COD Modern Warfare 4’s controversial Possum ability nerfed to stop it being used “as a combat mechanic instead of a survival mechanic”
Infinity Ward has changed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’s Possum ability in DMZ after players used it to spring back to life and attack the people who had just killed them. The developer says the ability should give operators a second chance to survive and extract, rather than serve as a way to rejoin a fight.
Under the 28 October patch, Possum cannot be activated while the team that killed the player is nearby, or within four minutes of their death. It can still revive a player from a fully dead state once per match, though their loot may be lost. The update also adjusts weapon balance, fixes exploitable bugs and adds the Shipment map with a 24/7 playlist.
In short
- Possum now has a four-minute wait and cannot be used near the team that killed you.
- Infinity Ward says it is intended to help players survive and extract.
- The patch also adds Shipment and changes weapon balance.
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The case for
The change supports the idea that Possum should fulfil its stated role as a survival tool, giving a player a chance to recover and extract rather than gain an unexpected advantage over the team that defeated them. Limiting its use near the killers and soon after death may make encounters fairer and preserve the consequences of winning a fight.
The case against
The ability’s appeal may lie in its unusual second-chance mechanic, including the chance to turn a dramatic recovery into a counterattack. Restricting it for nearby opponents and for four minutes could make it less useful in the situations where players most want to use it, and reduce tactical choice for those who value unpredictable fights.
Explained simply
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 is a first-person shooter made by Infinity Ward. Its DMZ mode centres on teams entering a map to complete objectives and then try to leave with what they have found.
Possum is an ability that can bring a player back after they have been fully killed, giving them another chance to get out. Because a revived player could return to a fight, the ability raised questions about how it should balance survival and combat.
The change matters to players deciding how to approach a match: an ability that helps someone escape can also affect the team that defeated them. Infinity Ward’s stated aim is for Possum to support survival and extraction, rather than provide another way into a fight.