Call of Duty: World at War Multiplayer Nearly Had a Much Larger Focus on Vehicles

Recent findings by dataminers have revealed that Call of Duty: World at War was originally designed with a significantly larger focus on vehicle combat in its multiplayer modes. Back in the mid-to-late 2000s, Call of Duty games were becoming increasingly popular, with annual releases featuring fast-paced, class-based, and competitive multiplayer modes alongside a blockbuster campaign.

It was during this period that Treyarch was experimenting with incorporating vehicles into the series' multiplayer experience. Both Call of Duty 3 and World at War included vehicles, but World at War had far more ambitious plans for the feature.

According to the datamining evidence shared by ForwardLeaks and TheSpoopatron, players in World at War would have been able to call in tanks after achieving a seven-kill streak. These tanks would have been highly customizable, with options for special perks, weapons, and control over speed. In addition, tanks would have been equipped with flamethrowers and players would have been able to choose between maps designed to accommodate them. However, these features were ultimately cut or heavily reduced before the game's release.

There are several reasons why these features were ultimately removed, although the exact reasons remain unclear. One possibility is that the developers found that the feature was not as engaging or well-balanced as they had hoped. Additionally, the development of World at War was reported to be rushed, with a two-year development cycle that included numerous revisions and changes. These factors may have contributed to the decision to cut the vehicle-focused multiplayer elements.