Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023 video game)

Last updated

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
MWIII Cover Art.png
Developer(s) Sledgehammer Games [a]
Publisher(s) Activision
Director(s)
  • Dave Swenson
  • Greg Reisdorf
Producer(s) Trevor Schack
Designer(s) Zach Hodson
Programmer(s) Jason Bell
Artist(s)
  • Joe Salud
  • Matt Abbott
Writer(s)
  • Shelby Carleton
  • Dana Shaw
  • Jen Campbell
Composer(s)
Series Call of Duty
Engine IW
Platform(s)
ReleaseNovember 10, 2023 [b]
Genre(s) First-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is a 2023 first-person shooter game developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision. It is the twentieth installment of the Call of Duty series and is the third entry in the rebooted Modern Warfare sub-series, following Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022). The game was released on November 10, 2023, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. [2] [3]

Contents

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 Russian ultranationalist and terrorist planning to trigger a third World War. The game's multiplayer includes sixteen remastered maps from 2009's Modern Warfare 2 , with at least twelve new maps planned for inclusion post-launch. A Zombies mode, co-created by Black Ops sub-series developer Treyarch and built around an open world player versus environment experience, is also included.

After wrapping development on Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021), Sledgehammer Games were reportedly assigned by Activision to develop an expansion pack for Modern Warfare II, which changed to a full, standalone release in the Call 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.

Gameplay

The player aiming at a group of enemies with their weapon. The enemy radar is visible in the top left. Modern Warfare III Gameplay.png
The player aiming at a group of enemies with their weapon. The enemy radar is visible in the top left.

Modern Warfare III features similar gameplay to its predecessor and other games in the Call 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 from Call 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 from Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) also returns, allowing players to see enemies on their radar when they fire a weapon without a suppressor. [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 from Call of Duty: WWII (2017). [7] The game features moderation powered by artificial 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-favorite Modern Warfare II maps will also be added every season. [12]

An open world player versus environment (PvE) Zombies mode, developed by Treyarch in collaboration with Sledgehammer Games, is also included in the game. The game mode is structured similarly to the DMZ mode in Call of Duty: Warzone , rather than the round-based survival experience from older Zombies 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 for Warzone. 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]

Plot

Campaign

In November 2023, operatives working for the Russian private military company Konni Group raid the Zordaya Prison Complex in Verdansk, Kastovia. There, they locate and free their commander, Vladimir Makarov (Julian Kostov), an ultranationalist terrorist who was sentenced to life imprisonment at the complex following his capture by SAS operatives John "Soap" MacTavish (Neil Ellice) and John 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, led by Farah Karim (Claudia Doumit) and ex-CIA officer Alex Keller (Chad Michael Collins), was planning to obtain ballistic 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 across Siberia 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 the United 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 Gaz 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 the Channel Tunnel. Backed up by a counter-terrorism unit, Price leads the assault to free hostages and stop Makarov. He and Soap locate a dirty bomb in the tunnel and attempt to defuse it, but are ambushed by Makarov, who tries to execute Price. Soap manages to intervene, but is killed by Makarov, who escapes. Ghost and Gaz arrive with reinforcements and help Price defuse the bomb. Afterwards, Price, Gaz, and Ghost scatter Soap's ashes off a cliff in Scotland while honoring his memories.

In a mid-credits scene, Price, with Laswell's aid, infiltrates Shepherd's office and assassinates him for his actions in Mexico.

Zombies

In 2021, Russian arms dealer Victor Zakhaev (Dave B. Mitchell) leads an assault on police forces in Zaravan, Urzikstan with the assistance of ex-NZDF operative Jack Fletcher (Luke Cook) and his PMC, Terminus Outcomes. After killing several officers, Zakhaev and Fletcher breach the subterranean level of a nearby hotel, where they recover two vials filled with a substance of extradimensional origin, named "Aetherium". 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 the area with Fletcher in an armored vehicle; the resulting blast stuns the police and transforms the dead into zombies. Weeks later, as part of Operation Deadbolt – a CIA contingency plan formed to combat and contain the undead threat, Soap and a strike team of elite operators are sent by Laswell and SSO Selma Greene (Debra Wilson) to assess the situation and ensure that nothing is able to escape from the Zaravan exclusion zone; accompanying them is Specialist Sergei Ravenov (Andrew Morgado), a former Spetsnaz captain who allied with the classified CIA task force "Requiem" to thwart previous zombie incursions during the Cold War. [e]

Shortly after establishing their foothold, Deadbolt finds an encrypted message from Doctor Ava Jansen (Denise Hoey), a physicist who specializes in researching Aetherium. Jansen, who was previously employed by Zakhaev, requests Deadbolt's help in extracting her from Zaravan. The Deadbolt strike team is deployed to help her exfil. Upon returning to Deadbolt HQ, Jansen is interrogated by Greene, Soap, and Ravenov. The former claims that Zakhaev currently possesses weapons-grade Aetherium, and only she 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 Terminus. 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 a Terminus fortress in Zaravan, and kills its commander "Legacy" Baranov, 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 Terminus forces as well as a gigantic worm creature, Orcus. After a lengthy battle, Jansen rushes to the Neutralizer and activates it, killing Orcus and destabilizing Zakhaev's vial. A vortex appears, sucking up everything in its wake and forcing Fletcher to retreat from the plant with Zakhaev. 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.

Following his failure to defeat Deadbolt, Zakhaev retreats from Zaravan, leaving Terminus Outcomes to operate independently. Meanwhile, shortly after the incident with the Neutralizer, the Deadbolt strike team is deployed to Zaravan once more to investigate a new anomaly. They discover a rift portal that takes them into the "Dark Aether" dimension. After a brief encounter with the same entity that Jansen previously met, the team exfils from the dimension. Back at Deadbolt HQ, Jansen suffers from a hallucination while researching about a Requiem-backed project, codenamed "Janus", and all the individuals involved, including the former leads of Requiem and ex-BND operative Samantha Maxis, who trapped herself in the Dark Aether in 1985 to contain a powerful Dark Aether entity, known as "the Forsaken". [f]

Some time later, a second rift appears in Zaravan, and the strike team and Ravenov enter it in pursuit of a Terminus squad led by Fletcher. Inside, the Terminus and Deadbolt forces are forced to work together to survive. They find parts of Jansen's Neutralizer left behind after its activation, and use it to open a rift to return home. Fletcher betrays his soldiers and uses an Aetherium vial to turn them into zombies to facilitate his own escape. Ravenov and the strike team clear the area and also manage to depart. As he tends to his wounds, Ravenov is confronted by Jansen, who demands him to explain his affiliation with Requiem. Ravenov tells Jansen that Requiem attempted, but failed, to rescue Maxis from the Dark Aether following her sacrifice, and promises to tell her more about Requiem after dealing with the Zaravan outbreak. As Jansen leaves, Ravenov privately remarks that her parents would be proud of her.

As the Entity continues to influence Jansen, she is eventually lured into the Dark Aether, forcing Ravenov and the strike team to follow her. Entering a newly appeared rift in Zaravan, they pursue Jansen, who becomes possessed by the Entity. The strike team weakens the Entity by breaking various seals around the area, and killing the zombie horde defending it. The Entity ultimately disappears, and the team manages to extract Jansen to safety. Later, Ravenov reprimands Jansen for blindly pursuing the research of her mother, Requiem scientist Elizabeth Grey (Amy Pemberton). He decides to show her a recording of Grey from 1996, which reveals that Jansen is the biological daughter of Maxis, 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 once more.

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 a new rift in Zaravan. Ravenov and the strike team defend Jansen from the Entity's undead forces while she performs rituals to recover her memories and sever her connection with the Entity. With Jansen's assistance, the strike team destroys the Entity, though in its final moment, it warns Jansen of "the Shadowsmiths", who are coming for her. Three months later, Jansen continues to pursue Project Janus, this time by traveling to Liberty Falls, a small West Virginian town where a Dark Aether incursion occurred in February 1991. [g] 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.

Development

Modern Warfare III was developed by Sledgehammer Games, and is the fifth mainline Call of Duty title that the studio has worked on, after co-creating 2011's Modern Warfare 3 with Infinity Ward and developing 2014's Advanced Warfare, 2017's WWII and 2021's Vanguard. [15]

After wrapping development on Vanguard, Sledgehammer Games reportedly began early work on a sequel to Advanced Warfare, but Activision chose to shelve the project before it could get far into production; instead, Activision assigned the studio to create an expansion pack for the then-upcoming Modern Warfare II (2022). [16] [17] According to Bloomberg's Jason 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 for Modern 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 to Modern Warfare II that would feature a rebooted version of original Modern Warfare trilogy antagonist Vladimir Makarov. [17] This decision reportedly left the studio's developers with roughly sixteen months to develop Modern Warfare III, which was a similar schedule to what they faced when developing Vanguard. [19] Treyarch, the lead developer behind the Black Ops sub-series, were also tasked with creating a Zombies mode for Modern Warfare III, making it the first Modern 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 to crunch. [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 that Modern Warfare III was "a labor of love" that had been "years in the making". [21] [22]

Leaks

A large amount of content for Modern 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 a Monster Energy promotion, featuring an image of Captain Price behind the Modern 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]

Music

Walter Mair composed the score for Modern Warfare III, following Sarah Schachner's departure from the rebooted Modern Warfare sub-series over challenges in the working dynamic with Infinity Ward's audio director. [27] [28] Mair has previously worked with the Call of Duty franchise on Call of Duty: Mobile . [27] In addition to Mair's score, Modern Warfare III also features a Zombies score composed by Jack Wall, [29] who frequently partners with Treyarch on the Black Ops sub-series. [30] Additional music was composed by Steve Ouimette, who previously worked on Modern Warfare II season 2's soundtrack. [29]

The soundtrack for Modern Warfare III was released to digital platforms simultaneously with the game's release on November 10, 2023. [31] In addition, rapper 21 Savage released a song in promotion of the game, titled "Call Me Revenge", featuring singer d4vd. [32]

Marketing and release

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 of multiplayer maps from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (ex. "Rust"). [34] A day later, on August 8, Activision confirmed that Modern Warfare II operators, weapons and cosmetic items would carry over into Modern 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 a Call 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, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. [3] Similar to Modern 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 to Xbox Game Pass subscribers. [37] In October 2024, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members were granted the ability to stream the title via Xbox Cloud Gaming. [38] [39]

Post-release promotions

As with previous Call of Duty titles, Modern Warfare III features free seasonal content updates with an in-game store selling cosmetic item bundles via microtransactions.

Similar to past Call of Duty season updates, Activision partners with several media franchises to feature celebrities and licensed characters in the playable roster for multiplayer and Zombies modes. New additions include: Paul Atreides and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen from the film Dune: Part Two ; [40] A-Train and Firecracker from Amazon Prime Video's The Boys TV series; [40] Rick Grimes, Michonne, and Daryl Dixon from AMC's The Walking Dead TV series; [41] [42] the comedy duo Cheech & Chong; [43] basketball player Devin Booker; [44] WWE wrestlers Rhea Ripley, Cody Rhodes and Rey Mysterio; [45] Eric Draven / The Crow from the film The Crow (2024); [46] Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise; [42] Art the Clown from the Terrifier film series; [42] and Sam from the film Trick 'r Treat (2007). [42] Additional themed cosmetic packs were also released in promotion of the Warhammer 40,000 franchise, the MonsterVerse film Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire , [47] [43] the Gundam franchise, [48] the Fallout franchise, [49] and the film Smile 2 (2024). [42]

Reception

The pre-release reviews of Modern 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 the Warzone mode into actively bad sandbox missions". [60]

Upon the game's official release, it received "mixed or average reviews" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic, [51] with 13% of critics recommending the game on aggregator OpenCritic. [53] It is the lowest-rated mainline Call of Duty installment on Metacritic. [68] [69]

Bleacher Report called the campaign "disappointing", but praised the technical aspects as "top notch". [70] Both The Guardian and Windows 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]

Sales

In the United Kingdom, Modern Warfare III topped the sales charts for the month of November 2023. However, sales figures were reported to be around 38% down from Modern Warfare II's figures during the first three weeks of its launch. [72] In the United States, Modern Warfare III was the second overall best-selling game of 2023, behind Hogwarts Legacy . [73] In Japan, the PlayStation 5 version of Modern Warfare III was the fourth best-selling retail game during its first week of release, with 22,132 physical copies being sold. [74]

Awards

YearCeremonyCategoryResultRef.
2024 27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Online Game of the Year Nominated [75]
20th British Academy Games Awards Audio Achievement Nominated [76] [77]
Multiplayer Nominated
Technical Achievement Longlisted [78]
Ivor Novello Awards Best Original Video Game ScoreNominated [79]

Notes

  1. ↑ Zombies mode and Multiplayer Ranked Play developed by Treyarch. Additional development work by Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Beenox, Demonware, High Moon Studios, Activision Shanghai, Activision Central Tech and Toys for Bob.
  2. ↑ Those who digitally pre-ordered Modern Warfare III received access to the game's campaign mode on November 2, 2023. [1]
  3. 1 2 As depicted in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022)
  4. ↑ As depicted in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)
  5. ↑ As depicted in the Black Ops Cold War Zombies maps "Firebase Z", "Outbreak", and "Forsaken" (2021)
  6. ↑ As depicted in the Black Ops Cold War Zombies map "Forsaken" (2021)
  7. ↑ As depicted in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (2024)

Related Research Articles

Infinity Ward, Inc. is an American video game developer. They developed the video game Call of Duty, along with seven other installments in the Call of Duty series. Vince Zampella, Grant Collier, and Jason West established Infinity Ward in 2002 after working at 2015, Inc. previously. All of the 22 original team members of Infinity Ward came from the team that had worked on Medal of Honor: Allied Assault while at 2015, Inc. Activision helped fund Infinity Ward in its early days, buying up 30 percent of the company, before eventually fully acquiring them. The studio's first game, World War II shooter Call of Duty, was released on the PC in 2003. The day after the game was released, Activision bought the rest of Infinity Ward, signing employees to long-term contracts. Infinity Ward went on to make Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the Modern Warfare reboot, and its sequel.

Call of Duty is a military first-person shooter video game series and media franchise published by Activision, starting in 2003. The games were first developed by Infinity Ward, then by Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games. Several spin-off and handheld games were made by other developers. The most recent, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, was released on October 25, 2024.

<i>Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare</i> 2007 video game

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a 2007 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the fourth main installment in the Call of Duty series. The game breaks away from the World War II setting of previous entries and is instead set in modern times. Developed over two years, Modern Warfare was released in November 2007 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows and was ported to the Wii as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Reflex Edition in 2009.

<i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2</i> 2009 video game

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a 2009 first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the sixth installment in the Call of Duty series and the direct sequel to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. It was released worldwide on November 10, 2009, for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. A separate version for the Nintendo DS, titled Modern Warfare: Mobilized, was also released on the same day. A version for OS X was developed by Aspyr and released in May 2014, and the Xbox 360 version was made backward compatible for the Xbox One in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IW (game engine)</span> Game engine developed by Infinity Ward

The IW engine is a game engine created and developed by Infinity Ward for the Call of Duty series. The engine was originally based on id Tech 3. Aside from Infinity Ward, the engine is also used by other Activision studios working on the series, including primary lead developers Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games, and support studios like Beenox, High Moon Studios, and Raven Software.

<i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3</i> 2011 video game

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a 2011 first-person shooter video game, jointly developed by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision. The game was released worldwide in November 8 2011 for Microsoft Windows, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and OS X. It is the sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009), serving as the third and final installment in the original Modern Warfare trilogy and the eighth Call of Duty installment overall. A separate version for the Nintendo DS was developed by n-Space, while Treyarch developed the game's Wii port. In Japan, Square Enix published the game with a separate subtitled and dubbed version.

Call of Duty: XP 2011 was the first annual convention hosted by Activision to celebrate their video game series Call of Duty. The convention was held in Los Angeles, California from September 2–3, 2011 in and around a 12-acre hangar where developer Infinity Ward showcased their upcoming game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and online service Call of Duty: Elite. The convention offered fans an opportunity to observe and participate in various events and attractions such as a $1 million tournament, live performances from various artists, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer, paintball, jeep off-roading, zip-lining, and a full-scale replica of Burger Town from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

<i>Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare</i> 2014 First-person shooter video game

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is a 2014 first-person shooter video game published by Activision. The eleventh major installment in the Call of Duty series, the game was developed by Sledgehammer Games for PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One, while High Moon Studios developed the versions released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and Raven Software developed the game's multiplayer and the Exo-Zombies mode.

<i>Call of Duty: Black Ops III</i> 2015 first-person shooter video game

Call of Duty: Black Ops III is a 2015 first-person shooter game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It is the twelfth entry in the Call of Duty series and the sequel to the 2012 video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II. It was released on PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on November 6, 2015. A feature-limited version developed by Beenox and Mercenary Technology that only supports multiplayer modes was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and was also the final Call of Duty title released on those platforms.

<i>Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare</i> 2016 video game

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is a 2016 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the thirteenth installment in the Call of Duty series and was released worldwide for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on November 4, 2016.

<i>Call of Duty: WWII</i> 2017 video game

Call of Duty: WWII is a 2017 first-person shooter game developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision. It was released worldwide on November 3, 2017 for PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One. It is the fourteenth main installment in the Call of Duty series and the first title in the series to be set primarily during World War II since Call of Duty: World at War in 2008.

<i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare</i> (2019 video game) 2019 video game reboot

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is a 2019 first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. Serving as the sixteenth overall installment in the Call of Duty series, as well as a reboot of the Modern Warfare sub-series, it was released on October 25, 2019, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.

<i>Call of Duty: Warzone</i> 2020 video game

Call of Duty: Warzone was a 2020 free-to-play battle royale first-person shooter game developed by Raven Software and Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It was released on March 10, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One as part of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) and was subsequently connected to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020) and Call of Duty: Vanguard (2021), but did not require purchase of any of the aforementioned titles. Warzone allowed online multiplayer combat among 150 players and featured both cross-platform play and cross-platform progression between the three aforementioned titles.

<i>Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War</i> 2020 video game

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a 2020 first-person shooter game co-developed by Treyarch and Raven Software and published by Activision. It is the seventeenth installment of the Call of Duty series and is the sixth entry in the Black Ops sub-series, following Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (2018). Set in 1981, Black Ops Cold War's single-player story follows CIA operative Russell Adler and his team of agents as they hunt down a Soviet spy named Perseus. As with previous Call of Duty titles, the game also includes a multiplayer component and the cooperative Zombies mode.

<i>Call of Duty: Vanguard</i> 2021 video game

Call of Duty: Vanguard is a 2021 first-person shooter game developed by Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision. It was released on November 5 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It serves as the 18th installment in the overall Call of Duty series. Vanguard establishes a storyline featuring the birth of the special forces to face an emerging threat at the end of the war during various theatres of World War II.

<i>Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II</i> (2022 video game) 2022 video game

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is a 2022 first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the nineteenth installment of the Call of Duty series, serving as a sequel to the 2019 reboot of the Modern Warfare sub-series. The game was released on October 28, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

<i>Call of Duty: Warzone</i> (2022 video game) 2022 video game

Call of Duty: Warzone is a 2022 free-to-play first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and Raven Software for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It is a successor to 2020's Call of Duty: Warzone. The game is a part of 2022's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, 2023's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, and 2024's Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. Warzone itself is free to download and does not require purchase of any of the parent titles. It was introduced during Season 1 of Modern Warfare II content. The game features cross-platform play and a new extraction mode titled DMZ.

<i>Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile</i> First-person shooter mobile video game

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is a 2024 free-to-play mobile first-person shooter game co-developed by Digital Legends Entertainment, Beenox, Activision Shanghai Studio, and Solid State Studios, and published by Activision. It was released on March 21, 2024, for iOS and Android.

<i>Call of Duty: Black Ops 6</i> 2024 video game

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a 2024 first-person shooter video game co-developed by Treyarch and Raven Software and published by Activision. It is the twenty-first installment of the Call of Duty series and is the seventh main entry in the Black Ops sub-series, following Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (2020). Set during Operation Desert Storm, Black Ops 6's single-player story follows rogue CIA operatives Troy Marshall and Frank Woods as they assemble a team of agents to hunt down Pantheon, a paramilitary group with covert ties to the agency.

References

  1. 1 2 Moraa, Felister (October 23, 2023). "How to Play Modern Warfare 3 Campaign Early Access". GameRant. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Modern Warfare III Comes Out In November, Brings Back Slide Canceling". Kotaku. August 7, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Valentine, Rebekah (August 11, 2023). "Yes, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Is Coming to Xbox One and PS4". IGN. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Reveal Event Rewards Announced For Warzone". GameSpot. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  5. ↑ Bailey, Kat (August 18, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Lid Blown Off With New Screens, Open-World Zombies, and Gameplay". IGN . Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Call of Duty Guides – Modern Warfare III Campaign: How to Play". Call of Duty Blog. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 McWhertor, Michael (August 17, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is all in on Modern Warfare 2 nostalgia". Polygon. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  8. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (August 15, 2023). "Modern Warfare 3 Brings Back Call of Duty's Classic Minimap". IGN. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  9. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (August 7, 2023). "Activision Confirms Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Slide Cancelling With Obvious Tease". IGN. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  10. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (August 30, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Has an AI-Powered Voice Chat Moderation System". IGN. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  11. ↑ Donovan, Imogen (August 31, 2023). "'Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3' will use AI to crack down on toxicity". NME. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  12. ↑ Hodgson, David (October 31, 2023). "Launch Comms: Mapping Out Multiplayer — Maps, Modes, and Operators: What You Need to Know". Callofduty.com. Retrieved October 31, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Modern Warfare 3 is launching soon with open-world Zombies and tons of brand-new Call of Duty content". PCGamesN. August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  14. ↑ Warby, Nathan (October 5, 2023). "Modern Warfare 3 Zombies mode: Trailer, story, gameplay, more". Charlieintel.com. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  15. ↑ West, Josh (August 17, 2023). "Modern Warfare 3: Everything we know about Call of Duty 2023". GamesRadar+. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Yang, George (November 10, 2023). "New Report Reveals that Modern Warfare 3 Development Time Was Half That of a Normal Call of Duty". IGN. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Gutierrez, Luis Joshua (November 9, 2023). "Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Campaign Was Developed On A Very Rushed Schedule – Report". GameSpot. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Activision's 'Call of Duty' Game This Year Is More 'Modern Warfare'". Bloomberg.com. February 23, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  19. ↑ "New 'Call of Duty' Draws Harsh Reviews After Rushed Development". Bloomberg.com. November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Officially Announced, Launches With 16 Maps From 2009's MW2". GameSpot. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  21. ↑ Randall, Harvey (November 10, 2023). "Amid fan backlash, Modern Warfare 3 studio bluntly denies reports the campaign was scraped together in 16 months as 'simply not true'". PC Gamer . Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  22. ↑ Blake, Vikki (November 11, 2023). "Modern Warfare 3 was "a labour of love" and "years in the making", says Sledgehammer Games". Eurogamer. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  23. ↑ Bailey, Kat; Yin-Poole, Wesley (July 18, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Logo Leaks, And Activision Just Seems Over It Now". IGN . Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  24. ↑ Duwe, Scott (July 24, 2023). "Call of Duty: MW3 logo has leaked—but not by who you'd expect". Dot Esports. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  25. 1 2 Dinsdale, Ryan Dinsdale (August 3, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Leaks Again, Activision Gets in on the Joke". IGN. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  26. ↑ @CallofDuty (July 24, 2023). "Whew. Mondays. Anyone have an energy drink they can spare?" (Tweet). Retrieved August 16, 2023– via Twitter.
  27. 1 2 Danoff, Owen (September 12, 2023). "Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III Enlists Walter Mair As Composer [EXCLUSIVE]". Screen Rant . Retrieved September 12, 2023.
  28. ↑ Tangcay, Jazz (November 3, 2022). "Composer Sarah Schachner Exits 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II' Soundtrack Citing 'Challenging Working Dynamic' With Audio Director". Variety. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  29. 1 2 Sledgehammer Games (November 2, 2023). Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S). Activision. Scene: Credits.
  30. ↑ Wen, Alan (December 1, 2020). "Jack Wall, 'Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War' composer: "Storytelling is the fun part of writing music for games"". NME. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  31. ↑ Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare III (Original Soundtrack), November 10, 2023, retrieved November 13, 2023
  32. ↑ Zemler, Emily (October 19, 2023). "21 Savage Is Out for Blood With Anthemic Single 'Call Me Revenge'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  33. ↑ "Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Confirmed For November 10 Release". GameSpot. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  34. ↑ "Modern Warfare 3 is bringing back every classic map from MW2 2009, and we have proof". PCGamesN. August 16, 2023. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  35. ↑ "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. Carrying Content Forward: Your Questions Answered". www.callofduty.com. Retrieved August 8, 2023.
  36. ↑ "Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Preorders Are Live". GameSpot. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  37. ↑ Bankhurst, Adam (July 23, 2024). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Is Headed to Xbox Game Pass Tomorrow, July 24". IGN . Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  38. ↑ Stedman, Alex (October 14, 2024). "Three Call of Duty Games, Including Black Ops 6, Are Coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming This Month". IGN. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  39. ↑ Warren, Tom (October 14, 2024). "Three Call of Duty games are coming to Xbox Cloud Gaming on October 25th". The Verge. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
  40. 1 2 "Introducing BlackCell, the Battle Pass, and Bundles for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone Season 1". Call of Duty Blog. December 5, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
  41. ↑ Ivan, Tom (January 30, 2024). "Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone Season 2 features a Walking Dead crossover". Video Games Chronicle . Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  42. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Haunting Returns! Full Season 6 Reveal: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile". Call of Duty Blog. September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  43. 1 2 "Complete Intel: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Warzone: Mobile Season 3: Everything You Need to Know". Call of Duty Blog. March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  44. ↑ "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile Season 3 Reloaded: Your Guide to the Mid-Season Update". Call of Duty Blog. April 24, 2024. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  45. ↑ "Fully Revealed: Season 5 Content Drop for Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile". Call of Duty Blog. July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  46. ↑ "The Crow Is Coming To Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 And Warzone". GameSpot . August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  47. ↑ "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone Season 2 Reloaded Content Drop: What You Need to Know". Call of Duty Blog. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  48. ↑ "Massive Intel Drop: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, Call of Duty: Warzone, and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile: Complete Season 4 Intel". Call of Duty Blog. May 20, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  49. ↑ "Call of Duty x Fallout Sees Task Force 141 Join the Vault Dwellers, Available June 20". Call of Duty Blog. June 18, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  50. ↑ "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III for PC Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved April 29, 2023.
  51. 1 2 "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  52. ↑ "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  53. 1 2 "Modern Warfare III". OpenCritic . Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  54. ↑ Tapsell, Chris (November 17, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) review – video games can do better". Eurogamer . Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  55. ↑ Romano, Sal (November 29, 2023). "Famitsu Review Scores: Issue 1826". Gematsu. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  56. ↑ Leri, Michael (November 13, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Review – Not-So-Special Ops". Game Informer. Archived from the original on November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  57. ↑ Doster, S.E. (November 3, 2023). "Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Campaign Review – Return Of The Makarov". GameSpot. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  58. ↑ Doster, S.E. (November 15, 2023). "CoD: Modern Warfare 3 MP And Zombies Review – Selling Nostalgia". GameSpot. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  59. ↑ West, Josh (November 16, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 review: "Stuck paying deference to a past that it seems to barely understand"". GamesRadar+ . Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  60. 1 2 3 Cardy, Simon (November 3, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Single-Player Campaign Review". IGN . Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  61. ↑ Chung, Stella (November 16, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Multiplayer Review". IGN. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  62. ↑ Hornshaw, Phil (November 17, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies Review". IGN. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  63. ↑ Park, Morgan (November 17, 2023). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 review". PC Gamer . Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  64. 1 2 "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III review – exhilarating multiplayer combat rescues a tired format". The Guardian. November 14, 2023.
  65. 1 2 Middler, Jordan (November 11, 2023). "Review: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 is a big disappointment". Video Games Chronicle . Retrieved November 12, 2023.
  66. ↑ Cole, Yussef (November 7, 2023). "Modern Warfare 3's campaign has finally unmoored Call of Duty". Polygon . Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  67. ↑ Gach, Ethan (November 9, 2023). "Report: Devs Worked Nights And Weekends To Rush Modern Warfare III Out". Kotaku. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  68. ↑ Scullion, Chris (November 13, 2023). "Modern Warfare 3 is on track to be the lowest-rated Call of Duty ever". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  69. ↑ Saed, Sherif (November 13, 2023). "MW3 has the worst review scores in Call of Duty history". VG24/7. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
  70. ↑ "Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Review: Gameplay Impressions for Campaign, Multiplayer". Bleacher Report. November 12, 2023.
  71. ↑ "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) Review—A balancing act of remembering the past while looking forward". Windows Central. November 15, 2023.
  72. ↑ Dring, Christopher (December 11, 2023). "Call of Duty couldn't stop video game sales dipping in November | UK Monthly Charts". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  73. ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (January 18, 2024). "Hogwarts Legacy Beats Modern Warfare 3 as Best-Selling Game of 2023 in the U.S." IGN. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  74. ↑ Romano, Sal (November 16, 2023). "Famitsu Sales: 11/6/23 – 11/12/23 [Update]". Gematsu. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  75. ↑ "2024 Awards Category Details Online Game of the Year". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  76. ↑ "Bafta Games Awards 2024: Baldur's Gate 3 and Spider-Man lead nods". BBC News. March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  77. ↑ "20th BAFTA Games Awards: The Nominations". BAFTA. March 7, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
  78. ↑ "The 60 Best Video Games of 2023". bafta.org. British Academy of Film and Television Arts . Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  79. ↑ Taylor, Mark (April 23, 2024). "Nominations announced for The Ivors with Amazon Music 2024". The Ivors Academy. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.