Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was officially launched on November 10, 2023. Accompanying the release was a launch day patch. Sledgehammer Games has also promised consistent updates and bug fixes for the game. However, many people are talking about the development crunch.
The update provided stability and performance boost, fixed gameplay bugs, as well as made several other alterations to maps, weapons, vehicles, and perks. Modern Warfare 3 is a direct follow-up to Modern Warfare 2.
Sledgehammer Games led the development in collaboration with Infinity Ward. Treyarch oversaw the development of the Zombie mode. Celebrating the lunch and the release of the patch note, Sledgehammer said:
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“Today’s launch is only the beginning, and we look forward to providing a consistent stream of content updates, bug fixes, and gameplay adjustments in the years ahead.”
Sledgehammer Games
The Modern Warfare 3 launch day patch notes show an extensive upgrade to the game since its Multiplayer Beta. One interesting upgrade I saw was that “Offline play will no longer be prevented after first setting up an Activision account”. It seems Activision desperately wants to grow its platform user numbers.
Modern Warfare 3 reportedly developed in 16 months
According to the testimonies of several developers, Modern Warfare 3 started as an expansion to last year’s Modern Warfare 2. However, along the way, Activision decided to branch it out into a full-blown sequel. Although the publisher denied this claim, it is beginning to look like that was what really happened.
It was reported that some staff had to work day and night and on weekends to complete the game. The affected staff said they felt betrayed because they had been promised that such a crunch wouldn’t happen again after Call of Duty: Vanguard was developed under a similar condition.
Some of the developers also voiced their frustration about having to seek content approval from Infinity Ward, the original Call of Duty developer as well as Modern Warfare sub-series creator. They said the process was inefficient and sometimes led to significant changes.
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Aaron Halon, the studio head of Sledgehammer told Bloomberg that some of the developers may have misunderstood the game because it was “a new type of direct sequel” to Modern Warfare 2. Halon’s statement tried to corroborate Activision’s denial and further explained that it was the first time in the series that players could carry forward many weapons and cosmetics from the previous game.
“We’re incredibly proud of Modern Warfare 3—both the full game experience at launch and the upcoming year of content we have planned for the community,” Halon wrote in a public statement shared on X.
“We cannot wait to see our community’s reaction to all that the entire game has to offer, across Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies. We have worked hard to deliver on this vision which has been years in the making. Anything said to the contrary is simply not true.”
Aaron Halon, studio head at Sledgehammer Games
Halon’s public statement kind of suggested that the development of Modern Warfare 3 took “years” rather than the 16 months that is currently in the wind. However, what Halon failed to provide was the exact development timeline for the game. Therefore, it is hard to reconcile his statement with the developers’ claims.
Modern Warfare 3 is being bundled with new PS5
Some retailers are offering a PS5 bundle deal that coincided with the launch of Modern Warfare 3. The new PS5 popularly dubbed PS5 Slim was launched on November 9 with a recommended retail price of $499.99. However, most buyers are getting a free copy of Modern Warfare 3 with the new console.
Walmart currently lists the new PS5 console with Modern Warfare 3 for $499 which is the same price tag for the console bundle of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. On Best Buy, the price of the new PS5 Modern Warfare 3 bundle was $499.99.
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What you may find fascinating is that these retailers are not offering any discount on the launch model of the PS5 which Sony wants to phase out. However, pending the release of the new PS5 in the UK, Sony has discounted the launch model to coincide with the Modern Warfare 3 launch.
Have you played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3? Were you impressed by the story and the campaign length? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
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