Modern Warfare 2 guide: How to reduce visual recoil in Season 1 Reloaded

Guide to eliminating visual recoil in Modern Warfare 2 (Image via Activision)
Guide to eliminating visual recoil in Modern Warfare 2 (Image via Activision)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 features reinvented gunplay mechanics. The weapons feel realistic and now have more recoil, at least visually. This can be game-breaking as it takes away from the arcade-like experience that Call of Duty is known for. Moreover, having a higher visual recoil prevents players from properly keeping track of their targets.

Having said that, Modern Warfare 2 has improved on various fronts. Apart from the advanced movement mechanisms, vehicle combat system, and Gunsmith 2.0, the game comes with several graphical enhancements.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer


Modern Warfare 2 players must have their settings tuned correctly to avoid unnecessary visual recoil

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Visual recoil can be quite distracting in Modern Warfare 2. It often obstructs the view and prevents players from clearly seeing their targets.

Players must have their settings tuned correctly to avoid unnecessary visual recoil and arrive at a smooth gunplay experience.

Here are some changes that one can make to reduce visual recoil in Modern Warfare 2 Season 1 Reloaded:

1) Tuning the FOV settings

Using correct FOV settings in MW2 (Image via Activision)
Using correct FOV settings in MW2 (Image via Activision)

FOV or Field of View is an important setting when it comes to reducing visual recoil. A lower Field of View will lead to enemy targets appearing big. However, it also magnifies the visual recoil, especially when the Aim Down Sight FOV is independent.

If the Field of View is set to a higher value along with the Affected Aim Down Sight FOV, it will increase the total area of view and lead to lower perceived motion. Although this will make the targets appear smaller, the reduced visual recoil provides a clear view of enemies.

It is recommended that players use a FOV of at least 90 and set the Aim Down Sight FOV to Affected.


2) Using Optics with a lower zoom level

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Optics with lower zoom levels, such as the Cronen Mini Red Dot and the Slimline Pro Optic, are tremendously useful when it comes to reducing visual recoil. Since these optic sights don't zoom in much, they don't magnify the perceived recoil.

However, optic sights that provide a zoom level of 3x or more will make the subtle recoil appear larger, preventing players from keeping a steady line of sight on their enemies.


3) Using Tuning in Gunsmith 2.0

Tuning optics for 'Far' (Image via Activision)
Tuning optics for 'Far' (Image via Activision)

Thanks to Gunsmith 2.0, players can now tune every little aspect of their weapon. They can even adjust the eye position of their weapon's sight.

Tuning an optic for the Far position will further improve visibility and lower the perceived recoil. Since the camera is now farther away from the optic, it will reduce the overall size of the attachment. However, this benefits the player by lowering the visual recoil.


This is all there is to know about eliminating visual recoil in Modern Warfare 2. The tips mentioned above will enable players to have a more competitive gunplay experience. However, it is all up to personal preference, and the final results will differ for each individual.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Season 1 Reloaded of Warzone 2 are now live on PC (via Battle.net and Steam), Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.

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