Highlights
- Ranked Play in MW3 saw changes in weapon balance, with assault rifles’ hipfire accuracy reduced in favor of SMGs for close combat.
- New weapons like Holger-556, MTZ-556, RAM-9, and BP50 showed strong K/D ratios, pushing for more weapon variety in gameplay.
- Season 3 Reloaded update on May 1st brings changes to MW3, including new maps, game modes, and more content for Warzone and Warzone Mobile.
Sledgehammer Games has shared the results of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3‘s recent Ranked Play weapon evaluation test and confirmed some of the weapon balance changes coming soon. To start, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3‘s developers plan to make a significant adjustment to assault rifles, followed by additional changes later on.
The MW3 Ranked Play test began on April 16 and ran for a week, when a handful of previously banned weapons were temporarily unbanned to gather data and gauge players’ opinions. Treyarch, the developer behind MW3‘s Ranked Play, explained that it was exploring the possibility of permanently adding additional guns to expand Ranked’s limited meta, which has consisted of only two weapons for most of its lifespan. Many players welcomed the fresh lineup of guns, and it seems that the test data will result in real changes very soon.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Showcases New Maps Coming in Season 3 Reloaded
A new trailer showcases Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s new Multiplayer maps, which are set to be added soon alongside the Season 3 Reloaded update.
Sledgehammer announced that the first change thanks to the test phase’s data will arrive on May 1 with the Season 3 Reloaded update, when the hipfire accuracy of assault rifles will be reduced to emphasize their mid and long-range capabilities, making submachine guns a stronger option in close-range engagements, especially in Ranked where weapon classes like shotguns are banned. Sledgehammer also shared a few graphics that highlighted players’ weapon pick rates and each gun’s performance during the test phase. By the end of the test, the MCW’s pick rate had almost halved, and the popular Rival-9 was overtaken by new additions like the RAM-9 and others.
Assault Rifle Hipfire Getting Nerfed In Modern Warfare 3
Another graphic showed that the four Modern Warfare 3 weapons with the highest K/D ratios during the test phase were all new additions, specifically the Holger-556, MTZ-556, RAM-9, and BP50. Sledgehammer emphasized that further balancing will be needed to avoid a repeat of the current situation in which only a couple of weapons are ever used. Despite all the data Sledgehammer shared, the studio did not outright confirm which test weapons might be added to Ranked Play later on, but it appears that any weapon additions won’t be happening in the immediate future.
The hipfire change to assault rifles arrives on May 1 with Modern Warfare 3‘s Season 3 Reloaded update. The major update also brings two new 6v6 maps, two game modes, and more to Modern Warfare 3, along with new content for Warzone and Warzone Mobile.
It’s unclear what other weapon balance changes might be included in the approaching update, but there will likely be more. However, they might not be related to the recent Ranked Play test and its data.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
Released in November of 2023, Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023) continues Captain Price’s story from the 2019 and 2022 games.
- Released
- November 10, 2023
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter