Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is the eighth installment in the popular first-person shooter franchise, and the third and final game in the Modern Warfare sub-series. The game was released in 2011 and received critical acclaim for its thrilling campaign, multiplayer modes, and cooperative missions.
The campaign mode follows the events of Modern Warfare 2, where a rogue Russian ultranationalist named Vladimir Makarov has launched a global war against the United States and its allies. The player controls various characters from different military factions, such as the Delta Force, the SAS, the GIGN, and the Spetsnaz, as they try to stop Makarov and his terrorist network.
The game’s story is divided into three acts, each consisting of several missions that take place in various locations around the world, such as New York, Paris, Berlin, London, Prague, Dubai, Somalia, Sierra Leone, and Moscow. The game features multiple endings depending on the player’s actions and choices throughout the campaign.
In this article, we will explain the main ending of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, as well as the alternative endings and their implications. We will also answer some frequently asked questions about the game’s ending and its connection to other Call of Duty games.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Main Ending:
The main ending of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is achieved by completing all the missions in the campaign mode on any difficulty level. This ending is considered to be the canonical one, as it wraps up the story arc of the Modern Warfare sub-series and sets up the events of Call of Duty: Ghosts.
The main ending begins with the mission “Down the Rabbit Hole”, where the player controls Yuri, a former Spetsnaz operative who has joined forces with Captain John Price and his SAS team. Yuri reveals that he was once an ally of Makarov, but betrayed him after witnessing his involvement in the massacre at Zakhaev International Airport in Modern Warfare 2. Yuri also reveals that he knows Makarov’s location: a hotel in Dubai.
Price and Yuri infiltrate the hotel and fight their way to Makarov’s penthouse suite. There, they find Makarov holding President Boris Vorshevsky hostage. Makarov shoots Yuri in the chest and escapes with Vorshevsky in a helicopter. Price manages to revive Yuri and they pursue Makarov in another helicopter.
The chase leads them to a construction site, where Makarov’s helicopter crashes. Price and Yuri jump out of their helicopter and land on a metal platform. Price then engages in a brutal hand-to-hand fight with Makarov, while Yuri tries to help him. However, Makarov shoots Yuri again, this time fatally wounding him.
Price manages to overpower Makarov and wraps a steel cable around his neck. He then kicks him off the platform, hanging him from a metal beam. Price then lights up a cigar and watches as Makarov’s lifeless body swings in front of him. He then walks over to Yuri’s body and salutes him for his sacrifice.
The game then cuts to a news report that announces that President Vorshevsky has signed a peace treaty with NATO, effectively ending the war. The report also states that Makarov’s body was found at the crash site, but his death remains a mystery. The game then shows a montage of scenes from previous Modern Warfare games, featuring characters such as Soap MacTavish, Ghost Riley, Gaz Kamarov, Sandman Walker, Grinch Truck, Frost Westbrooke, Nikolai Petrovich, Kamarov Levchenko, Wallcroft Burns, MacMillan Shepherd, Roach Ramirez, Dunn Foley, Allen Wade, Harkov Volkovski, and others.
The game ends with Price sitting alone in a bar, drinking whiskey and looking at a photo of him and Soap. He then puts the photo away and walks out of the bar.
The Alternative Endings
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 features two alternative endings that can be unlocked by completing certain requirements in specific missions. These endings are not considered to be canon, as they contradict the main ending and create plot holes in the overall story.
The Good Ending
The good ending is achieved by completing the mission “Dust to Dust” on Veteran or Hardened difficulty level without dying or reloading checkpoints. This ending is similar to the main ending, except that Yuri survives Makarov’s second shot and helps Price kill Makarov by shooting him in the head.
Price then thanks Yuri for his help and tells him that he owes him one. Yuri replies that he doesn’t need anything from Price and that he is glad that they stopped Makarov together. Price then lights up a cigar and says that they should get out of there before anyone shows up.
The game then cuts to a news report that announces that President Vorshevsky has signed a peace treaty with NATO, effectively ending the war. The report also states that Makarov’s body was found at the crash site, along with another unidentified body, presumably Yuri’s. The game then shows a montage of scenes from previous Modern Warfare games, featuring the same characters as in the main ending.
The game ends with Price sitting alone in a bar, drinking whiskey and looking at a photo of him and Soap. He then puts the photo away and walks out of the bar, followed by Yuri, who is wearing a hooded jacket and sunglasses to conceal his identity. They then walk away together.
The Bad Ending
The bad ending is achieved by failing to complete the mission “Down the Rabbit Hole” on any difficulty level. This ending is very different from the main ending, as it shows Makarov’s victory and the defeat of Price and his allies.
The bad ending begins with Makarov shooting Yuri in the chest and escaping with President Vorshevsky in a helicopter. Price tries to revive Yuri, but he dies in his arms. Price then picks up Yuri’s gun and shoots at Makarov’s helicopter, but misses.
The game then cuts to a news report that announces that Makarov has executed President Vorshevsky on live television, along with his daughter Alena. The report also states that Makarov has declared himself the new leader of Russia and has launched a full-scale nuclear attack on Europe and the United States.
The game then shows a montage of scenes from previous Modern Warfare games, featuring characters such as Soap MacTavish, Ghost Riley, Gaz Kamarov, Sandman Walker, Grinch Truck, Frost Westbrooke, Nikolai Petrovich, Kamarov Levchenko, Wallcroft Burns, MacMillan Shepherd, Roach Ramirez, Dunn Foley, Allen Wade, Harkov Volkovski, and others. However, unlike in the main ending, these scenes are shown in reverse order and are accompanied by a distorted version of the Modern Warfare theme song.
The game ends with Price sitting alone in a bar, drinking whiskey and looking at a photo of him and Soap. He then puts the photo away and pulls out a pistol. He then points the pistol at his head and pulls the trigger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions that players may have about the ending of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Q: Is Yuri really dead?
A: In the main ending and the good ending, Yuri dies from Makarov’s second shot. However, in the bad ending, Yuri dies from Makarov’s first shot. Therefore, it is possible that Yuri could have survived if he received medical attention in time. However, since the main ending is considered to be canon, it is safe to assume that Yuri is indeed dead.
Q: What happened to Nikolai?
A: Nikolai is a Russian informant who has helped Price and his team throughout the Modern Warfare sub-series. In Modern Warfare 3, he provides support and intel for Price and Yuri during their missions. He also helps them escape from various situations by flying a helicopter or a plane.
In the main ending and the good ending, Nikolai is last seen flying a plane that drops Price and Yuri near Makarov’s hotel in Dubai. He then tells them to contact him when they are done. It is unknown what happened to him after that, but it is likely that he survived and continued to work as an informant.
In the bad ending, Nikolai is presumably killed by Makarov or his forces along with Price and his allies.
Q: Is Call of Duty: Ghosts a sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3?
A: Call of Duty: Ghosts is not a direct sequel to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but it is set in the same universe. The game takes place ten years after a devastating nuclear war between the United States and an unknown enemy known as “The Federation”. The game follows a group of elite soldiers known as “Ghosts” who fight against The Federation and try to uncover its secrets.
The game features several references and connections to the Modern Warfare sub-series, such as:
- The main antagonist of Call of Duty: Ghosts is Rorke, a former Ghost who was captured and brainwashed by The Federation. Rorke is voiced by Kevin McKidd, who also voiced Soap MacTavish in Modern Warfare 2 and 3.
- One of the playable characters in Call of Duty: Ghosts is Logan Walker, who is the son of Elias Walker, the leader of the Ghosts. Elias Walker is voiced by Stephen Lang, who also voiced Sandman in Modern Warfare 3.
- One of the missions in Call of Duty: Ghosts takes place in Caracas, Venezuela, where Price and Yuri fought against Makarov’s forces in Modern Warfare 3.
- One of the weapons in Call of Duty: Ghosts is the Honey Badger assault rifle, which was used by Price in Modern Warfare 3.
- One of the multiplayer maps in Call of Duty: Ghosts is called “Stonehaven”, which is based on the castle of the same name in Scotland, where Price and MacMillan sniped Imran Zakhaev in Modern Warfare.
These are some of the connections between Call of Duty: Ghosts and the Modern Warfare sub-series. However, they do not affect the main storyline or the ending of either game. They are simply Easter eggs or nods for the fans of the franchise.
