Modern Warfare 3 vs Modern Warfare 2 Maps Comparison

Back again for its yearly release, but perhaps with more skepticism from its audience, is the newest Call of Duty game, Modern Warfare 3 (2023). One aspect most players seem to be attracted to however is the selection of nostalgic multiplayer maps. All 16 Modern Warfare 2 maps return with updated graphics. Of course, Modern Warfare 3 has made changes outside of visuals to accommodate gameplay advancements since 2009. So what did Modern Warfare 3 change in the Modern Warfare 2 maps?

As Modern Warfare 3 releases November 11th, this comparison will only include the maps playable during the October Beta. It will later be updated with the full selection.

See also: Top 5 Best Guns in Modern Warfare 3 Beta

A wide variety of changes have been made to the Modern Warfare 2 maps to update them. There are also many mechanics that were not in the original game that change gameplay drastically. For example, although it sounds minor, the original Modern Warfare 2 maps did not have doors. Players could run into whatever building they want with a decent view of what they were getting into. That is not the case in Modern Warfare 3. Doors have been added which changes the gameplay flow of different maps such as Estate. B objective on this map is harder to take as players can close up the doors. 

Traversal has also been improved and changed. Diving from one roof to another on Favela to escape fire from enemy combatants or sliding into a firefight elevates gameplay. Operators now have 150 health as well, an increase from the 100 in 2022’s Modern Warfare 2. Players can also quickly mount obstacles that they couldn’t in the original 2009 game. 

Afghan

Modern Warfare 3’s Afghan is quite faithful to the original one. Apart from visuals and traveral, very minor changes were made to the overall way this map plays out. That being said, the updated visuals allows players to more easily spot one another.

Much of Afghan as shown above is very similar. Most of the changes here were focused on visuals, making it easier for players to spot one another across the map. Color is also improved in the updated Modern Warfare 3 map giving certain areas more of a distinct look compared to the Modern Warfare 2. 

Surprisingly (or maybe not), the door in the caves doesn’t close. It’s always left open, most likely to allow easier access to objectives. Having a door that could close here would prove incredibly difficult for engaging players to contest a hardpoint objective that sometimes appears in the cave.

Derail

Derail’s updated design in Modern Warfare 3 only made minor changes to overall gameplay. Most, similar to Afghan are only visual ones. Overall visibility and density of Derail has been significantly increased in the Modern Warfare 3 map. 

The snow covered vistas and colored scattered throughout helps Derail emit warmth. Smaller locations such as the garage shop at the back spawn have also has more density given each area of the map a more distinct identity. 

Changes such as the railing at the central building are seemingly small changes quite a bit. Players at the top of the stairs don’t have an advantage as they can’t actually look over the cover. This allows players to more easily traverse up the stairs. The clearer visuals on the updated Derail map also allows players in the central building easier view of those below.

Estate

Estate is a large map with multiple buildings and locations including the large estate building, boat house, and green house. Each has been given an increased density and overall purpose. They each feel more lived in and players have more context for what each was used for.

In the original Estate map from 2009, players were unable to go too far behind the boat house. The lake would prevent players from going further. In Modern Warfare 3 however, players are able to swim and reach the little raft floating on the water. Although it’ll leave the player vulnerable due to 0 cover, it could potentially be a good spot for snipers to watch for upcoming danger.

Overall, the Estate building, all the way from the basement to the top floor, has received a large visual overhaul. Areas such as the basement which had dim lighting in the original Modern Warfare 2 map, now has a more densely packed area to sell the idea of a bar/game room. The house feels more lived in.

The small b objective house during Domination has received some visual enhancements. Additionally, due to the addition of doors, players can more easily defend this area as enemies are forced to enter through them. 

Favela

Favela looks great, with minimal changes made since last seen back in 2009. Apart from fidelity enhancements, Favela also plays differently, due to the gameplay enhancements as mentioned earlier. Traversing Favela is much easier in Modern Warfare 3. Players can now mount/climb buildings and ledges that were impossible to do before. This updates the game flow of the map and opens new possibilities that were not present back on the original Modern Warfare 2 map. 

The Favela backside spawn has updated visuals on the buildings and the vehicles present. Overall, the texture of the mucky ground and weathered buildings really brings this map to life. 

The option of being able to mount weapons onto cover helps with accuracy a ton. You can mount onto just about everything!

Each building in Favela feels more alive due to the densely crowded interiors and improved lighting in each room. 

Highrise

Highrise is easier to traverse now with players being able to easily jump over fences and staircase rails. These changes help with gameplay flow and open up new strategies when rushing objects on modes such as Search and Destroy.

The middle passage under the helicopter is traversed often by many players and looks better lit in Modern Warfare 3. The passage itself remains mostly unchanged from an aesthetic point of view.

In the original Modern Warfare 2 map, both spawns had a unique hectic look to them. One was an office space and another hosted a café shop. While the office space remained, it has a more updated modern aesthetic to it. Meanwhile, the café shop has been left behind, replaced by a vacant interior space with no distinct visual identity. It’s one of the few changes made between the two versions that felt like a step back rather than an improvement.

Players often spawn in this underground area and can be a great place to flank the enemy team. Improved lighting helps the overall visibility of enemy combatants. 

Invasion

Modern Warfare 3’s Invasion map updates the large city quite a bit. Being a dense map with many interior buildings gave room for the Developer to really make this map shine on many occasions. 

The Hookah shop in Invasion is a great example of the many changes made to the map. Color, geometry and visual identity has changed drastically in this building. Photos on the wall and various uses of carpet gave the building more of a cozy feeling that was absent in the original Invasion map. It doesn’t just feel like another building on the map anymore.

Besides density, the use of doors helps players defend certain locations. In other locations, it allows players to more easily flank.

Buildings like the one shown above have all been updated to a certain extent. Some just look completely different. The entrance for this one for example remains standing now. It still sells the idea that this place has gone through many battles as the indoor is missing pieces of the ground but it’s easier for players to traverse this area.

Karachi

Traversal between buildings has naturally improved due to the updated movement system in Modern Warfare 3. The use of lights in the various buildings also helps give clearer visibility of enemy combatants. 

Terrain has been slightly adjusted on Karachi to help with the flow of battles. Players can more easily traverse locations and defend themselves better from areas that were once difficult to cross.

Generally, Karachi in Modern Warfare 3’s updated visuals doesn’t stand out very much from the original. Certain touches have been made to adjust the lighting of interior buildings but the exterior’s color and overall aesthetic remains largely the same.

Quarry

Lighting and geometry changes have greatly enhanced this map. Because of the various dark corners in the original map, camping in one of the many buildings was a popular choice. Players will now have an easier time spotting one another. 

Many players saw success hiding in this building and waiting for enemies to come by their screen. Those running into the room sometimes wouldn’t notice a player lying down in the shadow. In the updated Quarry map, players can more easily spot these campers and with the updated movement, take care of them. 

Lighting in the updated version was actually dimmed down a bit here but not to a worrying extent. Visually, it looks way better than the original. Geometry changes have been made here, though. The guard railing is now completely covered giving an advantage to those that are on the second floor. Additionally, a ladder can now be accessed in this building giving players another angle to attack.

The updated geometry makes it easier for players to quickly take a peek through the broken wall to score easier kills. Because of the lower placement, however, players sitting here won’t be able to hide half their body making it a bit easier for enemies to take them down too. Various small changes can be found throughout this map. 

Rundown

Rundown is probably the map that has changed the most visually speaking. Other Modern Warfare 3 maps have added color to their bland color scheme, but Rundown goes further. Just about everything here has changed. 

Rundown was always a fun map to play in due to the various buildings, outdoor areas, and multiple levels. That being said. it was never a pretty map. Range of color was practically non-existent making this map look abandoned and lack life.

Parts of Rundown in the original Modern Warfare 2 map were a bit awkward to navigate it. For example, the area near the gas station had a whole bunch of grass around selling players on the idea that this village has long been forsaken. It works narratively but gameplay-wise, many players saw the opportunity to score a sneaky kill or two by laying in these bushes. It wasn’t very exciting aimlessly running through this area and getting killed by someone you couldn’t see. Because there was so much grass, players could slightly move their camping spot to wade off enemies that wanted revenge. 

More grass has been removed from the staircase leading to the back alley houses. Due to lack of light and the grass, players were practically unseen and were able to score free kills. Visibility has greatly improved on this map. The biggest change however is the use of vibrant colors that make each area of the map pop. It often looked like a Black Ops map with its aesthetic, but played more like a Modern Warfare map in the best possible way. 

Rust

Rust is the smallest Modern Warfare 2 map. It’s a chaotic one where players often spawn right next to enemies. The map more or less plays the same. That being said, the layout of it has changed a bit. The large middle structure is even larger in Modern Warfare 3. Certain areas have also been removed or remodeled such as the open pipe that people could camp in the corner of the map.

Apart from updated visuals, the most glaring difference is the use of color. Everything was brown or a shade of brown in the original Rust map. Now, there are hints of blues and yellows. It helps with the visual identity of the map and brings it to life.

Players could originally camp in the large pipe on the edge of the map and potentially get some kills. It was more bothersome because of how dark it was. In Modern Warfare 3, this entire structure has been removed. 

Again, more color and density have been given to different structures around Rust. Traversing through the map isn’t such an eyesore now.

Scrapyard

This fan favorite original map saw minor changes to the lighting of certain interiors. Mostly though, Scrapyard remains intact but plays different due to the updated traversal system in Modern Warfare 3. 

The red office building in Scrapyard was a hot traversal spot for players that wanted more coverage. Some players would camp this building knowing they could score some easy kills. Oddly enough, it’s actually easier to camp this building in Modern Warfare 3 due to the updated movement system that allows players to escape gunfire, and the guard railing on the second floor of the building. Anyone already up on the second floor would be protected from those on the first floor.

Structurally, Scrapyard mostly remains the same, but the improved lighting and ease of traversal 

Skidrow

The lighting and overall fidelity on Skidrow have also drastically been improved making it easier to spot other players. Small tweaks have been made to certain areas of the map to improve overall gameplay. The building behind Domination a objective has a larger window for example allowing players to more easily attack this point.

The bookstore in the middle building has been replaced by a movie store. The hole in the ceiling has also been patched up. Players used to be able to throw grenades and shoot other players through the hole. This is no longer possible. 

The size of the fence and the barbed wire on top have been removed allowing players to climb. Being able to climb this fence gives players more options to enter this area that sometimes hosts Hardpoint objectives. 

The large turret gun by Domination c objective has been removed from the remastered Skidrow. Although not a weapon people would fight over due to its awkward positioning by the door, it sometimes provided needed firepower to those trying to defend c objective or pressure b objective by raining down bullets at the ground below and middle building. It’s possible that the addition of doors in the remastered Skidrow gave this spot too much cover and was thus removed. 

Sub Base

Sub base remained largely the same in Modern Warfare 3. The largest changes came in color and lighting. The map’s bright snow-covered exterior contrasted with the dim interiors. The updated Modern Warfare 3 map brightened up some of the interior while still making Sub Base emit that same dark atmosphere. 

Much need work on lighting has been done on Sub Base. The original map had incredibly dim interiors that gave plentiful of areas for players to hide. Visibility has greatly been improved while still keeping the tone of this cold Russian location. 

Apart from some brighter interiors and slightly dimmer exteriors in the updated Modern Warfare 3 map, the “biggest” change is the fact players can swim now. It doesn’t initially seem like much, but it’s one extra path players can take to traverse the map. Players obviously can’t swim anywhere but, this new path opens the doors to more varied flanks and firefights. 

Terminal

Terminal has some odd changes made to it. Aesthetically, the map feels more modern but loses some of the eerie feeling that once came with this location. Additionally, the plane saw a lot of remodeling that makes it more of a path players can take rather than a location that could score them some kills.k 

For starters, most of the geometry on the plane has been adjusted. There aren’t as many chairs on the plane as the original map and players can’t move between seats anymore. The cockpit also has the controls of the plane on the ground so players are unable to move freely there. They have to awkwardly crouch if they want to see out the window. 

Modern Warfare 3 takes the original map and dulls it down. Terminal is modern and clean in the updated version. It takes away the identity of the original. Modern Warfare 2’s terminal was a mess. Those that played through the campaign will know why. It’s because of the events in the campaign that players felt more invested in this map. Now, everything is clean and in some cases, less dense with material. Some stores have large open spaces of nothing with few merchandise on the wall. Compared to the original Terminal, this is a step back. 

Underpass

Underpass looks incredibly impressive on Modern Warfare 3. Each area of the map has had large graphical improvements. Exterior and interior lighting has been greatly brightened giving more visibility at the cost of tone.  

It still rains on Underpass but the sky is clearer, no longer submerged in fogs and clouds. It’s a double-edge sword. On one hand, yes it’s easier for players to spot one another, but it takes a way some of the map’s identity. Underpass now feels closer to other maps on the playlist aesthetically with it’s bright exterior and industrial buildings which is a shame. Some changes such as those to the storage room, which has increased in size are a welcome change however. Players can now enter through a back door as well. 

Interiors in general feel larger and are more packed with appropriate items. This office is a great example of that. It’s still messy as it was in the original, but more items and a poppy aesthetic really sells on the purpose of this room. 

The updated Underpass map succeeded in some areas, namely graphics, lighting (in some places) and interior design. Buildings feel more lived in due to lighting improvements, and overall structure changes. That being said, traversing outside no longer feels as dark and moody as it did in the original map. Rain doesn’t drop as hard and the sky is clearer, which harms the overall visual identity of this map. 

Wasteland

The changes made to Wasteland mostly include lighting changes. It’s a lot easier to spot enemies around the map. Although this is typically always a welcome change, it makes getting sniped by someone sitting on the edge of the map much easier. 

The overall color on the map has a tint of yellow instead of the grey in the original. Visually, the buildings surrounding the map have sharper images. Some appear not to be as cluttered.

For those who preferred closer firefights, the dugout in the center of the map provided just that. The lighting here is drastically improved to dissuade players from camping at the location. Some adjustments have been made to improve the overall QOL of this location such as the removal of the net. 

Have you noticed other changes made to the original Modern Warfare 2 maps? Do you like the changes made? What do you think of the updated Modern Warfare 3 maps? Let us know in the comments!

Modern Warfare 3 was released November 11th on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam.