Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3: Release date, platforms, editions, and more

Call of Duty's next major installment, Modern Warfare 3, is just around the corner. As a sequel to Modern Warfare 2 (released in 2022), it continues the narrative from its prequel and promises to offer fans a unique experience never before seen. Developed by Sledgehammer Games, MW3 is taking a different approach from its predecessors by eliminating Special Ops mode completely and introducing Zombies to the Modern Warfare universe instead - a first for the series.

Moreover, the new Open Combat missions in the Campaign will put players in the driver's seat, giving them the freedom to take on missions on their own terms, elevating immersion to a completely new level. These moves aim to offer fans a complete gaming experience with a fresh twist.

But that’s just the gist of it. With so many innovations it becomes difficult to keep track of all the new additions and changes. That said, this article will provide an exhaustive list of everything that fans should know about the upcoming title including all the new game modes, returning characters, and a lot more.

Modern Warfare 3 release date

Modern Warfare 3 (2023) will be released on November 9, 2023. During the FTC vs. Microsoft court hearing, the US Federal Judge overlooking the case revealed that Call of Duty 2023 was set to release this November, which was later confirmed by the official reveal.

Based on the officially revealed information, the following are some of the crucial dates for MW3:

Beta weekend 1: October 6, 2023 – October 10, 2023
Beta weekend 2: October 12, 2023 – October 16, 2023
Campaign Early Access: November 2, 2023
Full release: November 9, 2023

What platforms can Modern Warfare 3 be played on?

All platforms that support Modern Warfare 3 discussed (Image via Activision)

Since Modern Warfare 3 is built upon the same engine as MW2, the game will be playable across current-gen and last-gen consoles. This includes the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Battle.net and Steam). As for Xbox Game Pass, it is highly unlikely that the title will appear therein anytime soon.

The title is officially be available as both cross-gen and cross-platform, meaning players on the last generation of consoles can seamlessly play with other players on current-gen systems and vice versa. For PC, the system requirements shouldn't see massive changes over Modern Warfare 2 since the two titles are built on the same engine.

All Modern Warfare 3 editions and pre-order bonuses

Possible Modern Warfare 3 editions and prices discussed (Image via Activision)

Modern Warfare 3 will be available in two main variants - Standard Edition and Vault Edition. The Standard Edition will cost $69.99 and will cover all the basic modes and content. The Vault Edition on the other hand will feature a plethora of additional benefits such as access to the Cross-Gen bundle, BlackCell Battle Pass, and more. Here’s everything that the two editions will entail along with their pre-order benefits:

Standard Edition ($69.99)

Full Game
Early Access to the Campaign (Pre-order)
Soap Operator Pack (Pre-order)
Zombie Ghost Operator Skin (Pre-order)

Vault Edition ($99.99)

Full Game
Early Access to the Campaign (Pre-order)
Soap Operator Pack (Pre-order)
Zombie Ghost Operator Skin (Pre-order)
Nemesis Operator Pack (Pre-order)
Two Weapon Vaults
Soul Harvester Tracer Weapon Blueprint (Pre-order)
Blackcell Battle Pass + 30 Tier Skips
Cross-Gen Bundle

All game modes coming to Modern Warfare 3

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MW3 will feature three primary game modes at launch - Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies. For the Multiplayer, fans should expect to see the generic modes COD is known for, such as Domination, Team Deathmatch, Free-for-All, Search & Destroy, Hardpoint, and more.

The blog has also stated that a brand new mode called Cutthroat will also be available at launch. The mode will be a 3v3v3 experience. Alongside that, the multiplayer mode will also have the Battle Maps in its playlist. As such, players can expect the Ground War and Invasion mode to remain in the upcoming title.

It is worth mentioning here that Sledgehammer Games also worked on the original MW3 alongside Infinity Ward.

All characters returning to Modern Warfare 3

The possible roster of characters returning to Modern Warfare 3 (Image via Activision)

With MW3, the notorious villain Makarov is coming back. However, our heroes are also here to take the stand again. From Captain Price, and Ghost, to Soap, almost all characters from the previous iteration are coming back.

Furthermore, Philip Graves might return as well. The Season 5 update for Warzone 2 revealed that Graves is alive and well along with the Shadow Company. He also took a massive part in the reveal event. Hence, it won't be surprising if the antagonist of MW2 returns in the upcoming launch.

All weapons coming to Modern Warfare 3 at launch

List of possible weapons coming to Modern Warfare 3 (Image via Activision)

So far, a total of 52 weapons have been leaked for MW 3. The details pertaining to weapons were data mined from game files. According to these leaks, here are all the weapons that will be arriving in MW3 at launch:

Assault Rifle

Bushmaster ACR in 5.56
Bushmaster ACR in .300 Blackout
Heckler & Koch G36
CZ BREN 2 Ms in 7.62×39
CZ 805 BREN in 5.56
FN F2000
QBZ-95 in 5.8x42
QBZ 97 NSR Gen 3 in 5.56

Battle Rifle

Bushmaster ACR in .450 Bushmaster
CZ BREN 2 BR in 7.62×51
MCX Spear(XM7)

Marksman Rifle

ACR DMR in 5.56
CZ BREN 2 PPS
Heckler & Koch SL8
Kalashnikov SVK

LMG

FN EVOLYS
Heckler & Koch MG36
Bullpup PKP Pecheneg
PKP Pecheneg
QJB-95 LSW

SMG

Colt Model 635
LWRC SMG-45
CZ SCORPION EVO 3
Heckler & Koch UMP
Uzi
Uzi Pro

Sniper Rifle

Steyr HS .50 M1
SVCh
Beretta ARX-200
Cadex Tremor 50

Pistols

Glock 21
Beretta 93R
RSh-12
Micro Uzi

Along with these weapons, names of a number of other firearms were found in another leak that revealed in-game loadouts. They are:

AK-556
CDG-58
ANVL-B
MCW
MTZ-556
MTZ-762
TAQ-V
LACH-9 (MP5)
WSP-9 (Uzi)
SAR-9
Striker 45
BAS-B
Sidewinder
KVB-73
KVS Terminus
AMR-50
RIVAL-9
Raffica

However, it is worth noting here that all of these weapons might not make it to the final build and may arrive in the game with different names.

New Warzone 2 map coming with Modern Warfare 3

Modern Warfare 3 not only brings exciting news for fans of Multiplayer but also Warzone. With the Season 1 update for MW3, the battle royale title will receive several updates altering the game completely. Much requested features such as slide canceling, reload canceling, and more will be made available in Warzone. But that’s not all.

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Warzone will see the addition of a new map called ‘Urzikstan’, a fictional region in the Modern Warfare universe. Unlike Al Mazrah, Urzikstan will feature varied locations, from the clustered Verdansk-like buildings in the heart of the city to open farmlands, players will have numerous ways to fight. Here are all the POIs known so far:

Levin Resort
Popov Power
Orlov Military Base
Seaport District
Urzikstan Cargo
Old Town
Low Town
Hadiqa Farms
Zaravan City
Zaravan Suburbs
Shahin Manor

For those wondering when they will be able to drop in the upcoming Warzone 2 map Urzikstan, it is currently rumored to go live on December 5, 2023, which is reportedly the release date for Season 1 of Modern Warfare 3.

A big open-world Zombies experience coming with Modern Warfare 3

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A brand new PvE zombies experience will be available with Modern Warfare 3. The Dark Arther zombies story will be set in the MW universe for the very first time. This new mode will be similar to DMZ and will be played on the upcoming Warzone open-world map.

This is all there is to know about MW3 at the moment. This article will be updated as soon as we receive new intel. Follow Sportskeeda's Call of Duty section for the latest MW3, Modern Warfare 2, and Warzone 2 news.

Edited by Adarsh J Kumar