| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Sledgehammer Games[b] |
| Publisher | Activision |
| Directors |
|
| Producer | Trevor Schack |
| Designer | Zach Hodson |
| Programmer | Jason Bell |
| Artists |
|
| Writers |
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| Composers | |
| Series | Call of Duty |
| Engine | IW 9.0 |
| Platforms | |
| Release | November 10, 2023[a] |
| Genre | First-person shooter |
| Modes | Single-player,multiplayer |
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is a 2023first-person shootergame developed bySledgehammer Games and published byActivision. It is the twentieth installment of theCall of Duty series and is the third entry in the rebootedModern Warfare sub-series, followingCall of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022). The game was released on November 10, 2023, forPlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Windows,Xbox One, andXbox Series X/S.[2][3]
Modern Warfare III retains the realistic, modern setting of its predecessors and continues the sub-series storyline. The story follows multi-national special operations unit Task Force 141 tracking down Vladimir Makarov, a Russianultranationalist and terrorist planning to trigger athird World War. The game's multiplayer includes sixteen remastered maps from 2009'sModern Warfare 2, with at least twelve new maps planned for inclusion post-launch.[needs update] AZombies mode, co-created byBlack Ops sub-series developerTreyarch and built around anopen worldplayer versus environment experience, is also included.
After wrapping development onCall of Duty: Vanguard (2021), Sledgehammer Games were reportedly assigned by Activision to develop anexpansion pack forModern Warfare II, which changed to a full, standalone release in theCall of Duty series. After a series of leaks in early-to-mid 2023, the game was officially revealed in August 2023,[4] with a showcase event and public beta also taking place in October. Upon release,Modern Warfare III received mixed reviews, with criticism for its campaign. It became the second best-selling title of 2023 in theUnited States, behindHogwarts Legacy.
Modern Warfare III features similar gameplay toits predecessor and other games in theCall of Duty series. Its single player campaign features a mixture of linear missions, and open-world missions known as "Open Combat Missions". In these missions, players have greater freedom to choose how they want to approach designated objectives, choosing between open combat to stealth and ambush tactics.[5] Players have access to an on-screen map of the area, including a tactical map that outlines objectives and usual equipment, with caches of weapons, gear and specialized equipment on hand. Enemies react accordingly during such missions, searching for players if they lose sight of them, and calling in reinforcements as their numbers decrease in combat.[6]
In Multiplayer, all sixteen maps fromCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) are available to play on, with the added ability to vote for maps while in a matchmade lobby (which was absent in some recent titles), and increased player health for longer "time-to-kill" (TTK).[7] The "red dot"minimap that was absent fromModern Warfare II andCall of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) also returns, allowing players to see enemies on their radar when they fire a weapon without asuppressor.[8] In addition, players are also able to cancel sliding animations (i.e. "slide cancel").[9] Classic game modes such as "Kill Confirmed" and "Hardpoint" return alongside a new game mode titled "Cutthroat", where three teams of three players go head to head. Players can also engage in the 32v32 "Ground War" mode with a selection of dedicated maps, as well as the "War" mode, returning fromCall of Duty: WWII (2017).[7] The game features moderation powered byartificial intelligence, listening in on in-game interactions and immediately reporting any overly-toxic behavior.[10][11] At least twelve new 6v6 multiplayer maps have been confirmed to release post-launch,[7] while fan-favoriteModern Warfare II maps will also be added every season.[12]
Anopen worldplayer versus environment (PvE)Zombies mode, developed byTreyarch in collaboration with Sledgehammer Games, is also included in the game. The game mode is structured similarly to the DMZ mode inCall of Duty: Warzone, rather than the round-based survival experience from olderZombies modes.[13] Up to 24 players play together as separate squads in a large-sized map, which is also used as the new battle royale map forWarzone. Each team can tackle zombies, as well as AI-controlled human enemies, to complete objectives around the map, as well as collect loot and sell them at buy stations, or extract them via exfiltration. In place of rounds, the map is divided into "zones", with varying levels of threat indicating the difficulty. After 45 minutes of in-match time, an "Aether Storm" begins to expand and cover the map, leaving players with 15 minutes to exfil with their loot. Core mechanics from previous Zombies modes return, such as weapon wallbuys, Perk-a-Cola drinks, and the Mystery Box. Players can also extract "acquisitions", which are items that can be stored or brought into subsequent matches for use, or "schematics", which allow them to craft said items, with a cooldown limit. Story quests are also featured in the mode, which further progress the narrative.[14]
In November 2023, operatives working for the Russianprivate military company Konni Group raid the Zordaya Prison Complex in Verdansk, Kastovia. There, they locate and free their commander, Vladimir Makarov (Julian Kostov), anultranationalist terrorist who was sentenced tolife imprisonment at the complex following his capture bySAS operatives John "Soap" MacTavish (Neil Ellice) andJohn Price (Barry Sloane) during a terrorist attack at the Verdansk Stadium in April 2019. Hours later, Konni assaults a port in Urzikstan, where the Urzikstan Liberation Force (ULF), led by Farah Karim (Claudia Doumit) and ex-CIA officer Alex Keller (Chad Michael Collins), was planning to obtainballistic missiles from the American PMC Shadow Company and their commander, Phillip Graves (Warren Kole), who faked his death after his encounter with special forces unit Task Force 141 in Las Almas, Mexico.[c] The missiles are stolen, though Farah manages to place trackers on them.
Having learned of Makarov's escape from CIA Station Chief Kate Laswell (Rya Kihlstedt), Price leads 141 to an abandoned nuclear power plant to prevent Konni from securing nuclear material left behind following the death of General Roman Barkov.[d] They find, however, that the plant is actually carrying leftover chemical materials that Barkov had hidden within and that Makarov plans to refine it into a deadly chemical weapon. Konni escapes with the material, detonating some to thwart 141's efforts and nearly killing Price in the resultant chemical gas it creates.
To determine Makarov's plans, Laswell infiltrates the Arklov Military Base in Verdansk and meets with Colonel Yuri Volkov (Raphael Corkhill), who supplies a flash drive containing information on the chemical weapons Barkov had been producing. Laswell leaves with the information, moments into an attack on the base with the stolen missiles. Meanwhile, Makarov has a Kastovian airliner destroyed, using a vest bomb forced onto a former ULF fighter who was traveling aboard. To prevent an escalation of tensions between the East and West, Farah and Alex swiftly remove any evidence of ULF involvement at the plane's crash site in Urzikstan before local authorities arrive, despite Konni's efforts to prevent this.
In wake of the attacks, Price reluctantly accepts assistance from Graves and General Herschel Shepherd (Glenn Morshower), who is seeking to return to the United States after being forced into hiding,[c] when they both make contact with Laswell; through their intel, Soap and Lieutenant Simon "Ghost" Riley (Samuel Roukin) locate and interrogate Makarov's financier, Milena Romanova (Tina Ivlev). Price and Sergeant Kyle "Gaz" Garrick (Elliot Knight) use Romanova's information and deploy in Saint Petersburg, where they apprehend Konni operative Andrei Nolan (Nikolai Nikolaeff), leading them to intercept a convoy moving acrossSiberia to a former Soviet prison. Price is shocked to find that the convoy's cargo is Shepherd, who had been captured by Makarov, and decides to give him an ultimatum – either give 141 all of his intel on Makarov's plans and agree to testify to his actions before theUnited States Congress, or be left to freeze to death in Siberia. Shepherd agrees, revealing that Makarov plans to destroy the Gora Dam in Verdansk to flood the city and kill its populace.
While Soap and Ghost lead a task force to prevent Konni from destroying the Gora Dam, Farah, Alex, Price and Kyle lead an assault on a Konni base in Urzikstan, reluctantly accepting aid from Graves and Shadow Company. After resolving both issues, Shepherd and Graves return to the United States and testify to Congress about their actions, while effectively turning on each other during questioning. Meanwhile, 141 returns to London to continue their pursuit of Makarov. Shadowing a Konni contact, the group discovers Makarov has received a flash drive that can allow him control of the UK's train network, and that he intends to destroy theChannel Tunnel. Backed up by a counter-terrorism unit, Price leads the assault to free hostages and stop Makarov. He and Soap locate adirty bomb in the tunnel and attempt to defuse it, but are ambushed by Makarov, who tries to execute Price, but is stopped by Soap who he shoots in the head before escaping once Ghost and Kyle arrive with reinforcements, helping Price defuse the bomb. Afterwards, the trio scatter Soap's ashes off a cliff inScotland. In amid-credits scene, Price kills Shepherd in his office.
In 2021, during a raid on a hotel in Zaravan, Urzikstan, arms dealer Victor Zakhaev (Dave B. Mitchell) and ex-NZDF operative Jack Fletcher (Luke Cook) recover two vials containing "Aetherium", a substance of extradimensional origin. As Zakhaev and Fletcher prepare to exfil, they are intercepted by police reinforcements, who kill most of their men. Zakhaev throws one of the vials at the officers before fleeing from the area with Fletcher in an armored vehicle; the resulting blast stuns the police and transforms the dead intozombies. Weeks later, as part of Operation Deadbolt–a CIA contingency plan formed to contain the undead threat–Soap and a strike team of elite operators are sent by Laswell and SSO Selma Greene (Debra Wilson) to ensure that nothing can escape from the Zaravanexclusion zone; accompanying them is Sergei Ravenov (Andrew Morgado), a formerSpetsnaz captain who allied with the classified CIA task force "Requiem" to thwart previous zombie incursions during theCold War.[e]
Shortly after establishing their foothold, Deadbolt finds a message from one of Zakhaev's scientists, Dr. Ava Jansen (Denise Hoey), who is requesting to be extracted from Zaravan; the strike team is deployed to assist her. Upon returning to Deadbolt HQ, Jansen is interrogated by Greene, Soap, and Ravenov. The former claims that Zakhaev possesses weapons-grade Aetherium, and that she's the only one who knows how to stop him. Greene accepts Jansen's offer and assigns the strike team with helping her build an Aetherium Neutralizer device, which is capable of destabilizing Aetherium crystals within its blast radius. Though the first test on raw Aetherium crystals was successful, Jansen points out that Zakhaev has managed to refine his Aetherium, requiring the Neutralizer to be upgraded before it can be deployed against him. She proposes they acquire research data from late scientist Oskar Strauss, a former lead of Requiem, to upgrade the Neutralizer. The strike team launches an assault on one of Zakhaev's outposts in Zaravan, and kills its commander "Legacy" Baranov (Luis Bermudez), who was in possession of Strauss' research data.
With the Neutralizer complete and ready for use against Zakhaev, Deadbolt deploys to Zakhaev's Aetherium refining plant and prepares to activate the Neutralizer, but faces opposition from Zakhaev's forces as well as a gigantic worm creature, Orcus. Jansen activates the Neutralizer, killing Orcus and destabilizing Zakhaev's vial. A vortex appears, sucking up everything in its wake and forcing Fletcher and Zakhaev to retreat. The vortex lifts Jansen into the air and an entity appears before her, demanding entry; Jansen screams and faints, floating down to the ground as the vortex closes. Ravenov quickly rushes to help Jansen as she opens her eyes, revealing a brief dark purple glow. Afterwards, Deadbolt drone pilot Lucas "Luke" Dobbs (Noshir Dalal) informs Ravenov that although the initial activation of the Neutralizer was a success, undead contacts are beginning to reappear across Zaravan, along with an energy spike appearing in the "red" zone.
At some point following Deadbolt's confrontation with Zakhaev, Jansen begins researching into the Requiem-backed "Project Janus" and all involved individuals, including Requiem's former leads and ex-BND agent Samantha Maxis, who trapped herself in the "Dark Aether" dimension in 1985 to contain a powerful entity, known as "the Forsaken".[e] Jansen confronts Ravenov about his affiliation with Requiem; he tells her that Requiem attempted, but failed, to rescue Maxis from the Dark Aether following her sacrifice, and promises to tell Jansen more about Requiem after the Zaravan outbreak is contained. Jansen is later lured into the Dark Aether by the entity she encountered in Zaravan, forcing Ravenov and the strike team to enter the dimension and rescue her. Ravenov reprimands Jansen for blindly pursuing the research of Requiem scientist Elizabeth Grey (Amy Pemberton). He shows her a recording of Grey from 1996, which reveals that Jansen is Maxis' biological daughter, and Grey gave birth to her via surrogacy, using DNA samples of Maxis and Ravenov. Due to Maxis' exposure to the Dark Aether, Jansen was born with a strong bond to the dimension, and the Entity was a dark reflection of Jansen born at the same time as her. Angered at the revelation, Jansen scolds Ravenov for lying to her before storming off.
Eventually, Jansen decides to return to the Dark Aether to confront the Entity for the final time. She enlists Ravenov and the strike team's help, and enters the dimension through a rift in Zaravan. Ravenov and the strike team defend Jansen from the Entity's undead forces while she performs rituals to sever her connection with the Entity. With Jansen's assistance, the strike team destroys the Entity, though in its final moment, it warns Jansen that "the Shadowsmiths" are coming for her. Three months later, Jansen continues to pursue Project Janus, this time by traveling to Liberty Falls, a smallWest Virginian town where a Dark Aether incursion occurred in February 1991.[f] While chatting with Ravenov on a phone inside her hotel room, Jansen hears a distorted voice calling out to her. A hand emerges from a mirror, pulling Jansen through a portal.
Modern Warfare III was developed bySledgehammer Games, and is the fifth mainlineCall of Duty title that the studio has worked on, after co-creating 2011'sModern Warfare 3 withInfinity Ward and developing 2014'sAdvanced Warfare, 2017'sWWII and 2021'sVanguard.[15]
After wrapping development onVanguard, Sledgehammer Games reportedly began early work on a sequel toAdvanced Warfare, butActivision chose to shelve the project before it could get far into production; instead, Activision assigned the studio to create anexpansion pack for the then-upcomingModern Warfare II (2022).[16][17] According toBloomberg'sJason Schreier, the expansion was originally intended to feature a new, smaller-scale single-player campaign, which was planned to be set in Mexico, along with new content forModern Warfare II's multiplayer component.[16][18]
By Summer 2022, however, Activision chose to reboot the project entirely, tasking Sledgehammer Games with creating a direct, fully-fledged sequel toModern Warfare II that would feature a rebooted version of originalModern Warfare trilogy antagonist Vladimir Makarov.[17] This decision reportedly left the studio's developers with roughly sixteen months to developModern Warfare III, which was a similar schedule to what they faced when developingVanguard.[19]Treyarch, the lead developer behind theBlack Ops sub-series, were also tasked with creating a Zombies mode forModern Warfare III, making it the firstModern Warfare title to feature a Zombies mode.[20]
In another report from Schreier, some developers at Sledgehammer Games claimed that they had initially not been made aware of the decision to turn the project into a full release, leading tocrunch.[16][17] In addition, certain developers were also frustrated with executives at Infinity Ward, who had reportedly stepped in at numerous times during development to make significant (and sometimes unwanted) changes to the project.[16][17] Aaron Halon, Sledgehammer Games' studio head, has publicly denied Schreier's reporting, stating that plans for the game began "long before we wrapped up our previous game" and thatModern Warfare III was "a labor of love" that had been "years in the making".[21][22]
A large amount of content forModern Warfare III was leaked before being officially revealed. Around July 17, 2023, the "red dot" minimap, War mode, and new perks were leaked from an internal alpha build.[23] On July 24, 2023, the game's key art was leaked in aMonster Energy promotion, featuring an image of Captain Price behind theModern Warfare III logo.[24] Around the time of the key art leak, several new weapons were datamined.[25] The key art leak was confirmed real by Activision, who issued copyright takedowns and acknowledged the leak via Twitter with sarcastic tweets.[26][25]
Walter Mair composed the score forModern Warfare III, followingSarah Schachner's departure from the rebootedModern Warfare sub-series over challenges in the working dynamic with Infinity Ward's audio director.[27][28] Mair has previously worked with theCall of Duty franchise onCall of Duty: Mobile.[27] In addition to Mair's score,Modern Warfare III also features a Zombies score composed byJack Wall,[29] who frequently partners with Treyarch on theBlack Ops sub-series.[30] Additional music was composed bySteve Ouimette, who previously worked onModern Warfare II season 2's soundtrack.[29]
The soundtrack forModern Warfare III was released to digital platforms simultaneously with the game's release on November 10, 2023.[31] In addition,rapper21 Savage released a song in promotion of the game, titled "Call Me Revenge", featuring singerd4vd.[32]
On August 7, 2023, a teaser trailer was posted, confirming the title.[33] Around this time, a phone number was set up by Activision that was shared via social media. This phone number, after participants agreed to a few terms, would begin sending anonymous messages to participants, such as "we need someone like you, with experience in Al Mazrah." This phone number was noted to give unusual responses when sent the word "zombies" or the names ofmultiplayer maps fromCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (ex. "Rust").[34] A day later, on August 8, Activision confirmed thatModern Warfare II operators, weapons and cosmetic items would carry over intoModern Warfare III and released a blog post detailing the specifics of the carry-over.[35]
On August 17, a full reveal took place inside of aCall of Duty: Warzone event, which concluded with a reveal trailer.[4] Pre-orders were also opened, with players being able to play the campaign up to a week early, as well as gain access to new operator skins and an open beta for the multiplayer mode.[36]
Modern Warfare III was released on November 10, 2023, forPlayStation 4,PlayStation 5,Windows,Xbox One, andXbox Series X/S.[3] Similar toModern Warfare II, the campaign was released in early access for all digital pre-orders, starting from November 2.[1] In July 2024,Modern Warfare III was made available toXbox Game Pass subscribers.[37] In October 2024, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members were granted the ability tostream the title viaXbox Cloud Gaming.[38][39]
As with previousCall of Duty titles,Modern Warfare III features free seasonal content updates with an in-game store selling cosmetic item bundles viamicrotransactions.
Similar to pastCall of Duty season updates, Activision partners with several media franchises to featurecelebrities and licensed characters in the playable roster for multiplayer and Zombies modes. New additions include:Paul Atreides andFeyd-Rautha Harkonnen from the filmDune: Part Two;[40] A-Train and Firecracker fromAmazon Prime Video'sThe Boys TV series;[40]Rick Grimes,Michonne, andDaryl Dixon fromAMC'sThe Walking Dead TV series;[41][42] the comedy duoCheech & Chong;[43] basketball playerDevin Booker;[44]WWE wrestlersRhea Ripley,Cody Rhodes andRey Mysterio;[45]Eric Draven / The Crow from the filmThe Crow (2024);[46]Michael Myers from theHalloween franchise;[42]Art the Clown from theTerrifier film series;[42] and Sam from the filmTrick 'r Treat (2007).[42] Additional themed cosmetic packs were also released in promotion of theWarhammer 40,000 franchise, theMonsterVerse filmGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire,[47][43] theGundam franchise,[48] theFallout franchise,[49] and the filmSmile 2 (2024).[42]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 58/100[50] (PS5) 56/100[51] (XSXS) 61/100[52] |
| OpenCritic | 13% recommend[53] |
The pre-release reviews ofModern Warfare III's campaign were negative, with critics highlighting that it felt shallow, short, and rushed.[65][60][66][67]IGN gave the campaign a 4/10, describing it as "bizarrely cobbling together pieces of theWarzone mode into actively bad sandbox missions".[60]
Upon the game's official release, it received "mixed or average reviews" from critics, according toreview aggregator websiteMetacritic,[51] with 13% of critics recommending the game on aggregatorOpenCritic.[53] It is the lowest-rated mainlineCall of Duty installment on Metacritic.[68][69]
Bleacher Report called the campaign "disappointing", but praised the technical aspects as "top notch".[70] BothThe Guardian andWindows Central gave the game a 4 out of 5 star rating and particularly praised the multiplayer component, with the latter stating that it "perfectly executes blending old maps with modern gameplay."[64][71]
In the United Kingdom and the United States,Modern Warfare III topped the sales charts for the month of November 2023.[72] However, sales figures were reported to be around 38% down fromModern Warfare II's figures during the first three weeks of its launch.[73]Modern Warfare III was the second overall best-selling game of 2023 in the United States, behindHogwarts Legacy.[74] In Japan, the PlayStation 5 version ofModern Warfare III was the fourth best-selling retail game during its first week of release, with 22,132 physical copies being sold.[75]
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Online Game of the Year | Nominated | [76] |
| 20th British Academy Games Awards | Audio Achievement | Nominated | [77][78] | |
| Multiplayer | Nominated | |||
| Technical Achievement | Longlisted | [79] | ||
| Ivor Novello Awards | Best Original Video Game Score | Nominated | [80] | |
| 2025 | Game Audio Network Guild Awards | Audio of the Year | Nominated | [81] |
| Best Audio Mix | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematic & Cutscene Audio | Nominated | |||
| Best Ensemble Cast Performance | Nominated | |||
| Best Game Foley | Nominated | |||
| Best Game Trailer Audio | Nominated | |||
| Best Performance (Claudia Doumit as Farah) | Nominated | |||
| Dialogue of the Year | Nominated | |||
| Sound Design of the Year | Won |
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