The release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) has brought with it some confusion among gamers, particularly regarding whether you need to own the previous title. The question many had was “Do I need to own Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) before able to play MW3? So, let’s savage these common misconceptions.
Do You Need Modern Warfare 2 to Play Modern Warfare 3?
No, you do not need to own Call of Duty: MW2 in order to play Call of Duty: MW3. MW3 is a standalone game so you don’t need to have played the previous game to be able to experience it.
To clarify, MW3 is not some sort of expansion or DLC for MW2. While it is a complete package that carries the Modern Warfare story forward, you don’t need to spend your time in Modern Warfare 2 before you can play MW3. Each of these is a standalone title with its own single and multiplayer modes and features.
When it came to the campaign mode of MW3, there was a bit of confusion during the early access period. A few PS5 users said they were even asked to put in an MW2 disk to play the MW3 campaign. The problem was actually a bug with the new Call of Duty HQ launcher — a new centralized platform for multiple Call of Duty games. This has since been corrected, and it’s clear that you only need MW3 to enjoy its content.
Shared Content, Separate Experiences
Although you do not require MW2 to play Modern Warfare 3, the two games have a good proportion of shared content. Naturally, one of the big ones is that weapons are carried forward from the previous title to MW3. So, if you’ve spent a long time unlocking and upgrading your guns in MW2 you can use those same weapons in this game. This feature should bring some form of continuity and value to players who spent a great amount of time in the previous game.
Though the two are related in terms of their overarching story and some shared resources, they exist as independent multiplayer modes. Your Modern Warfare 2 weapons, camos, and other unlocks will transfer over to MW3 and Warzone, but the multiplayer features themselves are separate.
The campaign of the game is a sequel to Modern Warfare 2 and is about the end of the story of its final mission. It revolves around Task Force 141, including Captain Price, Soap MacTavish, and a new playable character, Yuri. Therefore, the story for single-player will be consistent, but you do not have to play the last game.
Should Existing MW2 Players Buy MW3?
For the players who already had MW2, there is no bonus or benefit in buying MW3 other than to continue with the story and some of the content. However, if you happen to have unlocked valuable gear in MW2, then you are privileged to have that arsenal when entering MW3.
Therefore, COD: Modern Warfare 3 is a beast of its own, waiting for you to jump in whether you are a seasoned veteran or a fresh recruit. AGet your hands on MW3, load it up, and let the good times (and bullets) fly.
