Modern Warfare 3 has been widely successful worldwide, thanks to Sledgehammer Games. Taking the helm from Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games has made many positive changes to the game, including the new change to an old field upgrade.

The field upgrade we are talking about is the loadout drop field upgrade, which has been available since Modern Warfare (2019). According to recent reports, the field upgrade has been permanently removed from Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer mode.

Read More: All New Prestige Challenges in Modern Warfare 3 Season 2

Loadout Drop Field Upgrade Removed from Multiplayer Game Mode

In a recent tweet, Sledgehammer Games shared a recent change to Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer. They stated that the Loadout Drop field upgrade is permanently removed from the game due to underuse and exploitation matters.

The loadout drop upgrade allowed players to change their loadouts mid-game. Using the field upgrade, a large box similar to Warzone’s loadout drop was dropped into the map, and after interacting with it, players could change their loadout.

However, the loadout drop was heavily underused in multiplayer game mode. The time required to reach the loadout screen after interacting with the field upgrade was too high, leading players to get killed while maintaining a kill streak or completing challenges.

Another problem with the loadout drop field upgrade was its role in exploits. Exploiters broke the game using this loadout drop field upgrade by summoning it in awkward positions in different maps.

The removal of the field upgrade is unsurprising, as it has been almost absent from the field upgrade meta for a while. So, if you want to use the Field upgrade in your next play session, wait until the subsequent game releases or hop into Warzone 2.0 to use the Loadout Drops.

Read More: Call of Duty Black Ops Gulf War To Have An Open World Campaign

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Call of Duty titles have always featured a set of Prestige Challenges that commemorate a player’s rank. These prestige challenges have always been a large aspect for players grinding the game.

Modern Warfare 3 also features Prestige Ranking, which reaches a maximum level cap every season. With Season 1, players were limited to a certain prestige ranking, which will be extended with the new Season 2 update.

Read More: How to Optimize MW3’s Video Settings for More FPS in Ranked Play

All New Prestige Challenges

In Season 1, the max player level was capped at 250, and Prestige 5. With the Season 2 update, the level cap will be increased to Level 450 and Prestige 9. Here’s a brief look at all the rewards associated with the Prestige Ranks in Season 2:

• Prestige 6: Unlocked at Rank 300
  • Emblem Reward.
  • MP: Four Tiered Calling Card Challenges, one Prestige 6 Mastery Calling Card Challenge.
  • MWZ: Four Tiered Calling Card Challenges, one Prestige 6 Mastery Calling Card Challenge.

• Prestige 7: Unlocked at Rank 350
  • Emblem Reward.
  • MP: Four Tiered Calling Card Challenges, one Prestige 7 Mastery Calling Card Challenge.
  • MWZ: Four Tiered Calling Card Challenges, one Prestige 7 Mastery Calling Card Challenge.

• Prestige 8: Unlocked at Rank 400
  • Emblem Reward
  • MP: Four Tiered Calling Card Challenges, one Prestige 8 Mastery Calling Card Challenge.
  • MWZ: Four Tiered Calling Card Challenges, one Prestige 8 Mastery Calling Card Challenge.

• Prestige 9: Unlocked at Rank 450 and the level cap until the end of Season 2.
  • Emblem Reward.
  • MP: Four Tiered Calling Card Challenges, one Prestige 9 Mastery Calling Card Challenge.
  • MWZ: Four Tiered Calling Card Challenges, one Prestige 9 Mastery Calling Card Challenge.
  • Blueprint Reward: “Bird of Prey” Blueprint for the RAM-7 AR. A weapon for those who stand above the rest.

So, stay frosty and gear up to boast the new Prestige Ranks with the upcoming Season 2 update on February 7, 2024.

Read More: All Restrictions in Warzone 2.0 Resurgence Ranked Play

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Modern Warfare 3‘s Ranked Play arrived with the launch of Season 1 Reloaded. Although it was delayed for performance issues, it is now running. Thousands of players are getting into the game to grind up the rank ladder.

While casual multiplayer focuses less on how many frames per second you get, in Ranked Play, it dictates how well you perform. So, naturally, you would like to get the highest FPS possible. If you’re getting serious about Ranked Play, here’s how to optimize your video settings to get the highest FPS possible.

Read More: Best Ranked Play Loadouts You Should Use in Modern Warfare 3 to Win More

How to Get More FPS in Ranked Play by Optimizing Video Settings

Modern Warfare 3 runs on the new IW engine, so it is a resource-heavy game which utilizes a good amount of GPU and CPU from your setup. So, to make your life easier, we played MW3 for a while, and after a few tests tweaking in-game settings, we found out that some settings completely change how the game performs.

So now, after opening Modern Warfare 3, head to in-game Settings and select the “Graphics” tab. Then, start tweaking the following settings depending on your PC setup.

• Display
  • Display Mode: Full-screen Exclusive
• High Dynamic Range
  • HDR: Off
• Sustainability
  • VSync: Off
  • Custom Frame Rate Limit: Custom
    • Gameplay Custom Frame Limit: 250
    • Menu Custom Frame Limit: 60
• Global Quality
  • Upscaling: NVIDIA Image Scaling
  • Variable Rate Shading: Off
• Details & Textures
  • Streaming Quality: Low
  • Texture Resolution: Low
  • Texture Filter Anisotropic: Normal
  • Particle Quality: High
  • Bullet Impacts & Sprays: Disabled
  • Tessellation: Disabled
  • Dismemberment & Gore Effects: Disabled
  • On-demand Texture Streaming: Disabled
  • Filmic Strength: 0
  • Film Grain: 0
  • NVIDIA DLSS: If you have an RTX graphics card, you can enable DLSS for better performance at the cost of resolution. Give it a shot to see if you like it, but we usually leave this disabled.
  • Anti-Aliasing: Off

• Depth of Field: Disabled
• World Motion Blur: Disabled
• Weapon Motion Blur: Disabled
• Shadow Map Resolution: Low
• Cache Spot Shadows: Enabled
• Cache Sun Shadows: Enabled
• Particle Lighting: Normal
• DirectX Raytracing: Disabled
• Ambient Occlusion: Disabled
• Screen Space Reflection (SSR): Disabled

Here’s a preview of how the game looks with the optimized Video Settings:

We tested out these settings in Ranked Play, and we found no performance issues. However, we haven’t included FOV settings as they are based on player preference. The max 120 FOV provides more to see on the screen but makes the game look faster-paced. So, we recommend tweaking it between 90 and 120 and selecting the number that hits the sweet spot for you.

Read More: Fortune’s Keep Teased for Warzone 2.0 Season 2

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Matchmaking has been a huge debate in the CoD community since the game’s inception. The devs have always been quiet about how the complete matchmaking process functions. But the severity of SBMM since the release of Modern Warfare (2019) has left players curious about how the new CoD titles handle the matchmaking process.

SBMM has been a widely controversial topic of all CoD titles since 2019. The whole matchmaking system became a bane for the community as it started punishing good players for performing well and letting new players experience a smoother lobby experience. Putting all speculations aside, Call of Duty has finally explained how their matchmaking process works in Modern Warfare 3.

Read More: Fortune’s Keep Teased for Warzone 2.0 Season 2

Full SBMM Process Explained

Matchmaking in Call of Duty is completely based on a Skill standpoint, or better know as SBMM. Skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) is a very complex process. In a recent blog, Call of Duty explained how their matchmaking system works. Here’s an overview of the whole process:

1. CONNECTION – Connection is the first step of the matchmaking process. It factors in ping, and regional coordinates. Players are always sent to lobbies of their region, and with ping being the lowest possible.
2. TIME TO MATCH – Time to match is the second process unless you are shadowbanned for obvious reasons. Matchmaking usually takes up to 2 minutes at most.
3. The following factors are also critical to the matchmaking process:

• PLAYLIST DIVERSITY – The number of playlists available for players to choose from. It basically accounts for the playlist chosen by the player before starting the matchmaking process.
• RECENT MAPS/MODES – Unless you are queuing for a fixed map playlist, the matchmaking process accounts for the previous map you played and pushes you into a new map pool with map voting options.
• SKILL/PERFORMANCE– Depending on your skill or performance in previous matches, the difficulty of your lobby or your opponents are matched. If you perform well in a match, you will be put in harder lobbies for the next few matches, and vice versa.

• INPUT DEVICE – Depends on Crossplay settings, input such as Controller or mouse and keyboard.
• PLATFORM – The device (PC, Console) that you are playing on.
• VOICE CHAT – Depends on if you have it Enabled or disabled.

Every time a player begins matchmaking in Multiplayer, for example, the process needs to work through all these factors to find other players to assemble a stable and competitive lobby quickly.

According to the devs at Call of Duty, they are confident that this process creates a balanced and competitive environment. However, most players and content creators seem to disagree about how effective the whole “SBMM” process has been since 2019. In our personal experience, the SBMM in Modern Warfare 3 is very strict and unless you know the workarounds you will always be punished for performing well in a game.

Read More: Best Ranked Play Loadouts You Should Use in Modern Warfare 3 to Win More

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Modern Warfare 3 is the latest entrant to the reboot MW saga. Developed by Sledgehammer Games, MW3 has managed to be a better game than Modern Warfare 2. The new game focuses on everything MW2 broke alongside new in-game features and mechanics.

Weapons this year have been satisfactory for the community, which is rare for most Call of Duty games. However, a certain weapon class managed to get on the nerves of majority of MW3 players. The melee weapon class which includes the Gutter Knife and the Karambit has become an overpowered annoyance of many players.

Read More: Best KATT AMR Loadout to Use in Warzone 2.0

Players Frustrated of Melee Knives

While melee has always been a Secondary option used for mobility, this year the knives have become more potent than Shotguns. Specially in close-range gunfights knives can overpower almost all weapon classes.

In a recent Reddit thread by u/Act_0f_Defiance, the poster shared a GIF potraying how a player with knives manages to take down a weapon wielding player every Call of Duty game every year, potraying their frustration at the melee options.

Different Year, Same Thing
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u/MuiminaKumo shared their take on the melee situation stating that balancing a melee option in a game like Call of Duty has always been hard. In the current iteration, melee weapons have insane lunging ability, however at longer ranges the melee wielders are free kills in almost every situation.

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u/craig536 shared the same frustration as most users where melee weapons end up being overpowered in the map Shipment. As Shipment is a very tightly packed map, any close range weapon becomes an instant annoyance for most players.

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While melees have always been a hard thing to balance in most games, the ones in Call of Duty have always been a high risk high reward thing. Any player running knives ends up getting an instant kill at close ranges, however ends up dying just as quick at longer ranges. The balancing of melee weapons will also be a matter of debate every year, which is the case for Modern Warfare 3.

Read More: An Unreleased CoD: Zombies Live-Service Game Was Developing at Raven Software Before the Project Was Cancelled

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Modern Warfare 3‘s Ranked Play is finally live. After being delayed with the Season 1 Reloaded launch, the game mode has been finally made available on all platforms. This year’s Ranked Play features three classic game modes with a selection of GA’d weapons.

While in public lobbies, you can use all weapons and attachments, in Ranked Play, certain restrictions are imposed, which leave certain loadouts up for grabs. If you are getting into Ranked Play and looking to win more matches than usual, then here are the best loadouts you must use in Modern Warfare 3.

Read More: Modern Warfare 3 Ranked Play Restrictions

Best Loadouts to Use in Ranked Play

We tested out all unrestricted weapons in Ranked Play and found the best weapons to use to win more. These loadouts are specifically for AR, SMG and Sniper Rifle categories. Let’s dive into an in-depth look at the best loadouts for each category:

Best AR Loadout for Ranked Play – MCW

MCW is the best AR in Modern Warfare 3, and its no surprise that the AR is our pick for Ranked Play. We tested various attachments and found the optimal ones that allow the MCW to excel at long-range gunfights with manageable recoil. However, only downside to this loadout is the magazine runs out fairly fast due to the fire rate.

• Barrel: 16.5″ MCW Cyclone Long Barrel
• Optic: Slate Reflector or Mk. 3 Reflector
• Stock: RB Precision Heavy
• Rear Grip: RB Claw-PSL Grip
• Underbarrel: DR-6 Handstop

Best SMG Loadout for Ranked Play – Rival 9

The Rival 9 is currently the best SMG in Modern Warfare 3. During our play test with the weapon, we found it performing way better in Ranked Play with the optimal build. If you are prioritizing rushing players or objectives, we recommend picking the Rival 9 loadout.

• Muzzle: Purifier Muzzle Brake S
• Barrel: Rival-C Clearshot Barrel
• Stock: MTZ Marauder Stock
• Rear Grip: Rival Vice Assault Grip
• Underbarrel: DR-6 Handstop

Best Sniper Rifle Loadout for Ranked Play – KATT AMR

We like Sniping in Call of Duty, more or less. Moreover, in Modern Warfare 3, the hitmaker sounds are so good that they make sniping even more fun. So, naturally, we tested a Sniper Rifle loadout for Ranked Play, and the KATT AMR delivered excellent results.

• Barrel: Perdition 24″ Short
• Bolt: Ephemeral Quickbolt
• Stock: Tactical Stock Pad
• Rear Grip: Phantom Grip

So, hopefully, we have got you covered for every playstyle. If you’re confused about your secondary weapon, we recommend picking the Gutter Knife, Karambit, or any handgun, as it significantly increases mobility stats.

Read More: Season 2 in MW3 is Set to Bring Back some Fan-Favorite Maps

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Call of Duty is one of the biggest FPS titles in the world. The game has collaborated with many celebrities and franchises all around the world. Following the tradition, Call of Duty’s latest collaboration is with the popular superhero show The Boys.

Previously, the Boys was added to Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2.0 as a part of the first major collaboration. The fan-favourite Superheroes of Vought Homelander, Stargirl and Black Noir joined the already growing game roster.

With the Season 1 Reloaded update, players can now play as their new favourite Vought superheroes, A-Train and Firecracker. With the arrival of these operators, we are almost close to the birth of the Dawn of the Seven in MW3 and Warzone 2.0.

Read More: Season 2 in MW3 is Set to Bring Back some Fan-Favorite Maps

How to Get The Boys Operator Bundles

The three operators can be unlocked by purchasing their limited-time operator bundles from the in-game store of Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone 2.0. Here are the bundle contents and their prices:

The Boys: A-Train Operator Bundle

The Boys: A-Train Bundle, priced at 2,400 COD Points, includes

• A-Train Operator Skin
• “Fastest Man in the World” – Finishing Move
• “Turbocharged” – Assault Rifle Blueprint
• “Fast AF” – SMG Blueprint
• “A-Train” – Weapon Sticker
• “Here Comes the A-Train” – Animated Calling Card
• “World’s Fastest Man” – Animated Emblem
• “The Boys A-Train” – Loading Screen
• “Turbo Rush Energy Drink” – Charm

The Boys: Firecracker Bundle, priced at 2,400 COD Points, includes

• Firecracker Operator Skin
• “Freedom of Speech” – Finishing Move
• “Smoking Gun” – Assault Rifle Blueprint
• “Firecracker” – Weapon Sticker
• “Fellow Patriot” – LMG Blueprint
• “Truthbomb” – Animated Calling Card
• “Eagle Eyed” – Animated Emblem
• “Second Protects” – Charm

Stay frosty, and get your hands on the heroes of Vought Enterprise before time runs out. Follow our Call of Duty guides for the best loadouts, tips, and tricks.

Read More: Ricochet Anti-Cheat Will Close Call of Duty From Now On if Aim Assist is Detected on Keyboard and Mouse

The post How to Unlock New The Boys Operators in Modern Warfare 3 & Warzone 2.0 appeared first on GameRiv.

Call of Duty has always been a casual console game for most players. However, it also features a competitive side since Black Ops II. The casual and competitive player bases all just want more. In the latest set of leaks regarding the game, three new names for maps have emerged to be included in the game during Season 2.

With Sledgehammer Games under scrutiny regarding their delayed and troubled ranked play release, this news of new maps might bring some goodwill back. Modern Warfare 3 has been regarded as just a facelift of the previous game with a hefty price tag. They have a lot to do to steer the ship in the right direction.

Read More: Modern Warfare 3 Ranked Play has Been Delayed Indefinitely

What Maps are Expected to be Added in MW3 Season 2?

While details of the next Season update are still not fully available, data miners and leakers have revealed some exciting news. According to Leakers, 3 maps from previous titles are making their way back to MW3 in Season 2.

Season 2 of Modern Warfare 3 will have Das Haus, Dome, and Beenbergh Hotel return to the pool. This is exciting news for the community as each of these maps is specialized for close-quarters combat. The fast-paced nature of these maps makes it so beloved.

Will Season 2 Have other MW3 Maps?

The Update will bring in 3 original maps as well as the remade classics. This is good news since Call of Duty has some of the most nostalgic sets of maps ranging from Nuketown to Killhouse to the aforementioned dome. Moving forward, it’s important that Sledgehammer hosts a healthy mix of new and old to keep the game both interesting and engaging.

Read More: Modern Warfare 3 Ranked Play Game Modes and Rewards

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Modern Warfare 3‘s Ranked Play is finally here. After the Season 1 Reloaded launch, the Ranked Play mode was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. However, it seems like the devs have managed to fix the problems and bring the Ranked Play mode live for all players.

Ranked Play follows CDL format, which means a new wave of restrictions on weapons, perks and equipment are going to be in place again. The restrictions ensure a balanced gameplay experience across all ranks.

Read More: Best TYR Loadout to Use in Warzone 2.0

All Ranked Play Restrictions

Ranked Play restrictions are determined after the GA agreement of CDL. This season’s GA was revealed a few weeks ago, and the restrictions were set in compliance with it.

All Weapon Restrictions

Aside from a few Modern Warfare 3 weapons, the whole Modern Warfare 2 weapon pool is restricted for Ranked Play. Here’s the complete list of all weapons banned in Ranked Play mode:

• Assault Rifle
  • Holger 556
  • DG-58
  • FR 5.56
  • MTZ 556
  • SVA 545 
  • RAM-7 
• Battle Rifle
  • All
• SMG
  • HRM-9
• Shotgun
  • All
• Marksman Rifle
  • All
• LMG
  • All
• Sniper Rifle
  • Longbow
  • KV Inhibitor
  • XRK Stalker
• Melee
  • Riot Shield
• Pistol
  • WSP Stinger
  • COR-45
  • TYR
• Launcher
  • All
• All Modern Warfare 2 Weapons

All Attachment Restrictions

All aftermarket parts and Modern Warfare 2 attachments have been banned for Ranked Play, here is the complete list of all Attachment Restrictions:

• Aftermarket Parts
  • All
• Ammunition
  • All
• Barrel
  • All Integral Silencers
• Grip
  • All Akimbo Rear Grips
• Lasers
  • All
• Muzzle
  • All Suppressors
  • All Melee Damage Boosting Muzzles
• Optics
  • All Thermal
  • All Night Vision
• Trigger Action
  • All Fire Rate Boosting Triggers
• Underbarrel
  • All Launcher and Shotgun Underbarrels
• All Modern Warfare 2 Attachments

All Perk Restrictions

Aside from the classic perks, all perks have been restricted for Ranked Play. Here’s a complete list of all Perk Restrictions:

• Vests
  • CCT Comms Vest
  • Demolition Vest
  • Engineer Vest
  • Gunner Vest
  • Overkill Vest
• Gloves
  • Scavenger Gloves
• Gear
  • Bone Conduction
  • Blacklight Flashlight
  • Control Comlink
  • Data Jacker
  • Ghost T/V Camo
  • Hijacked IFF Strobe
  • L/R Detector
  • Signal Jammer
  • Threat Identification System

All Equipment Restrictions

Most Lethal, Tactical and Field Upgrades have been banned from Ranked Play. These pieces of equipment can create momentary chaos in normal lobbies if used properly, so they are GA’d by pros every year. Here are all the equipments banned from Ranked Play:

• Lethal
  • Breacher Drone
  • C4
  • Claymore
  • Drill Charge
  • Molotov Cocktail
  • Proximity Mine
  • Thermite
  • Thermobaric Grenade
  • Throwing Knife
  • Throwing Star
• Tactical
  • Battle Rage
  • Decoy Grenade
  • EMD Grenade
  • Flash Grenade
  • Scatter Mine
  • Shock Stick
  • Smoke Grenade (Banned on Hardpoint and Control Game Modes)
  • Snapshot Grenade
  • Stim
  • Tear Gas
• Field Upgrade
  • A.C.S
  • Anti-Armor Rounds
  • Comm Scrambler
  • DDOS
  • Deployable Cover
  • Inflatable Decoy
  • Munitions Box
  • Loadout Drop
  • Portable Radar
  • Recon Drone
  • Smoke Airdrop
  • Suppression Mine
  • Tactical Camera
  • Tactical Insertion
  • Heartbeat Sensor
  • Med Box

All Killstreak Restrictions

Killstreaks are an integral part of Call of Duty, however, they are always banned from CDL tournaments due to unfair advantage issues. Here are the killstreaks restricted for the whole duration of Modern Warfare 3 Ranked Play:

• Bomb Drone
• Care Package
• Carpet Bomb
• Chopper Gunner
• Cluster Mine
• UAV
• Advanced UAV
• Counter UAV
• Mosquito Drone
• Sam Turret
• Guardian-SC
• Precision Airstrike
• SAE
• Mortar Strike
• Overwatch Helo
• Juggernaut Recon
• Emergency Airdrop
• Gunship
• Remote Turret
• SAE
• Wheelson-HS
• VTOL Jet

If you’re gearing up for Ranked Play mode, then hopefully our restrictions guide helps you prepare your ideal loadout to climb up to your desired rank.

Read More: Best HRM-9 Loadout to Use in Warzone 2.0

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Modern Warfare 3 Season 1 Reloaded is finally here. The game received the mid-season update, which was supposed to bring the long-awaited Ranked Play mode. Previously, Ranked Play mode was added to Modern Warfare 2 after Season 2.

Although Ranked Play was supposed to be available with the update, it has unfortunately been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. Moreover, the game faces many in-game issues, which has broken the BR counterpart, Warzone 2.0.

Read More: Ricochet Anti-Cheat Will Close Call of Duty From Now On if Aim Assist is Detected on Keyboard and Mouse

Season 1 Reloaded’s Launch is a Disaster

Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone 2.0’s Season 1 Launch has been a disaster following reports of various in-game bugs. The delay of the long-awaited Ranked Play mode has further cemented it. In a recent update Tweet, the devs shared that the Ranked Play mode has been delayed due to an unforeseen issue.

Aside from Ranked Play, the new Champions Quest, aka the new Warzone 2.0 nuke quest, has also been disabled temporarily. It was disabled following a large number of complaints regarding in-game issues.

Content creators like TimtheTatman also shared their in-game clips showing the network and performance issues. Most of the time, January updates are released to fix everything wrong with the game, which has massively backfired for Warzone 2.0 and Modern Warfare 3.

The delaying of Ranked Play might put a lot of pressure on Sledgehammer Games as they need to deliver properly once this season is over. Moreover, the rampant cheater issue might also become a problem once Ranked Play emerges. We’ll post an update on the Ranked Play situation once more intel is available.

Read More: Best KATT AMR Loadout to Use in Warzone 2.0

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