MW3 Favela Map - Modern Warfare 3

Tactical Overview

In team-based modes, squads will either spawn in the Side Street (northwest) or by the Bus Stop (southeast).

Favela’s compact, vertical design makes it nearly impossible to guess the enemy’s next move, as there are many points from which the next attack can emerge. Head for the middle to join in on the close quarters chaos or opt for the perimeter to stretch out your sight lines. Watch those buildings and try to balance your actions between utilizing their given power positions and attacking enemies doing the same.

For the purposes of this guide, we’ve divided Favela into five sections based on key areas around the map:

- MAIN SPAWN POINT: Side Street (+ Gutter, Junkyard, Mosaic Alley, Grassy Knoll)

- MAIN SPAWN POINT: Bus Stop (+ Main Street, Construction Site, Corner House)

- ADDITIONAL AREA: Shacks (+ Playground, Big Shack, Small Shack)

- ADDITIONAL AREA: Alleys (+ Ice Cream Shop, Pink Room, Bar, Roof Garden)

- ADDITIONAL AREA: Laundromat (+ Soccer Court, Barber, Cemetery)

MAIN SPAWN POINT: Side Street (NORTHWEST)

Along with Shacks, Side Street offers the most visibility from end-to-end, though the lowered Mosaic Alley path offers partial concealment for Operators staying off the main path. Other potential ambush points include the Gutter separating the road from the northern Junkyard, as well as the Grassy Knoll area and the blockade next to it.

It may be best to avoid the Side Street itself due to its heightened exposure, not to mention the several parked cars just waiting to explode mid-firefight, eliminating anyone unlucky enough to be using them for cover.

While there’s no truly safe spot to call in a Care Package on Favela, the Side Street is likely your best bet to successfully secure a crate when the fight is focused elsewhere. Call it down in the Junkyard or near the southern blockade where the sight lines are more easily manageable compared to other points in the vicinity.

MAIN SPAWN POINT: Bus Stop (SOUTHEAST)

Bus Stop sits at the bottom of Main Street’s steep incline, a dangerous pathway running between several buildings with views down onto the road. Its layout, however, is more predictable than you might assume at first glance.

There are three buildings of importance here. Along the southern border, the Construction Site is the most lethal, especially its east-facing side providing partial cover and a commanding view toward the Bus Stop. Further east, the Corner House and Barber provide a long view over Main Street. Expect building-to-building skirmishes to break out between these and the Construction Site.

Think the view out of the Corner House window is good? It gets better. Climb the ladder next to the fridge nearby for rooftop access; now you’ve really got the advantage, plus you can hop around to the other nearby rooftops.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Shacks

Stilt houses line the northern Shacks path, a narrow corridor with long-range possibilities due to its nearly uninterrupted end-to-end visibility. Its southern border presents the most unpredictability, with several routes in and out of the area from the Soccer Court and Laundromat, in addition to the Small Shack with a window frame overlooking the middle of the path.

By climbing up on the overturned fridge by Big Shack near the Playground, Operators can get on top of the building for a greater view of the area. When you need to focus on the Playground itself, take the inner stairs leading up to the Destroyed Room, where a blasted hole in the wall offers a great power position with quick access to other useful angles.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Alleys

Depending on your perspective, the map’s center can be thrilling or terrifying, and often both. Narrow Alleys snake between the tightly packed buildings here, not to mention the danger of enemies firing down from the nearby rooftops. On the ground floor, Shotguns are king, the maze-like layout providing ample opportunities to flank and blast opponents at close-range.

Take note of the open buildings in the area, including the Ice Cream Shop, Pink Room, and Bar. Their compact design keeps things tight until you reach the upper levels where balconies and rooftops provide a greater view of the surrounding area, opening up mid-range combat opportunities. The flat rooftops add a great platforming dynamic to the map; time your jumps to move around with ease, but keep in mind that the extra breathing room up here also exposes you to a greater variety of threats.

Note the ladder in the upstairs Bar positioned next to the refrigerator. It’s easy to miss but incredibly valuable for reaching the rooftops. It leads directly to a partially enclosed brick structure providing decent cover and a commanding view of the surrounding area.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Laundromat

The Laundromat sees a lot of crossfire against the central Alleys — not to mention views from the Barber and Corner House — making the Soccer Court a highly dangerous location: make like an athlete and get across it fast.

The upstairs Barber provides a strong deterrent against the Cemetery as well, and the dumpster below the Corner House provides a means to climb up to the window above. Enter the Laundromat for a more direct face off against Operators fighting from the Alleys and descending the stairs from Shacks. Don’t miss out on the ladder on the Laundromat’s south balcony, providing access to the rooftop.

For a more concealed route through the area, take the rear path behind the building. This marks one of the few less well-trafficked areas of the map.

Objective Overview

Overall Tactics

Success on Favela requires careful navigation of its twisting Alleys, rooftops, and interior spaces. Map awareness is key here; no matter how good your gun skill is, it won’t matter if you don’t see the enemy coming.

Take time in a private match to get acquainted with the environment, and practice taking different routes to various objective locations.

Check the outer walls of the buildings for ledges and air conditioning units you can jump onto; by attacking from unexpected angles, you’ve got a better chance of catching enemies off guard en route to the objective. The improved movement mechanics really opens up new strategies on the map, allowing you to access more of the environment more quickly than ever before.

Domination

Each flag on Favela presents different gameplay challenges. Generally, you can think of SMGs being the perfect tool for taking the C flag, Shotguns for taking B, and Assault Rifles for A, but of course there’s room for flexibility in each.

Utilize the map’s verticality when approaching the B flag to avoid taking the narrow Alleys when possible. From the C flag, use the dumpster below the Corner House to get inside and up the ladder to the rooftop, providing a vantage point over B. From A, take the stairs leading into the Destroyed Room and out onto the Roof Garden for an equally strong flank.

The path you take will ultimately be determined by the current flow of the match, but these are great routes to keep in mind when the timing’s right. Once on the flag, throw down a Trophy System ASAP as a deterrent against incoming grenades.

It's possible though difficult to opt for the A and C flags instead. In this case, a coordinated team can use the Shacks and Main Street routes to get around the center, ideally in tandem to engage a pincer attack. Once the flags are in hand, communicate to ensure that each is equally well defended.

Hardpoint

It’s a run for the center at the start of the match, with the first Hardpoint appearing right in the middle of Alleys, the most contentious points on the map. From there, the challenge only escalates, sending Operators back and forth across the map, danger lurking at every turn.

Using the Alleys, a squad can remain tightknit while still approaching the objective from different pathways. Engage from the rooftops and ground floor, and from different angles when possible. Balance aggressive movement with use of power positions to make your way forward while preventing getting wiped out from behind.

The location of the Hardpoint will largely dictate your strategy. While the Alleys and Soccer Court objectives encourage spreading out to cover all the various inroads, the Construction Site and Playground are ideal for grouping up and defending the objective in a cluster. A variety of Loadouts will greatly help as well; while close-quarters fighting may reign through the center, a solid mid- to long-ranged fighter or two can open up further pathways around the perimeter.

Cutthroat

Favela’s a perfect map for Cutthroat, it’s twisting alleyways and plentiful verticality providing ideal fodder for frenetic 3v3v3 play. As much as possible you’ll want to get above your enemies; the greater view you command, the better intel you’ll acquire.

Don’t, however, just beeline to your favorite spot and set up shop for the round. This is where map awareness comes in. The more you can rotate through the map from vantage point to vantage point, the less predictable your plays will be. Thankfully, the central rooftops make it easy to move around without touching your boots on the ground.

If you’re not so keen on heights, there’s also the Shotguns-through-the-Alleys strategy, weaving through the narrow streets in search of close-up eliminations. For this tactic, make sure you know where the various indoor entrances are located so that you can rush inside for cover should an enemy fire down from the rooftops. Get away fast enough and the other two teams may end up crossing paths while you break off scot-free.

Search & Destroy

Though wiping out the enemy team is always a viable round strategy in Search & Destroy, Favela’s compact design makes it a more difficult task. With its heighted verticality and winding pathways, it can be difficult to find the last enemy Operator or two; meanwhile, the other side can use the opportunity to plant or defuse the bomb.

As the attackers, try to approach your chosen bomb site from different angles. A couple Operators on the central rooftops can provide reconnaissance for their team while the others push forward on the outer paths. Decide beforehand who will push right up to the site and who will take up positions by a vantage point along the way. By spreading out your forces, you’re less likely to get taken out in one fell swoop.

The defending team may be better served in taking up predetermined positions around the bomb sites. The Barber is fantastic for spotting teams approaching the B bomb site, as long as you get out of the way when you’re inevitably targeted from a distance. Spotting activity near the A bomb site is more challenging due to the multiple pathways there. Consider sending a greater number of Operators to encircle the position from multiple angles.

Modern Warfare III Multiplayer: History Modernized

What’s your favorite Call of Duty Multiplayer map?

As Call of Duty nears its 20th anniversary, veteran fans could have over 100 potential answers to that question, and that’s not including the 16 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer maps that debuted in 2009 — one of the greatest Day One Multiplayer offerings of all time.

Afghan. Derail. Estate. Favela. Karachi. Highrise. Invasion. Quarry. Rundown. Rust. Scrapyard. Skidrow. Sub Base. Terminal. Underpass. Wasteland.

As previously revealed, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare® III will launch with meticulously crafted, modernized versions of these 16 Core Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps, constructed to maintain the authenticity and accuracy of the originals.

Multiplayer Maps: Then and Now

Fourteen years later, Sledgehammer Games and Infinity Ward have a wealth of game engine and design tech advancements at their disposal, such as variable-rate shading, and numerous runtime systems for better enemy visibility, to name a few.

These new, ever-advancing technological tools are vital in faithfully re-creating the Modern Warfare 2 (2009) classic maps just as fans remember them.

“There are places where the metrics of the level are adjusted to fit more modern gameplay,” Zach states, “but for the most part, it’s going to feel incredibly similar. The biggest changes are in a fidelity sense.”

In other words, those who played Favela, Terminal, or Scrapyard in 2009 may expect a wave of nostalgia as they encounter the visual updates, and more experienced veterans may appreciate the modernization updates for gameplay flow purposes.

One example is the vehicles lining the streets in various locations throughout the map pool; these are different models compared to the 2009 versions. As you explore these newly modernized maps, you’ll notice other areas have received touches that both improve gameplay and enhance scenic detail and visibility.

Buildings and other features may be a different color or material entirely, such as the old dirt-and-grass soccer pitch in Favela, which is now paved over with blue acrylic-coated blacktop.

And when it comes to lighting, this revision of the game engine truly shines.

The game’s in-game illumination techniques noticeably brighten areas like Favela’s central alleyways, allowing players to see enemy Operators more clearly, rather than have targets blend into the shadows.

However, the most important changes to the 16 Multiplayer Maps aren’t how they look but how they ultimately play.

Because of technological advancements in Call of Duty’s animation and movement techniques over the past 14 years, Operators can Tactical Sprint and leap between rooftops, mantle, and navigate alleyways with Tac-Stance, giving players more confidence during these frenetic, close-quarters engagements.

Essentially, a “modernized” Modern Warfare 2 (2009) map means an authentic Multiplayer experience with learnings from the Call of Duty franchise’s rich history.

Memorable Map Areas Modernized for Modern Warfare III

Many other updates and features are coming to all the maps, though each still retains its authenticity and core design. To that end, all the Modern Warfare III launch maps were built from the ground up (rather than being taken from existing points of interest in other maps, like Al Mazrah).

Prior to more Multiplayer map revelations at Call of Duty: Next on October 5, here’s a brief glimpse at some of the memorable areas contained within a few of the other Modern Warfare III launch maps. Sledgehammer Games’ careful and considerate modernization is set to offer the same maps you remember, but with a refreshing multiplayer experience:

Estate

The lake behind the boathouse is now accessible for wetworks. Operators can now maneuver in and under the water and can swim out to a platform overlooking the area. There’s also a greater military presence on the Estate grounds than there was before. While the original lodge offered a luxurious getaway, this one features intel posted on the wall and a tank sitting on the main road outside.

Skidrow

The bookshop is now a movie store, and the ceiling has been repaired; the lights are back on for greater visibility when passing through. Further lighting improvements to areas like the hallway and tunnel ensure that Operators are clearly visible against the environment.

Rust

Remember that open pipe jutting out in a corner that many a camper took roost in? It’s been replaced by a small building, keeping the fight out in the open. Also, be sure to take advantage of Rust’s verticality by climbing the center tower and the surrounding containers with greater agility than ever before.

Highrise

The standard office layout from 2009 has been updated for the new tenant, a company whose arcade machines, movie posters, and video game systems profess their love for entertainment. Though the occupants are different, both buildings retain their most notorious power positions. The crane still provides a killer view from the northern building, while those willing to scale the front of Actibase will be rewarded with an unmatched rooftop position.

20 Maps at Launch, All-New Core Maps Come to Live Seasons

As detailed in the Modern Warfare III Reveal blog, in addition to these 16 authentic modernizations of Modern Warfare 2 (2009) maps, Modern Warfare III Multiplayer will also include four massive environments comprising three brand-new Battle Maps — where Ground War and Invasion game modes will be fought against monumental backdrops. There will also be a gargantuan War map as Modern Warfare III marks the welcome return and evolution of the legendary War Mode.

Expect the flow of free post launch content including Core 6v6 Maps and additional Multiplayer content to continue after launch. As previously stated, we’ll have over 12 all-new Core 6v6 Maps in our seasons, with three all-new 6v6 maps hitting in Season 01 and three all-new 6v6 maps hitting in Season 02, along with additional maps and modes throughout future seasons.