https://gamerant.com/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3-day-one-unfair-matches/While Call of Duty games usually set all players off on equal footing, Modern Warfare 3 will offer one group of fans an advantage.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is inching closer to its November release, and with its beta coming in October, players will soon be able to try out the Sledgehammer Games-led sequel. With the old mini-map set to return alongside faster movement, Modern Warfare 3 could have a recipe for success. However, it will undoubtedly end up playing favorites because of one important trait: its map pool.
It seems likely that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will cater more toward longtime fans than those who got into Call of Duty with the modern releases, even if the gunplay itself feels grounded in the present. This is because of its map pool, as instead of having mostly new maps on day one like other Call of Duty games, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will be saving its never-before-seen maps for after release. At launch, all 16 of the base maps from the original Modern Warfare 2 will be playable instead - meaning that those who played the 2009 classic will have an instant advantage that newer fans lack.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Fans Can Make Good Use of Their Experience in MW3
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While some of the very best Modern Warfare 2 maps have been remade before, like Terminal and Rust, a majority will likely be completely unfamiliar to the younger members of the Call of Duty fan base. For older fans, though, the layouts of strange maps like Wasteland and cult classics like Afghan are forever engraved in their minds. This will inevitably lead to an advantage in not just the full game, but the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 beta as well.
Map knowledge is integral to succeeding in any multiplayer shooter, but especially fast-paced ones like the Call of Duty series. Knowing where the power positions are on each map can allow players to dominate, just like how knowing the spawn points and objective positions can make a difference. This is particularly true for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, as hidden map spots like the Highrise rooftop will be a mystery to newcomers. Those with practice ascending the map’s building could rack up lots of kills in the early days of the shooter.
Considering the consistent complaints about Call of Duty’s SBMM making it hard to have standout matches, old school players could see this pre-existing knowledge as a good thing, as it will probably make it easier for them to dominate like in Call of Duty’s golden era. While newcomers will eventually learn the maps, the early weeks of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 could prove painful for players who lack knowledge on its multiplayer arenas. Fortunately, unlike with brand-new multiplayer maps, it is possible to prepare ahead of time.
Classic Call of Duty games like MW2 recently had their servers improved, and with the game still easily accessible via backwards compatibility on Xbox One, there is a perfect opportunity available to new fans to “study up” on the upcoming maps. Even if players do not want to join a public match, as hackers and MW2’s infamous toxic lobbies will await them, they can load into a private match to run around the maps and study the layouts. The Highrise roof spot can be learned as well as other useful locations, and with the 2009 game on the cheap side, multiplayer fans can prepare without spending too much money. Alternatively, plenty of footage of the OG Modern Warfare 2 maps exists online, so watching videos can also help.
With rumors suggesting that Call of Duty 2025 will be a soft reboot of the beloved Black Ops 2, and be packed with remakes like MW3 is full of MW2 maps, a new pattern could be emerging. Call of Duty seems set to swap between fully new releases where newcomers and old fans alike are learning the game together, and titles that lean deeply into nostalgia. In those nostalgia-heavy games, longtime players will surely have an edge for a time, so those that do not already know the maps should do all they can to prepare. If they do not, they could regularly find themselves on the other end of enemy killstreaks.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches on November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.