Modern Warfare 3 trailer reveals the return of the series' most controversial villain

A new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 trailer has introduced the return of a major franchise villain.

Hot off the presses after Modern Warfare 3 was finally confirmed in another trailer earlier this week, this one sees the return of Vladimir Makarov, which you will know if you have been paying to Call of Duty's social channels over the past 24 hours or so.

The ultimate threat returns #MW3 pic.twitter.com/LRiaNwC6AcAugust 9, 2023

We can see Makarov in live-action segments in the trailer above, looking suitably threatening for a Call of Duty villain (even the dogs are barking at him!). He's escorted through a prison to receive a brand new tattoo, although how he's got access to that sort of gear in prison is anyone's guess.

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The character was last seen, as it happens, in the original Modern Warfare 3, in which he was finally slain after a long battle with Captain Price. Makarov was also a chief antagonist in the original Modern Warfare 2, and was a critical part of the 'No Russian' mission, a segment which ended up being pretty controversial for years to come, to say the least.

Makarov's seen as one of the overarching antagonists of the Call of Duty franchise. At one point it was revealed the character was actually the mastermind behind World War 3, so it's fair to say coming into the new Modern Warfare 3, his reputation precedes him.

The trailer is also interspersed with gameplay snippets of Modern Warfare 3. It's all the sort of stuff you'd usually associate with a Call of Duty game - explosions, more explosions, cars plunging into icy water, a character stabbing another character with a knife, and so on.

No matter what Makarov's up to this time (hint: nothing good), Modern Warfare 3 releases later this year on November 10. The full Modern Warfare 3 reveal will take place on August 17 next week in Warzone 2, so you'd best get the battle royale game up to date if you want to see the reveal in person.

Check out our new games 2023 guide for a look ahead at all the other games set to launch later this year.

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.