Is Modern Warfare 3 a remake?

The latest CoD title has caused some confusion as it shares the exact name of the 2011 iteration—Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. As a result, many are speculating whether or not MW3 2023 is a remake, and we have the answer.

When Activision decided to go down the Modern Warfare route again, starting with 2019’s Modern Warfare, it proved a stroke of brilliance. It reintroduced iconic FPS icons such as Soap and Captain Price and helped reinvigorate the series.

Modern Warfare 3 2023 is a continuation of the recent MW trend. As with any property launched under the same guise as a previous release, it’s only right to question if it’s a remake or a retelling. So, is MW3 a remake? A remaster? Or a completely original game?

Is MW3 a remake?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is not a remake, as all of its components differ wildly from the original content that launched in 2011.

Firstly, the original MW3 release featured a campaign with completely different missions and themes, though the odd nod to 2011 is present here and there in the 2023 release, such as Makarov filling in the role of the game’s archetypal villain.

Secondly, Zombies were completely absent from 2011’s MW3—in fact, this is the first time Zombies has appeared in a Modern Warfare game.

Finally, the online multiplayer in 2023’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, for the most part, comprises maps from 2009’s Modern Warfare 2, rather than the original Modern Warfare 3.

To summarize, Modern Warfare 3 in 2023 is a different entity from the 2011 version, and I can confidently tell you it’s not a remake.