Experimental Playlist in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Explained

If you’ve been playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (COD: MW3), you may have noticed a new playlist called the Experimental Playlist in the multiplayer menu. This guide explains what this playlist is and why you may want to try it out.

What is the Experimental Playlist COD: MW3?

The Experimental Playlist in MW3 is designed — much as the name suggests — to test experimental new features. For example, many players complained that it was too difficult to pick out enemy players against the various backgrounds in MW3. With how quick and erratic movement can be in MW3, I can definitely see why players (especially newer ones) may have trouble separating friend from foe. To address this feedback, developer Sledgehammer Games is testing out having outlines applied to enemies.

In the Experimental Playlist, you’ll find that enemies have a distinctive red outline that really distinguishes them from both allies and the backgrounds of the various maps. This visual cue makes it much easier to quickly pick out enemies and hone in on them. It also benefits players who have smaller monitors or lower resolutions to help with picking out enemy targets at a distance.

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Having so many high resolution details and effects in MW3 makes it difficult for enemies to stand out. Explosions, fire, colorful walls, and other terrain features all draw attention. These are a core part of the game’s outstanding visuals, but the level of detail does make it more of a challenge to spot enemies. As such, the red highlighting is valuable as you’re easily be able to spot enemies without having to turn down graphics settings and sacrifice your enjoyment.

The Experimental Playlist also functions like a regular playlist in that it encompasses a variety of game modes such as Team Deathmatch and Domination so that players looking to try these experimental features still get a nice variety of game modes. While this playlist won’t be a favorite for most players, those who are having trouble picking enemies from allies and spotting enemies in the distance should thoroughly enjoy the extra visibility that this playlist provides.

It’s unclear what other new features may be trialed in the Experimental Playlist of MW3 in the future. For now, it’s simply the best way to get improved visibility on enemies. Keep an eye out on new patch notes, though; perhaps other new features will be added to try out as well!