MW3 multiplayer inspired by COD4

Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer maps are being designed with a "Call of Duty 4 mentality", Infinity Ward has revealed.

Numerous nooks and crannies are out; simplified, fewer-tiered designs are in.

This not only "discourages the more camper mentality that seems to emerge in the map design of Modern Wafare 2", Infinity Ward creative strategist Robert Bowling told Kotaku - it also "simplifies it so that the less skilled player has less to think about".

The overarching goal is to get back to faster "gun-on-gun" battles.

"Modern Warfare style is, for me, all about the high-speed, fast-paced - and I'm talking in terms of smooth controls and 60-frames-per-second framerate - infantry-focused combat," Bowling shared.

"And it's all focused on that gun-on-gun gameplay, especially in Modern Warfare 3. I feel like it's something we nailed with Call of Duty 4. We moved away from it a little bit with MW2, relying heavily on air support, killstreaks, perks and stuff like that.

"Modern Warfare 3 very much [is] building up from that Call of Duty 4 mentality of gun-on-gun, fast-paced infantry gameplay."

Robert Bowling, creative strategist, Infinity Ward

"Modern Warfare 3 very much [is] building up from that Call of Duty 4 mentality of gun-on-gun, fast-paced infantry gameplay."

Modern Warfare 3 will have far fewer "hotspots" per multiplayer map, explained Bowling. And while multi-tiered levels are out of favour, they'll still exist, albeit in meaningful ways rather than as bread-and-butter routine. Air support will be downplayed in Modern Warfare 3, too.

"With Modern Warfare 3 it's much, much more on allowing you to focus on what's necessary," added Bowling. "It's making vertical combat when it makes sense, but it's not a blanket rule across every map. You will have some maps that focus on verticality and that are focused on multiple things. And then you have other maps that are very limited on the hotspots.

"The hotspots are a key thing on Modern Warfare 3," he elaborated. "We went into each map wanting you to be able to turn a corner and know very easily that these are the three - no more than five - places I need to check."

The Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer reveal is being reserved by Activision for the Call of Duty XP fan convention in early September. There we'll also hear about what else multiplayer accompaniment Call of Duty: Elite has up its sleeve.