Another update has been released for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, and this one could have major implications on the competitive meta. Most notably, Shockwave, a trait for the Merc combat rig that allows players to perform “ground pounds,” has received a big buff.
If a Merc player has the Shockwave trait equipped, that player can hit the melee button while in mid-air to slam down to the ground. This recent update slightly increased the trait’s non-lethal damage, the non-lethal radius from low and moderate heights, and the lethal radius from moderate heights. But, the lethal radius of Shockwaves performed from tall heights was also greatly increased. In other words, Shockwave is a super strong trait right now.
Several professional players have already expressed their displeasure in the Shockwave buff, including OpTic Gaming’s Damon “Karma” Barlow, Rise Nation’s Tyler “FeLo” Johnson, and Enigma6’s captain Jordon “General” Holloway.
Other features in this update that impact the competitive Call of Duty scene include changes to the sliding mechanic. Infinity Ward has slightly reduced the maximum initial slide velocity, which could increase the time it takes for some players to get to certain power positions.
Also, Infinity Ward adjusted the visibility of the Active Camo payload, a payload on the Phantom combat rig that allows a player to go invisible for a few seconds. This update made Active Camo slightly more visible, mainly when the invisible player is in motion.
Several players have complained about the visibility of Active Camo players, so this should definitely help ease some of the tension caused by the Shockwave buff.
Finally, the spawns for the defensive side of Retaliation Search and Destroy have been slightly moved forward to “facilitate faster times to the bomb sites.” This might not be a major change, but it should give defensive teams ample time to set up for opposing rushes.
It will be interesting to see how these major changes to Shockwave and Active Camo impact the competitive Call of Duty landscape.
