Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Gameplay Reveal Trailer Showcases Sandbox-Like Campaign, ‘No Russian’ Mission

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III just got a gameplay reveal trailer — a slightly misleading title, given most of the footage is loaded with cinematics. Indeed, it is focused on the campaign, which sees Captain Price and his Task Force 141 take on the Russian ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov, as he extends his grasp across the world. Publisher Activision has introduced a new non-linear campaign structure called ‘Open Combat Missions,’ memorable multiplayer maps, and a Zombies mode set in an open world. Pre-orders for the game are now live across all major platforms.

In what began as a trilogy of soft reboots, the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 trailer evokes memories of the Hunter Killer mission from the original 2011 title, where our team is submerged underwater, prepared to sneak their way into the enemy territory. While much of the action is presented stealthily, Activision stresses that there will be a level of freedom in how you decide to tackle a mission. In addition to the signature linear structure COD games are notorious for, this new iteration introduces ‘Open Combat Missions,’ which makes use of open-ended spaces to let the player decide if they want to take a stealthy approach with lights out and night-vision goggles or go in guns blazing. There’s more freedom for experimentation here — akin to a sandbox — as the game lets you replay missions with a new approach or loadout.

“Now we’re really leaning into our ability to have the engine adapt to the play style of the player. If you’re going to be totally quiet or go in guns blazing, the campaign will totally adapt and support however you want to play it,” David Swenson, creative director, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 told The Washington Post. The game even carries over some choice-based dialogue options from previous entries, but branches it out even further, so it reacts to player decisions. While revisiting a mission, if you happen to stumble upon a new sub-location, it might trigger new speech as well. The new feature is complemented by the multiplayer segment, which brings back 16 modernised maps from 2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, alongside more large-scale areas such as a ‘colossal War map.’

The beloved Zombies mode also returns with an extended scope that throws you into an open world environment teeming with the undead of escalating difficulty. Taking the massive map into consideration, Modern Warfare 3 will — for the first time ever — let you team up with other squads in an all-out PvE battle. That means multiple online squads will unite in their mission to thwart the zombie invasion. Other new features include the ability to cancel sliding so you can erratically avoid enemy fire while still maintaining momentum, and content carry-over that makes it so weapons and cosmetics unlocked in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will be available in MW3, as well.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 releases November 10 across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. Pre-orders grant early access to the open beta and the ability to play the campaign up to a week early.