Duty ever since the first Modern Warfare back in 2007. Essentially, it aims to turn the game into a slower-paced, more realistic combat simulation. The heads-up display is removed, so you can’t see the radar, ammo counter, or other stats. Everyone’s health is dropped way down, so you can withstand one or two bullets at most. Lastly, friendly fire is enabled by default, so if you’re wading into battle with the best Modern Warfare 2 guns, you need to watch your fire.

“No HUD, no problem,” Infinity Ward writes. “Hardcore is back.” A fresh developer blog, outlining the full changes to Modern Warfare 2 Season 2, and likely some additions for Warzone 2, will be published later this week.

Although Hardcore mode is a Call of Duty tradition at this point, Modern Warfare 2 is already renowned for its incredibly swift time-to-kill (TTK). The best Modern Warfare 2 battle rifles will already drop you in seconds, so we’re eager to see just how punishing the shooter will become with Hardcore mode layered on top. Best grab the best Modern Warfare 2 TAQ-56 loadout just to be on the safe side.

Alternatively, take a look at some of the other best multiplayer games, or perhaps, if you want a break from Warzone 2, the best battle royale games on PC. You might also want to know how to get Modern Warfare 2 Twitch drops, to keep that free XP and gear rolling in.