Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Season 4 Patch Notes Reveal Balance and Gameplay Changes

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Season 4 launches today, May 29, and Activision has published the patch notes for fans to check out all the changes.

As detailed in a blog post, Season 4 brings with it a number of balance adjustments, gameplay improvements, and bug fixes.

Two new maps, Tokyo and Paris, are added at the launch of Season 4, with more Multiplayer maps (Incline and Das Gross) to come later in-season. New modes include Demolition, Hyper Cranked, Cache, Mutation, Headshots Only, and Havoc.

Elsewhere, there are new weapons, including the return of the fan-favorite Kar98k marksman rifle, available with the Season 4 battle pass. There’s also the Superi 46 (Battle Pass, Submachine Gun), and Reclaimer 18 (Battle Pass, Shotgun, In-Season).

There are eight all-new Aftermarket Parts set to arrive throughout the weeks ahead in Season 4. The Loitering Munition is a new eight kill (1,000 Score) Killstreak. Here, an unmanned rocket equipped drone loiters over the targeted areas. On each activation the drone selects the targeted location with the largest number of viable targets to bombard with rockets. It can be activated up to three times.

I.M.S. is a seven kill (875 Score) Killstreak. The Intelligent Munitions System is loaded with four smart explosives that eliminate enemy personnel and vehicles within range. When triggered, it ejects an explosive upwards, which then locks onto its target and propels towards them.

Missile Drone is for 11 kills (1,375 Score). It’s a piloted drone that fires guided missiles. And finally, the 25-kill DNA Bomb Killstreak calls in a DNA altering bomb that eliminates the entire enemy team without ending the match.

Meanwhile, there are new Vest and Gear Perks. Mission Control Vest reduces kills required by one and score required by 125 for streaks. Compression Plate (Gear) lets you immediately regen health after a Primary, Secondary, or Throwing Knife/Star kill. Objective captures also trigger health regen. The new operators are Void and Hammer.

Modern Warfare 3 Season 4 launches hot on the heels of Activision’s announcement of this year’s Black Ops 4, which will star at Microsoft’s June showcase and in its own Direct immediately after.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 patch notes in full:

GLOBAL

STABILITY & PERFORMANCE

• Addressed various issues causing improper first-person animations.

CUSTOMIZATION

• Camos can now be equipped on the B.E.A.S.T. Glove Blueprint for the Gladiator.
• Know No Fear Weapon Decal no longer has a white border while equipped.
• Equipping the Karaage skin on the MCW Assault Rifle will no longer result in an error.
• Fixed an input device exploit allowing unowned Blueprints to be equipped.
• JAK Glassless Optic is now unlocked as expected upon purchasing a relevant Blueprint.

MULTIPLAYER

UIX

• Weapon Mastery and Unlock Challenges can now be added to Tracked Challenges.
• XP Bonus potential from compatible Operator Skins is now displayed while in the lobby but not in a party.
• Bug Fixes
  • Corrected a spelling mistake in the Red Camo challenge for the WSP Swarm.
  • Player icons on the minimap will no longer appear to follow the Wheelson-HS.
  • Vests that disallow primaries will no longer prompt to Quick Equip invalid Weapons.
  • Adjusted Pros and Cons displayed for specific Attachments to better reflect their actual statistics.
  • Fixed improper tile placement in the Gunsmith while the Compression Carrier Vest is equipped.
  • Activate prompt is now longer displayed on completed Armory Unlocks.

GAMEPLAY

• Spawn protection is now disabled when the player inflicts damage or locks onto a Killstreak.
• Fixed a bug causing spawns to not match the intended directionality of a map.
• Increased detection distance for nearby enemies in small map spawn selection.
• Decreased volume of footstep sounds from enemy players.

Last season, we made several adjustments to Perks to distribute usage in the Boots category more evenly. Despite these changes, the pick rate of Covert Sneakers remains far ahead of other Boots.

In today’s update, our Design and Audio teams have decreased the volume of all footstep types (walk, sprint, and tac-sprint) to encourage more diverse usage in the Boots category of Perks.

PROGRESSION

• Collateral kills now progress Battle Rage kills Challenges as expected.
• Kills with Battle Rage Challenges now track progress correctly.
• Fixed an issue causing the ISO 9mm to not unlock upon Challenge completion.

MAPS

• 6 Star
  • Reworked Hardpoint capture point locations, sizes, and associated spawns.
    • P1: Club (Revert)
    • P2: Lounge (Revert)
    • P3: Rooftop Bar (Revert)
    • P4: Skybridge (New)
• Das Haus
  • Corrected orientation of the vertically hanging American Flag.
• Growhouse
  • Added the ability to mount at various locations where functionality is expected.
• Highrise
  • Environmental explosives are no longer present in CDL and Ranked Play modes.
• Underpass
  • Improved spawn safety assessment near the Train Yard.

MODES

• Arcade
  • Unlimited Ammo and Grenades powerup timer now disappears upon death.
• Cutthroat
  • Allies needing a revive are now indicated as such on the scoreboard.
• One in the Chamber
  • Lifestreaks are now correctly tracked on the scoreboard.

WEAPONS & ATTACHMENTS

Assault Rifles

• BP50
  • Decreased movement speed from 5m/s to 4.8m/s (-4%).
  • Decreased sprint speed from 5.7m/s to 5.5m/s (-4%).
  • Decreased tactical sprint speed from 7m/s to 6.8m/s (-3%).
  • JAK Revenger Kit
    • Decreased movement speed from 5.5m/s to 5.1m/s (-7%).
    • Decreased crouch movement speed from 2.6m/s to 2.4m/s (-8%).
    • Decreased sprint speed from 6.2m/s to 5.8m/s (-6%).
    • Decreased tactical sprint speed from 7.7m/s to 7.1m/s (-8%).
    • Decreased ADS movement speed from 3.3m/s to 3.1m/s (-6%).
    • Decreased maximum damage from 32 to 28 (-13%).
    • Decreased near-medium damage from 28 to 25 (-11%).
    • Decreased medium damage from 25 to 23 (-8%).
• MCW
  • Increased head damage multiplier from 1.1x to 1.25x.

Submachine Guns

• FJX Horus
  • Decreased recoil gun kick from 42.5deg/s to 35.4deg/s (-17%).
  • Increased maximum damage range from 10.2m to 17.8m (+75%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 20.3m to 25.4m (+25%).
  • Increased lower torso damage multiplier from 1x to 1.1x.
  • No Stock Mod
    • Increased ADS movement speed benefit from 9% to 12%.
  • Lopper LX-D Stock
    • Added 3% ADS movement speed penalty.
• RAM-9
  • Increased maximum damage range from 11.2m to 12.4m (+11%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 20.3m to 21.6m (+6%).
• AMR9
  • Increased maximum damage range from 14m to 15.2m (+9%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 20.3m to 21.6m (+6%).
• Rival-9
  • Fixed an issue causing the Trebuchet Brake Attachment to be unavailable.
  • Increased maximum damage range from 10.2m to 11.4m (+13%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 21.6m to 22.9m (+6%).
  • JAK Headhunter Carbine Conversion
    • Increased rate of fire from 682rpm to 882rpm (+29%).
    • Increased maximum damage from 26 to 33 (+27%).
    • Increased near-medium damage from 24 to 30 (+25%).
    • Increased minimum damage from 22 to 28 (+27%).
    • Decreased neck and upper torso damage multipliers from 1.5x to 1.1x.
    • Decreased lower arm and hand damage multipliers from 1.1x to 1x.
• HRM-9
  • Increased maximum damage range from 16.5m to 17.8m (+8%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 24.1m to 25.4m (+5%).
• Striker 9
  • Increased maximum damage range from 14m to 15.2m (+9%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 20.3m to 21.6m (+6%).
• Striker
  • Increased maximum damage range from 9.7m to 10.9m (+13%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 21.6m to 22.9m (+6%).
• WSP-9
  • Increased maximum damage range from 18.5m to 24.1m (+30%).
  • Increased near-medium damage range from 25.1m to 31.8m (+26%).

Marksman Rifles

• MCW 6.8
  • MCW 6.8 Full-Auto Conversion Kit
    • Resolved an issue causing recoil overcorrection after firing.

Launchers

• RGL-80
  • Decreased aim down sight time from 310ms to 260ms (-16%).
  • Decreased explosive damage by 80% in Hardcore game modes.

RGL-80 explosive damage is now scaled to align with the Hardcore player health scalar.

PERKS

• Gunslinger Vest
  • Fixed an issue causing Throwing Star kills not to refresh stamina.
• Gunner Vest
  • Updated description to remove mention of Handgun ammo benefit, aligning with existing functionality.
• Compression Carrier (Vest)
  • Fixed an issue causing Throwing Star kills not to trigger health regeneration.
• Assault Gloves
  • Updated description to mention recently-added reticle spread benefit.

KILLSTREAKS

• Precision Airstrike
  • Decreased delay before damage occurs by 2s.
  • Increased explosive damage radius from 7.6m to 8.9m (+17%).
• Cruise Missile
  • Increased explosive damage radius from 15.2m to 22.9m (+50%)
• SAE
  • Decreased delay before explosive damage occurs by 2s.
  • Increased explosive damage radius from 19m to 20.3m (+7%).
  • Removed stun effect on victims before death.
• Remote Turret
  • Increased cost from 7 Kills (875 Score) to 8 Kills (1,000 Score).
  • Decreased hits required for turret destruction for specific damage types.
    • Melee: from 12 hits to 3 hits
    • Launchers: from 3 hits to 2 hits
  • Improved detection of EMP hits from the Stormender Launcher.
• Wheelson-HS
  • Increased cost from 8 Kills (1,000 Score) to 9 Kills (1,125 Score).
• Overwatch Helo
  • Increased cost from 8 Kills (1,000) Score to 9 Kills (1,125 Score)
  • Decreased incoming damage dealt by bullets by 50%.
• Emergency Airdrop
  • Decreased cost from 10 Kills (1,250 Score) to 9 Kills (1,125 Score).
• Carpet Bomb
  • Decreased cost from 10 Kills (1,250 Score) to 8 Kills (1,000 Score).
  • Increased explosive damage radius from 10.2m to 12.7m (+25%).
  • Increased bomber flight speed by 40%.
• VTOL Jet
  • Increased cost from 10 Kills (1,250 Score) to 11 Kills (1,375 Score).
  • Decreased incoming damage dealt by bullets by 50%.
  • Decreased machine gun explosive damage from 27 to 20 (-26%).
• Gunship
  • Increased cost from 12 Kills (1,500 Score) to 13 Kills (1,625 Score).
• Chopper Gunner
  • Increased cost from 12 Kills (1,500 Score) to 13 Kills (1,625 Score).
  • Decreased incoming damage dealt by bullets by 50%.
  • Decreased turret explosive damage from 45 to 35 (-22%).
  • Decreased turret explosive damage radius from 1.7m to 1.3m (-23%).
• EMP
  • Decreased cost from 13 Kills (1,625 Score) to 12 Kills (1,500 Score).
  • Visual effects will no longer play twice if the player dies during detonation.
• Swarm
  • Fixed an issue causing drones to divebomb immediately after the player who summoned it dies.
  • Fixed an issue causing drones to spawn away from the playspace on Das Haus and Mercado Las Almas.

ZOMBIES

STABILITY & PERFORMANCE

• Fixed a client crash issue when players attacked All For One’s fort and attempted to engage AFO in his room.

CUSTOMIZATION

• Fixed a bug preventing the Mimic Operators from being equipped.
• The ‘Longbow’ sniper rifle’s ‘Extinction’ blueprint is no longer missing all the attachments.

UIX

• Fixed an issue where players would see the default loading screen instead of the selected loading screen while infilling.
• Unlocked items should no longer appear to be locked in the Gear menu.
• The HUD overlay from the golden Sergeants Beret no longer flickers on and off when near a Merc Camp UAV Scrambler.
• Fixed an issue where player gamertags in the ‘Squad Missions’ tab of the Tac Map were difficult to read due to the font being compacted.

GAMEPLAY

• Addressed an issue that prevented the MORS Photonic Charge Barrel from applying the correct damage values when fully charged.
• Deploying the ‘Juggernaut’ Killstreak no longer incorrectly deploys the ‘Juggernaut Recon’ killstreak from Multiplayer.
• Dying while using Juggernaut Killstreak no longer causes loss of all weapons.
• Fixed an issue where shooting a WunderWaffe Wonder Weapon near the Sergeants Beret Friendly Merc would cause the Merc to be affected by the weapon’s AOE shocking feature.
• Fixed an object collision issue that would occur when being grabbed by Mimic.
• Loot in the bookstore location named Feroze and Sons is now accessible.
• Dark Aether Rift
  • Aether Storm will no longer spawn on top of the tornado at the Rift Gate.
  • Fixed several instances of Zombies not pathing as intended on Rift Run.
  • Fixed several out-of-map exploits and glitches that resulted in players falling through the map.
• Dark Aether
  • In the newest Act 4 story mission, players are now able to reach the Pack-A-Punch location by foot.
  • Fixed an issue where the vote prompt would block users from starting the Dark Aether Rift after a teammate left the squad.
  • Eliminated several environmental exploits.

PROGRESSION

• Fixed an issue where the third punching bag could not be activated, blocking progress in the ‘Tattered MMA Gloves’ attunement challenge.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.