New and Returning Features

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (MW3 2023) comes with new features, as well as returning ones from previous installments of the franchise. Check out the list of all new and returning features here!

New Features

New Multiplayer Features

• Cutthroat Game Mode
• Aftermarket Parts
• New 6v6 and Ground War Maps
• Perks Are Divided into Three Categories
• New Movement and Combat Mechanics
• New Equipment

Cutthroat Game Mode

Cutthroat is a brand new game mode where three teams with three members each will battle it out in a 3v3v3 match. The stakes are quite high as each player only has 1 life, with possible revives.

This mode was announced in the COD Next Livestream, which aired on October 5, 2023.

New Cutthroat Game Mode Explained

Aftermarket Parts

Aftermarket Parts comes in the form of Conversion Kits that are accessible in the Gunsmith menu. Applying these kits to a weapon will drastically change the gun's stats and completely overhaul its abilities in-game.

A developer blog posted on October 1, 2023 confirmed the new weapon customization feature.

What are Aftermarket Parts?

New 6v6 and Ground War Maps

There are 12 new Core 6v6 maps that will be releasing soon after the game's launch. 3 new maps for the upcoming Season 1, and 3 more maps arriving in Season 2.

Additionally, 3 new large battle maps for Ground War and Invasion will be added to the map pool rotation.

All these have been confirmed in the COD Next Livestream.

List of All Maps

Perks Are Divided into Three Categories

As seen in the COD Next Livestream, the perks system appears to have been revamped, and are now split into three categories: Gloves, Boots, and Gear. Equip these from your loadout to enable perks that will enhance your gameplay in multiplayer matches!

All Loadout New Features

New Movement and Combat Mechanics

New movement and combat mechanics have been confirmed in the developer blog last August 17, 2023, to give you the competitive edge in multiplayer matches.

• Slide Cancelling - Players can now cancel Slide animations. Take note that this does not affect the Tactical Sprint ability.
• Cancel Reload Animation - While reloading, you can now cancel its animation. This allows you to return fire to your enemies with your leftover ammo in your weapon's magazine.
• Tac-Sprint Recharge - Your Tactical Sprint now recharges while doing a normal sprint.
• Mantling Speed Buff - You can now mantle and climb over ledges and objects much faster.
• Tactical Stance - new shooting mechanic that improves weapon handling and mobility at the cost of reducing its overall accuracy.

New Equipment

According to a tweet by the developers, you can further expand your arsenal with all new equipment for you to rain terror on your opponents in multiplayer.

• Breacher Drone - Drone that detonates on enemies.
• ACS - Toss this device onto objectives to earn points on its own.
• Mosquito Drone - Drone that scans and dive bombs onto enemies.

New Zombies Features

Large Open World Map

As mentioned in the August 17, 2023 developer blog, Modern Warfare 3's take on the Zombies game mode will provide a larger scaled map with different zones, which players can travel to either on-foot or by vehicle.

To add to this, there's an event called the Aether Storm which shrinks the zone starting at the 45-minute mark of a game session.

Zombies Mode Differences - Everything You Need to Know

New Warzone Features

• New Map: Urzikstan
• Night Vision Gulag Battles

New Map: Urzikstan

In a developer blog posted on October 05, 2023, Warzone will receive a brand new map called Urzikstan. This map features Ziplines for faster rotations in battle, as well as a train system, which players can use to quickly travel to different places all across the battleground.

Night Vision Gulag Battles

A random event may occur in the Gulag of Urkzikstan, wherein the battles will be fought in the dark while operators are equipped with Night Visions.

This was seen in the gameplay showcase of the new Warzone map during the COD Next Livestream.

Returning Features

Returning Multiplayer Features

• Return of 16 Classic Maps
• Map Voting
• War Mode
• Classic Gameplay Mechanics

Return of 16 Classic Maps

Fans can rejoice as 16 iconic maps from previous Call of Duty games will make their return in Modern Warfare 3. Fan-favorite maps like Rust, Terminal, and Estate will be included in the multiplayer map pool.

Check out this tweet from the Call of Duty developers for a full list of all returning maps!

Map Voting

Players would be happy to know that Map Voting from previous Call of Duty installments will make its glorious return for Modern Warfare 3 as confirmed in this tweet by the Call of Duty team.

This allows players in a game session to select a map they wish to play for the next match.

War Mode

Developers mentioned in a tweet that War Mode will be returning to Modern Warfare 3. This game mode sees two teams battling it out in large-scale maps where both sides must escort tanks, secure capture points, and prevent missile launches.

Classic Gameplay Mechanics

In the August 17, 2023 developer blog, it was stated that some classic gameplay mechanics will be making their return.

• Unsupressed Weapons Red Dot on Mini-Map - firing with unsupressed weapons will now reveal that player's location on the enemy team's mini-map.
• Health Increased to 150 - The Health pool has been increased to 150 to increase the Time-to-Kill (or TTK) in matches. This however, won't be affected in Hardcore mode.
• Perks Activated at Start of the Match - All perks are now activated again at the beginning of the match. Previously, you had to play a certain amount of time in a match before your other perks will activate.

Returning Zombies Features

• Mystery Boxes
• Pack-A-Punch Machine
• Perk-A-Cola Machines
• Wall Buys

Mystery Boxes

The Mystery Box grants players with random normal guns, as well as unique powerful ones such as the Ray Gun. When a player rolls a teddy bear, the box relocates to a different area in the map.

New Wonder Weapons have been added in the latest iteration of Zombies mode.

Pack-A-Punch Machine

The Pack-A-Punch Machine upgrades a player's weapon to a more powerful version of it. It adds one or two attachments, and increases the overall damage of the gun.

Perk-A-Cola Machines

Perk-A-Cola Machines provide perks to players in the Zombies game mode. Returning perks are Juggernog, Quick Revive, and Speed Cola.

Wall Buys

Players yet again may purchase weapons mounted on walls in each of the areas in a Zombies map. As the player progresses through each area, stronger weapons become available for purchase.

Returning Warzone Features

All Key Elements From Warzone 2.0

The upcoming Season 1 of Warzone 2023 retains all the core aspects from Warzone 2.0, such as Buy Stations, Champion's Quest, Gulags, and more!

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