You probably think you know what you’re getting into with a Modern Warfare title. You’ve been here before. You’ve seen the credits roll, heard Price bark orders, and probably spent way too much time in the lobby. But the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 achievements list—specifically the 2023 reboot—is a weird, frustrating, and occasionally brilliant beast. It isn't just about beating the campaign on Veteran anymore. It's a sprawling mess of open combat missions, specific tactical kills, and a Zombies mode that feels like a full-time job.
Most people just play the game. They see a notification pop up and think, "Cool, I did a thing." But for those of us chasing the full 1,000 Gamerscore or that shiny Platinum trophy, this game is a test of patience. It’s about more than just twitch reflexes. It’s about navigating a list that feels like it was designed by three different teams who weren't allowed to talk to each other.
The Open Combat Mission Grind
The biggest shift in this installment is the introduction of Open Combat Missions (OCMs). Honestly? They're polarizing. Some people love the freedom; others think they feel like a half-baked Warzone Lite. Regardless of your feelings, your Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 achievements progress is tied directly to them.
Take "Gearhead," for instance. You have to find all the weapon and item caches in the OCMs. It sounds simple. It’s not. There are dozens of them scattered across maps like Precious Cargo and Highrise. You'll spend half your time staring at a guide or driving a buggy around aimlessly while AI snipers try to take your head off. It’s a scavenger hunt with guns.
Then there’s "I’ve Got Your Back." You need to have a teammate ping an enemy and then you kill them. In a campaign? Yeah. It’s a weird inclusion that forces a co-op mindset into a solo experience. It feels a bit clunky, but it’s a quick tick-off once you realize the AI allies actually count for this if you time it right.
The Weird Specifics of Campaign Feats
There’s a specific kind of satisfaction in the "Think She’ll Notice?" achievement. You have to destroy the cargo plane in Precious Cargo with a C4. It’s a classic Call of Duty "extra mile" task. It reminds me of the old "Mile High Club" days, though admittedly less soul-crushing.
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But then you have "Sample Platter." You need to use five different armaments in Open Combat Missions. It’s basically the game’s way of saying, "Please use the mechanics we spent money building." It isn't difficult, just a bit of a checklist. You grab a Sentry Gun, a Cruise Missile, maybe a Mortar Strike. Boom. Achievement unlocked.
Veteran Difficulty and the "The 141 Ready"
Veteran difficulty in Call of Duty has changed over the years. In the early 2000s, it was an exercise in grenade-dodging. Now, it’s more about positioning. To get "The 141 Ready," you have to finish the campaign on Veteran. If you’ve played a Modern Warfare game in the last decade, you know the drill. Stay behind cover. Don't be a hero. Let the NPCs draw fire.
The OCMs actually make Veteran a bit easier in some ways. Because the maps are open, you can often kite the AI or find a high vantage point to pick them off from a mile away. It’s less "hallway of death" and more "tactical puzzle." Except for the mission "Gora Dam." That one can stay in the bin. Trying to stay stealthy on Veteran while dealing with the sheer number of guards is a nightmare.
The Zombie Elephant in the Room
If the campaign is a tactical puzzle, the Modern Warfare Zombies (MWZ) portion of the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 achievements is a marathon. This is where most players get stuck. This isn't your grandfather’s round-based zombies. It’s an extraction-style mode on the Urzikstan map.
"The End?" is the big one here. You have to complete Act III of the Zombies story. This isn't something you do in an afternoon. We’re talking hours of grinding contracts, upgrading your Pack-a-Punch, and hunting for specific ammo mods. The boss fight at the end of Act III is a genuine spectacle, but getting there requires a level of dedication that most casual players simply won't have.
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And don't even get me started on "Slaughterhouse." You need to kill 50,000 enemies in MWZ. 50,000. That is an astronomical number. Even if you’re pulling 1,000 kills per match—which is a high-octane, non-stop round—you’re looking at 50 full matches just for one achievement. It’s a grind in the purest, most exhausting sense of the word.
Tactical Achievements That Actually Require Skill
Aside from the grind, there are a few gems that require genuine finesse. "Shot Blocked" asks you to shoot a sentry gun out of the air while it's being dropped by a helicopter. It sounds like something out of a Michael Bay movie. You have to time it perfectly. It's one of those rare moments where the game encourages you to do something truly cool rather than just clicking on heads.
Then there’s "Hitchhiker." You have to use a grappling hook to kill an enemy while on a moving vehicle. This is peak Call of Duty nonsense, and I mean that in the best way possible. It’s difficult to set up, but when it clicks, it feels amazing. These are the achievements that make the list worth completing. They aren't just about time spent; they’re about mastery of the movement system.
The "One Against All" Hurdle
This is arguably the hardest achievement in the game for many. You have to kill a Warlord in MWZ with a six-person squad. Finding five other people who are competent, have the right gear, and actually want to coordinate a Warlord run is the real challenge. It’s a social engineering achievement more than a mechanical one.
The Warlords, like Legacy or Dokkaebi, are guarded by heavy Mercenary forces. If you go in under-geared, even with six people, you’re going to get wiped. You need a 3-plate vest, at least a Pack-a-Punch Level 2 weapon, and probably a few self-revives just in case. It’s chaotic, loud, and incredibly rewarding when that final merc drops.
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Common Misconceptions About the List
A lot of people think you can get all the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 achievements in a single playthrough. You can't. Well, technically you could if you played on Veteran first and were incredibly meticulous with the OCM collectibles, but nobody does that. You’re going to miss a cache. You’re going to fail a specific takedown.
Another misconception is that the achievements are tied to the multiplayer. Surprisingly, they aren't. Aside from a few that can technically be done in various modes, the bulk of the list is Campaign and Zombies. This is a blessing for those who hate the sweatiness of ranked play, but a curse for those who only buy CoD for the 6v6 maps.
Strategic Roadmap for Completionists
If you’re serious about hitting that 100%, you need a plan. Don’t just wing it.
- The First Run: Play the campaign on Regular. Just enjoy the story. While you’re doing it, keep a mental note of the OCM weapon caches. Try to grab as many as you can so you don't have to do a dedicated "collector run" later.
- The Cleanup: Go back through Mission Select to grab the specific combat achievements like "Think She'll Notice?" or "Elevator Out." These are much easier on lower difficulties where you aren't dying every three seconds.
- The Veteran Slog: Now do your Veteran run. You already know the maps and the enemy spawns. Use the knowledge from your first run to bypass the hardest encounters.
- The Zombie Life: Start the MWZ Acts. Focus on the missions. Don't worry about the 50,000 kills yet; that will happen naturally as you work through Act I, II, and III.
- The Final Push: By the time you finish the Zombies story, you’ll likely still need several thousand kills. This is where you put on a podcast, head to an Exfil site, and start farming. It’s tedious, but it’s the only way.
The Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 achievements are a reflection of where the franchise is right now. It's a mix of old-school challenge, new-school open-world experimentation, and the "live service" grind of Zombies. It isn't a perfect list. It’s bloated in places and frustrating in others. But for the completionist, it offers a varied—if occasionally exhausting—journey through everything the game has to offer.
To actually make progress today, start by looking at your OCM map progress. If you haven't cleared the caches in "Precious Cargo," that's your first stop. It’s the easiest way to start chipping away at the completion percentage without the high stress of a Veteran run or the long-term commitment of the Zombies Acts. Get the easy wins first to build momentum.
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