MODERN WARFARE III OVERVIEW (MWIII)

CONTENT SUMMARY

• Bait and Switch: Two new maps arrive in Season 5. Deploy dockside on a hot Florida day in Bait and Yard brings the fight to a desert junkyard in a new small-sized cel-shaded map. In addition, three fan-favorite maps receive a sketchy new cel-shaded look with the arrival of Celship (Shipment), Toonoxide (Rust), and Ink House (Stash House).
• Play to Win: Operators will be put to the test in new competitive Modes. Slam Deathmatch brings out the WWE Superstar within, requiring a showman’s finest Finishing Moves to take down enemies. COD Warrior is a 2v2v2 quickfire mini-game mode, but don’t forget – it’s all about the team that comes out on top.
• Fishing, Paint, and ‘Fuse: Three new Modes arrive Mid-Season! Fishfection Mode is a scaly twist on Infected, arming Operators with only the Spear and Compound Bow to fend off a growing school of fallen Fish Operators. Unleash the artist within in the vibrant new Paintball Mode, which replaces bullets with paint... and lethal one-shot kills. Then play Defuse or Destroy, a defensive twist on S&D that starts rounds with a bomb already planted. Tick, tick… boom!

Multiplayer Maps: Two Brand New Core 6v6 Maps

Two new and diverse Core 6v6 maps arrive in Season 5, whisking you to a sunny dock in Florida and a cel-shaded junkyard in the Sonoran Desert. Stay sharp, because there’s more reimagined cel-shaded maps coming. Don’t get sketched out by these Map Variants – these ones will feel much more familiar.

Bait (Launch)

Brand-New, Core, 6v6, Medium-Sized

Catch some rays in the Sunshine State on the mid-sized Bait. Battle amongst tiki huts and take a swim in the pool or remain dockside watching for enemy movement near interior spaces like the Restaurant, Boat House, and Bait Shop. The map’s twisting layout provides endless tactical opportunities for every playstyle.

Reach the Loading Docks via the Boat House crawl space and ambush enemies from the alcoves along the Jetty. Be the angler and not the prey, making use of every advantage.

Yard (Launch)

Brand-New, Core, 6v6, Small-Sized

Crush your enemies in a dusty junkyard out in the Sonoran Desert. The small cel-shaded map twists around the base of the central Crane, surrounded by dirt pathways, containers, and discarded components. The eastern Garage offers a tight flanking path down the map, but most of the fighting takes place in the open.

Try your luck in the base of the Crane, where its rounded interior curves around a dividing wall adjacent to a small work room. Prepare to encounter Shotguns and explosives; an Operator who survives the inner gauntlet will be rewarded with its critical position as the map’s dead center.

Celship (Launch)

New (Variant), Core, 6v6, Small-Sized

Deploy to a cel-shaded version of Shipment where multi-colored containers and the bright blue sea add vibrancy to the intensely chaotic map. Animations take on a new life, too, the bright sun shining a light on every little detail.

Toonoxide (Launch)

New (Variant), Core, 6v6, Small-Sized

It’s dusk on Rust with a full moon overhead. As another cel-shaded map variant, the fan-favorite location takes on a whole new vibe. The threat — and opportunities — presented by the central Tower, however, remain ever at the heart of this classic battleground.

Ink House (Mid-Season)

New (Variant), Core, 6v6, Small-Sized

Return to Palo Alto as Stash House gets the cel-shaded treatment with a stress on bold black outlines lending the map an inked look. Enjoy the details in the heightened contrast while fighting for every inch around the iconic house.

Multiplayer Modes: Slam Deathmatch, COD Warrior Mini-Game Mayhem, Fishfection and More

Game Mode: Slam Deathmatch (In-Season)

Wrestle up your finest Finishing Moves in this spin on traditional Team Deathmatch. It’s still all about eliminations in Slam Deathmatch, but in this Mode weapons can only down your enemies. To earn points, you must finish off opponents by hitting them with a Finishing Move.

All Finishing Moves will be randomized WWE Finishing Moves in upcoming Slam Deathmatch brawls, and the Mode will only be available during the WWE SummerSlam event, starting on July 31.

Game Mode: Arcade Playlist (In-Season)

Power up with the return of Arcade, featuring two new strategic abilities and several exciting new power weapons. In addition, all Arcade players will benefit from increased jump height and the ability to slam (non-damaging) to quickly return to the ground.

Abilities: Two new abilities arrive with Arcade this season. Players can Ground Slam, doling out damage in an area of effect upon landing from a jump. If successfully completed within range of an enemy, the blow can be lethal. Forcefield is a defense ability, creating a big transparent bubble around the player that defends against incoming bullets. As the Forcefield absorbs more damage, it will eventually be destroyed.

Weapons: Deliver the pain with five new power weapons, each with a unique effect:

• Sledgehammer Melee: Increased knockback ability
• Minigun: Battle Rage ability
• MORS Sniper Rifle: Explosive knockback effect
• TYR Pistol: Akimbo Snakeshot Dragon’s Breath
• Push Dagger Melee: Big lunge ability

Game Mode: COD Warrior (Launch)

Mini-games, anyone? COD Warrior is a new Mode that puts three teams of two to the test in a series of randomized quickfire mini-games. Every round wins one point, and the first team to reach five points takes the game.

Be prepared for mini-game mayhem! Round timers for mini-games will range from 30 to 90 seconds, and all mini-games will be weapon-based and give Operators one life, with no respawn.

COD Warrior Mini-Games:

CAPTION: Beat up the Car Mini-game (above)

Beat Up the Car!

Round Time: 60 Seconds

Each team spawns in with Sledgehammers and a vehicle. The first team to destroy their car wins.

Breacher Ball!

Round Time: 60 seconds

All Operators are provided with unlimited Breacher Drones as their only armament. Survive to win.

Bullet Time!

Round Time: 60 seconds

Test your reflexes against extremely low velocity weapons, allowing you to better sidestep and evade enemy fire. Survive to win.

Shoot!

Round Time: 30 seconds

Spawn in a circle with every Operator wielding the powerful TYR Handgun. Draw fast and survive to win.

CAPTION: Bullet Time Mini-game (above)

Don’t Shoot!

Round Time: 60 seconds

Listen closely. In this variant, everyone spawns in a circle with the TYR Handgun equipped. Anyone who shoots, however, will die on the spot. Survive to win.

Drone Wars!

Round Time: 60 seconds

All Operators spawn with Stormenders and Bomb Drones. Survive to win.

Fragged!

Round Time: 60 seconds

Settle things explosively in this mini-game where all Operators are provided with unlimited Frag Grenades only.

The Hunt!

Round Time: 60 seconds

Operators are assigned the role of a hunter or a runner. Hunters must eliminate the runners who have no weapons to fight back.

CAPTION: Breacher Ball Mini-game (above)

Knives!

Round Time: 60 seconds

Operators spawn with knives only. Survive to win.

“Meta” Loadout!

Round Time: 60 seconds

Do your best in this ironic take on the meta as Operators duke it out with poorly optimized Loadouts. Survive to win.

Miniguns for Everyone!

Round Time: 60 seconds

Prepare for brutal combat as each Operator is provided a Juggernaut suit and a minigun. Survive to win.

Last Ninja Standing!

Round Time: 60 seconds

Operators battle with Throwing Stars only while benefiting from increased movement speed and jump height. Survive to Win.

Revive!

Round Time: 60 seconds

Each team spawns with a downed Operator. The first team to locate and revive their downed teammate wins.

Shocking!

Round Time: 90 seconds

Push through the pain. In this mini-game, all Operators must battle under the permanent effects of a Shock Stick.

Turret Time!

Round Time: 90 seconds

All Operators are provided with Stormenders and a Remote Turret. Survive to win.

Game Modes: Mid-Season

Along with other surprise content, expect three new game modes to arrive later in the season, offering new ways to perfect the new Bow and Spear, as well as novel and new methods of gaining the win:

Game Mode: Fishfection (Mid-Season)

Avoid the hook in this slippery twist on Infected. Equipped with only the Compound Bow and Spear as your weapons in Fishfection, where it’s your goal to prevent getting eliminated by a bloodthirsty school of Fish Operators composed of previously fallen players.

Game Mode: Paintball (Mid-Season)

We’re going painting! Paintball, played predominantly on small maps and in modes like Capture the Flag and Kill Confirmed, gives players increased movement abilities for the duration of the Mode and replaces all bullet impacts with paint splatters. That means every weapon is a one-shot kill, so take cover behind a bunker of choice and get ready for some quick-action painting.

Game Mode: Defuse or Destroy (Mid-Season)

Expect an explosive twist on Search & Destroy at mid-season too! In this round-based objective mode, teams take turns attacking and defending bomb sites. The twist? This mode’s rounds start with a bomb already planted in one of two possible locations, putting a literal ticking time bomb into play as teams alternate to defend and defuse.

Multiplayer Ranked Play Intel (Launch Window)

As always, earn MWIII Ranked Play rewards in three ways:

• Rank Rewards: Available at launch and can be earned in any season. Players can continue their previous rank grind in Season 5.
• Season Rewards: Available at the start of the season and only available that season.
• End-of Season Rewards: Rewards that are awarded after the season concludes and represent either your highest attained division or an active placement in the Top 250 Division.

Ranked Rewards are consistent from season to season, but Competitor and Skill Division Rewards have been updated for Season 5. Note that the Ranked Play Operator Skins remain unlockable from season to season.

New Season 5 Competitor Rewards:

• 5 Wins: “MWIII Season 5 Competitor” Weapon Sticker
• 10 Wins: “Pro Re-Issue MCW” Weapon Blueprint
• 25 Wins: “Smell of Victory” Weapon Charm
• 50 Wins: “MWIII SR Monster” Weapon Decal
• 75 Wins: “MWIII Ranked Play Season 5” Loading Screen
• 100 Wins: “MWIII Season 5 Ranked Veteran Weapon Camo

New Season 5 Skill Division Rewards

The following are the end-of-season rewards for Season 5, awarded based on the highest placement in your Skill Division:

• Bronze: “MWIII Season 5 Bronze” Emblem
• Silver: “MWIII Season 5 Silver” Emblem
• Gold: “MWIII Season 5 Gold” Animated Emblem
• Gold: “MWIII Season 5 Gold” Weapon Camo
• Platinum: “MWIII Season 5 Platinum” Animated Emblem
• Platinum: “MWIII Season 5 Platinum” Weapon Camo
• Diamond: “MWIII Season 5 Diamond” Animated Emblem
• Diamond: “MWIII Season 5 Diamond” Weapon Camo
• Crimson: “MWIII Season 5 Crimson” Animated Emblem
• Crimson: “MWIII Season 5 Crimson” Weapon Camo
• Iridescent: “MWIII Season 5 Iridescent” Animated Emblem
• Iridescent: “MWIII Season 5 Iridescent” Weapon Camo
• Iridescent: “MWIII Season 5 Iridescent” Animated Calling Card
• Top 250: “MWIII Season 5 Top 250” Animated Emblem
• Top 250: “MWIII Season 5 Top 250” Animated Calling Card
• Top 250: “MWIII Season 5 Top 250” Animated Weapon Camo

Need a refresher on Ranked Play for Modern Warfare III? Consult the Multiplayer Ranked Play Guide here, and tune into the Patch Notes for additional Ranked Play intel, updates, and more.

New Equipment (Launch)

New Tactical: EMP Grenade (Launch)

This deactivates enemy electronics and disrupts enemy sensors for a short time. Even if no equipment is affected, you’ll still negatively impact the HUD of any enemies caught in the blast, making this a good breaching tool to disorient opponents before rushing in for the clear.

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