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          Call of Duty pros upset over MP5 change days before championship weekend

          The Call of Duty League's championship weekend will take place with a patch released this week that makes several changes, including one that affects the MP5, to the game. Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

          On Tuesday, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare developer Infinity Ward unveiled a new patch. It included general fixes, a playlist update, Warzone tuning and some weapons notes.

          The troubling issue, at least for Call of Duty League players and the CDL community, is what wasn't revealed in the patch notes -- a change that was made to the MP5, the most popular weapon used in the CDL -- and that the changes come just days before the league's championship weekend.

          "Every time there's a patch there's always 'silent patches' that they neglect to mention, which should never be a thing, especially one this big," Minnesota RØKKR player Adam "GodRX" Brown told ESPN.

          Seemingly minor to some but significant alterations to pro players were made to the gun, including a more zoomed-in focus while Aim Down Sight (ADS) is activated, and a change in the weapon's recoil that has been described to ESPN as feeling very different. This was noticed by CDL players, including some among the teams competing in the league's championship this weekend, and the community, and thoroughly discussed on social media.

          Read more: What it was like to play Call of Duty Warzone's Cold War event | Call of Duty League roundtable: A strong finish and a look forward

          In regards to how the ADS change can affect CDL players going into championship weekend, RØKKR coach Brian "Saintt" Baroska said that while he hasn't personally tried the new patch, "something that slightly throws off where you're used to aiming can definitely throw SMG players off sync with their shot and centering."

          London Royal Ravens player Matthew "Skrapz" Marshall tweeted about his displeasure with the MP5 change considering all the money that will be on the line during championship weekend.

          Marshall's twin brother Bradley "wuskin" Marshall, also on the Royal Ravens, simply tweeted a reaction gif to a reply made by senior communications manager Ashton Williams that the patch "tunes weapons that they don't use.

          Atlanta FaZe analyst Austin "Easy Mac" O'Neil tweeted the zoomed in view side by side and asked if they looked different, which received several replies in the affirmative. O'Neil replied to his own tweet, saying "Looks like the gun is more in your face but the sight kinda looks the same. But like why change it at all right now."

          Among the other CDL players who took to social media to express their concerns were Trei "Zer0" Morris, James "Clayster" Eubanks and Sam "Octane" Larew.

          "I think it's very big, it's unacceptable to change something like that right before the biggest part of Champs with the biggest prize pool to COD's date," GodRX told ESPN.

          The timing of the change has been compared to some patch changes in competitive Fortnite, such as one that included the addition of the Infinity Blade the day of the semifinals of the North American Winter Royale tournament. The CDL concludes this weekend with four teams remaining in the postseason. The prize pool is $4.5 million, with first place earning $1.5 million.

          Could there be a scenario where the game is brought back to its previous state going into this weekend? Rod "Slasher" Breslau reported on Twitter that CDL teams are being asked if they wanted to revert the game to its previous state before the patch. Chicago Huntsmen player Seth "Scump" Abner tweeted hours later, "So the mp5 isn't getting reverted for playoffs. Lol." Both Activision Blizzard and Infinity Ward did not respond with an official comment.

          One player on a team that is still alive in CDL competition who wished to remain anonymous told ESPN that the timing of the change is what makes it such a tough pill to swallow.

          "The issue with the MP5 change isn't the change itself, it's the timing of the change, and unfortunately, Call of Duty esports always have to deal with it. Four days before Champs is unfortunate," he told ESPN.

          As for why it wasn't listed in the patch notes, the player speculated "probably because they knew they messed up. I think there was a confusion between 'playoffs' and 'Champs.' Worst bit about it is there isn't an apology and no chance at reverting it back. It always happens to us so I'm kinda used to it."

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          Regarding why there wasn't an opportunity to revert back to the way it was, the player said "the earliest it could have been reverted was Friday, which isn't any help to us because we have to practice this week. Then it would have been reverted a day before one of the biggest matches of my career -- not the ideal situation to be put in."

          Despite the outcry, another prevalent sentiment among CDL players is the pride of knowing that this is not the first time (and certainly not the last time, if you ask a CDL pro) that ill-timed changes like this will occur, but the players at the end of the day will adapt to the circumstances nonetheless.

          "Game-changing updates that go into effect just days before tournaments are never fun," Toronto Ultra player Anthony "Methodz" Zinni told ESPN. "I feel for my peers, but trust they'll be able to make the best of the situation and put on a show for all of us watching."