According to reports, the development of Modern Warfare 3 took only 16 months

More than a dozen current and former Call of Duty developers have revealed in an interview with Bloomberg that the Modern Warfare III project was initially conceived as an expansion to the previous year's hit, Modern Warfare 2. This expansion was planned to unfold in Mexico and follow the storyline of the previous year. However, Activision executives decided to reboot the project, informing Sledgehammer Games that it would be a full-fledged sequel with global adventures.

This unexpected change in plans presented developers with additional challenges, including the need to work night and weekend hours. Some employees expressed disappointment, claiming that they were promised to avoid such a demanding schedule after last year's project, Call of Duty: Vanguard.

Furthermore, employees voiced dissatisfaction with the content approval process from the original Call of Duty developers and the creators of the Modern Warfare subseries at Infinity Ward. According to the developers, this process was inefficient and led to significant and unwanted changes.

In response to the allegations, an Activision representative denied the statement that the project was originally conceived as an expansion, asserting that it was planned as a "premium game" from the beginning.

Sledgehammer Games' head, Aaron Halon, emphasized that some developers may have misunderstood the project as an expansion due to the new type of direct sequel, allowing players to carry over weapons and cosmetic items from the previous game. In a public statement, Halon assured fans that Modern Warfare III is their game, of which they are proud, and they are looking forward to the opportunity to play it online.