Call of Duty Modern Warfare III arrives later this year on November 10, 2023 - a direct sequel to the 2022 game. This is a first for the franchise as the series has typically never released successive titles annually. The story will pick up directly from last year's Modern Warfare II, giving players a lot of content to work with alongside brand-new mechanics.
Perhaps the most interesting bit of gameplay design comes through the Open Combat missions in the Campaign that will supposedly give players free rein over how they choose to approach the situation. We are yet to see the mechanic in action, but it appears to be a welcome addition to the franchise. Glimpses of this open-ended mission design appeared in Modern Warfare II (2022) in missions like "Trial by Fire", where the player was given the tools to carry out the mission in any way they see fit.
Also read: Call Of Duty Modern Warfare III Release Date Announced: Makarov Confirmed As Villain
New Gameplay Details in Call of Duty Modern Warfare III
Campaign
The direct sequel to MW2 will feature Captain Price and his Task Force 141 fighting against the ultimate threat, ultranationalist Vladimir Makarov. This is a familiar character for those acquainted with the Modern Warfare series of the past. This time around, the character seems to have different origins but maintains his menacing aura and general lack of morals, as evidenced by a callback to the infamous "No Russian" moment from the original games.
Open Combat Missions
Open Combat Missions (OCMs) will be an exciting innovation in the next campaign. According to the developers, these missions will directly complement the cinematic missions and offer players various choices when completing a level. One can also take advantage of the operable vehicles in the area, giving the campaign an open-ended structure that is bound to raise the stakes both in terms of challenge and opportunity.
Multiplayer
Modern Warfare III will celebrate the 20th anniversary of Call of Duty with one of the year's biggest launches. Fans will see returning maps from the classic MW2 (2009). The 16 core maps ready to launch with Modern Warfare III are as follows:
- Afghan
- Derail
- Estate
- Favela
- Karachi
- Highrise
- Invasion
- Quarry
- Rundown
- Rust
- Scrapyard
- Skidrow
- Sub Base
- Terminal
- Underpass
- Wasteland
These maps have been modernized and updated with current-gen visuals and are carefully balanced to serve a more memorable experience. Veterans returning to the franchise will be satisfied as new game modes like the Cutthroat (3v3v3) deliver a unique experience. In addition, Activision has also decided to re-introduce Ground War and War Modes, with the 16 core maps being complemented by four huge environments. These spaces will host three new battle arenas and one War map.
Features and Customization
Tac-Stance
The new Tactical Stance feature will help players breach and clear areas. This will offer a sweet spot between hip-firing and aiming down sights. Being an optional feature, one can use this according to their preference.
Evolving Loadout
The new Create-a-Class customization brings more depth to the classic loadout system. Players can build their loadout based on cutting-edge military tech from the battlefield and aid their gameplay.
After-Market parts
The Gunsmith mechanic from Modern Warfare II (2022) is now complemented with the new After-Market parts. The unique customization options allow players to focus on a specific play style. One can unlock new weapon challenges in missions and advance their desired path.
Changes to Core Mechanics
The classic Multiplayer features confirmed in the upcoming Modern Warfare game are as follows:
- 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
- Core Multiplayer Health is increased, lengthening the Time-to-Kill (TTK)
Responsiveness
- Players can cancel Slide animations, but it does not reset Tactical Sprint.
- Players can cancel Reload during an animation.
- Mantling over objects is faster and can be done when Sprinting.
- Players can fire during and immediately after Sliding.
Carry Foward Features
As promised by the developers, a vast amount of weapon progression features from Modern Warfare II will carry forward to Modern Warfare III. Every weapon a player has in MW2 will be transferred to MW3 on Day One.
The features are as follows:
- The depth of choice here truly honors the player's investment in Modern Warfare II.
- All MWII weapons, attachments, and unlocks will Carry Forward. There will be seamless functionality between new extensions and global Weapon Platforms.
- Any MWII attachments considered “universal” will be available to attach to MWIII weapons.
- In some instances, MWII weapons carried forward into MWIII can use MWIII attachments you unlock, where applicable.
- The number of Weapon Platforms (AKA “Receivers”) have been increased for some categories, reducing restrictions on weapon customization by allowing for core attachments to be added to your favorite MWII weapons.
Open World Zombies
Lastly, Modern Warfare III will feature one of the most prominent Call of Duty Zombies map ever. The MWZ mode features an unearthly tale of Dark Aether Zombies set in the Modern Warfare universe. Players will undertake missions across multiple regions and face difficulties with core Zombies experience. The Open World PvE extraction survival game mode will deliver hours of content to the players with the launch.
