Highlights

  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 on PS5 lacks a platinum trophy and has a trophy list under Modern Warfare 2, leading fans to question its status as a standalone release.
  • Activision plans to bring beloved Modern Warfare 2 maps to Modern Warfare 3 and include more legacy maps as post-launch multiplayer content.
  • While some speculate that the lack of a standalone trophy list on PS5 is due to the Call of Duty HQ launcher app, others believe it may be an oversight by Activision. Fans are expressing disappointment and frustration over the perceived lack of value in Modern Warfare 3.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 could just be a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 DLC add-on for series fans on the PlayStation 5, at least as far as its trophy list is concerned. Activision previously stated that Modern Warfare 3 would be a standalone release and not a DLC for Modern Warfare 2, though rumors suggest otherwise.

Activision's upcoming remake of Modern Warfare 3 has many similarities to its predecessor for a good reason. Activision will carry over content from Modern Warfare 2 to Modern Warfare 3, and co-developer Sledgehammer Games plans on bringing beloved Modern Warfare 2 maps to Modern Warfare 3. More legacy maps are also planned for post-launch multiplayer content. Though many see Modern Warfare 3 as a "glorified expansion," Activision promises that the game is a proper standalone release.

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Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case for Modern Warfare 3 for the PS5, in a manner of speaking. According to an X post from PowerPyx, the upcoming game doesn't have a standalone trophy list or a platinum trophy on the platform. Instead, its trophy list is found under Modern Warfare 2's like a DLC would be. An example of this setup is Ghost of Tsushima's Iki Island DLC, which has its trophy list under its main game. Interestingly, Modern Warfare 3's PS4 version apparently has its own standalone list and platinum trophy, though PowerPyx didn't share pictures of this.

In its report on PowerPyx's findings, Push Square suggested that Modern Warfare 3's lack of a platinum trophy and standalone trophy list on the PS5 is due to the Call of Duty HQ launcher app, a one-stop-shop for Call of Duty players to access the franchise's recent games. Activision may want to emulate the app on the PS5 and chose Modern Warfare 2 as the "lead name" for everything Call of Duty to fall under, starting with its sequel. However, other game developers have done something similar with their video game collections without combining the trophy lists of the games within.

While this could certainly be the case, Activision may have simply messed up somewhere when designating the PS5 trophy list for Modern Warfare 3. It could have meant to add a platinum trophy and standalone trophy list for the game, as it did with the PS4. Regardless, the comments on PowerPyx's X post are overwhelmingly negative, with many Call of Duty fans and trophy hunters upset at the thought of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 being a $70 DLC for its predecessor. Nevertheless, Activision may want to address this discovery sooner or later.