Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Large Map Tier List | Game Rant
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has struggled for some time with its map pool, but the game finally has enough variety in its maps that most players have a map that they love. Many players prefer smaller, more focused maps for a classic Call of Duty experience, as well as faster level ups gained from collecting more kills in quicker matches. Plenty of great small Modern Warfare maps have been added to the game since launch, from fan favorite classics to all new areas that are also among the best maps in the game. However, some of the large-scale maps that shipped with the game at the start also deserve their time in the limelight.
Modern Warfare launched as an attempt to refresh the series and add a lot more tactical realism than was present in recent titles. For that reason, a lot of larger, slower-paced maps came with the game at launch. These maps were all designed to force players to slow down, think about traversal, and engage at much longer distances than they were used to. At their worst, these large maps encouraged rampant camping, stagnant matches, and had layouts that somehow managed to be both boring and confusing at the same time. However, at their best, these maps encourage teamwork, careful planning, and engaging tactical gameplay.
The maps on this list were rated on how good they are for standard 6v6 and 10v10 multiplayer modes. There are eight maps ranging from more open medium maps like Azhir Cave to gargantuan battlefields like Aniyah Palace. There are no Gunfight or Ground War maps discussed, but the tier list for small Modern Warfare maps covers nine more compact arenas. More maps will surely be added further on in Season 2 and later seasons, but for now these maps make up the core of standard multiplayer games.
Low-Tier large Modern Warfare maps are defined by stale gameplay and frustrating layouts, either because they stagnate at one or two unbalanced points or are so open that there is no rhyme or reason to the flow of the battle. Arklov Peak is a map that is just a bit too open for its own good. It has three main paths, but each one is so exposed to such a multitude of camping spots that it rarely makes sense to traverse them. Matches typically involve roaming around looking for elusive enemies, or running in circles as objectives trade hands without much conflict at all.
Euphrates Bridge has the opposite problem. It is so open that there are only two real points of conflict. The initial race to claim the bridge and set up sniper spots essentially decides the rest of the match. For players who want to bust out their sniping chops with the best long-range guns in Modern Warfare, it's a great time. For everyone else, it is an unbalanced slaughter based primarily on which side of the map they spawn on. Grazna Raid, on the other hand, somehow manages to exemplify all of the problems of large maps at once. It has enough paths to traverse that there is no predicting where the enemies are at any given time, but is so filled with sniping positions that the entire match is usually spent trying to dislodge campers.
Mid-Tier large Modern Warfare maps generally have a good layout with relatively few sticking points. For the most part, though, they suffer from being a bit simple or boring. There isn't much about these maps that is actively frustrating, but there are also very few areas that stand out as exceptionally interesting. Aniyah Palace is an absolutely huge map, also present in 20v20 matches. In 10v10s, all the action tends to happen around the central palace, creating a dynamic, roughly circular battlefield with a lot of approach angles. Unfortunately, the rest of the map is mostly forgettable, and near the end of long matches teams tend to get pushed into one of the two clumps of buildings on either end, making it night on impossible to escape.
Piccadilly is a decently interesting map, but suffers from a few unfortunate camping spots that make it less fun to play on. From the upstairs window overlooking the map to the headache-inducing booths that campers can pop out of like whack-a-moles, this map has some serious flaws. There is also the small detail that each spawn can be easily pelted with grenades from the other side of the map, which is a clear case of design oversight. St. Petrograd fares a bit better than Piccadilly with its multiple separate routes, but suffers heavily from snipers on either end of its long, straight, cover-barren streets as well as players hiding in buildings with overpowered shotguns like spiders waiting for hapless prey.
Maps that reach the Top-Tier in Modern Warfare aren't necessarily flawless, but at the very least their flaws take back seat to their more interesting aspects. These maps have limited camping spots that are generally easy to flank, a mix of engagement ranges, and a flow of combat that is easy to understand yet keeps moving across the map. Gun Runner is a perfect example of this type of design. Far from linear, the map has a multitude of intersecting paths divide several distinct areas across the map. From close range indoors, mid-range between buildings, and long range over the train tracks, the map is a great place to use any of Modern Warfare's weapons to its full effect. There are a few annoying hiding spots, especially indoors, but as combat moves fluidly through the map they are rarely a prolonged issue.
Azhir Cave is likely the best example of what the developers wanted to create when introducing so many large maps. At first it might seem like it falls into the same trap as some of the weaker maps because a team can usually seal off one end of the caves or outdoor area, making it impossible to attack head on. However, once one area is well defended, several others become open flanking routes. This ultimately encourages teams to work together to defend and push at different points on the map throughout a single match, keeping the game fluid while still rewarding teamwork and tactical awareness.
Of course, this can all fall apart and stagnate, but Azhir Cave is the closest thing to the ideal large map. Getting Azhir cave too many times in a row can be annoying just because it encourages one type of gameplay, but if the developers ever add map filtering that would cease to be an issue.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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