Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is getting ranked multiplayer in season one

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
(Image credit: Activision)

Sledgehammer Games has announced that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will get ranked multiplayer in Season One. 

Announced during the CoD: Next event today (October 5), where Activision showcased the game's 20 launch maps, it was revealed that players can expect a modernized and enhanced ranked multiplayer mode mid-way through the first season.

"Our friends at Treyarch are on the case again with ranked play," said Greg Reisdorf, multiplayer creative director at Sledgehammer Games. 

"They do a fantastic job with it, and we love partnering with them on it, and they're going to bring that experience, update it, modernize it from Modern Warfare 2, bring that forward, and then for Season 1.5 [...] mid-season one, that's when it's going to launch."

Reisdorf explained that this timeframe is because it wants players, returning and newcomers, to get familiar with the game and new modes, before adding that Treyarch will be revealing more about ranked mode in the future. 

During the broadcast, the developer also showed off the game's 20 playable launch maps, 16 of which are from the original 2009 title, while the other four are made up of three Large-Scale Battle Maps, and one Colossal 'War' Map. 

Regarding what's to come, the developer reiterated that it will be adding maps throughout future seasons, starting with three in Season One and three in Season Two. It was explained that over the course of the game's live season, players will eventually get 12 6v6 maps in total, all featuring different locales.

Alongside confirmation that Call of Duty: World War II's narrative-driven 'War Mode' will be coming to Modern Warfare 3 on day one, it was also revealed that map voting will also be making a return, as well as the series' classic red dot mini-map, as well as talk about the game's new perk system.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launches on November 10 for PS5PS4Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Xbox One. If you pre-ordered the game, you'll be able to check out the game's open beta, but start dates depend on which platform you're playing on. 

For more, here's our list of the best FPS games, as well as our essential guide to every upcoming game of the year.

Read more
A screenshot showing the new map Bullet in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 2 will let you fight on a speeding bullet train in one of the coolest maps I've ever seen
Pink Guards in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
You can now play red light, green light in Call of Duty thanks to new Squid Game collab
An operator fires a saw blade from a weapon
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 3 gets two-week delay, will now release in April
An infographic showing different parts of Black Ops 6 Season 2 content.
Black Ops 6 Season 2 release time and what to expect
The Tomb in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies.
A new Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies map is coming, plus fresh enemies and an awesome Wonder Weapon
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 Riley Hawk
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 easter egg seems to tease Tony Hawk's Pro Skater revival
Latest in Consoles & PC
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 expected to have AI upscaling and I can't wait to finally play Tears of the Kingdom with upgraded graphics
Asus ROG Ally using Steam
I think Asus could be the perfect partner for an Xbox handheld – but I have questions
Astro Bot PS5 bundle
Sony officially announces new Astro Bot PS5 bundles and they're available from PlayStation Direct right now for bargain prices we can barely believe
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
Future PlayStation games could have AI-powered characters, if this leaked prototype of Aloy is anything to go by
The artwork for The Last of Us Limited Edition DualSense controller
Where to pre-order and buy The Last of Us Limited Edition DualSense controller today - UK pre-orders are live but stock has sold out already
Playing games on the Razer Handheld Dock Chroma without an external display.
The Razer Handheld Dock Chroma offers Steam Deck owners a premium design and, of course, plenty of RGB
Latest in News
Pebble smartwatch countdown
Pebble confirms its smartwatch announcement is just hours away
Logo of YouTube Shorts
Is YouTube auto-playing Shorts when you open the app? Well, you’re not alone - here’s how to fix it
Google DeepMind panel discussion
“More sovereignty and protection” - Google goes all-in on UK AI with data residency, upskilling projects, and startup investments
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 expected to have AI upscaling and I can't wait to finally play Tears of the Kingdom with upgraded graphics
PowerColor Red Devil AMD RX 9070 XT graphics card shown side-on
Your next GPU could be from AMD, not Nvidia, if Team Red’s success with PC gamers continues
Intel Lunar Lake concept
Intel's Panther Lake processors won't arrive until Q1 2026 - corroborates previous delay rumors despite former Intel CEO's promise of 2025 launch