Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 — Release date with launch times for preloads, PC specs, and more

Finally, the full launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is here, and regardless of whether you play on an Xbox, PlayStation, or gaming PC, you need to prepare. Call of Duty is an annual blockbuster franchise developed by more than a dozen studios and published by Activision. Modern Warfare 3 (2023) is a direct sequel to the events of 2022's Modern Warfare 2, with lead development being handled by Sledgehammer Games (most recently known for Call of Duty: Vanguard). 

While Modern Warfare 3 is a full-priced, AAA stand-alone title, it is the first from the record-breaking series to launch in a Warzone 2.0 ecosystem. The success of Call of Duty: Warzone in 2020 launched the franchise into an all-new era, where each subsequent premium title was required to tie into the Warzone ecosystem. This led to a game that was cumbersome to navigate, with a bloated and broken system that tried to marry together games built across three different engines. 

To combat the bloat, Activision and Modern Warfare 2 lead developers Infinity Ward worked in partnership with Warzone's lead developers, Raven Software, to create a new dedicated platform where Warzone and premium COD titles can cohabitate. This new system tied Warzone and Modern Warfare 2 together in one launcher, which seems to have created some confusion about how Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's preloading and official launch will work. If you're looking to jump into MW3 on day one, we've got all your important questions covered here.

How do I preload Modern Warfare 3?

Regardless of what platform you are playing on, you have the option to preload Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ahead of its November 10 release date. Starting on November 8 at 10:00 AM PT/1 PM ET, you can start your preload of the full game, including the campaign, multiplayer, and zombies modes. At this time, servers for Multiplayer and MWZ are offline, but players who preordered the game do have early access to the full campaign.

To preload MW3 on Xbox or PC, you will need to visit your platform's storefront and download the new Call of Duty HQ launcher. If you already have MW2 or Warzone installed, you can simply update your existing Call of Duty HQ to gain access to MW3 when it releases. On Xbox, this update will require 135 GB of storage, so clear up your hard drive before starting the download.

When can I play Modern Warfare 3?

Modern Warfare 3 will have a rolling global launch. Regardless of when you purchase, us console players gain access at Midnight for your local time zone on November 10. Call of Duty players in North America are the exception, with multiplayer and zombies access going live on November 9 at 9:00 PM PT/10:00 PM MT/11:00 PM CT/12:00 AM ET.

Players on PC, including the Battle.net platform and Steam, will see a global launch on November 9 at 9:00 PM PT.

• Sydney: 16:00 AEDT
• Tokyo: 14:00 JST
• Seoul: 14:00 KST
• Berlin: 06:00 CET
• Stockholm: 06:00 CET
• London: 05:00 GMT
• São Paulo: 02:00 BRT
• New York: 00:00 EST
• Québec City: 00:00 EST
• Mexico City: 23:00 CST
• Los Angeles: 21:00 PST

While the campaign for Modern Warfare 3 has been available to players who preordered since November 2, access to multiplayer has been locked down, with servers for the game still offline. However, if you're absolutely desperate to get an early look at multiplayer and you don't mind roaming around the maps alone, you can do that now. 

Some stealthy community members have discovered that you can access Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer from the Call of Duty HQ. With the servers down, the game will tell you it is unable to connect, and then you are given an option to play offline. You'll be alone, but it'll give you a chance to explore those premiere campsites. 

How to download Modern Warfare 3 on PC?

PC players have two options for platforms when purchasing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. For the last several releases, Call of Duty has been available on Blizzard's Battle.net launcher. However, with Modern Warfare 2, the franchise returned to Steam for the first time in 5 years.

Modern Warfare 3 will be available on both platforms. Where you choose to purchase the game is entirely up to you, as both platforms benefit from the cross-platform Activision account. Your unlocks and purchases will be available regardless of where you decide to play.

That said, if you do choose to purchase MW3 on Steam after previously owning MW2 on Battle.net, don't be surprised when you are prompted to redownload the Call of Duty HQ launcher from both platforms to access your games. The Call of Duty HQ launcher takes up over 130 GB of storage space, however, which would be doubled. While you can cross the streams, so to speak, it's probably not ideal to do so. 

Before diving into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on PC, take a moment to look over the recommended specs and make sure that your gaming PC is up to the battle.

How to play the MW3 campaign?

For users who preorder Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023), the campaign will now immediately be available, despite the game not fully releasing until November 10. By purchasing Modern Warfare 3 and updating the Call of Duty HQ client, you will have access to the MW3 campaign. Simply choose the MW3 campaign logo from the menu after launching Call of Duty HQ.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Cross-gen bundle | $70 at Best Buy

Experience the epic campaign, all-new open-world zombies, and classic-style multiplayer on last and current-gen gaming consoles. Preordering grants early access to the beta and campaign.

Price check: $70 (Xbox) | $70 (Steam) | $70 (Battle.net) | $70 (PlayStation)

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The campaign for Modern Warfare 3 is not an expansion or DLC of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. There has been some contention with the Call of Duty community over this, but the release is a full premium title that stands alone on its own. It is a direct sequel to Modern Warfare 2 (2022), with campaign events picking up where they left off from the previous game. Some events that occurred during Modern Warfare 2's post-launch episodic Raid released for DMZ are also canon with the campaign.

Playing the campaign will unlock the following rewards that can be used in Modern Warfare 3's multiplayer, MWZ, and Warzone:

• “Breather” Calling Card
• 30 mins Double Player XP Token & 30 mins Double Weapon XP Token
• “Corso” Operator
• “Ghillie Guy” Calling Card
• 30 mins XP Token and 30m Weapon XP Token
• “Pathfinder” Operator
• “Toxic Drip” Calling Card
• 1 hour Double Player XP Token and 1 hour Double Weapon XP Token
• “Doc” Operator
• “Skull Rhapsody” Calling Card
• 1 hour Double Player XP Token and 1 hour Double Weapon XP Token
• “Jabber” Operator
• Campaign Completion Emblem
• Campaign Completion Weapon Blueprint

Does MW3 have achievements?

Yes. However, because Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's launcher has been converted to HQ, the game now shares its achievement list with Modern Warfare 3. Xbox gamers can now rack up 2,000 gamerscore from Call of Duty HQ. Achievements that unlock from Modern Warfare 2 (2022) are now tagged with MW2, while the achievements for Modern Warfare 3 (2023) are prefaced with MW3.