Warzone 2 Season 3 Reloaded patch notes: Ranked Play, TTK & movement changes, more

Activision released a massive list of changes for Season 3 Reloaded, including new tools and Ranked Play. Here is everything you need to know about the mid-season update.

Warzone 2 Season 3 delivered community members a wealth of new content to enjoy. Al Mazrah Resurgence provided players with a new way to experience the fan-favorite game mode and a new Gulag perfectly tailors 1v1 combat.

Activision then dipped its toe into the competitive scene by announcing the 2023 World Series of Warzone. The developers gave a sneak peek at what competitive play will look like with a dedicated WSOW playlist, but competitive fans won’t need to wait much longer for the full experience.

Let’s jump right into what’s coming to Warzone 2 as part of the Season 3 mid-season update.

Warzone 2 Season 3 Reloaded start date

Season 3 Reloaded begins on May 10. As with most seasonal updates, we expect servers to go live at 10 AM PT, but we will provide an update when we have an official time.

Activision Blizzard

Warzone 2 Season 3 Reloaded adds a beta for Ranked Play.

Season 3 Reloaded TTK changes

Infinity Ward made the bold decision to add maximum damage armor to all ARs, battle rifles, SMGs, and LMGS. These values slow down the close-range time to kill, which fans have been calling for. This change will potentially allow players to fire back in a gunfight instead of being completely blindsided.

The developers also adjusted the minimum armor damage for some weapons to make them more viable at longer ranges.

Season 3 Reloaded Movement changes

Warzone 2 players have been clamoring for increased movement, and the developers listened. The update increased initial sliding acceleration by 6%. We will have to see how it performs in-game before understanding how much of a difference that makes.

To support aggressive traversal, the developers also increased the height threshold for single-handed mantling.

Season 3 Reloaded patch notes

Here are the full Season 3 Reloaded patch notes.

Weapon buffs and nerfs

Handguns

• Basilisk
  • Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only 
• P890
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
• X12
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
• X13 Auto
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 

Submachine Guns

• BAS-P
  • ADS Speed increased 
  • Headshot Damage Multiplier decreased 
  • Maximum Damage increased 
  • Maximum Damage Range increased 
  • Mid-far Damage increased 
  • Mid-far Damage Range increased 
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Minimum Damage increased 
  • Minimum Damage Range increased 
  • Reduced ‘First Raise’ animation time
• Lachmann Sub
  • Burst-fire Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only 
• Minibak
  • Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only 
• MX9
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
• Vaznev-9K
  • Maximum Damage Range decreased 

Assault Rifles

• Chimera
  • Semi-auto Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Reduced ‘First Raise’ animation time
• ISO Hemlock
  • Maximum Damage decreased 
  • Mid Damage decreased 
  • Minimum Damage decreased 
  • Lower Torso Multiplier increased 
  • Extremities Multipliers decreased 
• Kastov 545
  • Close-mid Damage Range decreased 
  • Mid Damage Range decreased 
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
• Kastov 762
  • Semi-auto Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Extremities Multipliers decreased 
• Kastov-74u
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
• Lachmann-556
  • Close-mid Damage increased 
  • Maximum Damage Range increased 
  • Mid Damage Range added 
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Semi-auto Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Upper Torso Multiplier increased 
• M16
  • Close-mid Damage Range increased 
  • Maximum Damage Range increased 
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Cooldown time between bursts decreased
  • Reduced ‘First Raise’ animation time
• M4
  • Semi-auto minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Reduced ‘First Raise’ animation time
• M13B
  • ADS Speed increased slightly 
  • Damage Ranges increased 
  • Hip Spread Accuracy increased slightly 
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Reduced ‘First Raise’ animation time
• TAQ-56
  • Maximum Damage Range decreased 

Battle Rifles

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• FTAC Recon
  • Auto-fire Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Reduced ‘First Raise’ animation time
• Lachmann-762
  • Auto-fire Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
• SO-14
  • Auto-fire Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Lower Torso Multiplier increased 
  • Maximum Damage increased 
  • Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only
• TAQ-V
  • Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Semi-auto Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only 

Shotguns

• Bryson 800
  • Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Mid Damage increased
• Bryson 890
  • Minimum Armor Damage increased | Warzone 2.0 Only 
  • Mid Damage increased 
• Lockwood 300
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 

Light Machine Guns

• HCR 56
  • Minimum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
• RAPP H
  • Reduced ‘First Raise’ animation time
• SAKIN MG38
  • Reduced  ‘First Raise’ animation time

 ATTACHMENTS

Ammunition

• Explosive
  • Bullet Velocity decreased 
• .500 Snakeshot
  • Tuning enabled
• .300 Blackout (All Types)
  • Maximum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only

Laser

• Laser visibility decreased 
• Canted Vibro-Dot 7
  • Now blocks Core BP2 Underbarrel 
• 7mW Canted Laser
  • Now blocks Core BP2 Underbarrel 

Magazine

• Fennec
  • Fennec Double Tap Mod
    • Maximum Ammo Reserves increased
    • Maximum Armor Damage added | Warzone 2.0 Only 
    • Minimum Armor Damage decreased | Warzone 2.0 Only 
    • Starting Ammo increased
• STB 556
  • Single Tap Mod
    • Cooldown time between shots decreased

The Magazine adjustments below apply to all Attachments depending on whether they are larger or smaller relative to a Weapon’s base Magazine capacity. These changes will mean, on average, larger capacity Magazines are considerably less punitive, and smaller capacity Magazines offer substantially more upside. 

• Large
  • ADS Speed penalty decreased 
  • Movement Speed penalties decreased 
• Small
  • ADS Speed benefit increased 
  • Movement Speed benefits increased 
  • Sprint to Fire Speed benefit increased 

Muzzle

• Lockshot KT85
  • Horizontal Recoil Control decreased 
  • Vertical Recoil Control increased 

Optic

• Kazan-Holo
  • Reticle visibility improved 

Stock

• FJX Imperium
  • FJX Lux-7
    • Aim Walking Speed benefit increased
    • Aiming Idle Stability penalty increased
    • Sprint Speed benefit increased
• RIB400
  • Recoil Control benefit increased
  • ADS Speed penalty increased
• X12
  • XRK Pistol Stock
    • Movement Speed penalities decreased
• X13 Auto
  • XRK Bar Stock
    • Movement Speed penalties decreased 
  • XRK Dynamic Precision Stock
    • Movement Speed penalties decreased  
  • X13 Coachwhip Stock
    • Movement Speed penalties decreased

 Underbarrel 

Corvus Masterkey 

• ADS Speed increased 
• ADS Pellet Spread decreased 
• Ammo Reserve increased 
• Mid Damage Range increased slightly 

Damage Feedback Visibility

• Cleared out center of red HUD overlay
• Reduced overall alpha of red HUD overlay
• Reduced saturation of vision set flash
• Reduced distortion amount
• Reduced handheld camera noise on bullet damage

Movement

• Camera movement while walking and sprinting has been reduced 
• Weapon Raise delay following parachute landing decreased by 30%
• Initial Sliding acceleration increased by 6%
• The height threshold for single-handed Mantling has been increased, allowing for more aggressive traversal

Armor damage

Damage Feedback Visibility

• Cleared out center of red HUD overlay
• Reduced overall alpha of red HUD overlay
• Reduced saturation of vision set flash
• Reduced distortion amount
• Reduced handheld camera noise on bullet damage

• Camera movement while walking and sprinting has been reduced 
• Weapon Raise delay following parachute landing decreased by 30%
• Initial Sliding acceleration increased by 6%
• The height threshold for single-handed Mantling has been increased, allowing for more aggressive traversal

Audio

• Improved clarity of Auto Ascender use sound
• Improved the mix of Precision Airstrike and Mortar Strike Killstreaks, particularly at a distance

BUG FIXES

• Fixed an issue where too much occlusion could happen on entities in the same room as the Player

UI

• Added an indicator for how to unlock the Throwing Star in the loadouts tab
• Revised the Calling Card challenge screen to make progress tracking clearer and enable sorting and favoriting
• In the Camos menu, make it clear that Gold and Platinum need to be unlocked first before Polyatomic can be progressed
• Added indicator for how many skins are available when selecting an attachment
• In Loadout menus, display available loadouts as two rows on single page instead of a horizontal scroll
• Improved visual quality of score feed in Core Multiplayer Modes
• Added an indicator for when a Party 2XP event is active and the bonus is in effect
• Made various improvements to Gunfight UI in game
• Added Nation Flags Calling Cards

Sandstorm

• A sandstorm spotted on the outskirts of Al Mazrah is headed towards Al Mazrah City.
  • Operators should expect reduced visibility in the area.
• Additional loot spawn locations have been added to the Oasis area in the Northwest section of the map.

Gameplay adjustments

• UAV
  • UAV pings will now only emit from the Player who activated the Killstreak.
  • If the Player who activated the UAV is killed, the UAV will finish.
  • Using 3 UAVs will still upgrade the signal into an Advanced UAV.

• Mortar Strike
  • The amount of missiles dropped during Mortar Strike has been decreased by 25%.
• Obstructed Pings
  • Disabled the the ability to ping enemies through smoke or water.

Ashika Island | All Modes

• Buy Stations
  • Added more possible Buy Station locations.

Quality of Life

• Ping Visible to Spectators
  • Eliminated Players who are spectating a live Player will now be able to see the live Players’ pings.
• Party Queue Interruptions
  • Players that will no longer be interrupted while navigating most menus when the Party Leader queues for a match.
• Ammo Cache Elevation
  • Up and down arrows have been added to the minimap to help Players locate Ammo Caches.
• Buy Station Item Selection
  • The selection cursor will now default to always starting on the “Gear” option.
• Buy Station Loadout Name
  • Players will now see Custom Loadout names while navigating the Buy Station to purchase a Weapon.
• Compass Ping Squad Number
  • Players Ping icons on the Compass will now appear with their respective Squad Member number.
• Killstreak Tablet Icon
  • The lootable Killstreak tablet on the ground will now have an icon indicating the type of Killstreak it activates.
• Contract Icon Visibility
  • While Players have an active Contract, they will now be able to see other Contracts on the Tac Map as grayed-out icons.
• Proximity Chat Temporary Mute
  • Players will no longer hear Proximity Chat while loading into a match.
• Relevant Ammo Automatic Pickup
  • Players will now automatically pick up Ammunition to start an initial stack in the Backpack that is compatible with both the currently equipped and stowed Weapons in the active Loadout Slots.
• Oxygen Level Meter
  • Players will now see a curved, gray bar appear towards the center of their UI that indicates remaining oxygen levels.

Ranked Play Beta

The Warzone Ranked Play Season 03 (BETA) is moments away for all players who have reached Level 45.

Play competitive 150 Player Battle Royale Trios matches using competitive settings developed by Treyarch, Raven Software, and Infinity Ward. Moving forward, Players can expect 1:1 synchronized settings between Ranked Play and World Series of Warzone.

Ultimately, the goal with Ranked Play is to deliver a competitive and fair system of play, all while striving to ensure a consistent experience across all Battle Royale modes. To achieve this, the Ranked Play (BETA) is launching with initial gameplay restrictions in order to gather crucial feedback and data for the full launch of Ranked Play in Season 04, and beyond.

New features

• Deployable Buy Station New Field Upgrade
  • This new Field Upgrade is a rare drop acquirable via ground loot and Supply Boxes.
  • Once a Player throws down the deploy marker, green smoke will mark the coordinates for a drone to drop a Deployable Buy Station at the target location.
  • The delivery drone can be shot down and destroyed by any Player, dropping the Deployable Buy Station at its current coordinates.
  • Once the Buy Station deploy marker has been deployed, an announcement will be made to all Players within close proximity and icons on both the Tac Map and minimap will be visible to all Players regardless of distance.
  • Additional notes:
    • Impact with the ground causes radial explosive damage.
    • Any Player can interact with it once it is on the ground.
    • It functions the same way a regular Buy Station does – and includes the same item inventory.
    • It will be disabled while in gas.
    • There is no expiration timer.

• Lootable Perk Packages New Category!
  • Perk Packs will now be treated as items, which can be acquired over the course of a match via looting, Buy Stations, and eliminating Players, in addition to traditional custom Loadouts.
  • Default Perk Packs will be available via loot at equal rarity, or via Buy Stations for $3,500:
    • Veteran: Battle Hardened, Tracker, Fast Hands, Survivor
    • Insurgent: Strong Arm, Scavenger, Cold Blooded, Ghost
    • Bomber: Bomb Squad, Strong Arm, Resupply, Survivor
    • Ranger: Double Time, Scavenger, Focus, Quick Fix
    • SWAT: Battle Hardened, Double Time, Spotter, Survivor
  • Personal, custom Perk Packs will be available via Squad Loadout Drops – in addition to finding those created by other Players when you eliminate them.
  • Additional details:
    • Eliminated Players will drop Perk Packs that they are carrying on the ground as a lootable item.
    • Players can only have a single, active Perk Pack equipped at a time.
    • Players cannot unequip an active Perk Pack unless it is replaced with another.
    • Looting a Perk Pack immediately equips it and forces the previously equipped Perk Pack (if any) to drop on the ground as a loot item.
    • Purchasing a Perk Pack immediately equips it and forces the previously equipped Perk Pack (if any) to enter the Player’s backpack.

Al Mazrah | Battle Royale

• Gulag Entry Kit
  • This rare item found via ground loot and Supply Boxes provides Players with an additional Gulag attempt if they have already entered the Gulag during a match.
  • Players can only hold a single Gulag attempt – which includes the initial, free attempt that Players receive upon Infil.
  • Players with a remaining attempt, including the initial free one, will receive $2,000 cash when the Gulag closes.

Buy Stations

• Buy Stations
  • Buy Station inventories have been adjusted to provide Players with an expected, static list of purchasable items.
  • A new ‘Perk Packs’ tab has been added to the Buy Station with unlimited stock.
    • Perk Packs: $3,500
  • Unlimited “Gear” Items:
    • Armor Plates: $500
    • Gas Masks: $2,000
    • Armor Boxes: $2,000
    • Munitions Boxes: $2,000
    • UAVs: $6,000
    • UAV cost increased to $6,000, up from $4,000
    • Mortar Strikes: $4,000
    • Precision Strikes: $6,000
    • Loadout Markers: $20,000
  • Limited “Gear Items (2 Only):
    • Counter UAVs: $3,000
    • Cluster Mines: $4,000
    • Self Revives: $4,000
    • Durable Gas Masks: $3,500

Al Mazrah | All Modes

• “Intel” Contract
  • Doubled the radius of the Upload Station capture zone.
• Redeploy Drones 
  • Distance Throw
    • Players using a Redeploy Drone in Al Mazrah will now receive an increased vertical boost when launched to better align with the size of the map.
  • Spawning
    • Redeploy Drones starting spawn locations are now static from match to match.
    • Redeploy Drones now spawn prior to infil to allow players to plan their best infil strategies. 

Al Mazrah | Battle Royale

• Loadout Drops
  • Contested Loadout Drops at Circles 2 & 5 have been changed to Squad Loadout Drops to match the Ranked Play (BETA) and Resurgence.
• Enemy Combatants
  • Strongholds
    • Removed Armor Plates
    • Reduced Accuracy by approximately 27%
    • Primary Weapon limited to Kastov 762
    • Equipment limited to Frag, Semtex, and Gas Grenades
• Gulag
  • Decreased the number of Armor Plates that Players spawn with to 2, down from 3.
    • This change does not affect Ranked Play, which remains at 3.

Al Mazrah | Resurgence

• Loadout Drop Event
  • A second Loadout Drop Public Event has been added to Massive Resurgence.
    • This will occur after the fifth circle begins to close.

BUG FIXES

• Fixed an issue causing the downed notification to not appear in the killfeed while playing Battle Royale.
• Fixed an issue blocking downed redeploy drones from doing explosive damage to Players on and near impact.
• Fixed an issue in Al Mazrah that would cause some locations to not be end circle candidates. This change will open up a lot more variety in end circle locations.