Infinity Ward could be locked out of 2023's Modern Warfare 3

Infinity Ward could be locked out of 2023's Modern Warfare 3
Images via Infinity Ward

Written by 

Jack Marsh

Published 

12th May 2023 16:30

The next chapter of Call of Duty appears to be upon us, as Modern Warfare 2 is set to be eclipsed in November - despite the original plan of having this as a two-year title.

Annual releases seem to be a hard revenue stream to forget about for Activision, and although the publishers decided that MW2 should be their first two-year CoD in over a decade, the second-year DLC is now apparently being turned into a fully-fledged Modern Warfare 3.

With Infinity Ward's year as the leading developers coming to a close, Modern Warfare 3 is in the control of Sledgehammer Games, and it now seems like the original MW series creators will be locked out of the multiplayer building altogether.

Sledgehammer Games set to have full development control of Modern Warfare 3

Click to enlarge

Following Insider Gaming's report that Modern Warfare 3 is coming - corroborating the comments from Jason Schrier that Sledgehammer Games will be developing the 2023 Call of Duty title -  CharlieIntel claims the Vanguard and Advanced Warfare developers will have sole input on how multiplayer will unfold.

The in-the-know source took to their latest podcast to claim that, aside from the campaign, Infinity Ward is leaving Sledgehammer to build their own multiplayer game.

"Outside of the Capmiagn, truthfully, this is a Sledgehammer Games-led title," said CharlieIntel. "All studios work on all Call of Duty games, but there is a lead title, and this is a Sledgehammer Games title."

Sledgehammer has been applauded for much of their customer feedback around multiplayer throughout Vanguard, where their failed attempt at destructible environments overshadowed their adept adaptations, such as adding Ninja as a perk following community outpour.

Infinity Ward set to have no input on Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer

Despite Modern Warfare being an Infinity Ward IP, it seems their only input will be with the campaign, continuing the storylines of Captain Price, Ghost, Soap, and the rest of Task Force 141.

"I'm pretty sure that Infinity Ward's narrative team is obviously helping with the campaign because the Modern Warfare storyline is theirs," added CharlieIntel.

However, Sledgehammer appears to have full control of how the movement, perks, gunsmith, weapons, and maps, meaning we could have a very different game to Modern Warfare 2 on our hands...

Jack Marsh
About the author
Jack Marsh
Jack is an Esports Journalist at GGRecon. Graduating from the University of Chester, with a BA Honours degree in Journalism, Jack is an avid esports enthusiast and specialises in Rocket League, Call of Duty, VALORANT, and trending gaming news.
Why trust GGRecon?

Established in 2019, we don’t just cover games - we live them. Our expert team is full of dedicated gamers, qualified journalists, and industry insiders who collectively boast decades of experience covering gaming and esports. This deep-rooted expertise allows us to provide authoritative and nuanced perspectives first-hand from a team who are playing, and researching every game covered on our website. 

Our foundation is built on a profound commitment to editorial independence, ensuring our content remains free from external influence and advertising pressures and is held to the highest level of editorial conduct, integrity, and quality. 

Every article on GGRecon comes from rigorous research, informed analysis, and a passion for gaming that resonates with our readers. We uphold these standards through a transparent editorial policy, accessible here, which governs our processes and maintains our accountability.

Trending
CoD players divided over which campaign character had the 'saddest death scene'
Activision’s new IP could be following CoD’s live service mayhem
Swagg pleads to Activision to form a Warzone esports circuit alongside the CDL
Old school MW2 LMG is a zero recoil laser beam in Warzone
Warzone fans 'hate' annoying melee weapon that's ruining Rebirth Island