Followers mourn as Activision stomps COD mod undertaking two years within the making: ‘Any likelihood we had of feeling that arcadey fashion of Name of Obligation once more is gone’
Followers mourn as Activision stomps COD mod undertaking two years within the making: ‘Any likelihood we had of feeling that arcadey fashion of Name of Obligation once more is gone’
On: May 19, 2023
A fan-made COD consumer two years within the making has been abruptly and summarily squelched by Activision legal professionals. SM² was a modding undertaking that aimed to create a “Name of Obligation consumer … with all new options, weapons, perks, streaks, maps, QOL adjustments and extra,” till considered one of its group members acquired a stop & desist letter from Activision final Wednesday.
As we speak, a group member acquired a Stop & Desist letter on behalf of Activision Publishing in relation to the sm² undertaking. We’re complying with this order and shutting down all operations completely. Thanks all to your help over the previous 2 years.Could 17, 2023
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SM² started life in 2021 as a technique to make its creators’ “dream Name of Obligation game,” a mish-mash of techniques, maps and modes from a spread of CODs. It gave the impression to be trucking alongside fairly effectively, too: Its most up-to-date devblog update (now solely accessible through the Wayback Machine after the Activision takedown) was from April 21, and knowledgeable followers that the undertaking can be making the change from the unique Trendy Warfare 2 engine to the Trendy Warfare 2019 engine, “for technical causes”.
Given the proximity of that update to the C&D letter from Activision, it is exhausting to not suppose that one thing concerning the change to the a lot newer engine ruffled the writer’s feathers someway. In spite of everything, there are many COD mods on the market for older video games that have not been nixed thus far.
The devblog additionally implored followers “Don’t be concerned, we’re not closing store,” which looks as if an extremely blunt little bit of foreshadowing for an occasion which has, as far as I can inform, occurred in actual life.
Followers have, understandably, reacted unhappily to the mod’s closure. Amid the seemingly infinite “press F to pay respects” gifs, the SM² viewers has alternated between grief on the mod’s passing and anger at Activision for killing it.
“That is simply so unhappy, any likelihood we had of feeling that arcady fashion of name of responsibility once more is gone,” tweeted FortunateFL, “A fan developed name of responsibility was higher than all of the shit they’ve launched in YEARS, so that they shut it down”.
The group behind Undertaking Wraith, an indie FPS, tweeted that “a bunch of us have been trying ahead to this superb communal effort by a passionate group. We’re so, so sorry to listen to this,” and criticised huge corporations like Activision for his or her willingness to “destroy their very own modding scene within the identify of greed”.
Lastly, a Twitter person referred to as jbowendaman succinctly summed up the fan temper with a tweet studying, “there goes our final likelihood at a superb COD game”.
When you’re inquisitive about what may need been, the SM² YouTube web page remains to be dwell (for now), and you’ll see showcases of the weapons and modes that might have populated the ultimate mod. These movies got here out previous to the change to the Trendy Warfare 2019 engine, thoughts you, so that they’re a little bit old-fashioned. However they’re the closest we’ll ever get to seeing SM² come to life.
