With the release of the PC version of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, developer Infinity Ward has announced that the end of dedicated servers is at hand; and instead the company will be launching its new IWNet matchmaking service that Infinity Ward will operate.

The decision is likely going to seriously change the way that the PC community plays games in the future. Infinity Ward is talking about making the entire process more accessible by getting rid of dedicated servers that are hosted and managed by players. Of course, initial reaction by the COD PC community has been outrage.

Infinity Ward is trying to paint the change in a positive light because users will now be reliant on the IWNet service, and there is no worry about dedicated servers or having access to them or enough of them. Players will still be able to play private matches and have control over the settings of the types of matches that they wish to participate in.

Those who are now enjoying the ability to develop new maps, customize or modify are likely to be out of luck due to this change, at least to start with. While the developer does admit that they don’t have all of the answers yet, they are committed to this direction and this is the direction that they will be taking with the PC version of CODMW2 and for future versions of the franchise going forward.

Understandably, many in the COD PC community are actively speaking out and suggesting that this type of closed system is not what they want going forward. The decision could have far-reaching implications for many PC games going forward.

One developer to already weigh in on the controversy is Battlefield developer, DICE. DICE says that they have no plans to do away with dedicated server support on any of their upcoming PC Battlefield titles. Sources tell us that the company is puzzled by this move by Infinity Ward, and believes that at least on the PC platform dedicated server support is fundamental to the support and success of the game long-term.

Some in the COD PC community are already calling the announcement “Black Saturday” and the “day of infamy.”  Many in the community are concerned that Infinity Ward is trying to re-make the PC environment into a console-like environment that the PC is not. Some are questioning why Infinity Ward, who was a developer who was clearly so closely connected to the PC world and made successful by the PC players, would move to destroy the community.

We make the bold prediction that you have not heard the end of this controversy; and we believe that it is likely that the change could hurt Infinity Ward more than they can imagine. No more LAN parties, no more dedicated servers to practice on; this represents a total change that it is likely the PC community will rebel strongly against. If PC gamers want a console, they own a console. They do not want PC games to be like console games, and we think in the end Infinity Ward (despite their good intentions) will realize this.