Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) will launch on November 10 of this year with an all-new campaign and multiplayer featuring all 16 original maps from the 2009 version of Modern Warfare 2. If that sounds confusing, uh, stay frosty and we’ll break it all down for you.
The next chapter in the reimagining of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (which first started with 2019’s Modern Warfare release) was officially revealed on August 17, though we already knew that the game was in development from Sledgehammer Games before the official reveal. Interestingly, this will be the first back-to-back direct sequel in the history of Call of Duty—traditionally the franchise has swapped back-and-forth between developers for releases (a Black Ops game comes out after a Modern Warfare title, etc.).
Today, it was confirmed that MW III will feature the return of slide canceling and a red-dot mini map to help locate players who are actively shooting in multiplayer matches, but we know a whole lot more than that—including a new style of play for campaigns and the return of zombies. Check out the gameplay reveal trailer below:
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III will feature “Open Combat Missions”
Perhaps the most interesting bit of info from the Call of Duty blog update today is the inclusion of what are referred to as “Open Combat Missions.” These will exist alongside the more cinematic missions of the new campaign (which picks up directly from the events of 2022’s Modern Warfare II) and is described as such:
Open Combat Missions (OCMs) are an exciting innovation to the Call of Duty Campaign. Not only do these complement the cinematic missions you’ve come to expect, but they also provide you with numerous additional choices regarding your methods of mission completion. For example, if you prefer to use stealth techniques, you may wish to undertake an OCM with a lights-out approach, using night-vision goggles and suppressed weapons and complete your objectives without your adversaries knowing you were even there. However, if loud explosions and reckless abandon are part of your repertoire, strap extra armor plates onto your torso and hit those targets head-on!
In Kotaku’s impressions of last year’s Call of Duty campaign, one of Clarie Jackson’s biggest criticisms was that, despite a solid core shooting experience, the missions were far too constricted, far too often. A choice of tactics and more open-ended environments sounds promising indeed.
Modern Warfare III’s events will pick up right where Modern Warfare II left off, and yes, Vladimir Makarov (a franchise “big bad”) is returning.
But that’s not all. On the multiplayer side of things, Modern Warfare III is slated to bring back a more familiar, classic style of play.
Slide canceling, red dot mini map, and more
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III will feature far more classic movement mechanics than what the series has seen in recent releases:
- Map voting returns, allowing players greater autonomy over their multiplayer matches.
- Classic minimap behavior, with red dots indicating when an enemy is firing an unsuppressed weapon.
- All chosen perks are available at the start of each match.
- The covert sneakers perk allows for silent movement (assuming you’ve chosen the correct footwear).
- Core multiplayer health is increased to 150, lengthening the Time-to-Kill (TTK). Hardcore mode is not affected.
- You can cancel slide animations (i.e., “slide cancel”), but slide canceling does not reset tactical sprint.
- You can cancel partial reloads during an animation (i.e., “reload cancel”) to immediately return fire.
- Mantling is faster, and you can mantle while sprinting.
- You can fire during and immediately after sliding.
- Tactical sprint durations are increased (the exact duration depends on the weapon being used).
- Tactical sprint recharges while sprinting.
Modern Warfare II (2022) weapons and Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps
If you’ve grown attached to your arsenal in Modern Warfare II’s multiplayer, fear not. The announcement revealed that Modern Warfare III’s multiplayer will grant you access to every gun you’ve earned in MWII. And if you’re feeling nostalgic, even better—all of MW2 (2009)’s maps are getting a reimagining for this new multiplayer release.
Though the game will feature some classic mechanics, Modern Warfare III is also aiming for something new with “tac-stance,” a gameplay feature that is described in the blog post as such:
- The operator unshoulders the weapon and holds it in a canted firing position.
- You can toggle in and out of Tac-Stance dynamically while aiming down sights.
- Tac-Stance trades precise accuracy for improved mobility and handling.
- Some spread to your firing will occur, best described as a middle ground between full ADS and hipfire.
- It is designed to be used in aggressive, close-quarter combat situations.
- By default, you fire in Tac-Stance while Sliding.
Modern Warfare III will also see a new 3v3v3 competitive multiplayer mode called “Cutthroat,” in addition to some classic modes, as well.
The latest Call of Duty game will launch onNovember 10 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC (on both Battle.net and Steam).