Early MW3 Players May Get an XBL Ban

Got an early, legitimate copy of the hotly anticipated Modern Warfare 3? Best not play it online. According to Microsoft, those playing Modern Warfare 3 online before its official release date of November 8th may get banned from Xbox Live. The reasons for this are unclear.

Originally, Xbox Live's Policy and Enforcement director Stephen Toulouse tweeted the following: "For those asking about MW3 pre-release play: If your copy is legit and obtained legitly [sic], have fun. It's a great game." He backtracked a few hours later, tweeting: "clarification: dblchk'd with Activision. Mw3 pre-release play not authorised. So pls be patient. Playing early may impact your account!"

This was reinforced by Graeme Boyd, Xbox Social Marketing manager, who tweeted: "Even if you have a legit copy of #MW3 early for whatever reason, you're advised not to play it." Why Microsoft would go to such lengths is unclear, but should you manage to obtain Modern Warfare 3 early, the best course of action would be to play the campaign - in offline mode.