Modern Warfare 3 free multiplayer access period kicks off tomorrow - here's everything you can do

If you've not bought Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 but kind of want to give its multiplayer a whirl, you’re in luck, as Activision has announced that for a limited time, those uninitiated will be able to try out several maps and modes in a Free Access period. 

Specifically, the Free Access period starts tomorrow (December 14) at 1pm ET / 10am PT / 6pm GMT (which is the equivalent of December 15 at 5am AEDT) and will run until the same time on December 18, so there are four days to play. The blog post detailing the event stated that “an additional download is required to play,” although it's currently unclear how large this download will be.

As for what prospective players can dive into, it’s been confirmed that as well as the brand new Season One map, Meat (which, as you might expect given its name, is set in a slaughterhouse), gamers will be able to try out the Shipment, Highrise, Terminal, Afghan, and Rust 6v6 maps. 

Ground War will be available to try, with three maps - Levin Resort, Orlov Military Base, and Popov Power. Players can also give Hardpoint, Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Domination, and War a go. 

Otherwise, anyone hoping to try out Modern Warfare 3’s Zombies mode is also in for a treat, as the Free Access period allows players to play Operation Deadbolt and equip ‘Wonder Weapons’ such as the Ray Gun to slay in style. 

Overall, the playlists are as follows: “Rustment 24/7 (Shipment and Rust), War Mode, 6v6 Moshpit (featuring Highrise, Meat, Afghan, Terminal), Ground War, Modern Warfare Zombies.”

Since its launch last month, Modern Warfare 3 hasn’t exactly received rapturous critical acclaim, with an average critic score of 56 on Metacritic. Here at TRG, our editor-in-chief, Jake Tucker, gave the first-person shooter two out of five stars in his review. He wrote: “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 misses more than it hits. A fun zombies mode and the return of fan-favorite maps from 2009’s Modern Warfare 2 can’t save Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 from its awful campaign and a multiplayer that feels like a step back from the rest of the reimagined Modern Warfare trilogy.”

Looking for more games like Call of Duty? You can find some fantastic recommendations on our lists of the best FPS games, as well as the best multiplayer PC games.