What are MW3 Experimental Playlists & How to Play on Them

MW3 alows players to participate in its Experimental Playlists, which showcase game modes and map combinations still in testing.

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Image via Activision Blizzard

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Call of Duty: MW3 has a plethora of modes for players to flit between as they become frustrated with one and need a break. The Experimental Playlists are one of the best because they’re unlike anything currently in the game’s core rotations.

There are set modes that every player enjoys in Call of Duty: MW3. Multiplayer is the standard PvP affair with up-to-date weapons and refined shooting mechanics. Warzone offers something close to a CoD battle royale experience, and Zombies Mode pits the living against the living dead. Experimental Playlists are different, though, they give players a chance to see what might be coming to the game early and participate in testing it out to see if it’s viable.

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What are MW3 Experimental Playlists

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Screenshot by Gamepur

Experimental Playlists in Call of Duty: MW3 are game mode and map combinations that developer Sledgehammer Games wants to test out. The reason they’re in an Experimental Playlist is that the developer isn’t sure they’ll work for the wider MW3 audience and so wants a few players to help try them out before they’re added to the main rotations or scrapped.

Playing matches in this playlist doesn’t net players much in the way of XP or unlocks, but it does help make MW3 a better place to play. The more modes and maps that can be added to the rotation, the fresher the game will feel. But it all relies on player feedback.

How to Play MW3 Experimental Playlists

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Screenshot by Gamepur

To play Experimental Playlists in Call of Duty: MW3, players must navigate to the Experimental Playlist tab in the main menu. Once they’ve selected it, they’ll be queued for a random match unless they quit matchmaking.

Experimental Playlists will throw players into random matches across the various maps and game modes currently being tested. There’s no way to control which one a player enters, meaning this playlist is very much only for those who want to see the breadth of potential game modes coming to MW3 in the future.

It’s worth noting that not all of these modes and maps will make it into MW3 in the state seen in the Experimental Playlist. In fact, some may not pass through at all. The idea of this playlist is to ascertain the desire to play the modes on offer or take them back to the development team if they need some extra work before being deployed.