Modern Warfare 3 Season 1 arrives next week, bringing new weapons, maps, and a big Warzone rework

The first big content drop is almost here

News By Dashiell Wood published 1 December 2023

After weeks of rumors, the official announcement of Season One of Modern Warfare 3, the latest Call of Duty game, has finally arrived. It looks like we're in for one of the biggest seasonal content drops we’ve seen from the series in years.

Yesterday (November 30), the developers posted a lengthy breakdown to the official Call of Duty blog that detailed everything that players can expect to see when the season launches next week on December 6. Although this update is rather large, I have scoured the page to hand-pick some of the key facts that you need to know.

Most significantly, the update brings four new multiplayer maps to get to grips with. Unlike the roster of maps already present in Modern Warfare 3, which is entirely populated by remakes of fan-favorite environments from 2009’s Modern Warfare 2, these upcoming additions seem to be entirely original creations made specifically for this game. They include Meat, a fast-paced new 6v6 map set in a meat processing facility, which will be available at launch alongside Greece, a second 6v6 map that sees you fighting through a peaceful village on the Greek coast.

They are joined by Training Facility, a tiny map that will only appear in the 2v2 and the returning gunfight mode. The fourth and final new map, Rio, will then arrive later as part of the usual in-season update. In addition to the re-introduction of Gunfight, Season One sees the arrival of some new multiplayer modes to play. This includes the frantic All or Nothing mode, a fast free-for-all where everyone is only armed with a knife. This fast-paced mode also appeared in last year’s Modern Warfare 2 and will now be available in Modern Warfare 3 when the season launches. Headquarters, Team Gunfight, and Infected modes will then be added later on as part of the in-season update, 

For a quick peek at some of the upcoming maps and modes in action, consider watching some the new season trailer, which was recently posted to the game’s official YouTube channel, below:

It wouldn’t be a seasonal update without some new weapons, however, and Modern Warfare 3 Season One delivers those in spades. There are going to be four new guns available immediately when the season launches, including the super interesting Stormender EMP launcher that seems absolutely unlike anything we’ve seen before in a recent Call of Duty game. The other weapons at launch will be the XRX Stalker sniper rifle and the RAM-7 assault rifle. The in-season update will then introduce the HRM-9 SMG and TAQ Evolvere, a new LMG, to really even out your arsenal.

All of these new weapons will be part of the upcoming season one battle pass, which includes new operators and plenty of striking operator skins. Like many of the seasons in Modern Warfare 2, there will also be a Blackcell version of the battle pass available which will grant those willing to part with some extra cash. Among the bonuses will be 10 exclusive themed operator skins, six alternate weapon blueprints, 1,100 COD Points, and 20 tier skips.

Players of the game’s hugely popular Warzone component need not worry, as they are also getting plenty to sink their teeth into. The beginning of season one marks a major rework of the battle royale mode, bringing all of the Modern Warfare 3 equipment and mechanics into the mode in addition to a huge range of quality-of-life changes that affect everything from player movement to weapon balancing. There will also be a new map, Uzbekistan, for players to explore right out of the gate.

Modern Warfare 3’s other major side mode, Zombies, is receiving some love too, and fans of the undead survival mode can expect a raft of new missions, a new wonder weapon, and plenty of additional challenges on the way. You can read the full list of new additions over at the Call of Duty blog.

For more on Call of Duty, learn how we ran out of things to do once we hit the max level in Modern Warfare 3 or see our Modern Warfare 3 Zombies guide for top tips to protect you from the undead.

Sign up for Black Friday email alerts!

Get the hottest deals available in your inbox plus news, reviews, opinion, analysis, deals and more from the TechRadar team.

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors