MW3 Feb 13 update patch notes: Striker 9 buff, Ranked Play sniper bans, more

MW3 patch notesActivision

A new update has hit MW3 and Zombies, including a surprise buff to the Striker 9, Ranked Play updates, and more. Here’s the full details on the latest patch.

Season 2 of MW3 is underway, with a boatload of content for fans to engage in, in the form of new maps, a new Perk, and of course, a brand new Battle Pass to complete.

That said, a new patch has arrived, bringing many changes. Notably, the Striker 9 SMG and the WSP Stinger received massive buffs. There’s also an update to MW3’s Ranked Play, including restricting Sniper Rifles and removing Sub Base until the under-map exploit is fixed.

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Without further ado, here are the full details of MW3’s Feb. 13 update per the dev blog post.

MW3 Season 2 artworkActivision

Full MW3 and Zombies patch notes – Feb 13

Global

Stability & Performance

  • Addressed a crash that occurred during offline play while selecting a Weapon or Operator.

Multiplayer

UIX

  • Bug Fixes
    • Resolved various issues causing the player to be unexpectedly kicked back to the menu.
      • Viewing Prestige Calling Cards
      • Filtering Locked Operator Challenges
      • Removing options from Quick Settings
    • Previewing Weapon Completionist rewards will no longer cause the menu to become inoperable.
    • Addressed an issue preventing the Activate Armory Unlock prompt for Controller inputs from functioning.
    • Replaced placeholder name for the Imago RAM-9 Submachine Gun Camo.
    • Replaced placeholder reward images in the Horde Hunt Event menu.

Gameplay

  • Bug Fixes
    • Akimbo Weapons will now be displayed properly after infiltrating maps via an elevator.
    • Addressed an issue preventing Hybrid Optics from being toggled while a Comb Attachment is equipped on the BP50 (Assault Rifle).

Progression

  • Increased XP earned for the first Challenge in Week 1 from 1,000 to 2,500.
  • Increased Bonus XP per Match for using a Featured Operator Skin during an Event from 1,000 to 2,500.
  • Removed aim-down sight requirement from the RAM-7 (Assault Rifle) Forged Camo Challenge.
    • Get 10 Operator Kills while Sliding with the RAM-7.

Maps

  • Operation Tin Man (War)
    • Players can now respawn at Tactical Insertions placed in the South Lookout area.

Modes

  • Hordepoint
    • Dying while an Insta-Kill Powerup is active will no longer cause it to deactivate.
    • Zombies will now prioritize Operators over Killstreaks and Field Upgrades.
    • Stun Grenades will now temporarily stun Zombies.
  • Team Gun Game
    • Performing a Finishing Move will now deduct Score from the enemy team.
    • Melee Kills and Setbacks are now properly tracked on the After-Action Report Scoreboard.
  • Private Match
    • Adjusted game rules to align with the Competitive Settings v1.1 ruleset while a CDL game mode is selected.
      • Dynamic Map Elements (Global)
      • Next Zone Reveal Time (Hardpoint)

Weapons & Attachments

Submachine Guns

  • Striker 9
    • Increased enemy nameplate reveal distance from 33m to 38.1m (+15%).
    • Decreased hipfire spread while firing by 6%.
    • Decreased recoil gun kick from 54.93deg/s to 35deg/s (-36%).
    • Increased horizontal recoil from 9.70deg/s to 16.17deg/s (+67%).
    • Increased vertical recoil from 40.65deg/s to 50.93deg/s (+25%).
    • Added the ability to aim down sight while sliding.
    • Increased bullet velocity from 540m/s to 560m/s (+4%).
    • Increased maximum damage from 29 to 32 (+10%).
    • Increased near-medium damage from 25 to 28 (+12%).
    • Decreased minimum damage from 20 to 18 (-10%).
    • Increased maximum damage range from 10.7m to 14m (+31%).
    • Decreased medium damage range from 22.9m to 20.3m (-11%).
    • Decreased near-medium damage range from 35.6m to 27.9m (-21%).

The recoil pattern of the Striker 9 has been significantly adjusted, resulting in increased control while firing.

Light Machine Guns

  • TAQ Evolvere
    • Increased movement speed from 4.4m/s to 5.1m/s (+16%).
    • Decreased rate of fire from 706rpm to 500rpm (-29%).
    • Increased maximum damage from 34 to 40 (+18%).
    • Increased maximum damage range from 35.6m to 40.6m (+14%).
    • Increased medium damage range from 40.6m to 53.3m (+31%).
    • Increased head damage multiplier from 1.2x to 1.4 (+17%).
    • Increased neck, upper-torso, upper-arm, and lower-arm damage multipliers from 1x to 1.2x (+20%).
    • Increased target flinch from 0.5n to 0.8n (+60%).
    • 556 Belts (Magazines)
      • Increased movement speed benefit by 16%.
      • Added 40% hipfire spread reduction benefit.
      • Increased aim down sight time benefit by 15%.
      • Increased aim down sight movement speed benefit by 17%.
      • Added rate of fire benefit at 857rpm.
      • Decreased maximum damage from 34 to 30 (-12%).
      • Decreased medium damage from 30 to 24 (-20%).
      • Increased head, neck, and upper-torso damage multipliers from from 1.1x to 1.2x (+9%).

Sniper Rifles

  • Longbow
    • JAK Tyrant 762 Kit
      • Decreased aim down sight time from 470ms to 390ms (-17%).
      • Increased aim down sight movement speed from 2.5m/s to 2.8m/s (+12%).
      • Added 30% hipfire spread reduction benefit.

Handguns

  • WSP Stinger
    • Increased recoil gun kick from 31.05deg/s to 57.96deg/s (+87%).
    • Decreased horizontal recoil from 28.39deg/s to 18.64deg/s (-34%).
    • Increased vertical recoil from 33.65deg/s to 35.2deg/s (+5%).
    • Increased maximum damage from 24 to 29 (+21%).
    • Increased near-medium damage from 23 to 24 (+4%).
    • Increased medium damage from 18 to 20 (+11%).
    • Increased minimum damage from 15 to 18 (+20%).

Attachments

  • No Stock
    • Removed hipfire crosshair sway.

Perks

  • Assassin Vest
    • Resolved an issue preventing Lethal Equipment from being equipped.

Killstreaks

  • Wheelson-HS
    • Zombies can now be run over and killed in Hordepoint Mode.

MW3 Ranked Play

Gameplay

  • Maps & Modes
    • CDL Hardpoint
      • Sub Base Hardpoint has been temporarily removed from the Ranked Play map pool.
  • Content Restrictions
    • Weapon Restrictions
      • Sniper Rifles
      • All

MW3 Zombies

MW3 Season 2 ZombiesActivision

Gameplay

  • Perk-A-Colas
    • PHD Flopper
      • Addressed an issue that prevented PHD Flopper from protecting players against various damage sources

Killstreaks

  • Sentry Turret
    • Adjusted the amount of active Sentry Turrets players can place at a single time to three to improve server stability.

Stability

  • Added various crash and stability fixes.