Two masked robbers in France have made off with what's estimated to be 6000 copies of Modern Warfare 3, according to a Eurogamer translation of a TF1 report.

The two robbers, armed with tear gas and knives, crashed a car into a van containing Modern Warfare 3 cargo worth €400,000, which the report says represents approximately 6000 copies of the game.

It's reported that the two men in the van left to "make a report" (presumably to the emergency services), at which time they were sprayed with tear gas by the masked robbers who took off in the van with the Modern Warfare 3 stock.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is released at midnight tonight, though PC gamers won't benefit from Elite.

If you're a little rusty on what's happened so far in the Modern Warfare franchise, check out our comprehensive story so far feature.