Something to look forward to: After weeks of teasers and leaks, publisher Activision and developing team Sledgehammer Games have finally made official the next entry into the Call of Duty franchise: Modern Warfare III. This will be the third title for the Modern Warfare reboot, which began in 2019.
For the first time in franchise history, a direct sequel will immediately follow up on its predecessor, as Modern Warfare III looks to pick right back up from where Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II left off. According to one of Activision's numerous teasers, this was planned from the beginning, as the publisher hoped players would "grow closer to the characters" compared to the typical two or three-year wait seen in previous entries.
As seen in a blog post by Activision, Modern Warfare III sees the return of recurring franchise antagonist Vladimir Makarov. Makarov was last seen in the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, which launched in 2011. Task Force 141's members will also once again be present in Modern Warfare III; however, it is unknown if characters such as Alejandro will show up or not.
Activision hopes the campaign will have a different feel compared to previous Call of Duty campaigns. Alongside the standard linear "cinematic" missions that players have known for twenty years, Modern Warfare III is introducing new "Open Combat Missions" (OCMs).
OCMs take place "across the sizable landscape of a mission's AO." Activision claims this will allow players to experiment with various playstyles and tackle the missions however they see fit. Players will be able to design their entire loadout around how they wish to handle the mission, whether it be stealth-oriented, throwing caution to the wind, or playing normally.
In celebration of Call of Duty's twentieth anniversary, long-time fans of the franchise will be excited to learn that Modern Warfare III's multiplayer mode will feature all sixteen launch maps from the original Modern Warfare 2 from 2009. Activision also promises "12 all-new core 6v6 maps" post-launch.
Fan-favorite modes such as Team Deathmatch and Hardpoint, among others, will be available once again. Alongside this is the introduction of a three-team mode called "Cutthroat." Modern Warfare III will also see the return of the large-scale "War" mode, which hasn't appeared since the franchise's 2017 release, WWII.
Activision also promises a "return of classic gameplay." Some returning features include map voting, red dots on the mini-map, and perks being active during an entire match, all of which were absent from Modern Warfare II. Along with these, perks are now tied to character gear, multiplayer health has been increased to 150 HP, and a new "tac-stance" feature is being added. Tac-Stance is seen as a "perfect middle ground between hip-fire and aiming down sights."
As covered previously, Modern Warfare III will feature what is being called "Carry Forward." All weapons, attachments, and various unlocks that players can receive in Modern Warfare II will transfer over to Modern Warfare III upon its launch, a first for the franchise.
The fan favorite Zombies mode is also making its debut in the Modern Warfare universe. Modern Warfare Zombies (MWZ) plans to continue the "Dark Aether story" while putting players in a PvE experience against "some of the biggest enemies in Call of Duty history" throughout various regions of the map.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III launches on November 10, with pre-orders now available from many retailers. Similar to Modern Warfare II's launch, pre-ordering will grant players early access to both the game's multiplayer beta test and the single-player campaign. The launch dates for each are currently unknown.