As should be expected of any franchise that's lasted for over two decades, the Call of Duty series has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years. While Call of Duty has seen all-time greats like Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4, Modern Warfare 2, and Black Ops, it's also attached its name to games like Call of Duty: Ghosts and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Both were absolutely fine games, but ones that certainly didn't live up to the legacy or promise of what the series can be at its best.
Unfortunately, 2011's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is widely regarded to be one of these titles. Coming out right after a string of non-stop successes from both Infinity Ward and Treyarch, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was a solid game, and for many fans even a good one, but it just couldn't live up to the extremely high bar set by its recent predecessors. Unfortunately, if the rumors about Call of Duty 2023 are true, then history could be about to repeat itself.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Didn't Hold a Candle to Its Predecessors
At the time, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 received a great deal of critical praise, with review scores mostly centering around 8s and 9s. But as time has gone on, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has become a bit of an odd entry for the franchise as a whole. On paper, Modern Warfare 3 is a great Call of Duty game, with tight gunplay, plenty of iconic maps, a bombastic single-player campaign, and a fun version of the classic Spec Ops mode. But there's something just a little underwhelming about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare revolutionized the military shooter for the modern age, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 doubled down on what made the original such an instant classic. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 had the unfortunate position of being the third game in the series, and one that didn't really innovate in any significant way. So while Modern Warfare 3 has all of its predecessors' great parts, they're all parts fans had seen just a few years prior.
Call of Duty 2023 Might Fall Into the Same Trap
According to recent rumors, Call of Duty 2023 will soon be revealed to be Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, a direct sequel to Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 which released just at the end of last year. Though leaks and rumors should always be taken with a pinch of salt, this one comes from Tom Henderson, an infamous industry insider that has a fairly solid track record, especially when it comes to Call of Duty. But while the idea of a direct sequel so quickly isn't too bad, it's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's alleged developer that raises some alarm bells.
If the leaks are to be believed, then Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is being developed by Sledgehammer Games. Getting its start by co-developing the original Modern Warfare 3, Sledgehammer Games is responsible for some of the weaker entries in the last 10 years of the franchise. Sledgehammer's first solo-developed title was Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and while that's garnered a cult following over the last few years, it's still generally considered to be weaker than any Modern Warfare or Black Ops title. Then there's Call of Duty: WW2, a disappointing return to the setting for the franchise. And finally, there's the recent Call of Duty: Vanguard, which for many fans exemplified the issues with Call of Duty's annual release formula.
While there's definitely a possibility that Sledgehammer's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 could be great, it sounds like the developer might be biting off more than it can chew, with a full campaign, multiplayer, zombies, and a new Warzone map all rumored to be coming later this year. And with presumably not a lot of development time, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 could end up echoing the original 2011 release.
A new Call of Duty game is currently in development.