What is the MW3 story? – The Modern Warfare saga so far

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (2023) arrives on November 10, and if you’re a bit confused about the series’ campaign, especially with the reboot, let us help you out by going over the Modern Warfare story so far. Many have compared the campaign of the original Modern Combat trilogy with the reboot which started in 2019. 

And while a lot of players still find the original games more captivating story-wise, the reboot does offer its own intriguing narrative with old and new characters, so be sure to check out the Modern Warfare 3 character list to know who is returning and who is expected. For now, let’s refresh your memory on the Modern Warfare 3 story so far. 

Modern Warfare (2019)

The story of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) reboot of the iconic franchise is a complex and engrossing one. It follows the rise of a new terrorist threat, Al-Qatala, and the efforts of a group of international operators to stop them. The story is told across the game’s campaign, Spec Ops mode, and Warzone battle royale mode.

The campaign starts with a terrorist attack on Piccadilly Circus in London, carried out by Al-Qatala, a new terrorist group led by the mysterious Khaled Al-Asad. After this attack, more terrorist strikes happen. One of them is a chemical weapons attack on Urzikstan, a made-up country in the Middle East. 

The British SAS, led by fan-favourite Captain John Price including Kyle “Gaz” Garrick, Simon “Ghost” Riley, and Alex, a CIA operative who fights alongside the Urzikstani Liberation Force (ULF), are tasked with hunting down Al-Qatala and stopping them from carrying out more attacks. 

The story takes players to some of the most dangerous places in the world, including London, Urzikstan, and Verdansk, a fictional city in Eastern Europe. Along the way, players will face off against Al-Qatala’s forces, as well as Russian troops. The team carries out a series of missions including a raid on a chemical weapons facility and a rescue mission to save the ULF’s leader, Farah Karim.

The campaign is full of intense action sequences and memorable characters. Players will once again get to know Price, Alex, and the rest of the team as they fight to save the world from Al-Qatala. The story is also surprisingly emotional, with moments of tragedy and triumph.

Specs Ops and Warzone 

The single-player campaign of Modern Warfare (2019) continues in the game’s Spec Ops mode and Warzone battle royale mode. In Spec Ops, players can team up with friends to take on a series of challenging missions. You will take on the role of a soldier fighting alongside a multinational task force called Armistice. This force has the mission of stopping Al-Qatala.

The Spec Ops campaign is a dark and gritty story that explores the horrors of war. Player will remember ‘The Last Stand’ mission where they must defend a checkpoint against waves of Al-Qatala enemies.

Where there’s no single campaign in Warzone, there are several events that take place within the game’s lore. One notable event is the Hunt for Adler, which takes place in the Season 3 update. Its narrative involves learning of the whereabouts of M.I.A CIA Special Officer Russell Adler. The event culminates in a battle royale match where players must fight to the death to find Adler.

In the end, the team is successful in stopping Al-Qatala in Modern Warfare (2019) but the war is far from over.

Modern Warfare 2 (2022)

Modern Warfare 2 picks up three years after the events of Modern Warfare (2019). The world is in chaos, with multiple terrorist organizations competing for power. This time, however, Task Force 141 is fully formed and operating across the world. 

MW2 starts with a devastating drone attack that forces Price and the group to quickly discover that the terrorists are collaborating with an international group to spread American-made missiles. After finding out that the Al-Qatala is collaborating with the Mexican Drug Cartel ‘Las Alamas,’ Ghost realises he can’t handle everything on his own. He contacts Vargas from the Mexican Special Forces for help.

The team this time includes Price, Kate Laswell, Ghost, Soap, Gaz and newcomer Alejandro Vargas. They must seek out these ballistics before they get a chance to level Washington DC. 

Amongst all of the game’s missions which include, Dark Water, Nightwar, Wet Work, Tower and All Ghillied Up, Wet Work remains a memorable mission as most of it takes place underwater. You must take control of Gaz to take out enemies using knives and must maintain stealth through silent kills. 

Original characters return

This is also where we see the return of a General Shepard, but without his signature moustache like in the original Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and looks nothing like the Shepherd you might recall. 

MW2 (2022) provided a more action-packed story compared to the first game, but it fell short in comparison to the original MW2 (2009). The campaign was fast-paced and didn’t really live up to expectations despite having a more realistic portrayal of war. 

Much like Modern Warfare 2019’s ending, Modern Warfare 2 concludes with Task Force 141 celebrating in a bar after successfully detonating the missiles and putting a stop to Zyani’s plans. 

But there’s still work left to do. Unlike in the original MW2, where Price killed Shepherd, this time Shepherd managed to escape accountability for his betrayals. Price has now received the mission to investigate the ultranationalists who previously attacked the Shadow Company convoy in the story. 

The biggest takeaway from Modern Warfare 2 is that a Russian group is now cooperating with someone new. After passing over a picture to Price, it was none other than the series’ most iconic villain Vladimir Makarov. 

Modern Warfare 3 (2023)

Makarov is set to return as the main antagonist of Modern Warfare 3, scheduled for release on November 10. While we don’t know too much about the plot, here’s what we know so far from the game’s official blurb: “Ultranationalist Vladmir Makarov extends his grasp across the world causing Task Force 141 to fight like never before in this dark and gritty campaign experience.”

For now, be sure to check out our MW3 maps which shows all confirmed locations, and if the supernatural is more your thing, you’ll want to know whether MW3 have zombies ahead of the release date next month.