All aboard the Modern Warfare 3 hype train! Following the game’s reveal as part of the Shadow Siege event in Warzone (along with previous confirmations), there’s so much we know about the upcoming game. By and large, Modern Warfare 3 seems like it will be a major step up from recent entries, thanks to a boatload of features and improvements over previous installments.
These include gameplay adjustments, quality-of-life additions, and an emphasis on nostalgia that we hope will come together in the best way possible. Below, we’ll dive into some of the standout features coming to Modern Warfare 3.
5. Maps
In general, many players have failed to gravitate toward maps in recent Call of Duty games. This has to do with the asymmetrical map design that would sometimes favor one side over another, leading to an unbalanced flow. Modern Warfare 3 will include all 16 maps from 2009’s Modern Warfare 2, which will not only play on the nostalgia factor, but will alleviate many complaints about unbalanced maps.
So, even if players don’t have nostalgia for these original maps, they should still enjoy them, as they’re much more balanced than the ones from recent games. Activision will also bring back map voting, giving players more options. Now if only Verdansk would come back to Warzone, too ...
4. Classic Minimap
Another issue with recent Call of Duty games is the minimap, which negatively impacted the pacing. Instead of appearing on the minimap when firing an unsuppressed weapon, players would only show up on the compass.
This is far less precise and makes it difficult to find your opponents. But Modern Warfare 3 will finally revert back to the classic minimap style, offering a more familiar flow with better pacing. No longer will players wander aimlessly across each map in hopes of finding their opponents.
3. Zombies
Much to the excitement of fans, Modern Warfare 3 will include a Zombies experience. This time around, it will take place in a large open world similar to the Outbreak mode from Black Ops Cold War. There’s still lots more to learn about this mode, but it seems like it will play like a mix between DMZ, Zombies, and Outbreak, hopefully pulling the best aspects from each into an all-new experience.
2. Cosmetics and Weapons Carry Over
Pretty much everything from Modern Warfare 2 (2022) will carry over to Modern Warfare 3, including Operators, weapons, their blueprints, and nearly every type of cosmetic available. This is a fantastic feature, as it ensures players will get to continue enjoying the items they’ve spent real money on (or earned in-game). Hopefully, this trend will continue going forward, allowing everyone to keep all the items they’ve accumulated over the years.
1. Fluid Movement
Arguably most importantly, Activision is making the movement in Modern Warfare 3 feel more fluid. This was one of the greatest disappointments with Modern Warfare 2, which felt sluggish, even after numerous improvements. Modern Warfare 3 will allow players to cancel slide animations and will let players fire their weapons immediately after sliding.
Reload animations can be canceled as well, which is a major improvement. Likewise, tactical sprint durations have been increased and manteling will occur faster. While all of these new additions will need to be tested to get a sense of how they’ll feel, it’s heartening to see so many improvements, at least on paper.
