Modern Warfare 2 devs defend return of controversial Last Stand perk

Sam Comrie
an image of last stand in modern warfare 2

Modern Warfare 2 features the return of Last Stand (albeit under the name Survivor), an infamous perk from Call of Duty history and players are already up in arms about its reappearance.

Over the course of Call of Duty history, several perks have consistently annoyed players to no end. Though different games have sought out to innovate on the franchise’s perk system, one perk in particular has made a divisive return in Modern Warfare 2.

Last Stand is officially back for the latest entry of the Modern Warfare saga and players are pushing back against its appearance in the hotly anticipated shooter.

Amid player outcries, members of Modern Warfare 2’s development team have defended their decision.

Modern Warfare 2 devs claim Survivor perk can be used as a “tool”

Players are getting their first taste of Infinity Ward’s next Modern Warfare offering this weekend, while discovering that Last Stand is well and truly back under the Survivor rebrand.

However, despite its condemned history, Infinity Ward dev @goku4smash defended its inclusion, explaining how it is balanced. He said “Maybe you got shot across the map, or spammed through a smoke.”

“Maybe you took a 2v1 with your teammate and he got the trade before the other guy finished you off,” continued the Multiplayer Design dev. “It doesn’t have to be the best tool in the game in every situation, and that’s okay.”

Amid pointing out Survivor’s practicality in the heat of battle, the dev also pointed out how they have given the perk an overhaul to keep Modern Warfare 2 balanced: “You don’t have a gun if you’re downed w Survivor. You cant shoot back. There are no i-frames.”

“You can be killed out of “last stand” before you hit the floor. It only triggers off of bullet damage. And it can only be done once per life.”

However, the devs justification isn’t sitting well with some players. Players such as Twitter user @JROConz said “So whats the point of it then lol. Just get it out of the game.”

Others like @IBrovail are wondering “why does this perk even exist” as many call for Dead Silence to emerge in the game instead.

Infinity Ward are allowing players to give feedback via Reddit after playing the Open Beta.

It remains to be seen whether serious changes will appear in the game’s full release.

About The Author

Sam Comrie is a former Dexerto journalist based in South Yorkshire, UK. He has an MA in Multimedia Journalism and joined Dexerto in 2021 after producing content for NME and Red Bull Gaming.