Activision pushes back on rumors that Modern Warfare 3 is a glorified expansion: 'Our vision to deliver back-to-back Modern Warfare games has been years in the making'

16.08.2023 - 22:19 / pcgamer.com / Jason Schreier

Something has smelled a little off about this year's Call of Duty since the earliest rumors of its development. For the first time in series history, CoD is going back to the sequel well after just one year with a new Modern Warfare 3. In another break in tradition, all multiplayer guns, cosmetics, and progression from Modern Warfare 2 (2022) will carry over into MW3.

You could look at the unconventional, Call of Duty smorgasbord-like makeup of Modern Warfare 3 and determine this is simply Activision tinkering with the CoD formula. Viewed under the lens of a 2022 Bloomberg report claiming a new Call of Duty game wouldn't be done in time for 2023, the new Modern Warfare 3 takes on a new light. At the time, Bloomberg's Jason Schreier said the plan was to release more MW2 content to fill in the 2023 gap. When Activision later indicated it planned to release a «premium» CoD in 2023, Schreier said it might have «lots of content,» but it'll be more like a «paid expansion» of MW2.

That stopgap project appears to have evolved into Modern Warfare 3, which is not a paid expansion, but in fact a full $70 game releasing November 10.

A dev blog published on the eve of MW3's Warzone reveal event is squarely aimed at the impression that Modern Warfare 3 won't be a true «premium release.» Activision wants you to know MW3 is the real deal, and you should consider its $70 price tag business as usual.

«Our vision to deliver back-to-back Modern Warfare games has been years in the making,» the blog reads. «From the start of development across both Modern Warfare II and Modern Warfare III, Sledgehammer Games has worked closely with Infinity Ward to create a blockbuster sequel in the Modern Warfare series, featuring the return of iconic heroes and villains alike.»

While Activision sees Modern Warfare 3 as a regularly-scheduled premium release, it also seemingly acknowledges that MW3 won't feel as distinct as a normal annual CoD.

«Each title release represents an epic experience that stands on its own in terms of unique gameplay and innovation. Modern Warfare 3, however, pays off what the previous titles have set up.»

It does sound like MW3 will at least check off the boxes people expect most from a CoD game. There's a new campaign, co-op modes, and zombies (another strange first for Modern Warfare). But the real meat of CoD is competitive multiplayer, and in that area, Activision has so far described MW3 as more different than new. A bullet list of the MW3 highlights Activision is «most excited about» doesn't say much about multiplayer beyond a new perk system and new Gunsmith parts:

In fact, the most exciting multiplayer news so far isn't new stuff, but the return of old stuff. As PCGamesN reported, a Modern Warfare 3 text