Warning: Spoilers ahead for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s campaign. Those interested in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 campaign can now play it through early access, and many have been quick to share their opinions on the series’ latest story mode. While reviews and social media posts about the singleplayer mode are largerly negative, citing Open Combat Missions as a disappointing step away from the bombastic campaigns fans know and love, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s story mode does offer a few good moments - including a cameo from a character named Yuri.
While fans are understandably more focused on the controversial death of Soap MacTavish, as well as debating over whether the Passenger mission was an effective way to go about No Russian, Yuri’s cameo could be an exciting sign for the future. For those unfamiliar with the character, he was a playable protagonist in Modern Warfare 3 and was vital to the final game in the classic MW trilogy. As such, there is a chance that he gets more involved in the next game, something that would surely be nice to see for longtime players.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Yuri Deserves a Bright Future
Who Was Yuri in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3?
In the original Modern Warfare timeline, Yuri was a patriotic member of the Spetsnaz, sharing ideals with Makarov that allowed them to become partners in crime. However, after Yuri witnessed Makarov launching a nuclear device that killed thousands of United States soldiers, he began to have doubts about his actions and questioned if he was on the wrong side of the conflict. Yuri then attempted to stop Makarov’s No Russian terrorist attack, but the villain caught on to his betrayal, shooting him and leaving him for dead before he went on to massacre the airport.
Yuri survived this gunshot and went on to join Task Force 141 in their pursuit of Makarov. While Soap’s death at the hands of Makarov and the reveal that the villain knew Yuri led Price to attack the Russian operative, Yuri’s explanation about why he turned on his former friend satisfied Price. Together, they continued hunting Makarov, with Yuri by Price’s side until the very end. He died saving Price from Makarov, redeeming himself through his sacrifice and giving Price an opening to kill the series’ antagonist in the process.
Though Soap’s death happening differently means that the plot point of Captain Price accusing Yuri cannot play out in MW4, a lot of other details can remain the same. Perhaps Price will recruit Yuri to fill the void left by Soap, as there are now only three members in the faction.
Yuri Could Fill The Same Role in The New Modern Warfare Universe
In the new Modern Warfare timeline, Yuri is an informant for CIA Agent Kate Laswell, and he provides her with some essential information that Task Force 141 uses to thwart Makarov’s attacks. He remains a proud Russian in this universe, believing that Makarov goes too far in his actions and risks damaging both the United States and Russia. With Yuri feeling that neither side would benefit from a war, and nearly being killed by Makarov’s chemical weapons, he may be motivated to get more involved in the actual fighting whenever Modern Warfare 4 releases. Hopefully, he will have some past experiences with Makarov, as the flashback sequence involving them was a highlight of the first Modern Warfare 3. Though his appearance in the new timeline could just be a fun cameo, it should lead to something more, as the original Yuri had a great story to tell.
Assuming that Yuri returns in the next Modern Warfare game, he could serve several purposes. First, he could allow players to experience another undercover mission with Makarov, providing a similar experience to No Russian where players are forced to do bad deeds to keep their cover. He could also provide missions in Russia, which would suit Call of Duty: Modern Warfare's globe-trotting campaign style. He could even be an Operator in multiplayer and Warzone, with a bundle that includes his original MW3 outfit also provided.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 58 /100 Critics Rec: 14%
- 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
WHERE TO PLAY
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
