Sledgehammer Games Reportedly Faced Development Crunch While Creating Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Sledgehammer Games, the developer behind the popular Call of Duty franchise, reportedly pitched a sequel to their 2014 title, Advanced Warfare. However, the proposed game, titled Call of Duty Advanced Warfare 2, was shelved in favor of creating Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. This decision reportedly led to a heavy development crunch within the studio.
According to Bloomberg, Sledgehammer Games had to develop Modern Warfare 3 within a year and a half, instead of the typical three-year development cycle. The rush in development was allegedly a result of another Call of Duty game being delayed out of the 2023 release window.
The Evolution of Modern Warfare 3
Previous reports have revealed that Modern Warfare 3 was initially planned as an expansion to its predecessor, Modern Warfare 2. However, Activision, the publisher, decided to turn it into a full sequel. While it was originally intended to take place in Mexico, the final version of the game completely rebooted the story and introduced the character of Vladimir Makarov as the main antagonist. Sledgehammer studio head Aaron Halon took to social media to share that Modern Warfare 3 was always conceived as a premium game from the beginning.
Statement from Aaron Halon, studio head, SHG.
“We’re incredibly proud of Modern Warfare III – both the full game experience at launch and the upcoming year of content we have planned for the community. On behalf of the extremely talented team across Sledgehammer Games and our…
Call of Duty’s First “True Sequel”
Modern Warfare 3 marks a significant milestone for the Call of Duty franchise as it allows players to carry forward their operators and skins from Modern Warfare 2, making it the first “true” sequel in the series. However, former and current employees reportedly believed that it was originally conceived as an expansion until much later in the development process. This misunderstanding resulted in the studio having to work additional hours, including nights and weekends, to meet deadlines. Additionally, the development process was slowed down by the need for feedback from Infinity Ward, the studio responsible for the Modern Warfare games.
Reports suggest that the crunch experienced during the development of Modern Warfare 3 left Sledgehammer Games feeling betrayed, as they had previously encountered similar issues with the development of Call of Duty: Vanguard. The company had promised that such crunches would not happen again.
Revisions and Postponements
In addition to the development challenges faced by Sledgehammer Games, the studio had also pitched a follow-up to their 2014 title, Advanced Warfare. This proposed game, codenamed Anvil, was ultimately put aside in favor of working on another Modern Warfare game. The decision was driven by the popular demand for the zombies mode, multiplayer maps, and a single-player campaign associated with the Modern Warfare series.
Critical Reception and Release
Modern Warfare 3’s campaign has received critical backlash. In IGN’s review, the game was described as “underbaked, rehashed, and cobbled together from multiplayer parts.” Despite the criticism, the much-anticipated game is set to release on November 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He has been covering the gaming industry since 2019 and has contributed to various publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.
When George is not writing about video games, he can be found immersed in them. Follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey for more gaming updates.