Following the completion of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the arrival of several high-profile games on Game Pass, such as those included with the CoD and Diablo series, is all but confirmed. Unfortunately, the impending albeit unconfirmed arrival of these entries on the ever-popular Xbox subscription service has prompted some gamers to cancel their MW3 pre-orders, instead opting to purchase a membership to the platform in an effort to play it essentially for free.
With some reactions toward the MW3 beta being less than ideal, news of fans canceling their early purchases has already surfaced. The closing of Microsoft’s and Activision’s merger has only exacerbated these reports, and we expect that this will remain the case as more players opt to purchase the much cheaper Game Pass subscription instead of the full-priced base game.
ORIGINAL STORY FOLLOWS: While the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 beta has certainly won over some fans, not everyone who has played it has been impressed. The game, which is being developed by Sledgehammer Games, went into beta over the weekend and gave gamers a chance to try out several multiplayer modes.
Despite many welcome changes, including both improved movement and reload cancel, some are claiming the game is a ‘downgrade’ compared to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019.
Having spent a good amount of time on the MW3 beta, playing the PS5 version, MW3 certainly doesn’t feel as ‘gritty’ or ‘polished’ as the 2019 game – but it’s important to also recognise this is a beta and does not represent the final quality of the game.
Remember, this is a game that, just a few weeks ago, wowed audiences with its single-player preview. Still, this hasn’t stopped a number of people calling out the game’s graphics and weapon sounds on a dedicated sub-Reddit thread.
One wrote: “Similar to Battlefield 2042 I feel like this games beta will negatively impact pre-order sales on a large scale. Cancelled mine yesterday.”
“Highly agree, and no way in hell is it worth $70 IMO. MW2019 to MW2 actually had some sizable differences in the engine, sound design, movement, and gunplay to justify itself as a new entry,” said another.
Someone else highlighted the game’s graphics as the main cause for concern. “I miss the grittyness of MW2019, the reflections and shaders in what seems to be MW2 and MW3 seem so plastic-ey and cartoonish. It’s just a different feeling that I missed having in mw2019,” they said.
As highlighted earlier, it’s important to note that the game is still in beta, so it’s important not to judge it too harshly. This sentiment does seem to be shared by a number of other Call of Duty fans. One wrote: “I will say it’s hard to fully judge a game by its beta. But hey, if it’s not for you, it’s not for you.”
If you’re unsure about whether not Modern Warfare 3 is for you, we recommend testing out the beta. You can find out the MW3 beta end date right here. If you’re already in the beta, make sure to check out the best MW3 killstreaks as well as the best MW3 perks, to make sure you’re all set for battle. You can also check out my opinion on the MW3 beta – take a read of our early MW3 beta impressions here.
