MW3 campaign length – how long to beat Modern Warfare 3 story explained

MW3 campaign length – how long to beat Modern Warfare 3 story explained
Antony Terence Updated on by

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Want to know the MW3 campaign length? The latest entry in the Modern Warfare franchise dropped the ball on providing players with a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. While Modern Warfare and its sequel did a great job of repackaging elements from the original trilogy, the third title falls short. Read on to learn how long the MW3 campaign is.

We’ve got a handy MW3 campaign missions list if you need help with any of them. And if you need walkthroughs for them, start off with the Operation 627 walkthrough in MW3. We also have a detailed guide on the MW3 Easter eggs that’ll take you through some hidden rewards in Modern Warfare 3.

An image of a mission in the MW3 campaign set in a dimly lit corridor. Image captured by VideoGamer.
Despite its length, the MW3 campaign takes you through a variety of locations. Image captured by VideoGamer.

How long is the MW3 campaign

With only 14 missions, Modern Warfare 3’s campaign only takes 3-4 hours to complete, even on the Hardened difficulty. This can be padded by spending more time in its Open Combat Missions and amping up the difficulty to Veteran. We criticized the campaign for its short length and the absence of a meaningful conclusion in our Modern Warfare 3 review. But despite that, its gunplay and level design remain solid, in line with previous CoD entries.

Here are the MW3 difficulty modes for its campaign:

  • Recruit: For players who are new to Call of Duty.
  • Regular: Your abilities in combat will be tested.
  • Hardened: Your skills will be strained.
  • Veteran: You will not survive.

The original Modern Warfare 3 from 2011 offered players a six-hour campaign. And while Black Ops 3 takes the cake with its 9-10 hour campaign, most previous titles have their share of blockbuster moments. In fact, some plot twists were better executed by Modern Warfare 3 (2011) than its spiritual successor.

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Difficulty can be adjusted for each mission

If any specific mission is bogging you down in MW3, you can switch the difficulty and then revert it in the next mission.

Is it worth playing the campaign in Modern Warfare 3

Even if you enjoyed the new story arcs in the previous two Modern Warfare titles, MW3 doesn’t offer a payoff for those expectations. But if you want a polished shooter experience that’s fairly short, it’s an inoffensive option. You get some XP tokens for multiplayer as well as some weapons. And if you intend on spending more time in multiplayer and Zombies matches, there’s no harm in trying it out. Its Open Combat Missions let you tackle objectives the way you want. But its loot caches were eerily reminiscent of Warzone.

That covers the MW3 campaign length. If you expected a torch-bearer of the Modern Warfare series, MW3 ain’t it. But its short missions do have their moments to shine. If you’re heading to multiplayer glory next, we’ve got some MW3 tips and tricks to beat your opponents. Use our best MW3 loadouts to make short work of enemy squads. MW3’s Season 1 is on as well, granting even more options in the MW3 battle pass. It’s out on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

MW3 campaign length FAQ

How many missions are in MW3?

There are 14 missions in Modern Warfare 3.

How many difficulties are there in MW3?

There are four difficulties in MW3, going from Recruit up to Veteran difficulty.