Activision bringing 20 'content drops' to Modern Warfare 3 by September

Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is already a massive moneymaker, but the shooter isn't done growing just yet. Today, Activision announced a nine-month downloadable content schedule for the game, which debuts on January 24 with the addition of two new multiplayer maps: Piazza and Liberation.

Piazza and Liberation are also playable in Modern Warfare 3's Survival mode and represent just the beginning of what Activision has planned for the shooter. Beginning this month and running through September, Activision will release up to 20 pieces of DLC in monthly "content drops."

All content will be available first for Call of Duty: Elite paid subscribers on Xbox Live, with PlayStation 3 and PC releases following at later, not-yet-announced dates. Activision did not note when non-Elite subscribers will be able to purchase the content for the Xbox 360, PC, or PlayStation 3. A year-long subscription to Call of Duty: Elite costs $50.

Activision did not specify what future "content drops" will consist of, but it did note that forthcoming content will include a "broad variety" of items, including new multiplayer maps, Special-Ops missions, game modes, and more.

All content will arrive first on Xbox Live for Call of Duty: Elite paid subscribers, but gamers can also purchase content separately via what Activision calls "Modern Warfare 3 Content Collections."

The first Modern Warfare 3 Content Collection will be made available to all Xbox Live users in March. Unfortunately, Activision did not note how much this content pack will cost or when it will be released outside of Xbox Live.

Activision has three studios working to create add-on content for Modern Warfare 3. These studios are Modern Warfare 3 codevelopers Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games, as well as seasoned shooter shop Raven Software.