Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is coming on November 10, and it's going to be a massive celebration. The franchise turns 20 in 2023, and Activision is going all out on this one. Not only is Modern Warfare 3 the first back-to-back sequel we've ever received, it's also set to be a true return to form: faster, more aggressive, and larger than ever before.
Building on the success of Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will feature brand-new gameplay mechanics, all 16 of the iconic MW2 2009 maps, some fan-favorite maps, and a massive selection of game modes. That's all in addition to a brand new open world Zombies mode from Treyarch, and a new cinematic campaign which will track Task Force 141 as it goes up against Makarov. It probably goes without saying , but Call of Duty 2023 is one of the most anticipated new games of 2023.
There's a bunch of information to get into, so keep reading to find the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 release date and the first gameplay details surrounding this year's instalment.
Latest Modern Warfare 3 2023 news
- Modern Warfare 3 will undo Modern Warfare 2's most controversial changes
- Modern Warfare 3's Open Combat missions sound more like Dishonored than Call of Duty
- Modern Warfare 3 comes with all 16 launch maps from 2009's Modern Warfare 2, remastered and modernized
- Red dot fans rejoice, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 looks set to resurrect a beloved feature
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 release date
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 release date is November 10, 2023 for all platforms. Should you pre-order the Modern Warfare 3: Vault Edition, you'll be able to access the campaign a week early, although you'll still have to wait until the global launch to jump into the multiplayer.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 platforms
Activision has confirmed the Modern Warfare 3 platforms as PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Battle Net. While there was some concern that Call of Duty 2023 would be a new-gen only game, the publisher worked quickly to clarify that MW3 would be available on the same platforms as Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2. So yes, Modern Warfare 3 PS4 and Xbox One is happening.
Why isn't Modern Warfare 3 an Xbox exclusive?
While the proposed Xbox Activision Blizzard acquisition is still ongoing, there's no chance of Modern Warfare 3 being one of the upcoming Xbox Series games that are exclusive to the platform – nor will the new shooter land in Xbox Game Pass. Sony has an exclusive marketing deal in place with Acivision that's set to expire in 2024, and the platform holder has penned a deal with Microsoft Gaming which guarantees the release of Call of Duty on PlayStation for a further 10 years.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 pre-order
You can now put in a Modern Warfare 3 pre-order, not only to ensure that you have immediate access to the game on November 10, but to get some great extras too. Activision has confirmed that there will be three Modern Warfare 3 editions available at launch:
- Standard Edition (PC) – includes full game, early access to the open beta, and one week early-access to the campaign.
- Cross-gen bundle (console) – includes MW3, early access to the open beta, and one week early-access to the campaign
- Vault Edition – includes MW3, early access to the open beta, and one week early-access to the campaign, exclusive Operator packs, weapon vaults, Blackcell, and 30 additional Tier Skips.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Vault Edition
The Modern Warfare 3 Vault Edition is the premium version of this year's Call of Duty, and it comes packed with a bunch of awesome extras. Not only will you ensure that you have early access to the Modern Warfare 3 open beta and early access to the campaign, but you'll also get some bonus Operator skins and Weapon vaults to use in Modern Warfare 2, Warzone 2, and Modern Warfare 3.
Modern Warfare 3 Vault Edition contents includes:
- Early access to the Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer open beta
- One week early access to Modern Warfare 3 campaign
- Two Weapon Vaults
- BlackCell (1 Season) + Bonus Tier Skips: Includes Battle Pass, 1100 CP, and 50 Tier Skips.
- Nemesis Operator Pack: Includes four Operator skins (Price, Ghost, Warden, and Makarov).
- Soap Operator Pack: Two exclusive Soap Operator skins which can be used immediately in MW2 and Warzone 2, and later in MW3.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 price
Activision has confirmed the Modern Warfare 3 price for PC, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles. There are two pricing structures for the digital editions of the game, with the Vault Edition costing a premium price owing to all of the extra unlocks that it contains.
- Modern Warfare 3 cross-gen edition price: £59.99 / $69.99
- Modern Warfare 3 standard edition price: £59.99 / $69.99
- Modern Warfare 3 Vault Edition price: £84.99 $99.99
- Modern Warfare 3 Vault Edition upgrade: £25 / $30
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 open beta
No matter which edition of Modern Warfare 3 you decide to pre-order, you'll guarantee yourself early access to the open beta. While Activision is yet to confirm the dates for the Modern Warfare 3 beta weekends, the publisher has said that there will be two to keep an eye out for. First there will be a Modern Warfare 3 Early Access Open Beta period for pre-order customers, and then the weekend after that will be a Modern Warfare 3 Free Access Open Beta period for everybody across all supported platforms.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 campaign
For the first time in Call of Duty history, Activision is delivering a direct sequel back-to-back. That means that Call of Duty 2023 will be a continuation of the events of Modern Warfare 2, tracking Task Force 141 and its allies as it goes up against the threat posed by legendary MW villain Vladimir Makarov. While Modern Warfare 3 will contain the expected cinematic missions, Sledgehammer Games is also introducing what it calls 'Open Combat Missions' which will put "greater emphasis on player choice." Whether you want to go in loud or stealthily, these missions will let you play the way that you want to play, and sound more inline with something we'd expect to see in Dishonored than Call of Duty.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 campaign early access
If you pre-order any digital edition you'll get early access to the Modern Warfare 3 campaign. This isn't a demo either, you'll have access to the full campaign, which is set to track Task Force 141 as it goes up against Makarov. You'll also be among the first to try the new 'Open Combat Missions' which promise to allow for more freedom in the campaign than ever before, alongside the traditional grandiose cinematic encounters that we all know and live.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer
Call of Duty is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023, and the Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer is working to celebrate that. Activision says that it has "one of the greatest collections of Modern Warfare Multiplayer maps ever assembled", including 16 legacy maps and brand new play spaces to make this the biggest Modern Warfare offering to date. All 16 launch maps from Modern Warfare 2 (2009) are present and accounted for, with the core 6v6 maps being remastered and updated to take advantage of new gameplay innovations. Additionally, Modern Warfare 3 is making some massive changes to multiplayer gameplay to reverse some of the most controversial changes from Modern Warfare 2 (2022).
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 gameplay
Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 made controversial changes to the pace and tactics of traditional Call of Duty multiplayer, and that's something Sledgehammer Games is looking to address. The Modern Warfare 3 gameplay experience is looking to the past, with the return of map voting (allowing for greater autonomy of multiplayer matches) and classic minimap behavior (with red dots indicating when an enemy is firing an unsuppressed weapon). But that's not all, steps have been taken to ensure that all chosen Perks are now available at the start of each match, rather than unlocked gradually over time, and base Multiplayer health has been increased to 150 in an effort to lengthen the time-to-kill.
Additionally, Modern Warfare 3 gameplay will also be a lot faster than anything we experienced in Modern Warfare or Modern Warfare 2. New movement abilities are being introduced to bring back slide canceling, reload canceling, grenade canceling, as well as faster mantling and the capacity to fire faster after sprinting. It is expected that all of these changes will be present in Warzone 2 from the launch of Modern Warfare 3 as well.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Tac-Stance
While a lot of the Modern Warfare 3 gameplay sounds as if it is trying to recapture the past, there are some brand new gameplay systems on the way. One of the most impactful is called "Tac-Stance" which Activision says will be the "perfect middle-ground between hip-fire and aiming down sights. When navigating tight hallways and rooms, you'll be able to unshoulder your weapon and hold it in a canted firing position. This is something you can switch between dynamically, and it will reportedly allow for more aggressive play in close-quarters, allowing for improved mobility and handling at the cost of accuracy and precision.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer progression
With Activision taking the unusual step of delivering a direct Call of Duty sequel within a 12-month span of time, the publisher is changing the way it handles online progression. For the Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer experience, you'll have access to the vast majority of the weapons, attachments, operators, cosmetics, and blueprints that you have unlocked through MW2 and Warzone 2 from day one.
This "carry forward" approach ensures that there will be a massive amount of content available in Modern Warfare 3 from the jump, and the opportunity to mix MW2 attachments onto new Modern Warfare 3 weapons to create some new builds. Activision has said that some vehicle skins and equipment may not carry across, and that Wartracks 100% will not. Additionally, if you didn't play Modern Warfare 2, you'll find that all of its content is available in MW3 but you'll need to complete any associated/necessary unlock challenges in MW3 to get access to them.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 maps
Modern Warfare 3 will feature the largest assortment of maps ever seen in the franchise. At a baseline, Sledgehammer Games and Infinity Ward has worked to modernize and recreate all 16 of the maps which launched with 2009's Modern Warfare 2. These maps will join the offering already available in Modern Warfare 2 (2022) and a selection of four huge environments – three new Battle Maps, for Modern Warfare 3 Ground War and Invasion modes; and a new War map which will support the return of a mode introduced in 2017's Call of Duty: WW2. Activision has also confirmed that at least 12 new Core 6v6 maps will also be available post-launch.
- Afghan
- Derail
- Estate
- Favela
- Highrise
- Invasion
- Karachi
- Quarry
- Rundown
- Rust
- Skidrow
- Scrapyard
- Sub Base
- Terminal
- Underpass
- Wasteland
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 modes
Activision has only confirmed some of the Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer modes, but they are a true celebration. Not only are expected favorites returning for the core 6v6 multiplayer maps – TDM, Hardpoint, Kill Confirmed, and others – but we're also seeing the return of Ground War and Invasion for some larger scale conflicts on all new Battle Maps. If that weren't enough, we're also going to find the evolution of War Mode here too, which was first introduced in 2017's Call of Duty: WW2. Sledgehammer has also promised brand new modes too, including one called Cutthroat which is said to be a new competitive 3v3v3 experience.
- Deathmatch
- Team Deathmatch
- Kill Confirmed
- Cutthroat
- Hardpoint
- Ground War
- Invasion
- War
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 zombies
For the first time ever in Modern Warfare history, zombies are coming. That's right, Activision has tapped Treyarch to deliver a Modern Warfare 3 zombies experience, and the most ambitious ever seen in a Call of Duty game. You'll be able to team up with other squads to fight massive hordes of undead across a sprawling open world map, with Modern Warfare Zombies telling an unearthly Dark Aether Zombies story set in the Modern Warfare universe. You'll be able to take on different missions, team up with other squads, and hunt for secrets in this surprise PvE extraction experience.
Who is developing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ?
Modern Warfare 3 is being developed by Sledgehammer Games. The studio is best known for Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Call of Duty: WW2, and Call of Duty: Vanguard – and, of course, for co-developing the original Modern Warfare 3 alongside Infinity Ward back in 2011. Well, here we are little over a decade later and Sledgehammer is working on bringing Modern Warfare 3 to life in 2023. The studio is leading development of the campaign and gameplay changes, collaborating with Infinity Ward on the multiplayer, and with Treyach for Modern Warfare Zombies. Support studios such as Beenox, High Moon, and Raven are also involved in production.
Modern Warfare 3 Makarov trailer
The first Modern Warfare 3 trailer went live on August 09, reintroducing the world to Makarov. In the trailer, which you can watch above, there are brief snippets of Modern Warfare 3 gameplay which showcase some of the visual innovations and a return to Kastovia – the fictional country from the new Modern Warfare series which was also home to the city of Verdansk, the map from the original Warzone.
Modern Warfare 3 gameplay trailer
The first Modern Warfare 3 gameplay trailer went live on August 17, following the conclusion of the Shadow Siege Limited Time Event in Warzone. In the trailer, which you can view above, we get our first look at Task Force 141 back in action and a tease of the more substantial Open Combat Missions as we see the squad assaulting prison strongholds and sneaking beneath ice.
What will happen to Warzone?
When Modern Warfare 3 launches it will directly integrate with Warzone 2. Progression against new MW3 weapons, attachments, skins, and so on will be available in the battle royale – similar to how integration worked between Warzone and MW2. What's unclear right now is whether Warzone 2 will receive a new map, although rumors suggest that a large-scale playspace will arrive alongside the beginning of Modern Warfare 3 Season 1 before the end of 2023.
