Like many on here, we hope to see SOCOM make a return. But the fact of it is, if it does, it would have to adopt a lot of modern expectations and norms.

I always appreciated and never understood the hate SOCOM 3 and CA got for adding vehicles, larger maps, etc. They were purely optional. It had something for everyone and is a sentiment most shooters, particularly CoD, offer with their various game modes.

With the release of a new SOCOM, I would expect to see classic game modes with a respawn option, battle royale, extraction shooter, special ops, etc. Honestly, I think they would all work great and offers something for everyone.

Another thing that it would need and help it in the long run, especially for tournaments, is UCRR.

In terms of the GaaS portion, I think Confrontation had something really special going on with the whole character customization and faction specific gear. That can be exponentially expanded upon and include the model CoD does with events, new maps, weapons, attachments, battle passes, etc.

A campaign would honestly be optional. I can take it or leave it.

Lastly, and the most important portion is the gameplay. Gameplay has to be true to the originals and vision of SOCOM. It has to be third person. It’s a bit iffy as the current model for 3rd person tends to be OTS. I think Helldivers 2 does a great job with its default camera angle, it’s reminiscent to SOCOM’s, but zooming in does go into OTS. Since majority of gameplay will be done in the default 3rd person view, maybe it skips OTS altogether and goes straight into ADS which is possible even without any kind of optic. You’ll just use your irons. Lastly, I think the freeform 3rd person camera Helldivers 2 and GR Wildlands have would be a great fit for a new SOCOM.

If we can get: the net code, immersion, and lethality of SOCOM 1 mixed in with the social features of SOCOM 2, SOCOM 3’s movement system, which I feel was fluid and responsive (the best in the series), CA’s coop, if there happens to be a campaign or special ops, Confrontation’s character customization, modern controls, and QoL improvements, we have the ultimate SOCOM experience. Also, gun fights, majority of the time, need to be done via “hip fire.” That’s what SOCOM was mainly. Only time for “ADS” is for long range engagements and snipers.

To add or elaborate on the immersion and QoL improvements, I’d like to see animations and functionality of character models peering/slicing around corners, supine prone capabilities, index/speed reloading options, and the ability to tap a teammate’s shoulder when stacked rather than communicate on mic. Proximity chat on Confrontation was really cool.

One can dream. Lol