When does Modern Warfare 3 (MW3)’s season one begin?

Not too long.

Helicopters eject flares while flying over a highway within a city in MW3.
Screenshot via Activision

Modern Warfare 3 arrived right in the middle of Warzone and MW2 season six, meaning you cannot jump right into the first season of MW3 immediately. Instead, you’ll have to wait—but the release date isn’t too far from now.

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While details surrounding the first season were kept under wraps for a while, we now know Warzone, multiplayer, and Zombies modes will all have a few pieces of content, with new guns, maps, and UI fixes incoming. Plus, the developers are also bringing a holiday event that’s bound to tide over the new year.

Here’s when the new season one goodies are launching in the latest iteration of CoD and when you can expect a new MW3 battle pass.

When will MW3 season one begin?

The first season of MW3 is set to begin on Wednesday, Dec. 6. While this had been estimated by many fans as it is also the end date of the sixth MW2 season, Activision officially confirmed the start date on Nov. 21. The developers had also previously mentioned the first MW3 season would begin in “early” December.

Tip:

Players on all platforms can pre-load the season one update starting 24 hours before the season begins. Do note: the update ranges from 15 to 30GB depending on platform, so it is recommended you get started early!

MW3 season one start time: Countdown

According to a Nov. 30 blog post, Activision has confirmed the exact time season one of MW3 will launch at approximately 11am CT / 5pm GMT on Dec. 6.

What’s coming in MW3 season one?

Regardless of how you choose to spend your time in CoD, there’s bound to be something you haven’t seen before, as season one will be kicking off with a litany of changes across its multiple modes.

Those who love multiplayer can expect “three all-new 6v6 core maps,” two of which will be included at launch, and new modes, including the return of Gunfight. Warzone will get the Urzikstan map, and MWZ will see more additions to its story.

Following the horrifying Haunting in October, MW3 is also bringing a holiday event that will likely encompass all of its underlying ecosystems, with “modes and more” potentially on the line, according to official communications.

If you haven’t completed the season six battle pass, now’s the time to do it. The current battle pass will remain active until season one begins, and players can continue to earn progress for it in MW3. For instance, if you were mainly a DMZ fan (there are more of us out here), you can play MWZ and continue progressing toward the Spawn skin until Dec. 6.

There’s bound to be plenty in stock for CoD in season one. Whether you’re at the end of a crosshair or helping a teammate fend off zombies, MW3‘s first season seems like it will bring new ways to enjoy the new game.

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Pedro Peres
Pedro is Dot Esports' Lead Destiny Writer. He's been a freelance writer since 2019, and legend has it you can summon him by pinging an R-301, uttering the word "Persona," or inviting him to run a raid in Destiny 2 (though he probably has worse RNG luck than the D2 team combined). Find his ramblings on his Twitter @ggpedroperes (whenever that becomes available again).
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Scott Robertson
VALORANT lead staff writer, also covering CS:GO, FPS games, other titles, and the wider esports industry. Watching and writing esports since 2014. Previously wrote for Dexerto, Upcomer, Splyce, and somehow MySpace. Jack of all games, master of none.
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Preston Byers
Dot Esports associate editor. Co-host of the Ego Chall Podcast. Since discovering esports through the 2013 Call of Duty Championship, Preston has pursued a career in esports and gaming. He graduated from Youngstown State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2021.
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Nicholas Taifalos
Weekend editor for Dot Esports. Nick, better known as Taffy, began his esports career in commentary, switching to journalism with a focus on Oceanic esports, particularly Counter-Strike and Dota. Email: nicholas@dotesports.com