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All Game Modes at Launch for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (MW3)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (CoD: MW3) will have a whole host of great looking game modes to play on launch, and in this list we’ll be breaking down exactly which ones you can look forward to on release.

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All Multiplayer Game Modes at Launch for CoD: MW3

3v3v3 Mode

This unique launch multiplayer mode in MW3 will pit three groups of three players against each other in a chaotic power struggle to rack up round wins. The first team to reach the limit of rounds won takes the crown.

6v6 Modes

We have a whole host of the classic Call of Duty modes making a comeback at launch for MW3. They’re as follows:

  • Team Deathmatch – Eliminate the players on the enemy team in a race to reach the score limit before time runs out. A simply and timeless game mode.
  • Domination – This fan favorite mode see’s you capturing and controlling key locations around the map to earn points for your team. First team to reach to score limit wins. One of the best game modes for leveling up!
  • Search and Destroy – The iconic round based game mode where one team seeks to plant a bomb and the other to stop them or defuse it. If you die during a round you’ll have to wait until the next to come back in. High risk high reward gamemode.
  • Kill Confirmed – This alternative to Team Deathmatch has been one of my favorites for a long time. You’re still out to eliminate as many enemies as possible, this time though they drop Dog tags and picking these up is what earns you points for the match. Picking up enemy tags and denying team tags nets a ton of XP making this one of the best game modes to play when leveling.
  • Free For All – Only the top three players win in this game mode. It’s every man or woman for themselves as you fight to earn yourself the most kills.
  • Hardpoint – Another excellent high XP game mode. An objective rotates around the map, holding it nets you points. Killing players while holding it nets you a ton of extra XP, as does killing players who are holding it while you’re attacking the point.
  • Control – In this mode you simply take turns at holding an objective while the other team attacks.
  • War – In this mode you have to work as a team to push through a set series of objectives. Completing them will win you the match.
  • Gun Game – Gun Game is really fun casual mode where you have to work through a series of different weapons. Your weapon changes each time as you get a kill. Getting a kill with the final weapon before the other players will get you the win.

Related: The Old Call of Duty Maps Are the Only Part of Modern Warfare 3 That’s Good

32v32 Modes

  • Ground War – Large-scale conflict featuring vehicles you can use to turn the tide of battle. Capture and hold objectives with your team to score points. Captured objectives open forward spawning locations for your team to further advance.
  • Invasion – This massive battle features a mix of both regular players as well as AI mixed in. You’ll earn less points for killing AI players but they can still add up to help you earn your kill streaks.

Additional Modes

  • Hardcore – Hardcore will be available from the start. This mode features reduced UI elements and greatly amplified damage to push the mode closer to realism. You basically take anyone down in one shot.
  • The Firing Range – This is a corridor featuring three dummies that you can practice shooting. Best place for trying out new gun attachment combos and perks.
  • Private Matches – You can use this mode to set up a private match with your fiends. You can even adjust some modifiers to make things interesting.

MW3 Campaign Mode

MW3 will be continuing on with its epic storyline in the campaign mode, which is available at launch. Playing through the roughly 4-hour long campaign will not only give you the cool action filled storyline, but also some brand new operators and other rewards to use in multiplayer!

MW3 Zombies Mode

Zombies will be making a comeback in MW3 at launch. This time around it will be more like a hybrid of DMZ, Outbreak, and Zombies. It’ll be an extraction style PvE shooter rather than your traditional round based Zombies mode. It likely won’t be as good because of this, but we’ll have to wait and see how it plays out on release.

Those are all the multiplayer game modes that will be coming to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. With this extensive this to choose from, we’ll not be short on game modes and content in MW3 any time soon!

If you’re looking for more, check out all the pre-order bonuses for MW3.


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Alex Berry
Alex Berry has been a freelance contributor at The Escapist since January 2023. His coverage ranges from funny takes on the latest games to a whole bunch of guide content on such titles as Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact, and various new games. Alex is a jack of all trades when it comes to games, playing almost every new title that shows promise. From RPGs to shooters, all the way through to sports games, he plays it all, although he does have a soft spot for turn-based RPGs having started out his gaming journey with a copy of Pokémon Red on the original Game Boy. Alex has a master's degree in Business and is fascinated by online game economies, often spending a lot of time finding ways to maximize wealth in these games (but he should really be doing that in real life instead).