Call of Duty confirms classic minimap finally returns in Modern Warfare 3

Jacob Hale
Minimap with red dots with Modern Warfare 3 logo on the left

Call of Duty has confirmed that a major, highly-requested feature will be returning to the title for Modern Warfare 3, leaving players delighted almost unanimously across the board.

In recent years, many COD players have grown frustrated with the franchise, as major changes made to the game, as well as certain features, have come under serious disrepute.

The loss of Ninja or Dead Silence as a perk, and instead becoming a field upgrade, has become a major point of contention, as well as other features such as an ever-fastening TTK.

Perhaps the most divisive of all, however, is the changes made to the minimap, a staple of Call of Duty for well over a decade. In Modern Warfare (2019), Infinity Ward removed red dots for unsuppressed fire from the minimap in the beta, albeit there were only red dots on the overhead compass in the main game after mass backlash.

In Modern Warfare 2 (2022), this change persisted, despite a barrage of complaints from players, who didn’t agree with Infinity Ward’s creative vision for the game.

Modern Warfare 3: Return of the classic minimap

Now, in the third (and what many presume to be final) game in the newly-rebooted Modern Warfare trilogy, developers Sledgehammer Games appear to have listened to the community and given them what they want.

On Monday, August 14, CharlieIntel tweeted the following, alongside a screenshot of a text conversation with the number that appeared in the MW3 reveal trailer: “Classic mini map confirmed for MW3.”

This has been largely celebrated by pretty much every corner of the Call of Duty community, with both casual and competitive fans alike rejoicing.

While there have of course been some players who liked the lack of red dots, they’re a seriously small minority, and players have a lot more reason to look forward to the game now.

This is especially true after some of the other leaks that occurred on August 14, as it was reported that all Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps will be remastered for the game, as well as huge changes to TTK and tac sprint.

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About The Author

Jacob is Dexerto’s UK Editor and Call of Duty esports specialist. With a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Creative Writing, he previously worked as an Editor at Ginx TV. Jacob was nominated for Journalist of the Year at the 2023 Esports Awards. Contact: jacob.hale@dexerto.com.