Call of Duty 2023 – expected release date for Modern Warfare 3

28 July 2023 , 17:25

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Call of Duty 2023: expected release date and rumoured Modern Warfare 3 name (Image: Activision)

Call of Duty fans can look forward to a new series entry later on this year, with leaks basically confirming it'll be called Modern Warfare 3.

Call of Duty players are ready for something new, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Warzone (previously known as Warzone 2) have received constant criticism from the community, particularly following the launch of Season 4 Reloaded. But hold on, the good news is that there will be a new Call of Duty game this year.

But there is bad news because Call of Duty 2023 is likely to be more of the same, in what is set to be a continuation from last year's title. Here's everything we know about Call of Duty 2023 so far.

Call of Duty 2023 – Modern Warfare 3

Call of Duty 2023's official name and logo has seemingly been confirmed by the unlikeliest of sources, Monster Energy, with the energy drink brand's packaging revealing branding for Modern Warfare 3. Oopsy, so I guess that's that!

Despite Jason Schrier of Bloomberg suggesting that Call of Duty 2023 would not be a full premium game release, instead being "an extension of Modern Warfare 2", Insider Gaming claimed later in the year that Activision had changed direction and will be a full-blown standalone title. The same publication later claimed that Call of Duty 2023 will be titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Based on the recent leak, this report looks pretty spot on.

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Call of Duty 2023 – expected release date

Activision Blizzard tend to release a new Call of Duty title around the same period every year, so it's pretty easy to have an educated guess. Plus, Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson has also already seemingly leaked the release date, as well as the early access and beta dates.

The last two Call of Duty entries, Modern Warfare 2 and Vanguard, were released in late October and early November respectively. With that in mind, we expect Call of Duty 2023 to be released on or around Friday, November 10. Call of Duty 2023 could be revealed to the world imminently too, with Activision apparently giving NBA players an early look at the new title recently.

Call of Duty 2023 – Warzone map leaks

For those sick of Al Mazrah, and Season 4's new resurgence map Vondel, we have some good news for you. Insider Gaming claims that a brand new Warzone map will be released a few months after Call of Duty 2023 launches, which makes sense considering how long big battle royale maps normally last in-game.

But the good news doesn't stop there, because prominent leaker @Metaaphor on Twitter claims that the aforementioned map won't have a giant hill in the middle of the map, will have tons of buildings and POI's, with lots of memorable areasand that the downtown area is very Verdansk like. Sounds good to us!

Call of Duty 2023 - content carry over

Activision has publicly acknowledged Call of Duty 2023, with the publisher running a cheeky poll on Twitter, which gave a few details away about which content will carry over from Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone to the new title.

The poll asked players if weapons, operators, weapons and bundles should carry forward into Call of Duty 2023, with the poll including two possible answers, both being yes, all but confirming that this content will indeed carry over. The publisher also went on to confirm that news about a reveal event, Season 5 and additional carry forward details will be revealed soon, so watch this space!

Call of Duty 2023 – who's making it?

Call of Duty 2023 will be developed by Sledgehammer Games (who made Vanguard) under the supervision of Infinity Ward, according to Bloomberg. If the reports are to be believed, this is a pretty interesting decision, to say the least, considering Vanguard failed to meet Activision's sales expectations.

But Warzone players will be relieved to know that the developers mentioned weren't (directly at least) responsible for the incredibly disappointing Caldera map, which was ultimately developed by Raven Software and Infinity Ward. Although, this dev combination did work together to create the legendary Verdansk map, so maybe it's not all bad!

Call of Duty 2023 – will it be on Xbox Game Pass?

With Microsoft's proposed $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard still far from completion, following legal battles with the FTC and regulatory skirmishes with the UK's CMA, it's only natural to wonder if Call of Duty 2023 will be on Xbox Game Pass.

In reality, it's very unlikely that Call of Duty 2023 will be on Game Pass, even if the Microsoft Activision deal goes through, as the CMA is on record as predicting new Call of Duty games will arrive on Game Pass in 2025. Although older Call of Duty titles could appear on the service, it seems unlikely that new Call of Duty titles, including Call of Duty 2023, will be on Game Pass, at least for now.