For Vladimir Makarov, the babyfaced villain of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, trust and morale are irrelevant concepts. As he makes clear to his army of Russian ultranationalists, he is interested only in their quiet, unwavering loyalty. Evidently, Activision expects much the same from its army of COD fans. This latest Modern Warfare campaign follows disconcertedly close on the heels of 2022’s entry because, as per Bloomberg, it began life as a mere expansion. Rather than allow a fallow year, Activision has upgraded that expansion’s status to a premium release, and charged $69.99 for pre-orders - granting early access to the single-player campaign as an enticement.
Instead of Modern Warfare’s usual lead studio, Infinity Ward, development duties have fallen to Sledgehammer, the outfit most recently responsible for 2021’s unloved Vanguard. And in an industry where AAA FPS games now regularly take half a decade to make, this campaign has reportedly come together in less than two years. Reader: it shows.