Highlights
- Fans are speculating that the controversial No Russian level may make a comeback in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 based on clues from the recent Makarov reveal trailer.
- The trailer includes scenes that resemble the mass shooting in No Russian, but the context is unclear, leaving room for doubt.
- It is possible that the new game will feature a different take on No Russian, potentially set during the invasion of Verdansk or involving a hijacked airplane mentioned in a previous game.
- The potential return of No Russian has not been officially confirmed at the time of this writing.
The recent Makarov reveal trailer for 2023’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has some fans theorizing the controversial No Russian level is being brought back. No Russian is considered one of the most contentious stages in gaming, due to it featuring a terrorist act in which the player can participate. It’d be shocking for a Call of Duty game to revisit No Russian, but there are clues it may be happening. By no means has it been confirmed for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, though, as yet.
No Russian is a level found in the original Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, as well as the 2020 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered re-release. In the level, players take on the role of an undercover CIA agent named Joseph Allen who has infiltrated a Russian terrorist cell led by Vladimir Makarov. The stage involves the group performing a mass shooting an international airport. The player is allowed to either directly participate in the mass shooting or allow it to happen passively. An option to skip the mission before it begins is also available.
There are several key aspects of the recent Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 that have led fans to speculate about No Russian’s return. The trailer revolving around Makarov alone sets an expectation since he is an important figure in the No Russian level. The trailer also features a brief sequence showing civilians running with or from the player, as well as civilian victims of an apparent terrorist attack. Context is removed from this sequence, however, leaving room for doubt.
The theory that some Call of Duty fans believe is that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 won’t recreate the classic No Russian level. Instead, the new game will feature a different take on No Russian. The trailer reveals what could be the start of the invasion of Verdansk, a key moment in the current Call of Duty story. The Al-Qatala attack on Verdansk Stadium may become the setting for No Russian, instead of an international airport in Russia.
Another possibility goes back to the ending sequence of 2022’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. In a post-credits scene, Makarov orders the hijacking of an airplane and even goes so far as saying “No Russian.” In the new Modern Warfare 3 trailer, a sequence shows a downed airplane. The two may be unrelated, but at this point, Activision’s hints toward the return of the No Russian stage seem undeniable.
There are still questions about whether Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will have a new version of No Russian in its campaign. Just because Activision is teasing its return as part of its marketing doesn’t mean it will be in the game. And if it is in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, it may be different in significant ways, to try and avoid controversy and condemnation. Activision certainly has Call of Duty fans’ attention, at the very least.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 releases November 10 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Reddit (via IGN)
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