Modern Warfare 3 Server Hosting

Modern Warfare 3 (2011), Not the 2023 Game

Two Call of Duty games share the Modern Warfare 3 name, which causes a lot of confusion. This page is about the original, released on Steam on 7 November 2011 by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, with Activision as publisher. Its Steam listing is titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011) to tell it apart from the later game, and it is still on sale there, base game and DLC Collections alike.

The 2023 Modern Warfare III is a separate game, and we do not sell servers for it. If your group plays the 2011 multiplayer, with its own maps, modes and features, you are in the right place.

What an Unranked Server Is For

Our Modern Warfare 3 product is the unranked dedicated server. Unranked does not mean second best: it means the server is yours to shape. You pick the maps, the modes and the rotation, decide whether the server is public or private, and choose who gets admin rights. What it is not is a way into official ranked matchmaking.

That makes it a good fit for the things communities actually do with an older Call of Duty: clan scrims and practice, league nights, friendly public servers with house rules, and reunions of players who have known each other since 2011. A server with a fixed address is also easy to share: your clan bookmarks one IP and port and never has to search for a match.

Why We Recommend 18 Slots

The Modern Warfare 3 plan is 18 slots with 5GB of RAM, at a single price. That is the size we recommend for MW3, and it covers team matches with room for a few spectators or substitutes.

You may notice that the order form lists larger slot sizes. Those come from a slot option we share with our other Call of Duty servers, such as Call of Duty 4, where we sell bigger plans. For MW3 we recommend staying at 18; if you think you need more, ask our support team before you order so we can advise properly.

Planning Maps, Modes and DLC Collections

A good rotation starts with your players, not the full map list. Pick the maps your community enjoys, put the favourites where they come round often, and keep the modes to the ones people actually queue for. A smaller, well-chosen rotation fills a server faster than one that tries to include everything.

DLC needs a little care. Modern Warfare 3 has four Collections on Steam, including Collection 3: Chaos Pack and Collection 4: Final Assault, each sold separately. If your rotation includes DLC maps, make sure your players own the matching Collection, or keep a DLC-free rotation for public nights and a DLC rotation for clan nights.

• Keep a copy of the rotation that works before you edit it.
• Change one thing at a time, then restart and test.
• Tell your players about changes before the evening, not during it.

Clan Server Basics: Passwords, Admins and Rules

Decide early whether the server is public or private. For clan practice and scrims, a server password keeps strangers out; for a community server, leave it open and lean on your admins instead. Either way, write down the house rules, such as allowed weapons in scrims or how disputes are settled, and pin them where your players will see them.

Admin access should stay with a small group you trust. Share the admin password only with them, change it when someone leaves, and use a sub user login in our panel for anyone who needs to restart or update the server without access to your account or billing.

Moving From Another Host

The MW3 order form includes a free migration add-on, so you do not have to move everything yourself. The process is short:

1. Add the free migration add-on when you order your Modern Warfare 3 server.
2. Wait for the welcome email with your panel login.
3. Open a support ticket and give us the FTP details of your old host.
4. Our team copies your files across to your new server.
5. Check the rotation and settings, then share the new IP and port with your players.

Keep the old server running until you have checked the new one, so your players are never left without somewhere to play.

Keeping an Older Server Healthy

A server for a 2011 game mostly needs routine care. Schedule a restart at a quiet hour each day so it starts every evening fresh, and use the log viewer when a map refuses to load or a player is dropped. The Web Console shows what the server is doing in real time, without you having to join.

We keep offsite backups of the last 7 days, and you can restore them from the panel. Take your own snapshot before any bigger change, such as a new rotation or a different rule set, and you can always get back to the last setup that worked.

What to Compare Before You Rent a Modern Warfare 3 Server

Check these before you pick a host for the 2011 game.

1. The right gameMake sure the server is for Modern Warfare 3 (2011), not the 2023 Modern Warfare III.
2. Honest slot adviceA host should tell you which slot size suits MW3, not just sell the biggest number.
3. Migration helpMoving hosts is easier when the new host copies your files for you.
4. Full file accessYou need the File Manager or SFTP for configs and rotations.
5. Locations you can testRun a ping test before you buy and choose a location near most of your clan.
6. Billing termsCompare monthly and longer cycles, and check for setup fees and minimum terms.

Modern Warfare 3 Server Glossary

MW3 (2011)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 by Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, the game this page is about.

Unranked server

A dedicated server with your own rules, outside official ranked matchmaking.

Rotation

The list of maps and modes the server plays in order.

DLC Collection

One of four paid map and content packs for MW3, sold separately on Steam.

Spec Ops

MW3's co-op missions, with leaderboards.

Survival Mode

One of MW3's co-op modes, alongside the Spec Ops missions.

Scrim

A practice match between clans or teams.

Sub user

An extra panel login with limited rights, for a trusted admin.

Modern Warfare 3 Server Help and Next Steps

Useful pages for setting up and running your server.

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011) on SteamThe game and its DLC Collections.
• Gaming Deluxe control panelWhat the panel does and how to log in.
• Our server locations
• Contact support24/7 help with configs, rotations and migrations.