The Rushed Development of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's rushed development, completed in just 16 months, resulted in a lackluster campaign that is considered the worst in the series. Originally planned as an expansion to Modern Warfare 2, the game was turned into a full release by Activision to maintain the annual holiday season launch. Sledgehammer, the developer, had to sprint to release Call of Duty: Vanguard prior to this, causing frustration among employees. The short development cycle led to a collection of missions that received poor reviews, with only 8% of critics recommending it. With Microsoft now owning Activision and the Call of Duty IP, the future release schedule and plans for the franchise are uncertain.