One Steam Feature May Make MW3 Harder To Refund

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is part of the COD series’ reboot, not to be confused with the game of the same name from 2011. However, this version has had a rough release due to a lackluster campaign, bugs, and issues that could even prevent launching the game, especially with the PC version. As a result, there have been requests for refunds. But those requests aren’t always granted through Steam because of a feature that could be seen as a loophole in this case.

Modern Warfare 3‘s campaign, multiplayer, and Zombie modes continue the reboot where MW2 from 2022 leaves off. Given the cliffhanger endings, it seems likely that there will be a fourth entry in the future. But that won’t stop the current refund requests or the Steam and COD features, making getting a refund difficult in some cases.

Modern Warfare 3 Uses COD HQ

Though the game is listed as a full game on Steam, it utilizes the Call of Duty HQ launcher, which is also used for Warzone and Modern Warfare 2. This poses a problem with Steam’s automated refund system, which allows games to be refunded if less than two hours are played in that game. However, because of the launcher, the hours played include those spent in the base game, which for MW3 means the time spent in MW2 and Warzone. This has resulted in fewer refund options for anybody who’s played MW2 and WZ.

How To Get A Refund For MW3 On Steam

It’s not clear if Activision intentionally put Modern Warfare 3 up as DLC to use Steam’s feature to prevent refunds, though it’s likely just an oversight. But it’s possible to get a refund even with this issue, albeit in a roundabout way. Contacting Steam Support directly is the best way to get a refund for Modern Warfare 3 right now, even if a refund is unavailable via the normal route due to playtime. However, the best solution would be for Call of Duty to change the way it calculates playtime via its launcher.

The continuation of the Modern Warfare reboot has a few issues, given the bugs and glitches, but a bigger issue is COD HQ and Steam, making it particularly difficult to get refunds. While it’s not as easy as it should be, it’s at least possible to get around this feature by contacting Steam Support for a refund instead of the automated process. It might not be Activision’s intention to use this Steam feature to prevent refunds, but the best solution would be to use separate launchers for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.