Infinity Ward is making major changes to Modern Warfare 4’s movement during the Beta, removing Tactical Sprint as a default ability and moving it to the Blood Rush Perk while also nerfing sliding, stamina and overall mobility.

Call of Duty’s movement system is changing again.

Following feedback from the first weekend of the Modern Warfare 4 Beta, Infinity Ward has released another substantial balancing update addressing one of the biggest points of discussion among players: Tactical Sprint.

Instead of being available to everyone by default, Tactical Sprint is now tied to the Blood Rush Perk.

The developer is treating the change as an experiment for the Beta, but if the response is positive, it could potentially become part of Modern Warfare 4’s final movement system.

Tactical Sprint Is Now Part of the Blood Rush Perk

Infinity Ward says it received a wide range of feedback surrounding Tactical Sprint during the Beta’s first weekend.

The studio ultimately decided to experiment with removing the mechanic from the default movement kit entirely.

Players who prefer faster movement can still access Tactical Sprint by equipping Blood Rush, and Infinity Ward has improved the ability by reducing its sprint-to-fire penalty.

Tactical Sprint’s sprint-to-fire time now matches a standard sprint, although Tactical Sprint movement speed itself has been reduced by 4%.

Infinity Ward believes removing it as a universal mechanic could slow combat slightly and give Modern Warfare 4 a more traditional Call of Duty feel.

The studio emphasized that the current implementation isn’t necessarily final. If Tactical Sprint remains connected to a Perk at launch, Infinity Ward says it will need to evaluate Blood Rush’s position within the wider Perk system and make additional balancing adjustments.

Sliding Has Been Nerfed in Modern Warfare 4

Tactical Sprint isn’t the only movement mechanic being adjusted.

Infinity Ward is also reducing the effectiveness of sliding following the first Beta weekend.

Slide distance has been reduced by 10%, while slide speed has received a 9% reduction.

The delay between sliding and jumping has also been increased, making it more difficult to rapidly chain the two mechanics together.

Combined with the Tactical Sprint changes, these adjustments appear designed to reduce extremely aggressive movement and place more emphasis on positioning and gunplay.

Stamina has also been reduced by 8%, further limiting how long players can maintain maximum mobility around the map.

Pistols and Knives Get Faster Sprint Speeds

Not every movement adjustment is a nerf.

Infinity Ward has increased the base sprint speed while carrying knives and pistols, giving players another option when they need to move quickly without using the Blood Rush Perk.

The update also addresses a couple of movement-related bugs.

An issue allowing players to mantle considerably higher than intended has been fixed, while climbing ladders and pipes should now feel smoother after Infinity Ward addressed a problem that could cause stuttering.

Taken together, the changes make this one of the most substantial movement experiments we’ve seen during the Modern Warfare 4 Beta so far.

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Modern Warfare 4’s Time-to-Kill Is Changing Again

Movement isn’t the only major area receiving attention.

Infinity Ward has also made another adjustment to Modern Warfare 4’s time-to-kill (TTK).

Following its previous balancing changes, the studio decided it still wanted players to survive slightly longer during gunfights.

Weapon balancing has therefore been adjusted again to increase survivability and create more opportunities for skill expression during engagements.

It’s another example of why the Beta period matters so much for Call of Duty.

Infinity Ward is clearly willing to make substantial changes based on player feedback rather than treating the Beta as little more than an early-access marketing event.

There are additional adjustments covering areas such as killstreaks and spawn behavior, but the removal of default Tactical Sprint is likely to generate the most discussion.

Whether it survives until the final release will depend heavily on how players respond to the experiment.

What do you think about Tactical Sprint becoming part of the Blood Rush Perk? Does Modern Warfare 4 feel better with slower, more traditional movement, or should Tactical Sprint remain available to everyone? Let us know in the comments below.