CoD: Vanguard Audio Issues – Mix Is Masking Footsteps, Players Say

Call of Duty: Vanguard is out now, and players are trying out the campaign, Zombies, and competitive multiplayer. However, some of them are also reporting issues with ghost-like masters of stealth, and it appears to be due to an audio issue that is rendering footsteps imperceptible.

One player on Reddit (via Gaming Intel) complained of a muffled audio mix that sounds like it was “recorded under a pillow,” making it so even those who don’t have a perk like Dead Silence or Ninja equipped can still sneak up behind you.

Not everyone reported issues, but some of those who did said they were wearing high-quality headphones and found the sound switch from one ear to the other as if the directional settings are too high.

It’s unclear when this will be addressed, or if Sledgehammer already made an attempt to do so, but the developer is aware that it’s an issue. Back in September during the beta period, the studio said it was looking into “audio mixing” specifically, though this wasn’t listed under its “fixed for launch” section. Let us know your thoughts on the audio so far in the comments.

Call of Duty: Vanguard launched with cross-play support on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. In our Call of Duty: Vanguard review, Phil Hornshaw praised certain “good additions to the franchise” but said the game’s ideas don’t always work well with the basic Call of Duty framework.