The tactical nuke is back in Call of Duty after a decade missing in action - and players are now getting a clear show of it via the Modern Warfare beta.

First, some background. The tactical nuke was a killstreak in 2009's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. In Modern Warfare 2, the tactical nuke required 25 consecutive kills. It was the hardest to obtain in the game, but it was worth it - once triggered, the tactical nuke calls in a nuclear warhead that explodes, engulfing the entire battlefield in white light. The upshot: everyone dies. The result is a win for the player who called in the tactical nuke and their team - no matter the current score. Here's how it looked:

Now Modern Warfare is in beta, and the 32v32 Ground War mode is playable, we've got a few good shots of how the tactical nuke looks in a big battlefield.

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As the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta soldiers on, so do the bug reports from its army of players.

Many of the issues with Modern Warfare are important to the integrity of the game, as you'd expect. Clipping, for example, is one (the last thing you want is players hiding in the wheels of vehicles). Shotguns don't seem to work properly, either. And the spawns need some work.

But some of the reported bugs are a lot of fun - and one in particular makes Modern Warfare look like Cyberpunk.

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As Call of Duty: Modern Warfare prepares to go crossplay, Activision has said "most" post-launch gameplay content will release simultaneously across all platforms.

Content in this context means new multiplayer maps, new multiplayer modes and special ops missions, among other things.

Publisher Activision's deal with Sony has in recent years secured timed-exclusivity on content for Call of Duty, much to the annoyance of PC and Xbox One players. With 2018's Black Ops 4 the timed-exclusivity was for seven days. Modern Warfare is the first Call of Duty to go crossplay, so there were questions over how it would handle timed-exclusivity.

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Infinity Ward will turn on the minimap in the ongoing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare beta today as players continue to debate its absence from the game.

The lack of a minimap has been perhaps the most contentious design decision Infinity Ward has made with its Modern Warfare soft reboot. Critics say its omission encourages camping, while its supporters say it promotes tactical play.

Currently, you can trigger a minimap via the Personal Radar Killstreak (three kills). This summons an escort drone that enables the radar for the owner and pings nearby enemies. The UAV Killstreak (four kills) summons a UAV recon ship that enables a minimap for all allies and reveals enemy locations.

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If you've been left intrigued by thoughts of Infinity Ward's upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare but aren't yet quite ready to commit, then you might appreciate a reminder that Activision's various beta sessions - some of them open - kick off very soon.

In fact, things get underway tomorrow, 12th September, but Activision's dealings with Sony mean that it's a PS4-only affair at first. From Thursday, 12th September to Friday, 13th September, PS4 players with "early access" - that is, those that pre-ordered the game - can get involved. Then, all PS4 players are welcome via the open beta from the 14th to 16th September.

That open beta period will continue for PlayStation 4 players next week, from Thursday, 19th September to Monday, 23rd September - and Xbox One and PC players will also, finally, have an opportunity to at play same time. However, only those Xbox One and PC players with pre-order "early access" can join in between 19th and 20th September, and then its open beta time for all platforms from 21st to 23rd September.

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If you've been left intrigued by thoughts of Infinity Ward's upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare but aren't yet quite ready to commit, then you might appreciate a reminder that another batch of betas - some of them open - kick off very soon.

In fact, things get underway tomorrow, 12th September, but Activision's dealings with Sony mean that it's a PS4-only affair to begin with. From Thursday, 12th September to Friday, 13th September, PS4 players with "early access" - that is, those that pre-ordered the game - can get involved. Then, all PS4 players are welcome via the open beta from the 14th to 16th September.

That open beta period will continue for PlayStation 4 players next week, from Thursday, 19th September to Monday, 23rd September - and Xbox One and PC players will also, finally, have an opportunity to at play same time. However, only those Xbox One and PC players with pre-order "early access" can join in between 19th and 20th September, and then its open beta time for all platforms from 21st to 23rd September.

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The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare alpha is currently live on PlayStation 4 and it's pretty impressive, but one aspect of the game that's sparked a vociferous debate revolves around what happens when you're nearly dead.

When you're close to death in Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward's soft reboot of its famous first-person shooter franchise, your screen turns black and white. It's a pretty dramatic switch and, for some, makes it easy to lose a target and fight back. It doesn't help that the black and white effect feels like it lasts too long.

You can see the black and white screen effect clearly in the video below:

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Walmart has told its stores to take down any "signing and displays referencing violence", including advertising for violent video games.

It comes just a week after 22 people were shot dead at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, and another 10 people were killed in the Dayton, Ohio mass shooting the following day.

A week before the El Paso Walmart shooting, two people died at a Walmart in northern Mississippi: co-workers of a disgruntled Walmart employee who also shot a police officer.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is a cross-platform game - a first for the series. But it will also let you use mouse and keyboard on console.

Infinity Ward design director Joe Cecot told the PlayStation Blog Modern Warfare's matchmaking will be based on peripheral - so if you use a controller you'll be chucked in with others using a controller. Similarly, if you use a mouse and keyboard, you'll play with and against people who use a mouse and keyboard.

Usefully, Modern Warfare will support different peripherals, "so if you want to plug a keyboard [and mouse] into your PS4, you can."

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare had its multiplayer reveal this week, and perhaps the biggest talking point was the lack of a mini-map.

Infinity Ward's decision to ditch the mini-map for Modern Warfare marks a significant change for the series. In its place is a Skyrim-style compass set at the top of the screen.

I played a handful of hours of competitive multiplayer at Activision's preview event in Los Angeles this week, and initially found it hard to adjust to the lack of a mini-map.

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