Modern Warfare 3 will undo Modern Warfare 2's most controversial changes – here's everything from the Shadow Siege reveal

(Image credit: Activision Blizzard)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is out in the open after Warzone 2's big Shadow Siege reveal event, and it looks like the direct sequel to Modern Warfare 2 is walking back some of its least popular changes.

A fact sheet from Activision outlines the headliners of Modern Warfare 3, including many fundamental changes to multiplayer combat. Here's a big one: core multiplayer health has been increased to 150 to lengthen the average time-to-kill, seemingly in response to criticism of Modern Warfare 2's touchy, split-second sandbox.

Movement is also getting a shot in the arm. Where Modern Warfare 2 generally slowed things down, Modern Warfare 3 promises "new movement mechanics" like faster aim-down-sights out of a slide, reload canceling, and slide canceling. The new close-quarters Tac-Stance further "trades precise accuracy for improved mobility and handling," a tweet from the Call of Duty account adds. Oh, and one for the stealth enthusiasts: the Covert Sneakers perk will ensure totally "silent movement."

Several multiplayer systems and UX elements are getting an overhaul, too. All your selected perks will now be available at the start of a match, unlike in Modern Warfare 2 where you'd need to essentially unlock your build as a game progressed. As fans had hoped, red dots are returning to the minimap to reveal nearby enemies firing unsuppressed guns. Finally, map voting is making a comeback as Modern Warfare 3 charts a course for that classic Call of Duty experience.

Speaking of nostalgia: all 16 launch maps from 2009's Modern Warfare 2 will be available in Modern Warfare 3 with the full remastered and "modernized" treatment. Oppositely, Modern Warfare 2 seems to be entering new territory with the "Open Combat" missions new to the campaign, which sound a bit more like Dishonored than Call of Duty at first blush.

In addition to these returning maps, three new battle maps, as well as another map reviving World War 2's War mode, will be available in Modern Warfare 3 at launch. Activision's promising "a robust post-launch offering" with 12 new 6v6 maps in the pipes.

This all comes on the heels of the reveal of Modern Warfare 3's "Carry Forward" system, which will, for the first time in Call of Duty history, let you bring your arsenal and unlocks with you into the new game, and with cross-progression to boot. This does mean there will be an inevitable degree of sameness, but it should make the sequel transition more fluid. Together with today's news, this positions Modern Warfare 3 as an improvement to Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer that also comes with new and more ambitious campaign and PvE content.

The new Zombies mode, for instance, is said to be the biggest open-world rendition in Call of Duty's history. "For the first time in the Modern Warfare universe, players can team up with other squads to survive and fight massive hordes of the undead in the largest Call of Duty zombies map ever," Activision says. Treyarch says it's cooked up "an open world PvE extraction survival experience where core Zombies features come together with new mechanics, and they face off against some of the biggest enemies in Call of Duty history."

It's (finally) official: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches November 10.

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.