Thermal Scope



The Thermal Scope is a usable weapon attachment in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

The Thermal Scope can be unlocked for all Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles, LMGs, and SMGs in multiplayer. It is unlocked by getting 20 kills while looking down an ACOG sight.

When aiming down the sight, enemy soldiers show up in solid white and everything else in a gray scale. However, teammates will show up white and red and will have flashing strobes on their bodies to make it known they are a friendly. Because it sees body temperature, the player using it can see enemy soldiers through smoke. The overall view through the sight is smaller than looking down a sniper scope or ACOG sight, but like a sniper scope, the player may steady their aim. This attachment doesn't work well on snowy maps as the snow will also show up white, however this is accurate (the snow reflects IR radiation, appearing hot through the scope). It is sometimes recommended that players using thermal scopes on snowy maps do not seek out high locations, so as to better see enemies in buildings- the effect of this, if any, has not been confirmed. It is advisable for players to fire in bursts while aiming down the sight, since muzzle flash also appears white.

The Thermal Scope can be countered by the Cold-Blooded perk, but the player will not be completely invisible to the scope. The ordinarily white shape will simply appear in shades of gray, like the background. It should be noted that on snowy maps, the Cold-Blooded perk may make players more vulnerable to weapons with thermal scopes, as they would appear gray against the white snow.

Gameplay

 * The single-player variant of the thermal scope varies in zoom depending on the weapon. The PP2000 virtually has no zoom, while a sniper rifle with a thermal scope has about as much zoom as the regular sniper scope.
 * Teammates will have a flashing strobe, similar to the ones used in Death From Above to mark teammates.
 * The crosshairs seem to be slightly inaccurate with a sniper rifle, as well as poor recoil representation through the scope, particularly for the Barrett .50cal.
 * When looking at an enemy equipped with a Riot Shield equipped through thermal sights, the riot shield also appears white hot because it is a part of the player model. This also applies for players' weapons.
 * The ability to steady the sights was obviously intended for sniper rifles, but it is still possible to steady the sights when the Thermal Scope is attached to an Assault Rifle, SMG or LMG. Unfortunately, the effect only applies to the first shot, and the sights will become less accurate after the breath is released, much like a sniper scope. However, this can be useful when using the FAL in Hardcore since it can be used to make accurate, long-distance, one-shot kills without having to use a sniper rifle.
 * When using a scoped weapon upon mounting a minigun you are able to hold breath, although it seems to have no effect on accuracy.
 * When the enemy sets off an EMP and the player has a thermal scope on their weapon the red lines will still show but the rest of the scope will be as if looking down a normal sniper scope but slightly blurry.
 * Flags being carried by players appear white hot.
 * Killstreak rewards don't appear to emit heat.
 * Along with standard sniper scopes, thermal scopes remain in ADS even if the user is moving while prone. With all other sights, the weapon is brought down and must be brought back up before use.
 * The thermal scope is useful in dark maps, such as Underpass.
 * Thermal sights are commonly found on sniper rifles. They are rarely found on other guns (and almost never found on SMG's) because of the recoil involved in multiplayer and that steadying the gun will only effect the first shot. However, thermal scopes can be excellent for Overwatch classes using LMGs.

Trivia

 * The thermal scope does not show the heat given off by civilians (with the exception of oil rig workers from campaign mode) or animals (such as chickens).
 * In multiplayer, any weapon with a thermal scope can be steadied; in single player, the only weapons that can be steadied with thermal scopes are sniper rifles.
 * The thermal sight is not realistically depicted; all it does is put the world in grayscale and light up any part of a player model as white.
 * A PP2000 with a Thermal scope can be found in The Only Easy Day...Was Yesterday, however this combination is impossible in multiplayer, as Thermal Scopes are unavailable for secondary weapons.
 * In the level The Only Easy Day...Was Yesterday, the helicopter pilots that extract the player from the oil rig do not glow on thermal sights. The same goes for anybody riding the other helicopters. This is most likely because they are handled by the game engine in the same way as the chickens in the Favela.