Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered is having a tough time on Steam
Standalone version already review-bombed.
Now Sony's timed exclusivity for the standalone version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered has expired, the shooter has released on other platforms, including PC.
Modern Warfare Remastered has been playable on PC ever since Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare came out, but this is the first time it's been sold standalone, and therefore the first time it's had its own store page on Steam. And upset players have been quick to jump on the opportunity to pile on the game.
On Steam, the game has got off to a particularly rough start, with a mostly negative user review rating. Players are complaining about all sorts, including the £34.99 price, performance issues and hackers in multiplayer.
There's more: PC players hate the addition of supply drops, and the fact they're being asked to pay for a map pack.
It doesn't look like the release of the standalone version of the game has significantly boosted its Steam player count, either. Last night - the day of release - the player count for the multiplayer peaked at just 452.
The situation with Modern Warfare Remastered standalone is in part an extension of the series' current struggle on PC. The only Call of Duty to make Steam's top 100 games by player count is Black Ops 3, with 4474 players at the time of publication. In truth, Call of Duty has failed to make a significant impact on PC for some time now.
There is a perception among PC gamers that Activision prioritises the console versions of Call of Duty over the PC versions, that they're treated like second class citizens. Given the support Modern Warfare Remastered has received since launch - or lack of - it comes as no surprise to see users review bomb it as soon as possible.
Will Call of Duty: WW2, due out later this year on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, fare any better? Time will tell.