Summary
Sledgehammer Games has denied that it was forced to rushCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The studio did so as part of a wordy statement that was seemingly meant to be a response to a recent Bloombergreport suggesting Activision rushedModern Warfare 3to the market and is hence largely to blame for the lackluster state of the game at launch.
The hit shooter series historically operated on a three-year cycle, with Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer taking turns developing each new mainline entry. Since 2016, all three studios have been assisted by Raven Software, another Activision subsidiary that’s also the lead on the battle royaleWarzonegames. However, several recent reports indicated thatModern Warfare 3marks the start of anewCall of Dutyrelease modelthat will shorten the development of all future entries in the franchise to just two years, and seek to alternate between unique games and iterative sequels likeModern Warfare 3, the latter of which would be exclusively Sledgehammer’s responsibility.
Sledgehammer Denies Claim that Modern Warfare 3 Was Rushed
A shortened development cycle was also mentioned in the recent Bloomberg report, which stated thatModern Warfare 3was made in just 16 months after Activisiondelayed Treyarch’s 2023Call of Dutygame. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Sledgehammer Games subsequently issued a statement from Studio Head Aaron Halon, which directly disputed large parts of that report. Among other things, Halon said that the company spent “years” realizing the vision forModern Warfare 3. “Anything said to the contrary is simply not true,” he wrote.
The Bloomberg report, authored by established industry insider Jason Schreier, also mentioned that Sledgehammer initially wanted to make anotherAdvanced Warfaregame after wrapping up work on the 2021Call of Duty: Vanguard, only for Activision to tell it to tackleModern Warfare 3instead. Halon disputed this claim as well, stating that the studio made the first back-to-back sequel in the franchise history because that’s what the fans were asking for.
Finally, Schreier reported thatModern Warfare 3was initially envisioned as aModern Warfare 2DLC, but was turned into a standalone game after Treyarch’s nextCall of Dutyentry was delayed. An Activision spokesperson had already denied that claim even before Halon did.
A lot of the criticism aimed at the current state ofModern Warfare 3is directed at its lackluster single-player campaign. While it remains to be seen whether this fan backlash ends up having a material impact on the future of the series, what’s certain is thatActivision already has the next four years ofCall of Dutyplanned out.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
WHERE TO PLAY
The war has changed. Call of Duty returns with an all-new campaign, modernized versions of classic Multiplayer maps and an open-world PvE Zombies experience. The campaign, a direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov as he extends his grasp across the world. In Multiplayer, the 16 maps that launched with Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 return with upgraded graphics, new modes and innovative gameplay features. In Modern Warfare Zombies, team up with other squads for the first time ever as you work together to survive in the largest Zombies map yet
