Reload-canceling was a staple in Call of Duty until Modern Warfare 2 when Infinity Ward chose to remove it. With MW3 already set to bring back slide-canceling, Warzone players are now begging for the return of reload-canceling, and they have some good reasons why they want it back.
If you have ever played a lot of CoD, chances are you are well aware of reload-canceling. Also known as “Y/Ying,” players were able to stop reloading their weapons by pressing the button to swap guns, then quickly pressing it again to switch back to their primary.
This movement stopped the process of reloading, allowing you to fire the remaining bullets in your gun. This was incredibly important if you happened to stumble on an enemy, giving you a fighting chance in the gunfight. Unfortunately, this process was removed in Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2, undoing a decade of muscle memory for many players.
Modern Warfare 3 is now just around the corner though, and with the controversial slide-cancel movement mechanic set to return, Warzone players think it’s the perfect time to bring back reload-canceling too.
“I’ve died so many times because I instinctively reload my gun,” an annoyed fan on Reddit wrote. “Those instinctive actions always get me killed mid-gunfight as I’m trying to reposition but my character is so determined to reload the gun.”
Others agreed, with one frustrated player writing: “The key issue is it has been in literally every single CoD before this one… It’s not getting caught reloading, it’s starting the reload because you are used to being able to get out of it and do something if the shit hits the fan.”
“For people that like to always be topped off in FPS games, this change is a nightmare and gets me killed CONSTANTLY.”
This is certainly something I can relate to. Having played CoD for 16 years, I constantly find myself Y/Ying when I spot an opponent, only to get stuck in the animation, wiped, and sent back to the lobby screen.
Not everyone agrees with this sentiment though. Another Warzone fan suggested that while it’s frustrating to die because of this, the lack of reload-canceling “offers better weapon differentiation and balance options,” which eventually leads to more variety in the meta.
At the moment, it still remains unclear if reload-canceling will make its return to the series or not, but it’s unlikely we’ll have to wait long to find out. With Modern Warfare 3 scheduled for a Nov. 10 release, we can expect to get our hands on the beta in the next couple of months, when we’ll find out the truth for ourselves.
