The upcoming Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 won't be an expansion or add-on but a full premium release, according to Activision.

　　Last week, after basically confirming the existence of the game last month, Activision officially announced Modern Warfare 3 with a trailer and a November 2023 release date. Now, since rumors have been suggesting that Call of Duty would be skipping a release this year, and reports claiming that Sledgehammer would release a paid Modern Warfare II expansion this year, there has been confusion about what Modern Warfare 3 will be - an add-on, expansion or full-fledged new release. Things became even more confusing after Steam listed the game as merely an add-on.

　　As now confirmed by an Activision spokesperson, however, Modern Warfare 3 will be a "full" $70 USD release. “As stated in numerous Activision Blizzard quarterly conference calls, Modern Warfare III is a premium release. It will be price[d] accordingly at $70 USD,” an Activision spokesperson told Call of Duty outlet CharlieIntel.

　　As explained by Charlie Intel on Twitter, Sledgehammer Games' Call of Duty 2023 entry is only listed as an add-on on Steam due to all Call of Duty games becoming an add-on for the Call of Duty HQ application going forward. As with other Activision-Blizzard titles, the series will have one launcher.

　　The game is listed as an Add-On on Steam because all Call of Duty games will be an add-on for the Call of Duty HQ app going forward, to simplify CoD into one launcher.

　　— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) August 13, 2023

　　Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is launching in three months on November 10. It's likely that the title will launch on the same platforms as Modern Warfare II, including PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4, and PS5. Activision has yet to officially confirm the available platforms. Here's what we wrote about the campaign of last year's Modern Warfare II in our launch review:

　　"For a $60 (or $70 on current gen) release, don’t expect the Call of Duty Modern Warfare II campaign to be solely enough for the asking price. With a roller-coaster story that bounces from locale to locale with a lack of attention span across its four-hour runtime, 2022’s Modern Warfare 2 is disappointing after coming off the highs of Vanguard and even the first reboot of Modern Warfare. It’s a serviceable shooting gallery that really doesn’t have much to offer that we hadn’t seen before across prior campaigns."