Is Call of Duty MW3 Zombies free to play? Combining the traditional Zombies mode with DMZ sounds like an excellent concept on paper, but it’s been quite a divisive iteration of the iconic mode. Given its similarities to DMZ, which was introduced as part of the free Warzone experience, many of you are likely wondering whether Modern Warfare 3 Zombies is also free to play. With how polarizing it’s been to the core crowd, making MW3 Zombies free could help MWZ find its niche.
Our Call of Duty MW3 review didn’t praise the campaign offering for the latest entry in the series, but MW3 Zombies is being developed by the undead veterans at Treyarch, which has produced all of the Zombies modes in prior CoD games. So, making MW3 Zombies free would put it in the running for the best free shooting games list, though it’s not quite so simple.
Is Call of Duty MW3 Zombies free to play?
No, Call of Duty MW3 Zombies mode is not free-to-play and will require purchasing a copy of MW3 on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC,. With Zombies being one of MW3’s three core modes, this unfortunately means that players only interested in MWZ will still have to pay for the full game, including the campaign and multiplayer.
Considering that DMZ is accessed through Call of Duty Warzone, which is completely free, it’s natural to assume that MW3 Zombies would exist alongside it as the replacement mode for the sequel. However, MWZ is instead a mode within the premium Modern Warfare 3 release, and not Warzone, despite DMZ being the foundation of its gameplay.
If Activision was to make the mode free-to-play in the future, it would be one of the only major zombie survival games that is free to enjoy. Considering how big the CoD Zombies fanbase is, and how devoted they are to the long-running mode, it would no doubt catch on as a free offering. However, given Zombies fans are still willing to pay for the full package, even if Zombies is their only interest, it’s not in Activision’s best interest to make MW3 Zombies free or make a cheaper, Zombies-only version of MW3.
In terms of free-to-play offerings, Warzone is Activision’s heavy hitter. Those looking for a taste of CoD’s slick gameplay can enjoy the battle royale experience, while the rest is packaged as a full release.
This shouldn’t be all too surprising for Zombies fans, however, as this mode has long been included (in Treyarch’s line of CoD games) as a premium third mode. With how successful the mode has always been, there’s no reason to make it free any time soon, so don’t hold out hope for a MW3 Zombies free-to-play release in the future. We expect this to also be the case for the Call of Duty 2024 Zombies mode. Expected to be Black Ops Gulf War, you can learn more about the Call of Duty 2024 release date and its offerings already.
Nevertheless, buying Modern Warfare 3 isn’t all bad. You get access to the Call of Duty MW3 campaign, as well as the MW3 multiplayer. So, if you’ve been looking for an excuse to play one of the best FPS games on the market, then this is a good opportunity. With the extensive (and excellent) MW3 camos that you can unlock in both Zombies and multiplayer, there’s a lot to sink your teeth into.
If you do pick up the full package, be sure to check out the MW3 meta. MWZ might be frightening but multiplayer is arguably even more daunting, so make sure you’ve got the best MW3 loadouts and MW3 best guns at the ready. Thankfully, many of these are also great in Zombies.
Should MW3 Zombies be free to play?
Considering the huge success that Warzone is, and how there’s a lack of major free-to-play titles in the best zombie games list, we think that it would be great if MW3 Zombies was converted into a free-to-play experience. Especially if you consider the fact that players can purchase and use bundle cosmetics in the game mode.
Zombies in Modern Warfare 3 already use a huge amount of existing Warzone assets, so a full conversion of Zombies into a Warzone game mode isn’t unfeasible. However, considering a lot of CoD Zombies fans will buy the latest game solely to kill the undead hordes, we understand why Activision didn’t make it a free-to-play mode.
That being said, Activision recently confirmed that it was dropping support for the Warzone DMZ mode in a recent blog post, meaning that it won’t interact with MW3. Instead of leaving DMZ to rot, it would be great if Activision decided to replace it with Zombies, keeping the progression and cohesion of the latest CoD game and Warzone intact.
That’s everything we know about Call of Duty MW3 Zombies being free-to-play or not. If you’ve got the game, it’s worth picking up one of the best PS5 controllers or best Xbox controllers so you can get that competitive advantage in multiplayer, or just a more enjoyable experience in Zombies.