Summary

  • Ranked Play mode in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has been delayed due to a critical issue.
  • The game's Season 1 Reloaded update introduced major game-breaking bugs, causing frustration for players.
  • It has become a tradition for Ranked Play mode to be launched months after the game's release, possibly to extend the game's lifespan.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 announced that the release of its Ranked Play mode has been delayed. The new mode was supposed to launch today on January 17 alongside Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Season 1 Reloaded update.

Call of Duty's Season 1 Reloaded update was the game's first major content patch since Season 1's release in early December. Modern Warfare 3 fans were excited to get their hands on two new weapons, a new The Boys-themed Call of Duty event, a new map, and more. However, the update's launch has been anything but smooth, as it introduced some major game-breaking bugs to Call of Duty. In response to these bugs, Call of Duty recently made a disappointing announcement regarding the new Ranked Play mode.

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The official CODUpdates Twitter account announced that "Due to unforeseen circumstances, MWIII Ranked Play will be delayed while we investigate a recently discovered critical issue. Our teams are working to solve this issue and launch MWIII Ranked Play as soon as possible." At the time of writing, Call of Duty has not offered any additional details regarding the mode's timeline, so it could be launched within 24 hours or not for another week. It will possibly depend on how quickly its development team can patch the other major issues currently plaguing Call of Duty following the Season 1 Reloaded update. This is probably frustrating to the game's relatively small but dedicated competitive player base, which has waited since the game's release on November 10 for the addition of Ranked Play.

It's become a Call of Duty tradition that the Ranked Play mode is not launched until months after each game's release. Some fans speculate that this is to help extend the lifespan of each Call of Duty title by luring some of the hardcore players back after the opening months of each game. Given Call of Duty's massive resources, it seems unlikely that Ranked Play is released late every year due to development issues. However, this is just speculation, and this being a reality would be a disappointingly cynical, but believable, move by Call of Duty.

If Call of Duty fans wish to brave the current bug-filled state of the game, they can try out Season 1 Reloaded's two new guns, the new Rio map, and new game modes. These new modes include Headquarters, Infected, and Team Gunfight. The latter is an interesting new twist on the fan-favorite Gunfight mode, which sees two teams of six battle it out on regular 6v6 maps using Gunfight's unique approach to the game.

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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) Tag Page Cover Art
6 /10

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare III
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First-Person Shooter
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Systems
PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 58 /100 Critics Rec: 14%
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Released
November 10, 2023
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
Developer(s)
Sledgehammer Games
Publisher(s)
Activision
Engine
iw 9.0
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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The war has changed. Call of Duty returns with an all-new campaign, modernized versions of classic Multiplayer maps and an open-world PvE Zombies experience. The campaign, a direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov as he extends his grasp across the world.  In Multiplayer, the 16 maps that launched with Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 return with upgraded graphics, new modes and innovative gameplay features. In Modern Warfare Zombies, team up with other squads for the first time ever as you work together to survive in the largest Zombies map yet

Genre(s)
First-Person Shooter