Summary

  • A new update is changing how Call of Duty HQ handles game installations.
  • Warzone is no longer a mandatory download when installing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, reducing the amount of space players need.
  • The new update also marks the beginning of Season 5 Reloaded, which adds new weapons, maps, gameplay features, operators, and more.

Call of Duty is receiving a large update today that implements some highly requested changes to how Call of Duty HQ handles game installations. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and previous titles in the series have been known to take up quite a lot of space, with the current title taking up 213 GB of space on PC and 240 GB on PS5 and Xbox at launch.

The reasons why Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 had a massive file size at launch were mentioned by the official Call of Duty Twitter account on November 2, 2023. Warzone was primarily to blame, as the battle royale mode was mandatory to download alongside the Modern Warfare title. The vast open world of the Zombies mode and certain maps also contributed to the large download necessary on day one.

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At 9am PT on August 21, Activision released an update for Call of Duty HQ in an ongoing effort to reorganize the app and reduce the file size of Call of Duty. Warzone is no longer a mandatory download when installing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, reducing the amount of space needed to install the game significantly. An easier-to-navigate UI for the app is set to be released in October, and Black Ops 6 is expected to have a smaller file size than MW3.

Call of Duty HQ Update Attempts To Reorganize the App

The update also marks the beginning of Season 5 Reloaded, which adds new weapons, maps, gameplay features, operators, and more. The season also marks the return of the fan-favorite Cyber Attack game mode, in which two teams fight over control of an EMP device that spawns in the center of the map. This game mode hasn’t been seen since the release of 2019’s Modern Warfare and is a welcome addition for fans. Other game modes included in the Season 5 update are Fishfection, Paintball, and Defuse and Destroy. A new map variant of Stash House called Ink House has also been added, giving it a cel-shaded, inked look.

Fans have criticized the Call of Duty HQ app for its mandatory use to launch into a Call of Duty game. Players on PC already need to launch something like Steam or Battle.net to even enter the Call of Duty HQ app, adding another launcher into the mix. The update size for Call of Duty HQ is 21GB on PS5, and players will need to install three more downloads to fully implement the patch. Xbox has an update with a size of around 91GB, with PC players are looking at an estimated 70GB download.

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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) Tag Page Cover Art
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First-Person Shooter
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Top Critic Avg: 58 /100 Critics Rec: 14%
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Released
November 10, 2023
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
Developer(s)
Sledgehammer Games
Publisher(s)
Activision
Engine
iw 9.0
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
Cross-Platform Play
PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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The war has changed. Call of Duty returns with an all-new campaign, modernized versions of classic Multiplayer maps and an open-world PvE Zombies experience. The campaign, a direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov as he extends his grasp across the world.  In Multiplayer, the 16 maps that launched with Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 return with upgraded graphics, new modes and innovative gameplay features. In Modern Warfare Zombies, team up with other squads for the first time ever as you work together to survive in the largest Zombies map yet

Genre(s)
First-Person Shooter