The big day is here. Yes, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is now hitting digital store shelves around the globe, and to the surprise of no one who has played one of the shooters in the past decade, it comes with a monumental file size.

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Developed by Sledgehammer Games, the latest instalment (and direct sequel to 2022's Modern Warfare 2) sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against the ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov.

The fan favourite villain returns after last appearing in 2011's Modern Warfare 3, which does not connect to this new rebooted timeline.

Anyone looking to jump into CoD MW3 will have to make sure they have plenty of space on their console or PC.

How much space exactly? Head below for all the details and comments made by publisher Activision.

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CoD MW3 download size: How big is the file?

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3's Captain Price standing with a sniper in his hands
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Captain Price. Activision

Unsurprisingly, the download size for Modern Warfare 3 is hefty.

Anyone looking to pre-load the shooter should expect around 80 to 90GB regardless of platform. Then a further 100-plus GB can be expected once the full game is downloaded in full.

Those that have got their hands on the new Call of Duty early have reported that you will need about 172GB for PC and a whopping 240GB on PlayStation 5.

Essentially, expect more than 200GB for all consoles.

"MW3 is almost here. In preparation, we would like to provide an update on file sizes which are larger than last year," said Activision (via X, formerly Twitter).

"This is due to the increased amount of content available Day 1, including open world Zombies, support for item carry forward from MW2, as well as map files for current Call of Duty: Warzone. (Note: as part of our ongoing optimisation efforts, your final installation size will be actually smaller than the combined previous Call of Duty experiences)."

Players can manage their Call of Duty files in the 'manage files' section of the COD HQ launcher menu. Any specific elements that you are not actively playing can be installed, too.

CoD MW3 day-one patch: Is there a big update too?

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Zombies
CoD Zombies. Activision

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is set to receive a considerable day one patch on launch that will address campaign stability and performance, gameplay bug fixes, multiplier UIX, maps, gameplay, weapons and attachments, perks, field upgrades, killstreaks and vehicles.

A selection of the most notable updates/fixes can be found below:

  • Offline play will no longer be prevented after first setting up an Activision account
  • Save data integrity has been reviewed and checkpoint loading errors have been solved
  • Resolved several crash bugs when loading into some missions
  • Fixed an issue in which some players experienced an excessive load time after the opening title splash
  • Addressed areas in multiple maps in which players could use vehicles and helicopters to access out of map locations
  • Enemies should no longer stay in cover more often or longer than intended
  • Added a HUD element that displays the player’s current streak after each kill
  • Match Stats are now available during gameplay via a new tab in the Scoreboard, allowing the player to compare current performance to their career average
  • Players will no longer be unexpectedly prompted to choose a Loadout after earning multiple rewards
  • Added spawn anchors to many maps in order to influence the flow of combat in the direction of each map’s intended design
  • Adjusted footstep volume to further distinguish enemy and friendly players
  • Enemy Killstreak activations will now invoke announcer voicelines as expected

The full Modern Warfare 3 list of patchnotes can be found at Activision's website.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launched on 10th November 2023 across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC. Head to Amazon to pick up a copy in time for the weekend.

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