MW3’s Open Combat Missions aim to ‘redefine player agency’ in how the campaign is experienced

Call of Duty is most well-known for its multiplayer and Zombies offerings, but there’s a large subset of players who live out their action hero fantasies in the game’s single-player campaigns.

In Modern Warfare 3, the fantasy will become as customizable as ever thanks to Open Combat Missions, which are non-linear missions with objectives where players can accomplish their goals any way they want to, according to Activision.

“A departure from traditional campaign levels, these missions redefine player agency, offering an unparalleled degree of freedom and adaptability tailored to individual playstyles,” Activision said. “Unlike conventional levels, the Open Combat Missions transcend boundaries, empowering players with diverse strategies to achieve their objectives.”

Related: MW3 fans are begging devs to keep campaign mechanic out of Warzone

Open Combat Missions (or OCMs) are just a part of the campaign, which will also feature traditional “cinematic” missions that CoD fans are accustomed to. OCMs include fixed objectives, but “how you accomplish them is up to you,” Activision said.

“We knew we wanted a bit more opportunity for the player to craft their own experience,” said Robert Pitts, associate director of level design at Sledgehammer Games.

To accomplish their objectives, players can do whatever they want. They can go stealthy, they can go loud and blow up everything, or they can even capture enemy equipment like tanks or even killstreaks to do what they need to do to get things done.

The video above illustrates an OCM in action, featuring Simon “Ghost” Reilly taking part in a mission at Verdansk’s Gora Dam. Ghost begins at the top of the dam, but where you go from there is entirely up to the player.

Each OCM begins with a loadout, but players can then scavenge the map to find their own weapons and gear. And from there, the only thing preventing success is the imagination of the gamer holding the controller.

MW3 will launch on Nov. 10, but early campaign access can be secured by pre-ordering to play OCMs in the campaign up to a week early.