Call of Duty MW3: How to play a Private Match

This Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (MW3) guide explains how to play a Private Match.

Home to countless 1v1s over the years, the Private Match is a core part of the Call of Duty experience. It’s also a fun way for players to warm up with squad mates or against bots before diving into multiplayer or Warzone.

Stats and progression do not track in private matches, so they provide no value when it comes to unlockables. For that reason, little attention is given to private matches in official marketing. But their inclusion in CoD games is a given and they remain popular among players keen to hone their skills and practise.

With that being said, the mode isn’t prominently featured in menus and can be difficult to find. So, if you’d like to know how to play a Private Match in MW3, check out the steps below.

How to play a Private Match in MW3

On the Call of Duty HQ screen, scroll down to “Modern Warfare III”. Press right on the d-pad until you reach “Private Match”.

Select it and you will be given three options: “Create Private Match”, “Join Private Match”, and “Training Course”.

The Training Course is a tutorial that teaches you the basics of MW3‘s movement and combat.

If you want to join someone else’s custom game, select “Join Private Match”. Here you can enter a specific code to join a custom game hosted by someone else.

To create your own custom game, you need to select “Create Private Match”.

Why are Private Match settings locked in MW3

When you first enter the Private Match lobby screen as the host, all of the settings will be locked and you will be unable to start the match.

No clear reason is given for this and you may assume this is some kind of error. However, simply wait a minute and the each of the options will unlock and become accessible.

The settings are locked momentarily while the lobby is loading. This is indicated by the small loading animation underneath the “START MATCH” button.

How to add bots

Adding bots to a Private Match in MW3 is easy. Simply select the + icon(s) on the right side of the screen.

A new menu will open. Under the “Add Bots” heading, you can choose the amount of bots you want to add as well as their difficulty level.

Do you play custom games in MW3? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…