Call of Duty: Vanguard 1.05 update doesn't fix the game's worst problems

Call of Duty: Vanguard’s multiplayer mode leaves a lot to be desired. A slew of glitches and other programmatic issues hold it back. Five days after the November 5 launch, developer Sledgehammer Games released update 1.05 that includes a long list of improvements. Despite this, the 1.05 patch doesn’t even scratch the surface when it comes to addressing the game’s worst problems, and we worry many of them might go unfixed. What else needs to change for Vanguard to live up to expectations? You’d be surprised with the sheer number of bugs, glitches, and errors that made it into the day one version of Vanguard.

Vanguard update 1.05 fails to fix major issues

The Vanguard 1.05 update includes many tweaks to Multiplayer mode, but none of them address the predictable spawning patterns that plague many of the available maps, allowing for campers to easily eliminate opponents as soon as they come back for another life.

Based on the Vanguard Trello board, which features the many known issues, Sledgehammer Games is aware of the problems with the spawn system. The Trello board specifically notes spawn issues on Dome and even has a card with the PSA that reads:

“We’re refining spawn logic over time to improve spawns in matches with higher player counts.”

In the game’s current state, it’s common to get spawn trapped or to have enemies spawn directly behind you, leading to utter frustration at the chaos. This is made even worse due to Vanguard’s extremely fast time to kill (TTK), meaning you could get caught in a loop of instantly dying and spawning in front of your enemy, only to get immediately taken out again.

The problems don’t stop there. A slew of bugs and glitches remain, such as one that allows you to equip any weapon camo in the game instantly. PS5 crashes, weapon balancing, an overabundance of flinch, perks that don’t work, and cheating all remain.

Thankfully, many of the game’s challenge tracking issues have been fixed in the latest patch, so we hope Sledgehammer has more improvements on the way.

What are the Vanguard update 1.05 patch notes?

Multiplayer & Campaign Patch Notes

• Campaign: Mid-level checkpoint save data has been invalidated. Note: Players have not lost all their campaign progress. Save loads will deliver players to the beginning of the latest level rather than their last checkpoint.
• Users unable to redeem codes for incentives such as XP Bonuses, Calling Cards, and Emblems can now redeem reward.
• Combat Shield will now protect player’s backs once stowed
• Invisible player models in MVP voting and Play of the Game have been fixed
• Fixed a bug affecting Constanze’s skin progression
• Operator Challenges no longer appear to reset after completion
• Inaccurate unlock requirements for Weapon Challenges now display correctly
• 1911 Pistol will now progress past Level 50
• Weapons can now be accessed in the Loadouts/Gunsmith after Level 66.
• Addressed various game crashing issues.
• Fixed framerate drop and lag issues.
• Addressed audio-related bug.
• Performance and stability improvements.
• Other under the hood fixes.

Zombies Patch Notes

• Camo Progression: All Pistol challenges can now be properly completed
• Exfil: The kill count to Exfil now correctly tracks zombies killed
• Bleedout Meter: Self-Revive meter no longer fails to show progress
• Transmit: Players that die outside of the damage barrier no longer take damage over time upon reviving in the hub area
• Legendary Covenants: All players should now be able to receive Legendary Covenant options at the Altar of Covenants
• After-Action Report: Players are no longer returned to the Lobby when attempting to view post-match unlocks
• Field Upgrades: Addressed an issue where players who recovered from being downed were unable to use Field Upgrades in rare instances

Call of Duty: Vanguard is available for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC now.