Modern Warfare 3 (2023) release date and latest news

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3's release date has been revealed, and it's now confirmed that it will be the Call of Duty title released in 2023. Not only that, but we now know when we'll be hearing more about the upcoming shooter, as well as some hints on what to expect from the story.

While it is somewhat surprising that Call of Duty is releasing two Modern Warfare titles in a row, it does look like this year's entry could be a slightly different kind of release. There's yet to be a full reveal, but what we do know is that Sledgehammer Games is leading development and that the story will continue where MW2 left off.

We're set to hear more about Modern Warfare 3 as part of an upcoming Warzone 2.0 event. While we wait, here's what we know about the game so far, including a look at the new trailer, and what to expect from the story.

Modern Warfare 3 - cut to the chase

• What is it? A sequel to 2022's Modern Warfare 2
• When does it come out? November 10, 2023 
• What can I play it on? Xbox Series X, PS5, PC, PS4, Xbox One
• Who is making it? Sledgehammer Games

Modern Warfare 3 (2023) release date

(Image credit: Activision)

The Modern Warfare 3 release date is November 10, 2023. This is a pretty standard release date for a Call of Duty game, given that last year's Modern Warfare 2 release just two weeks earlier, in the same window. In general, Call of Duty doesn't need to worry too much about its competition, as it's basically guaranteed that it'll end up as one of the best-selling games of the year, regardless.

You'll be able to play Modern Warfare 3 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Xbox One when it comes out.

Modern Warfare 3 (2023) story and setting

(Image credit: Activision)

While Activision has yet to fully reveal the story for Modern Warfare 3, we do know a little bit about what could be included at launch. At the end of the last game, we were treated to a teaser for what's to come, and all signs point to Makarov. Vladimir Makarov was the secret big baddie in the original Modern Warfare game, which was technically Call of Duty 4. He was also involved in the iconic 'No Russian' mission later on in the series. This mission was also referenced in the post-credits scene for 2022's Modern Warfare 2.

Makarov appears in the teaser trailer for Modern Warfare 3 (2023), and there's a voiceover from Price warning that 'you should never bury your enemies alive.' From what we know, it's clear that the team will be going up against Makarov, though we don't yet know the specifics. Things will likely pick up where the last game left off, but we'll have to wait and see whether we get remakes of any classic Modern Warfare 3 moments from the original game. This is, of course, a rebooted timeline, so anything could happen to Price and crew.

Modern Warfare 3 trailer

So far, we have only received one trailer for Modern Warfare 3 (2023). It's a short teaser with a voice-over from Captain Price, that points to the return of Vladimir Makarov. Makarov also appears, distorted by red graphics and shapes. Check out the trailer below:

Modern Warfare 3 (2023) latest news

(Image credit: Activision)

Phone number hidden in teaser trailer
As shown in the image embedded above, there's a phone number hidden in the teaser trailer for Modern Warfare 3. We found this by setting the playback speed to 0.25x, though the number is still obscured. This US number can be messaged to receive teaser promotional material for the game, in the form of intel drops from Captain Price.

Full Modern Warfare 3 reveal to feature in Warzone 2.0
Activision has revealed that Modern Warfare 3 will be fully revealed during a Warzone 2 event. Full details have yet to be revealed, but given how close the release date for the game is, expect news very soon indeed.

Sledgehammer Games is leading development
Modern Warfare 3 is being developed by a handful of Call of Duty studios, but Sledgehammer is leading things. The team last developed 2021's Vanguard and has seemingly been working on MW3 since. Infinity Ward usually lead development on the Modern Warfare series, so this is something of an outlier.

So there you have it, that's everything we know about Modern Warfare 3 (2023) so far. For more on Call of Duty, head over to our best FPS games list to see whether any of the series' games are included.