What you need to know
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the next premium title in the first-person shooter franchise published by Activision and developed by Sledgehammer Games with support from other Activision-owned studios.
- Players got their first look at a mission from the Modern Warfare 3 campaign during Gamescom 2023 Opening Night Live.
- Dates for the multiplayer beta were also revealed. PlayStation will get first access as part of their marketing agreement with Activision.
- A Call of Duty: Next showcase will also take place in October.
It's been a big day for Call of Duty announcements, as players got their first taste of the Modern Warfare 3 campaign in a premiere shown during Gamescom 2023 Opening Night Live. Following the premiere, Call of Duty developers Sledgehammer Games and publishers Activision released an official blog post announcing the official dates for the Modern Warfare 3 open beta and Call of Duty: Next showcase. The open beta will begin on October 6 and will span across two separate weekends.
Despite the ongoing effort by Microsoft to appease the Competition and Markets Authority of the UK into approving its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision, the publisher still holds a binding marketing contract with PlayStation for the Call of Duty franchise. This means that PlayStation players will gain access to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer beta earlier than those on Xbox and PC.
On PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 players can expect the first weekend of the multiplayer beta to begin on Friday, October 6 at 10AM PT for those who have preordered MW3 and will end on Tuesday, October 10 at 10AM PT. For those who do not preorder the game, the open beta begins on Sunday, October 8 at 10AM PT and lasts until Tuesday, October 10 at 10AM PT. The beta will not be available on Xbox or PC during this time period.
Xbox and PC players can join PlayStation players for Weekend Two of the beta. For those who preorder Modern Warfare 3 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or PC via Battle.net or Steam will be able to access the multiplayer beta on Thursday, October 12 at 10AM PT. Players will need an Xbox Game Pass Core subscription in order to participate in the pre-order early access beta.
If you're waiting to preorder until you've had a taste of the open beta, then you will be able to join on Xbox, PC, or PlayStation regardless of preorder status beginning on Saturday, October 14 at 10AM PT. The open multiplayer beta will conclude for all players on Monday, October 16 at 10AM PT. You will not need an Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to participate in the open beta.
Along with dates for the multiplayer beta, Activision also announced the return of the Call of Duty: Next showcase on October 5. The event can be livestreamed from the official Call of Duty Twitch channel or Youtube channel. Fans of the franchise can look forward to Call of Duty: Next to get an extra look at the upcoming Modern Warfare 3 campaign, learn about the new Open Combat Missions, and more about what is in store for Modern Warfare 3, Warzone, Warzone mobile, and other Call of Duty adjacent projects such as Call of Duty League esports.
