What is the Experimental Playlist in Modern Warfare 3?

What is the Experimental Playlist in Modern Warfare 3?

Play the brand-new Experimental Playlist and let your voice be heard on potential gameplay adjustments to Modern Warfare 3 Multiplayer!

23rd Nov 2023 10:20

Images via Activision

The Experimental Playlist is brand-new to Call of Duty, added in the latest Playlist Update for Modern Warfare 3. There's always room for improvement, which is why the developers created the Experimental Playlist to test potential gameplay adjustments to Modern Warfare 3. This primer details the Experimental Playlist and how it will impact the game's future for the better!

What is the Experimental Playlist?

The Experimental Playlist in-game on Modern Warfare 3

As the name suggests, the Experimental Playlist serves as a sort of Public Test Server (PTS) for players to trial potential changes to Modern Warfare 3 Multiplayer. 

The debut of the Experimental Playlist added a coloured outline to all Operators. Enemy Operators appear outlined in red, while teammates sport a blue-coloured highlight around their Operator. Ever since the beta, a common complaint across the community has been how difficult it can be to distinguish foes from the environment, especially on maps with low visibility, so the hope is that coloured outlines will help alleviate that issue.

Sweeping changes to the classic Call of Duty formula don't always go over well amongst the playerbase, so the Experimental Playlist is a way for players to test stuff out and see how it affects gameplay before reaching a judgment. The Experimental Playlist is optional, so if you don't like the ongoing experiment, you don't have to play it!

Expect the Experimental Playlist to appear periodically throughout the lifespan of Modern Warfare 3, with each iteration featuring different gameplay adjustments that Sledgehammer Games wants to assess in a controlled environment before considering injecting the changes into the Core Playlists.

Will gameplay adjustments be added to the Core Playlists?

An image Sledgehammer Games used to promote the debut of the Experimental Playlist in MW3

Once an experiment has run its course, Sledgehammer Games will distribute an official survey to participants. This survey is an opportunity to provide Sledgehammer Games with feedback directly and let the developers know what you thought of the gameplay adjustments in the Experimental Playlist. 

If the changes receive overwhelmingly positive feedback, they will likely be introduced to the Core Playlists! And if the feedback isn't great, Sledgehammer Games will probably refine the modifications or scrap the idea altogether.

So, be a pioneer at the forefront of potential changes to Modern Warfare 3 Multiplayer by playing the Experimental Playlist! Your feedback will have a direct impact on whether or not a new idea becomes a permanent addition to the Core Playlists.

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Coleman Hamstead

About The Author

Coleman Hamstead

Coleman is a freelance journalist at GGRecon. While gaming has always been his passion, it wasn’t until he worked as a Sports Journalist at the Community College of Baltimore County that he found his enthusiasm for writing. In the time since Coleman has had his work featured in publications such as The Washington Post/Launcher and ESTNN. Coleman is a graduate of Towson University with a degree in Sport Management and Business Administration.

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