By late 2011, Modern Warfare 3 was a commercial titan but a technical battleground. Following the high-profile departure of Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella, the PC version of MW3 was released with a compromised infrastructure. It relied on —a hybrid matchmaking system that attempted to blend console-style lobbies with the dwindling tradition of PC dedicated servers. The result was a frustrating limbo: players had server browsers, but without full administrative autonomy. Modding was practically nonexistent at launch.
