To the surprise of many, the decades-old Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 saw massive and rapid popularity on Twitch.
Kodoani.com – On any typical day, Twitch viewers can see the same list of games at the top of the list of most viewed categories. Grand Theft Auto 5’s RP scene makes it always a favorite. League of Legends’ and Valorant both have thriving e-sports communities. Then there are MMOs like World of Warcraft, battle royales like Apex Legends and Fortnite, and new games like Elden Ring. However, today on Twitch, those games are all beaten by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 has been around for decades.
At first, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 suddenly becoming the most watched game on Twitch is seen as completely baffling. Few know what to think, as the streams topping the category are all broadcast from Spain. The English-speaking community has no idea what has led to this increase. Despite that, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, a game released in 2011, peaked at over 400,000 viewers on Twitch.
Just as many Twitch users may have been confused, those in Spain’s Twitch community knew exactly what was going on. This is not a sudden expression of the viewer or an unexpected event. This is an organized effort by many of Spain’s top Twitch streamers. They are hosting the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 tournament, hosted by popular streamer IlloJuan and attended by other major Spanish Twitch streamers including bysTaXx and TheGregf.
While it may not have been a surprise, a random return of a decades-old first-person shooter as some might hope, popularity of the event is mainly based on the propagation of the event. They may be as popular as Twitch streamers from Spain, but otherwise they are unlikely to reach that many viewers. Instead, it was the viral notion that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 was making a comeback, as well as the media coverage of the event that fueled its skyrocketing popularity. The Call of Duty community turned out to be supportive of such an interesting idea.
Call of Duty fans’ frustration with the current state of the franchise is significant, largely due to frustration with the game quality and performance of both Call of Duty: Warzone and Call of Duty: Vanguard. Cheering when Call of Duty is “good” is a pervasive thought in the hearts of viewers.
When all is said and done, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s skyrocketing popularity is unlikely to last. It was an exciting moment from within a particular community that went viral, not a natural outgrowth that was set to last. That said, it could convince groups of Twitch broadcasters to do similar events in the future, with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, other Call of Duty games, or nostalgic multiplayer titles other.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 released in 2011 on PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.
Theo: Kodoani.com
