Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare's Gunfight mode is an intimate 2v2 deathmatch

I'll admit that I'm almost impressed that Infinity Ward is showing restraint with the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. I figured that it would try and gobble up the ever-increasing player numbers that have been spurred on by the battle royale craze and announce the world's first 7.53 billion multiplayer mode, set on a 1:1 recreation of the Earth. But my cynicism was shown to be wrong last night when they let everyone see the new Gunfight mode, which is stripped so far back as to be almost naked. Call of Nudey, if you will. It's 2v2 and on tiny maps. We have some streamers screaming below.

If you hadn't told me, I might not have reckoned it was a CoD game, really. The noise and fury of a typical CoD online game are gone, the riot of icons and information that usually blasts at you is subdued, all the unlocks that drag you into ever increasingly odd loadouts are jettisoned.

And it's so wee! You could have a 2v2 fight with car passengers in the real-world. It takes place in very close quarters, with spawns that are close enough for you to smell your opposition's aftershave. Everyone starts with a game-selected loadout, to really speed you into the gunshow, and the action kicks off within seconds even though there's sneaking and hiding . If there's no death within the first 40 seconds of a round, the map rules change to force the players together towards a flag. They really want people to win and lose and to do it fast.

Step into the stream to take a look.

I'm told by Jeff of Duty that his son is expected to be born on October 25th. Good luck, Jeff!