Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 gunsmith changes

Image via Activision

The Modern Warfare 2 Beta has introduced players into a new progression system along with a major overhaul on how attachments are unlocked for different weapons. Weapons within each class are also unlocked differently, so it won’t be like what you saw in Modern Warfare back in 2019.

MW2 Gunsmith Changes

The Gunsmith in Modern Warfare 2 (MW2 is how we’ll refer to it for the rest of the article) has gotten some pretty major updates. Infinity Ward wanted to create a more explorative weapon builder, allowing for unlocking attachments and camos to be easier.

The Weapon Platform is now the new system that IW has utilized, and it changes the progression system in MW2. We did break down a lot of the information in the new Call of Duty in the video below, so check it out if you’d rather watch us explain:

How Do Weapon Platforms Work?

A Weapon Platform is the new system made by IW for MW2. It is a collection of up to five weapons, each sharing the same attachment types. These Platforms can include different weapon types, so assault rifles and LMGs, for example.

The Receiver is an attachment in the Gunsmith that changes the class of the weapon when it is changed. This makes a weapon something brand new, essentially.

In MW2, the M4 is one of the first unlockable weapons and has four potential Receivers. These are the M16, the 556 Icarus LMG, the FTac Recon Rifle, and the FSS Hurricane SMG.

In order to unlock each Receiver, you have to update the level of each weapon. Once the M4 base weapon is leveled up to 14, you can unlock the FTac Recon Receiver.

The Progression Menu can show you a progression tab that displays a branched map of the overall Platform Mastery, with the ability to see the track that you’re on for progression, as well as what rewards you’ll get for leveling up the weapons in the Platform.

How Do Weapon Attachments Work?

The MW2 Gunsmith has also brought some changes to the way attachments unlock. Now, attachments can be one of two types: Universal or Weapons Platform Specific.

Universal attachments can be used by all weapons across the game, such as a muzzle, underbarrel, ammunition, laser, and optic.

Weapons Platform Specific Attachments can be shared between all Receivers within the same platform. These can be things like receivers, barrels, magazines, stocks, and rear grips.

What the new system does is lessen the grind that players previously went through in order to unlock attachments and build the weapon of their choice. With the MW2 Gunsmith, you don’t need to unlock an attachment for every weapon each time. Across the Platform, you only unlock it once and with the Universal attachments, you can unlock an attachment for the M4 and then use it on any other compatible gun in the game.


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