As the third entry in a reboot trilogy that takes creative liberties over the original games, 2023’s Call of Duty MW3 campaign is set to take things up a notch with the formal introduction of the iconic villain Makarov. It’s probably been a while since you last played the story modes of the previous entries, so here’s all you need to know to get up with speed with the Modern Warfare 3 campaign.
The Call of Duty MW3 (2023) campaign will finally pay off all the developments we’ve seen over the past two games when we see Makarov – the villain of the original Modern Warfare trilogy – take center stage. With the Task Force 141 crew likely joined by some old and new MW3 characters, there will be lots to sink our teeth into outside of MW3 multiplayer. Before the MW3 release date, there’s no better time to dive into the latest Modern Warfare 3 campaign details and rumors.
Call of Duty MW3 campaign
The Call of Duty MW3 campaign will follow Task Force 141 against the increasing threat of Vladimir Makarov, who was seen briefly at the end of the Modern Warfare 2 story and confirmed in a dedicated trailer.
Based on the campaign mode of MW2 (2022), players can expect a globe-trotting story, with action-packed set pieces and infiltration missions that make use of the deep weapons sandbox, equipment, and vehicles. While Activision are yet to fully reveal the Modern Warfare 3 campaign, its flare for dramatic and bombastic action will no doubt continue.
Call of Duty MW3 campaign release date
The early access Call of Duty MW3 campaign release date is expected to be Thursday, November 2, 2023 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC, eight days ahead of the full release, according to numerous leaks.
While MW3 early access will likely be limited to the campaign mode, it does mean you can jump in and experience the blockbuster story with plenty of time to spare before the release of the multiplayer and other modes.
Call of Duty MW3 campaign story speculation
With the end of Modern Warfare 2’s story hinting at the arrival of Vladimir Makarov – the main villain of the original trilogy – the MW3 campaign and story will focus on Task Force 141 attempting to stop Makarov before it’s too late. This is also suggested in the official MW3 Makarov trailer, which revealed some of the events of the story and his new look. Check out our MW3 cast guide for more on the actor behind Makarov and the other major characters.
In the ending scene of the MW2, we see Kate Laswell and the Task Force 141 members drinking in a bar when Laswell details intel on a new threat. Captain Price and the team reveal that this threat isn’t new. Instead, it’s the one and only Vladimir Makarov, setting him up to be the main antagonist in Modern Warfare 3.
We then cut to a Russian airliner which is subsequently hijacked by Makarov’s soldiers. Perhaps the most interesting detail in this scene is the text message sent by Makarov, simply reading ‘No Russian’. Those that have played the original Modern Warfare 2 will no doubt know immediately what this means, as ‘No Russian’ is the name of one of the most controversial missions in Call of Duty history.
It’s possible that the MW3 campaign will begin with a similarly devastating mission to MW2’s No Russian level, highlighting the brutality and threat posed by Makarov. This is hinted at in the dedicated Makarov trailer which showcased short gameplay sections of civilians running from a blast at a soccer stadium, as well as several crashed planes swarmed by soldiers.
It could be that the MW3 No Russian mission, if it does feature, puts a spin on the controversial airport massacre mission, most likely changing the setting but keeping the heavy theme. Nevertheless, it’s Task Force 141’s job to stop him and that’s likely where the campaign will kick off in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3.
Another plot point worth considering is that of Commander Shepherd. In the original trilogy, this villain had a much more obvious role, killing both Ghost and Roach in one of the most recognizable scenes in the series, before being killed by a well-placed throwing knife in the game’s closing moments.
In the reboot trilogy, however, Shepherd has largely acted behind the scenes and is still alive (and on the run) in the third game. So, it’s likely that Shepherd will show up once again and fill the role of a secondary antagonist to Makarov.
Will the Call of Duty MW3 campaign have co-op?
The Call of Duty MW3 campaign is expected to be single-player only, without any multiplayer co-op support, based on the lack of co-op functionality in recent Call of Duty campaigns.
Though CoD has dabbled with co-op in the past, such as in Modern Warfare 2’s PvE Raid missions, campaign co-op is generally not a supported feature.
That’s where the possibility of MW3 Spec Ops comes in, as this has typically offered co-op action in narrative setting, albeit outside of the main campaign. There’s also potential for Raids to make a return as well as an additional co-op experience.
Call of Duty MW3 campaign difficulty modes speculation
The Call of Duty MW3 campaign is likely to feature the same difficulty modes as the previous two games. These are:
- Recruit
- Regular
- Hardened
- Veteran
- Realism
Recruit and Regular are the standard difficulty modes that most players will use, at least on their first completion of the campaign. On the other hand, Hardened, Veteran, and Realism have typically taken the difficulty up to very tricky heights.
While MW3’s campaign balancing could be on the easier end of the scale, we’d recommend only those looking for a challenge should attempt these higher difficulty options.
That’s all there is to know about the Call of Duty MW3 campaign right now, though hopefully Activision will reveal more details soon. If the third entry in the reboot trilogy can deliver on the intensity of the originals and build upon the narrative of the two games before it, Modern Warfare 3 could be one of the best FPS games once it comes out.
