Highlights
- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will feature remakes of all 16 6v6 multiplayer maps from Modern Warfare 2, which can please veteran fans and provide a strong start for the game.
- While reusing classic maps appeals to nostalgia and addresses previous criticism of map quality, the new gameplay mechanics may not align well with the fast-paced nature of the original maps.
- Despite the potential drawbacks, the remastered approach to map design in MW3 offers a larger quantity of maps at launch compared to previous titles, which is a commendable aspect of the game.
Details surrounding Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 are now plentiful, with the game shaping up nicely for its inbound November release. One of the most talked-about confirmed aspects of the title is how its multiplayer map roster will be entirely composed of remakes for classic MW2 maps at launch, with the news impressing older fans of the franchise in particular.
While there are a lot of benefits to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 map roster in the way of appealing to nostalgia and ensuring a respectable number of maps at launch, there are also some downsides that tarnish the news. In particular, the new way in which CoD plays when compared to older titles like 2009's MW2 could be a big blemish on the new maps, only further fueling the disconnect between the classic CoD formula and its slower modern counterpart.
The Benefits and Worries of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's MW2 Map Remake Approach
It has been confirmed that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will feature all 16 of the launch 6v6 multiplayer maps that first appeared in 2009's Modern Warfare 2. This will give the upcoming release a huge amount of star-power right from its outset, with the MW2 roster featuring some of the most beloved maps across the entire franchise.
While it is true that classic CoD:MW2 maps like Rust have made numerous subsequent appearances in recent CoD titles, the scale of remastering in MW3 will give the more obscure maps a renewed lease of life. Due to the high standing that the classic maps hold in the minds of many CoD fans, some players are already much more interested in Modern Warfare 3 than they would have been if it went down the usual route of producing brand-new maps.
There has been a lot of criticism over Call of Duty's recent map track record, in particular with 6v6 experiences, and falling back on maps that have already stood the test of time could be the perfect way for MW3 to provide a much more approachable online experience. Aside from the quality of the maps, the frequency of 6v6 maps at launch is another huge boost for MW3. With 2019's MW and 2022's MW2 only featuring 10 6v6 maps upon release, the jump to 16 at launch for MW3 is another commendable aspect of its remaster approach.
Of course, falling back on nostalgia and reusing older content is not a perfect strategy for MW3, and stellar fresh content will always be the preferred option. The reliance on nostalgia in particular could be a downside for the maps of MW3, largely due to the fact that the title will play very differently from the original Modern Warfare 2. While the maps themselves are generally structured well, they are memorable due to the gameplay that MW2 provided within them, which was much faster and arcade-like compared to modern Call of Duty.
This is already having an impact with how these maps will be present in Modern Warfare 3, with it being rumored that many MW3 multiplayer maps will introduce changes like functional doors in some buildings. While intended to bring the maps up to speed with today's CoD gameplay, these changes could ultimately make them depart from how they originally felt, disappointing the veteran fans that the maps were appealing to in the first place. MW2 maps could be a great short-term boost for MW3's launch content, but could also cause some long-term problems if they poorly translate to the franchise's more methodical modern gameplay.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches on November 10 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
