Call of Duty XP Event: Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition priced at $99.99

Activision has confirmed the suggested retail price for the Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition: $99.99, which is $20 more than previous Hardened Editions. The Modern Warfare 3 Hardened Edition comes with a one-year membership to Call of Duty Elite, bonus in-game content, a Juggernaut XBL avatar skin, a 100-page field journal and new disc art, all in a fancy steel case.

So far, Gamestop and Amazon have the Hardened Edition listed at $99.99, while EB Games Australia is charging $158 for the same package. Modern Warfare 3's jump in price may be attributed to the one-year Elite access alone, which is valued at $50 and bumps users up to "Founder status," which includes an in-game emblem, player card, camouflage and an XP boost. Or, it may all go to pay the air-conditioning bill at the Call of Duty XP Event -- we hear it's awfully temperate in that hangar.