A teaser trailer released on Monday 7 August 2023 showed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will get a November 10 release date. The game was jointly developed by Activision, Sledgehammer Games, Treyarch, and Infinity Ward. As more details emerged, fans were left scratching their heads.
The under-a-minute teaser featured the voice of John Price, one of the formidable soldiers in the franchise advising God-knows-who not to bury enemies alive. The mostly-audio teaser at some point showed what appears to be a waveform image of Vladimir Makarov, a Russian ultranationalist.
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Last year’s release featured a post-credit cinematic teaser where a Russian terror group was about to hijack a commercial flight. Makarov was seen telling his agents, “No Russian”. In the teaser, there was a phone number that when texted delivers the following response;
*** COMMS SECURED ***
major conflict incoming. a lot of opportunity.
we need someone like you, with experience in al mazrah
are you able to receive sensitive intel
yes / no
[upon responding yes]
good
expect mission critical intel. a taste of what’s to come
The text exchange ends with an image displayed on the screen
On Thursday 17 August 2023, Activision revealed more details about the upcoming game which shows that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be a direct follow-up to last year’s game—the first time it will happen in the history of the franchise. While the November release will have a couple of firsts in the franchise, the talking point centered around the things that will remain the same.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be released across multiple platforms including Windows PC (via Steam and Battle.net) PS4|PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be heavily influenced by the last game
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will have “a vast amount of content” from the last game. Also, the Zombies co-op mode will have a playable Modern Warfare setting. In terms of the storyline, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will start where Modern Warfare 2 stopped.
It will continue with Makarov pulling Task Force 141 (comprising Gaz, Ghost, Soap, Price, and so on) into another conflict. Earlier this month, Activision revealed that Julian Kostov (Shadow and Bone) will play the role of Makarov.
Since Modern Warfare 3 will feature lots of assets from MW2, a lot of fans are worried about how that will impact the player experience of the game. When Polygon shared the news, the comments echoed the stagnation of the franchise.
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“I haven’t touched one of these games in years—they’re not for me anymore,” wrote JLC 776. “But from the outside looking in, this looks like a rudderless franchise with no clue where to go and how to innovate. Am I wrong here?”
It was revealed that all 16 launch maps from MW2 will feature in MW3. However, the maps have gotten a facelift “and new modes and gameplay features”. Kill Confirmed and Hardpoint will make a return in MW3. Other features that have been resurrected in MW3 include:
- Classic minimap behavior where red dots indicate an actively firing opponent
- Increased health so that it takes longer to kill enemies
- Map Voting
- Majority of player gear from MW2 including Operators and weapons
MWIII promises lots of innovative gameplay
According to Activision and Sledgehammer (the game’s lead developer), “a new innovation that empowers player decisions” is coming to MW3 campaign mode. Activision said the Open Combat missions will focus on player choice and offer “numerous additional paths and choices to complete objectives”.
From the revealed images, it is easy to deduce that the developers want the campaign to lean towards stealth than a guns-blazing battle that has characterized the franchise for so long. David Swenson, the game’s creative director, explained that the game will adapt to the player’s style of play.
“Now we ‘re really leaning into our ability to have the engine adapt to the play style of the player,” Swenson said in an interview. “If you’re going to be totally quiet or go in guns blazing, the campaign will totally adapt and support however you want to play it.”
According to Brian Bloom, the narrative director of the Call of Duty franchise, Modern Warfare III will offer a true sandbox experience.
“If you could picture a screenplay page where action would ordinarily be written, the typical version would be ‘See X as we approach X, and X are moving toward X,’” Bloom said. “Now, I had at the very beginning in a bracket for every action that says, ‘if/when.’ That’s an exciting development for us.”
Innovative mode coming to Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer
MW3 multiplayer mode will feature a new Cutthroat Mode which is designed as a 3v3v3 fracas on core maps. Activision revealed that several new 6v6 maps will be released post-launch.
Zombie mode is coming to MW3
Modern Warfare 3 will come with Zombie mode developed by Treyarch. The PvE extraction mechanics will pitch players against “some of the biggest enemies in Call of Duty history” which Treyarch and Activision described as “an unearthly Dark Aether story” that hides enormous secrets.
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MW3 is one of the most successful franchises in recent history
Regardless of what critics think about MW3, there is no disputing the fact that the Modern Warfare franchise is one of the most successful brands in recent history. Last year’s Modern Warfare 2 grossed $1 billion in just 10 days. A huge part of that success is tied to its multiplayer mode.
Although the original Modern Warfare trilogy ended with the third game, Bloom mentioned that the rebooted trilogy story will extend beyond MW3. Character arcs have been planned for future games. Fans who pre-order the Vault Edition will get loads of perks including;
- Nemesis operator pack (which includes Price, Ghost, Warden, and Makarov)
- Fate weapon vaults (which include two base weapons)
- Season one Blackcell bundle with 50 tier skips and 1100 CP
- SOAP operator pack (which is instantly playable)
- Early access to Open Beta and campaign
Are you excited about the upcoming Modern Warfare III or are you one of those that feel like the franchise is dead? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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