Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be the start of a new chapter in the franchise's 20-year history

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 reveal screenshots
(Image credit: Activision)

What you need to know

  • Call of Duty celebrates 20 years of the Modern Warfare franchise.
  • This is the first time a Modern Warfare title has been followed up with a direct sequel in the franchise's history.
  • All 16 launch maps will be classic Modern Warfare 2 maps modernized.
  • Post launch content will include 12 new 6v6 maps as well as Warzone and Warzone mobile experiences.
  • Zombies mode is officially confirmed, and for the first time ever it will include an open world map.
  • An open beta will take place closer to launch and will be free on all platforms. Players who preorder will gain early access to the beta.

There has been no shortage of leaks when it comes to the reveal of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but the game's official reveal has finally taken place via a limited time event in Call of Duty: Warzone. As players finish the event, details about the upcoming game are finally out in the open and we have some of the rumors and speculations about the title officially confirmed. 

Campaign

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 reveal screenshots

(Image credit: Activision)

The launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 coincides with the 20-year anniversary of the Call of Duty franchise while also marking the first time that the series had back-to-back launches as direct sequels. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will pick up immediately where the events of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 left off. Players will experience an epic campaign where they will witness Captain Price and Task Force 141 take on the ultimate threat, ultranationalist Vladmir Makarov. 

In addition to traditional linear campaign missions, Modern Warfare 3 will introduce Open Combat Missions, an all-new story telling sequence that emphasizes player choices with the potential for branching paths and multiple opportunities to complete objects your way.

Multiplayer

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 reveal screenshots

(Image credit: Activision)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) fans will certainly want to pay special attention to Modern Warfare 3 (2023) as the game will launch with 16 classic maps, including fan favorites such as Terminal and yes, Rust. The maps have been remastered and modernized and will be playable across a multitude of new modes with other new gameplay features.

In addition to the 16 launch maps there will be 12 additional maps released as free post-launch content during Modern Warfare 3's seasonal offerings. Ground War fans will get to enjoy 3 brand-new maps, while those who enjoyed the War mode previously featured in Call of Duty: WWII (2017) can look forward to trying out one new map when that mode returns this year.

New game modes and movement mechanics are also on the menu, so players will be able to test out the brand-new Tac-Stance designed for tactical close-quarters combat. The gunsmith will also feature all new additional After-Market parts, allowing players to further customize and enhance their weapons through new combinations. Faster aim-down-sights (ADS) after a slide, reload cancel and slide cancel have all been fine-tuned so players can go full on sweaty when they try out the brand-new Cutthroat mode—a 3v3v3 experience on core maps.

Zombies

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 reveal screenshots

(Image credit: Activision)

While Sledgehammer Games served as the lead developers on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's campaign and multiplayer, Treyarch was hard at working bringing Zombies to the Modern Warfare franchise for the very first time. Players can look forward to an all-new open world mode where they can team up with other squads to survive and fight massive swarms of the undead. Modern Warfare 3's new open world zombies map will be the largest Call of Duty zombies map ever and will further the Dark Aether storyline previously seen in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Call of Duty: Vanguard. There will be all new missions, core Zombies features, and plenty of classic zombies easter eggs to discover in this all new PvE extraction survival experience.

Open Beta

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 reveal screenshots

(Image credit: Activision)

Chomping at the bit to play Modern Warfare 3? You can preorder the game now and gain early access to the Open Beta across all platforms, or you can wait until it is available for free to everybody. PlayStation has been confirmed to get access to the Beta first as part of their current Call of Duty marketing agreement. Preordering the game not only gives you early access to the beta, but also up to one week of early access to the campaign once the game launches. 

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will launch on November 10

Cole Martin
Writer

Cole is the resident Call of Duty know-it-all and indie game enthusiast for Windows Central. She's a lifelong artist with two decades of experience in digital painting, and she will happily talk your ear off about budget pen displays. 

  • NoLifeDGenerate
    Zombies in MW. WHY? I just want a SpecOps mode with the maps and feel of MW2 since they screwed us out of that mode with the remaster. I also want to see MS fold the Blizzard (and Bethesda) accounts into the MS account system. There's no excuse for both these companies continuing to require their own account on Xbox when MS takes over. The only account I should need on Xbox is my Xbox account.
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