Infinity Ward has confirmed that the maximum number of players in the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 will stand at 18 – a drop from the previous game’s maximum of 32.

Where the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s multiplayer component also carried a limit of 18 players, the PC version allowed up to 32 players. This time around, however, the PC multiplayer experience will share the same limitations as its console counterparts.

According to Infinity Ward's Mackey McCandlish the decision was made in relation to “balancing” issues pertaining to “map size, perks, classes, challenges, etc”.

This decision adds insult to injury for PC Modern Warfare players who are already disgruntled over Infinity Ward’s decision to remove the dedicated server functionality from the PC version of Modern Warfare 2. The feature, a popular point of difference for PC gamers  in the game’s predecessor, will be replaced by the same peer-to-peer matchmaking system utilised by the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions.