Modern Warfare 3 is the game Sledgehammer has “always wanted to make”, creative director says

The creative director of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (2023), Sledgehammer Games’ Dave Swenson, has teased that the upcoming FPS “is the game we’ve always wanted to make”, which is an exciting prospect for fans of the series. 

Swenson told TechRadar Gaming this in a recent interview with himself and narrative designer Shelby Carleton. In the interview, he made specific reference to the Open Combat Missions present in MW3’s campaign, which allow players to approach story missions in different ways (for example, they might attempt something stealthily or with guns blazing). He noted that as storytellers, the team loves “telling an engaging story but in an interactive medium”, and by giving players greater agency, it can make stories more engaging.

“I think what makes things engaging is players having some choice in the matter and being able to choose how they got there,” he explained. “So, making a Call of Duty level where it has all the story, it has all the character, but now, I’m not sort of pulled along, but instead it’s using my agency, my choice, of how we get there. That was the original thought, right? That it would be so cool if we could do that.”

For anyone who’s pre-ordered a digital version of Modern Warfare 3, it’s possible to play through the entire story right now thanks to the campaign early access period, which started yesterday (November 2). This means that fans have a full week to enjoy the single-player before the full game – complete with multiplayer and the highly anticipated Zombies mode – releases on November 10. 

It remains to be seen if Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 has what it takes to be one of the best FPS games, but if you’re on the lookout for more online action to tide you over before the game’s full release, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best multiplayer PC games.