MW3 campaign lifespan: how long to complete it on Modern Warfare 3?

 Discover the surprising length of the MW3 campaign, its challenges, and what it reveals about the evolution of the Call of Duty series.

Today, we're diving into the action with the launch of the Modern Warfare 3 (MW3). This new installment of the iconic Call of Duty offers an intense adventure, but it raises questions about its lifespan compared to that of its predecessors.

The MW3 campaign is notable for its brevity, as it would only take a few hours to complete. A duration that sparks debate among the gaming community. We tell you about it in this article!

What lifespan for the Modern Warfare 3 campaign?

The early release of MW3 for those who had pre-ordered offered an exclusive look at the campaign. The feedback quickly poured in: the lifespan of the latter is between 3 and 4 hours. Renowned streamer Marley13 validated this duration, crossing the finish line in a crisp four hours.

In contrast, according to HowLongToBeat, a site tracking community playtime, MW2 required an average of eight hours to complete. The length of Call of Duty campaigns has often varied, oscillating between 6 and 7 hours, but that of MW3 appears to be one of the shortest in the main series.

The notable absence of a campaign in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 had already left its mark. However, for MW3, it is the very format of the missions that changes: no more linear environments typical of the series, room for open-world combat missions. This development sparked mixed reactions on social media.

The explanation behind this brevity could be found in preliminary reports suggesting that MW3 was initially intended to be a major expansion to MW2, before evolving into a full-fledged game. Bloomberg had mentioned sources close to the project who described an ambition by Activision for the game to be seen as both a standalone product and an expansion of Modern Warfare II.

List of key points:

• Lifespan of MW3 : 3-4 hours
• Comparison with MW2 : approximately 8 hours
• Format Change: Open World Missions

Example calculation: If we take an average player who devotes around 15 hours per week to the game, MW3 would represent only 20 to 27% of their weekly playing time, a significantly lower percentage than that of a classic Call of Duty campaign.

While the length of Modern Warfare 3 's campaign may seem underwhelming to some, it promises a dense, action-packed experience. This condensed format could well be the precursor of a revival for the series, where quality takes precedence over quantity.