Call of Duty Elite now online, Modern Warfare 3 arriving for XP attendees

By Adam Rosenberg November 7, 2011

Image used with permission by copyright holder

UPDATE: Well it looks like Call of Duty Elite’s Xbox 360 app is officially online and available for download, as Major Nelson confirms.

Tomorrow’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 release also ushers in the launch of Call of Duty Elite, the stat-tracker-slash-social network available to fans for free and as an incentive-added premium subscription package. Elite officially arrives tomorrow, but it appears that Activision is letting developer Beachhead Studios flip the switch on a soft launch of the service for today.

If you have a CallofDuty.com account, try logging in at elite.callofduty.com and see what happens. I was able to access most of the content, including playcards for Black Ops and MW3, sponsored competitions and all of the reference info contained in the service’s Improve section. The Connect and Elite TV channels don’t feature any content yet, but that should change come midnight tonight.

There are also reports coming in that Call of Duty XP attendees are receiving the Hardened Edition copies of the game that they were promised as a thank you gift for coming out to celebrate the series in September. I personally know of at least six XP-goers who have gotten the game, myself included, and I would guess that other happy fans are getting packages today as well. We’ve reached out to Activision for an official comment on the situation.

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Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

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The best weapons in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

A soldier standing in an armory.

To the layman, every gun in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 probably seems the same. They all shoot bullets, right? In reality, that couldn't be further from the truth. Even when you take player skill out of the equation, each gun has vastly different stats and applications that make some, even within their own category, just plain better choices for everyone. Each gun is broken down into various stats, including recoil, ADS speed, damage, and much more, which makes it hard to easily compare them. When you factor in just how many guns are available as you level up and keep unlocking more, the prospect of picking the best ones becomes overwhelming. If you're trying to build the ideal loadout to dominate the current meta, these are the best weapons in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for each weapon type.

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A lineup of perk sodas from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.

Ever since perks were introduced to the series, they've been a staple in every game mode in Call of Duty. For Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, you can obviously pick your perks during multiplayer, but not so in Zombies. This mode has always made perks work slightly differently, using different names, but similar mechanics. This time around, the Perk-a-Colas have returned, and these cans of refreshing soda just so happen to give your character a massive improvement. You can grab one from a vending machine on the map in exchange for your points, but they don't come cheap. Since these perks last you the rest of the match (or until used for some of them), you will want to choose your flavor wisely. These are all nine Perk-a-Colas in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 ranked from best to worst.

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The best Call of Duty games, ranked

Soldier holding weapon in Modern Warfare II.

Few video game series are as influential and popular as Call of Duty. The annualized franchise throws players into fast-paced battles across various historical time periods -- along with fictional eras, as well. Call of Duty has taken us to World War II, the Cold War, a modern setting, and even to the future.

Although it's one of the most successful video game franchises out there, Call of Duty's quality varies significantly, with some fantastic entries in the series, but many mediocre ones as well. But which Call of Duty games are worth your time and which ones should you skip? To answer that question, we've ranked all the mainline entries in the series, with details about why you should or shouldn't play that particular game.