Highlights
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 introduces the Carry Forward feature, allowing players to transfer weapons and cosmetic content from Modern Warfare 2 to the new game, saving them from starting afresh.
- While not all content is transferable, most weapons, Bundles, Operators, and rewards can be carried over from Modern Warfare 2 to Modern Warfare 3, as long as specific unlock challenges have been completed. War tracks will not carry over, though, nor will skins for vehicles and equipment that are not included in MW3.
- Players can transfer content from Modern Warfare 2 to Modern Warfare 3 at any time, even after the release of the new game, giving them the opportunity to stockpile items and gain a boost in the latest installment.
There's a certain freedom that comes with being given a fresh start, and online gaming has historically required players to start grinds for special weapons and effects all over again quite regularly. The most common implementation of this mechanism comes in the form of Seasonal Passes, as developers challenge the limits of players' abilities by periodically resetting their avatars and sending them on a new hunt for glory, leveling the playing field for old and new gamers alike. For instance, Blizzard used the Rebirth feature in Diablo 3 to take avatars back to their humble beginnings for the start of each new season, and the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare franchise isn't too different. However, constantly starting afresh with no content carrying over can be a frustrating experience, and Activision is allowing players to transfer some features to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
It's a little abnormal for Call of Duty to update its Modern Warfare catalog in consecutive years, but the third installment in the series will likely be outfitted with a plethora of new content through new single and multiplayer modes. In Call of Duty's past sequels, players have had to start from scratch, discarding a year's worth of grinding and investment to kick off a new journey in the FPS giant, but this Sledgehammer Games-led iteration is changing its traditional modus operandi with the introduction of the Carry Forward feature, finally letting items cross over from Modern Warfare 2 to a new installment.
Most Items from Modern Warfare 2 Can Be Transferred to MW3
While Modern Warfare 3 is equipped with an impressive array of weapons and cosmetic content specific to the title, fans have wondered whether at least a few of their amassed arsenal from Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2 would appear in the new game. The Carry Forward feature comes in handy, preferring a solution to Modern Warfare's - and online gaming by extension - age-old problem, saving players a lot of grueling grinding time. Although not every piece of content is transferable from Modern Warfare 2 to 3, the feature is a welcome start of a potential long-term solution. Specifics of the content that will make the jump to Modern Warfare 3 have been revealed, and only a few pieces of Modern Warfare 2's gameplay will miss out.
According to Call of Duty's Carry Forward Q&A, all weapons and cosmetic content such as Bundles, Operators, and other rewards will be available to transfer from Modern Warfare 2 to the sequel. Each weapon's unique unlock challenge needs to be completed in Modern Warfare 2 for it to be accessible in Modern Warfare 3, and Blueprints carry forward as well - both player-owned and a select few from the Store Bundles. Limited-time event rewards like Weapon Camos will only make the transfer if players unlocked them in Modern Warfare 2 before their challenge expiry.
However, there's a small caveat fans need to pay attention to, as some content might be unavailable depending on Modern Warfare 3's type of gameplay. If base-level content like the Tactical Amphibious Vehicle doesn't appear as a playable option in the sequel, none of its attached skins will cross over to the new title. Additionally, while all unlocked items from MW2 that appear in Modern Warfare 3 are eligible for transfer, the same isn't applicable vice versa, as there's no Carry Back feature. This mechanism only works in one direction, from Modern Warfare 2 to the sequel. War tracks from Modern Warfare 2 will not be brought into Modern Warfare 3, either.
Modern Warfare 2 enthusiasts who still go back to play the game after Modern Warfare 3's release won't find their efforts in the old title in vain either, as the Carry Forward feature can transfer content at any time. The mechanism's lack of a time limit allows players to get the best out of both games, stockpiling weapons and fancy cosmetic content from the previous edition to get a boost in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches on November 10.
