Modern Warfare 3 developer Sledgehammer Games has denied reports of rushed development and a crunch on its staff.
Modern Warfare 3, 2023's Call of Duty title, celebrates 20 years of Activision's shooter series with returning maps, a huge amount of guns and weapons to master, and the return of zombies. Despite this, the latest instalment hasn't gone down well with players.
Following a Bloomberg report revealing a short development time and a crunch on staff attempting to finish the game on time, Sledgehammer Games has refuted the claims, stating Modern Warfare 3 was 'years in the making,' stating 'anything said to the contrary is simply not true.'
Shortly after Jason Schreier's report was published, the Modern Warfare 3 developer shared a lengthy statement surrounding 'the first ever back-to-back sequel in Call of Duty.'
Aaron Halon, studio head at Sledgehammer Games wrote: "We're incredibly proud of Modern Warfare III- both the full game experience at launch and the upcoming year of content we have planned for the community.
"Long before we wrapped up our previous game, we heard loud and clear from fans about the desire to stay and play together for longer within the same series. And that's what we've delivered."
Bloomberg's report claims Modern Warfare 3 was developed in 16 months which is significantly shorter than the three years some studios have had to create previous entries into the franchise. It also claims Sledgehammer Games was to release an Advanced Warfare sequel before it was shelved in favour of another Modern Warfare title.
The 16-month development time is contrary to Halon's statement which says Modern Warfare 3 was 'years in the making.' Whether the game's development was rushed or took a while to fine-tune, the opinions of players are split. We'll never know if Advanced Warfare 2 would've outperformed Modern Warfare 3. Perhaps it's time for Microsoft to intervene and let Call of Duty take a year off to ensure a high level of quality is maintained.