The biggest Modern Warfare III news from today’s Call of Duty Next live stream

Call of Duty Modern Warfare III is the latest installment of the hugely popular first-person shooter and today’s COD Next livestream was full of details about the new multiplayer modes, Zombies and Warzone. Whether you didn’t have time to check in for the hour-long event or you just want a recap of all the announcements, we’ve compiled all the important announcements here. These are the biggest Call of Duty Modern Warfare III announcements from the COD Next Showcase.

Multiplayer

The feature that put Call of Duty on the map is back and bigger than ever. The game will feature sixteen maps from 2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which will now be compatible with newer game modes such as Hardpoint and Kill Confirmed. Additionally, large-scale maps will be added to support Ground War modes, allowing you to play with more players in larger areas.

Perks have been converted into equipment items. Equip gloves to adjust reload speed or loot items from enemies, equip boots to reduce falling damage or increase movement speed, and equip gear to reduce damage from explosions or flash grenades to resist. While your weapons are imported from Modern Warfare II, in Modern Warfare III you can “completely remix the functionality of a weapon” using aftermarket parts, making the gunsmithing mechanics “more personalized than ever before.” These parts are only unlocked after maximizing a weapon’s level and completing a specific challenge. For more information on this specific feature, visit the Call of Duty blog.

Some features even return from before Modern Warfare II, such as map voting, the classic red dot minimap and a health boost of up to 150. Players will live longer and have more information to work with. There is also a new way to shoot with Tac-Stance. Slightly more precise than Hipfire but with more dispersion than ADS, it’s a great option for players who like to play more aggressively. They also made quality of life improvements to increase mantle and slide speeds, while also adding new animations for canceling slides and reloading.

Finally, Modern Warfare III introduces an entirely new mode: Cutthroat. In this intense melee mode, three teams of three compete against each other and fight for victory. It allows for “custom loadouts, a moving flag, and 3-way firefights.”

Zombies

Modern Warfare III also marks the return of Zombies, a fan-favorite mode that originated fifteen years ago. This time Zombies goes open world with the largest map yet, complete with vehicles. When you start a Zombies game, you are part of one of several squads and it is up to you whether you want to work with them or not. Over time, you’ll also have to dodge the Aether Storm that’s slowly devouring the map – and you at its side.

This iteration is also designed for long-term replayability, allowing you to obtain blueprints and weapons that increase your survivability in later games. If you want, you can save weapons for later, so you can start your next game with your favorite assault rifle or the legendary ray pistol. Blueprints also allow you to start making upgrades, such as the life-extending Juggernog.

This version of the map also features more than just zombies. So prepare to fight against mercenaries hired by the main antagonist of the game. If you survive long enough, you may even come face to face with “one of the largest zombie creatures ever to appear in this mode” and learn the truth about Operation Deadbolt, your reason for braving this apocalypse.

War zone

Arguably the biggest announcement of the day is Urzikstan, Warzone’s newest map. Described on the Call of Duty blog as “The Middle East meets Eastern Europe,” Urzikstan will launch with the latest season of Warzone in December. The map contains eleven points of interest, which you can see listed below.

• Levin Resort
• Popov power
• Zaravan city
• Shahin Manor
• Undercity
• Orlov military base
• Hadiqa Farms
• Zaravan suburbs
• Old Town
• Seaport District
• Urzikstan Cargo

The new Warzone will also introduce horizontal ziplines (to complement the existing vertical ziplines) and a wheeled train that can be started, stopped and reversed at a player’s command. There are also Warzone-specific perks, like Shrouded, which drops a smoke grenade when you’re knocked down, and Resolute, which increases your movement speed when you get hit.

The Warzone update brings quality of life improvements. Gas masks are automatically equipped when you pick them up, contracts are easier to find, and players automatically equip a sidearm when swimming and climbing ladders. Additionally, character movement has been smoothed and generally sped up. You can cancel slides by jumping or crouching, and you can shoot while sliding, either in ADS or Tac-Stance. And just like in multiplayer, players start with a base health of 150.

For more details, head to the official Call of Duty blog page where you can see the full recap of the day. If you’re interested in Modern Warfare III, you can play the open beta this weekend on PlayStation and the following weekend on Xbox and PC. The full game releases on November 10th.

Are you excited for Modern Warfare III? Let us know in the comments!