Dear Beachhead,

Thank you for finally getting clan ops up and running. Although they were rife with cheaters and boosters, they're the reason I paid $50 to become a Founder (not the DLC). (Four months ago.) I enlisted my clan in each and every clan operation posted, even though most of my guys (out of 90+) don't like core at all. We weren't given a choice. If core was the only option, then we were going to play core. We just wanted to compete for something meaningful (which is XP, for now). With you deciding to "remove" the Co-Op Warriors event because it was a "mistake," you are committing an even greater injustice. Not counting ANYONE's stats for a three hour competition (which was bloody early, by the way) just makes people who are thin on faith to begin with even thinner. I have taken the "keep the faith" mentality through these last four months, when it didn't look like we'd ever get clan ops. How did you reward my faith? By TRICKING me into getting up at 5:30am for an event that didn't count because it was a MISTAKE. Really? Really? THAT is how you repay faith? Betrayal?

I recruited for my clan, trying to get those who preferred pretty much every gametype and mode. I was successful in filling our ranks to 100 a couple of times (losing members for various reasons). However, when I did that, I believed that eventually you would provide the service I paid my money for and told my guys exactly the same. "Be patient... they will get this squared away and it'll be awesome." Ah, but I was a fool. If you decide to remove even ONE of the competitions for clan ops that YOU posted, then you are voiding the last portion of faith I have in Elite. There is ZERO reason to say it doesn't count. If that's the stance you have on enlistments, then why are there enlistments in the first place? People compete to prove themselves against others. That MW3 is rife with cheaters does not matter to a competitive gamer. That gamer knows there are cheaters and boosters out there, but that he can still acheive gold with a maximum effort. When you yank the rug out from under their feet, who is going to stand anywhere near you again? Do NOT take that competition away, or else you are throwing away what little bit of patience left we have.

The easy solution: Bite the bullet, and give the clans the medal/XP you said they earned. Don't name a winner. Don't post the results page. Fine. Just give the medal the initial finish that was shown on Elite. Simple. And it's done and over with. No one complains. Don't give a blanket XP reward for everyone. Give everyone what they've been expecting and shut up about it. Else you lose MORE face and appear to be less competent. Coming out ten days after an event and saying it doesn't count and that posting it was a mistake? It took that long to figure out? Just shut up about it and give the XP you owe to the people who competed and earned medals. Sticking your head in the sand and saying it didn't happen is only going to make you look foolish. If your company is made of gamers, then do this for the gamers who pay your salary. Give us the XP and medals we are owed for YOUR mistake.

I know you were handed a dog's dinner with this job, and you've made progress. But it isn't enough to progress. You need to take care of those paying for this service. And taking a competition away is anything but. If you are gamers, you'll know what I mean.

Sincerely,

SilentDeath HBI, leader of HeadBusters, Inc