Call of Duty 2023 will reportedly be called “Modern Warfare III” and feature zombies
by Danny Craig
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Activision
According to insider sources, the next title in the Call of Duty (COD) franchise will be Modern Warfare III (MW3), with a zombies mode also being included.
The details:
- According to Insider Gaming's sources, this year's COD title will be a direct sequel to last year's MWII, with development led by Sledgehammer Games and assistance from Raven, Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and High Moon. The game will feature a campaign, multiplayer, zombies, and a new Warzone 2 map based on the MWII campaign location Las Almas. The game is expected to be officially revealed in August, with the first beta period beginning in early October.
- It was originally reported that the 2023 release would differ from previous franchise launches in that Activision would technically "skip" a year, instead opting to release "premium DLC" featuring a new campaign, multiplayer, and Warzone content as an expansion for MWII. This was said to be the case at one point; however, Activision eventually decided to stick to its yearly release schedule, presumably due to its potential impact on sales.
- The multiplayer is likely to include classic maps from the original Modern Warfare series, such as fan favorites Terminal, Highrise, and Rust, which were rumored to be added to MWII via an update before its release. Sledgehammer's next zombie attempt is said to be "Outbreak 2.0," with the original mode appearing in Treyarch's Black Ops: Cold War. Activision is reportedly still deciding whether to include it in the full-priced release or as a free-to-play mode, similar to Warzone 2 and DMZ.
- Here are the key dates for MW3’s release cycle, according to Insider Gaming:
- Beta Weekend 1 (PS4/PS5): October 6, 2023–October 10, 2023
- Beta Weekend 2 (PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S/PC): October 12, 2023–October 16, 2023
- Campaign Early Access (PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S/PC): November 2, 2023
- Full Release (PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S/PC): November 10, 2023
- Season 1 Launch/New Warzone Map: December 5, 2023
More Activision Blizzard news:
- The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has blocked Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard in the United Kingdom, citing concerns about the company's current dominance of the cloud gaming market as a sufficient reason to prevent the deal. Activision Blizzard plans to appeal the decision and has hired Queen Elizabeth II's former lawyer to assist with the appeal.
- According to Activision Blizzard’s latest financial report, the publisher’s PC titles are generating more revenue than its console games. Between January 1 and March 31, PC games brought in $666 million, whereas console releases generated $27 million less at $639 million.
