CoD MW3: How to Fix Crashing

The Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 campaign is off to a shaky start with some performance problems like crashing. If you’re experiencing this problem on your PC, look no further. Here’s how to fix crashing for CoD MW3.

How to Fix Crashing for CoD MW3

Nothing ruins a gaming session quite like crashing. It’s the worst of the worst because you can be mid-match on a killstreak, and then you’re booted from the game — I’ve definitely been there, and it’s no fun. So let’s discuss how to fix crashing or the black screen error for CoD MW3. The solutions we have listed are as follows:

• Check Activision server status
• Check the official MW3 Trello board
• Update Your GPU drivers
• Verify the game’s files
• Reinstall MW3

Check Activision Server Status

When in doubt, check the server status first. Taking a look at the servers will give you a heads-up if the game is undergoing any maintenance that could be causing the bug, or if they’re already working on the issue.

• Activision Support page
  • You can select your server status by platform from within this page.
• Activision Support Twitter/X page

Check Modern Warfare 3 Trello Board

Sledgehammer Games has launched a public Trello board that tracks the known and resolved issues in the game.

• CoD MW3 Trello Board

Update your GPU Drivers

Occasionally, the issue arises from your Graphics Drivers being out of date. So, it’s best to check for any necessary updates. Here’s how to do it.

• For Nvidia Graphics Drivers:
  • Go to the official site and download the drivers.
  • Once the download is complete, select the download file to initiate installation.
  • Restart your PC after the download is complete.
• For AMD Users:
  • Open Device Manager by pressing Windows and X and find out Device Manager.
  • Display Adapters > double-click it.
  • Right-click your AMD video card driver 
  • Select Update driver.
  • Select Search automatically for updated driver software, and you will see if there are any updates to apply.

Verify File Integrity

Game crashes and a black screen error are often time linked to issues in the game’s installation files. So, you’ll want to verify your files to ensure this isn’t the root of the problem. Here’s how to do it.

• Steam Client
  • Steam > Library > Right-click CoD MW3 > Properties > Local Files > Verify Integrity of Game Cache > Wait for scan to complete.
• Battle.net Client
  • Battle.net client > Right-click CoD MW3 > Scan and Repair (Verify Files in Local Drive) > Wait for the scan to complete.

Verify your System Requirements

If your hardware isn’t up to snuff, you’ll certainly have issues running the game. Here are the requirements for CoD MW3:

• Minimum Multiplayer Only 
  • OS: Windows 10 64 Bit (latest update)*
  • CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Storage Space: SSD with 79 GB available space at launch for COD HQ and Multiplayer (34 GB with COD HQ already installed)
  • Hi-Rez Assets Cache: Up to 32 GB
  • Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 / GTX 1650 or AMD Radeon RX 470
  • Video Memory: 2 GB
• Minimum 
  • OS: Windows 10 64 Bit (latest update)*
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 1400
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Storage Space: SSD with 149 GB† available space at launch (78 GB with COD HQ and Warzone already installed)
  • Hi-Rez Assets Cache: Up to 32 GB
  • Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 / GTX 1650 or AMD Radeon RX 470
  • Video Memory: 2 GB
• Recommended
  • OS: Windows 10 64 Bit (latest update) or Windows 11 64 Bit (latest update)*
  • CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X
  • RAM: 16 GB
  • Storage Space: SSD with 149 GB† available space at launch (78 GB with COD HQ and Warzone already installed)
  • Hi-Rez Assets Cache: Up to 32 GB
  • Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080Ti / RTX 3060 or AMD Radeon RX 6600XT
  • Video Memory: 8 GB

Uninstall and Reinstall the Game

Sometimes, it’s best to start from scratch. If you’re unable to fix the bug through workarounds, I recommend uninstalling and reinstalling the game.

Wait for the Fix

If all else fails, you’ll have to wait for Activision to fix the issue on their end Activision is likely keeping a close eye on top of all bugs and errors since the game is in its early days. So, rest assured, the issue should be resolved soon.

That’s how to fix the crashing bug for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. For more tricks, check out our guides hub. We’ve got tips on the best guns, how to play with a controller on PC, and more.