Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is an upcoming first-person shooter video game set to be released in November 2011^[1]. It will be the eighth installment in the Call of Duty series. Due to a legal dispute between the game's publisher Activision and the former co-executives of Infinity Ward - which caused several lay-offs and departures within the company^[2] - Sledgehammer Games will assist in the development of the singleplayer, and Raven Software will develop the multiplayer.^[1] The game is said to have been in development since only two weeks after the release of their previous game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.^[1] Sledgehammer is aiming for a "bug free" first outing in the Call of Duty franchise, which also sets a goal for Metacritic review scores above 95 percent.^[3]

The UK Official PlayStation Magazine has lent credence to speculation that Modern Warfare 3 will be a prequel starring fan favourite character Ghost. The mag's informants strengthen a rumor which first reared its head online early in January 2011. On the Rumor Machine page in its latest issue (055), OPM points to ""insider whispers" which suggest: "Infinity Ward's next Modern Warfare title will be a prequel, with Ghost in the lead role."^[4]

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