Dedicated server confirmed!

It looks like Infinity Ward have learned not to piss off PC gamers.

A few years ago, they decided not to give the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 dedicated servers, which caused uproar amongst fans. They instead used a system called IWNet, which was designed to prevent cheating. Unfortunately, IWNet made it difficult for some players to find the right matches and it didn’t allow players to set up their own servers and custom maps. Treyarch set this right last year when they gave the PC version of Black Ops dedicated servers.

Jay Frechette, associate manager for Call of Duty Digital confirmed at GamesCom that Modern Warfare 3 will use dedicated servers. What’s even better is that they’ll be free to use and available from launch. Hooray!

Infinity Ward must now find a new and better way of preventing cheating as they are planning to offer prizes through Call of Duty Elite. Obviously, everyone wants this to be a fair game.

Modern Warfare 3 Dedicated Servers are Unranked Only


It may be time to temper your excitement regarding dedicated servers in Modern Warfare 3, as creative strategist Robert Bowling indicated in a PC FAQ that only public servers would feature standard ranking and unlocks. The dedicated servers will be completely in the control of the host, but will lack the weapon progression and unlocks you would receive from playing on a public server.

Bowling summed up the design choice mantra on Twitter. “Public is about progression, private is about control.” The last part is accurate, as dedicated server hosts can control what is already unlocked for players joining the game. This means players who haven’t yet unlocked a single item would still have access to whatever the host has set for the players.

This may be disappointing for PC fans, but console players, who are obviously limited to peer hosted games, won’t notice the difference. Still, for those looking to get past the potentially reoccurring troubles with public servers and P2P, this is likely a blow to their confidence.


The FAQ also covers the specific graphical enhancements for PC players. Bowling provides the list:

“You have a lot of graphic options, including enabling and disabling of new rendering features such as SSAO, you’ll also be able to modify DOF, Shadows, Anti-Aliasing, Texture Resolution and more.”

Modern Warfare 3 will also have LAN support and a maximum of 18 players (for Ground War) in online play. Bowling goes on to detail the matchmaking system, server filtering, and the ability to find other players playing Spec Ops as well.

It’s clear that Infinity Ward wants to please their PC fans with an abundance of these options, but I’m pretty sure dedicated servers that offer the standard Modern Warfare experience is really where the community’s hearts lie.