Full MW3 Warzone Season 2 Patch Notes: Ranked Play, Maps, New Battle Pass, & More

Activision is starting off MW3 Warzone Season 2 with a bang. The full patch notes have been released, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come. There’s plenty of new content for Warzone, Zombies, or Multiplayer — like new Eradication Contracts and WZ Ranked Play.

MW3 Warzone Season 2 Finally Gives Us Ranked Play, a New Old Map, and a New Battle Pass

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Season 2 is officially live as of today, February 7 at 12 p.m. EST/9 a.m. PST. If you thought the game was growing stale, the new MW3 Season 2 brings us back to the front lines. A new Battle Pass brings new Operator Skins, Weapon Blueprints, and more. Additionally, Warzone, Multiplayer, and Zombies mode are all receiving updates.

One of the major additions is Ranked Play for Warzone Resurgence with unique Rank Rewards for players. In Season 2, we also get to revisit the returning Fortune’s Keep map in Warzone. If you prefer to stick to the traditional Multiplayer game modes, you’re also in for a treat. Multiplayer is seeing the addition of a new 6v6 map, Stash House.

The Complete MW3 Warzone Season 2 Patch Notes Detailed

While Ranked Play and new and returning maps are plenty to get excited about, there’s still more on the horizon for Season 2. Find all of the patch notes below. Strap in for another 6,000 words from Activision on this absolutely mammoth MW3 and Warzone update.

New Events for Limited-Time Cosmetic Loot

• Horde Hunt
  • The Hunt is on. Every week, hunt down new featured zombie types.
• Year of the Dragon In-Season
  • Start the new lunar year off with a bang with this Field Rep event!
• Cryptid Bootcamp In-Season
  • Fact or fiction? Prove your monstrous might. (Tinfoil hat not included)
• The Walking Dead: Fear the Living In-Season
  • Fight the dead, fear the living.
• Vortex: Decay’s Realm In-Season
  • The Vortex is back and seeping with Decay’s blighted touch.
• Dune: Rule of Fate In-Season
  • Take control of the throne of fate.

PC Updates

• Added the ability to provide HDR10+ GAMING feature, which will automatically set game graphics in HDR for HDR10+ GAMING displays. This feature is now supported on PC platform using NVIDIA graphic card (GeForce RTX and GeForce GTX 16 Series graphics cards and laptops) over HDMI. Find more information about HDR10+ GAMING here.

Returning Map: Fortune’s Keep with a few Changes

•  Fortune’s Keep: New POIs
  • Welcome Back to Fortune’s Keep! How has the island changed? 
• Extendable Bridges
  • Three Extendable Bridges over gaps in the fallen roadways are now present. 
  • These are not portable, but rather you can extend or retract them across a gap in the road by using a small control console, one on either side of the bridge. 
  • The controls react to more than melee interaction, in case you’re wanting to activate the bridge at range. 
• In addition, this updated version of Fortune’s Keep will encompass 11 Major Points of Interest, detailed below.
• Keep: Rear Dock and Caves (North Coast)
  • The grandeur of the Keep, with its opulent tapestries, mosaic floors, and gilded throne room, is mostly intact. Look to the north for additional pathways: With the arrival of aquatic vehicles, the steep northern cliffs below the Keep have been modified, adding a rear dock for unloading cargo, along with a rough cargo elevator (now sporting two Ascenders) enabling fast upward travel to the battlements. Under the foundations of the castle is a rock tunnel with openings to the sea, which runs east to west, all offering tactical access to and from the Keep.
• Terraces: Fishing Docks and Cliff Paths (Northwest Coast)
  • The battlements on the western side of the Keep may have seen better days, but the layout is still familiar. To the north along the coast, discover a second pier housing fishing boats and a bait shop. The area north of Terraces has received further construction changes, with Ascenders, additional stairs running along the cliffside, and small cave openings and grottos to traverse. This stretches north of the Graveyard along the coast to the northern tip of the Town POI.
• Graveyard (Northwest Coast)
  • The ancient stone crypts still stand on the small plateau above the Town. You might want to bank on a thorough exploration of this somber spot, not least due to the connecting tunnels burrowing down toward the epicenter of the action!
• Town: Lower (Western Coast)
  • The coastal town is still as densely packed as you remember, with an old fortress bell tower, brightly hued apartments and stores, and a turret defending the cove from seafaring attackers. Atop the new Police Station on the north side of the cove is a helipad, usually a good spot to locate a Light Helo for airborne maneuvers.
• Town: Upper (Southwestern Coast)
  • Initial evidence of a sizeable seismic event to hit the island is visible in the southeastern corner of Town, where a sizeable fissure has cut through the earth, splitting a dwelling into two. Tactically, this allows you to investigate the giant crack, leading to multi-level fighting opportunities and an entrance down into the main impact crater to the east.
• Overlook: Restaurant (Southwestern Coast)
  • East of Overlook (a fortified plateau with an old, multi-floor dwelling and Salty’s Snack Bar attached to it), on a slightly lower plateau overlooking the sea, is the Trattoria Il Luna, a newly constructed restaurant instead of the shack and military tents that used to be here. The eatery offers more than great views across the south of the island; there’s exterior access to tunnels below the cliffs.
• Konni Outpost (Bay, Northeastern Coast)
  • Once a seldom-visited locale, the old Bay POI now gives Operators their first clue to the faction behind the island’s partial collapse. Konni Group has established a small outpost here, complete with a mechanic’s garage, several small server and monitoring rooms, and a storage cave with Ascender access to the Keep’s eastern perimeter.
• Pier (Camp, Southeastern Coast)
  • Once a military camp with tents and a small watchtower, significant construction has since modified the southeastern coast into a pier and Tasting Room for the adjacent Winery, as well as a Rohan Oil Gas Station and convenience store.
• Lighthouse (Southeastern Coast)
  • While Smuggler’s Cove has seen cataclysmic damage, the initially alarming cracks along the exterior of the old lighthouse haven’t toppled the structure yet.
• Winery (East)
  • The chateau specializing in fine wines has seen better days, with massive structural problems visible across the premises. This includes a giant crack through the central courtyard, allowing a novel access into the now-flooded wine cellar. Perhaps that water can be drained? The old chapel, now used as storage for the vast fermenting casks, has lost its tower, which lies in three sizeable chunks.
• Gatehouse (Center)
  • The true extent of the damage caused by an apparent colossal subterranean explosion is most visible when investigating the Keep Gatehouse in the center of the map. The ramparts, multiple turrets, the arched entrance, and the barbican (the circular outer defensive tower) has sustained major damage, with the barbican itself sinking into the unstable ground below.
• Ground Zero (Grotto, South Coast)
  • Almost unprecedented destruction by the Konni Group has wiped an original point of interest off the map. The Grotto is now a deep crater, with portions of the island, including main roads and buildings, all sunken or fallen into a vast crevasse. The resulting wreckage should be explored as a matter of urgency, as the epicenter of the crater has been revealed to be a large Konni laboratory with a snaking network of corridors, chambers, and tunnels.
• Points of Interest
  • Keep: Rear Dock and Caves (North Coast)
  • Terraces: Fishing Docks and Cliff Paths (Northwest Coast)
  • Graveyard (Northwest Coast)
  • Town: Lower (Western Coast)
  • Town: Upper (Southwestern Coast)
  • Overlook: Restaurant (Southwestern Coast)
  • Konni Outpost (Bay, Northeastern Coast)
  • Pier (Camp, Southeastern Coast)
  • Lighthouse (Southeastern Coast)
  • Winery (East)
  • Gatehouse (Center)
  • Ground Zero (Grotto, South Coast)

Warzone Resurgence: Ranked Play Rules

• Resurgence Ranked Play is launching with initial gameplay restrictions and adjustments.
  • Restricted content will be re-evaluated each Season with the possibility of re-introducing content after fixes or balance adjustments.
  • We are constantly watching the state of the game and will react to live situations on a case-by-case basis.
• Launch Matchmaking: During the Resurgence Ranked Play launch period, Skill Division Matchmaking restrictions will be relaxed, allowing players who climb into higher Skill Divisions faster than the rest of the population to find matches.
  • Skill Division matchmaking will continue to put high Skill Division players in matches appropriate for their skill. As more players reach higher Divisions, we will begin tightening our matchmaking parameters.
  • Pre-made parties are still subject to the outlined Party SR Restrictions. Please find these restrictions in the Competitive Integrity Features section below.
• Match Ruleset
  • Map
    • Fortune’s Keep
  • Mode
    • Resurgence
  • Player Level Requirement
    • Level 55
  • Squad Size
    • Trios
  • Max Player Count
    • 51 (17 Squads)
  • Gameplay
    • Public Event Adjustments
      • Public Events in Resurgence Ranked Play occur at the same circle in each match.
        • Circle 2: Loadout Drop
        • Circle 3: Fire Sale
        • Circle 4: Restock
  • Spawn Protection
    • Reduced to 2.5s.
  • Weapon Adjustments
    • Snipers will not down players in one shot in Resurgence Ranked Play.
      • The weapon’s maximum damage will be 299.
  • Respawn Loadouts
    • Loadouts issued to players who are respawning are static, not random. 
  • Warzone Ranked Play: Resurgence Restrictions
    • Weapons
      • Melee
        • Riot Shields
      • Launchers
        • All
      • Shotguns
        • KV Broadside
        • MX Guardian
        • Haymaker
        • Riveter
      • Attachments
        • Ammunition
          • Snakeshot
          • Dragon’s Breath
          • High Explosive
      • Optics
        • All Thermals
      • Underbarrel
        • Jak Purifier
        • Corvus Torch
      • Trigger Action
      • Maelstrom Dual Trigger
  • Perks
    • Birdseye
  • Plate Carrier
    • Comms Vest
  • Vehicles
  • All Turreted Ground Vehicles
  • All Turreted Aquatic Vehicles

Test yourself against your peers and track that progress with a visible SR (Skill Rating) that determines your place across 8 Skill Divisions.

SR (Skill Rating) & Divisions Detailed

• All players begin our first Warzone Ranked Play: Resurgence Competitive Season in Bronze I with 0 SR.
• Players earn SR based on match performance with SR awarded for Kills, Assists, Kills earned by Squadmates, and outlasting other Squads.
• Breakdown: Divisions & Tiers
  • Players can progress through eight Skill Divisions by reaching SR milestones:
    • Bronze – Starting Division
    • Silver – 900 SR 
    • Gold – 2,100 SR 
    • Platinum – 3,600 SR 
    • Diamond – 5,400 SR 
    • Crimson – 7,500 SR 
    • Iridescent – 10,000 SR 
    • Top 250 – 10,000+ SR
  • All Divisions except for Iridescent and Top 250 have 3 Tiers – Tier I, Tier II & Tier III. Climb into higher Tiers as you advance your way through each Division. 
  • Show Off Your Skill: It’s easy to see which Division someone is in in Warzone Ranked Play: Resurgence. Your entire Rank Icon will change color and material depending on your current Skill Division. Your current Tier is also prominently shown in the center of your Rank icon.
• Breakdown: Earning SR
  • Kills and Assists
  • Players gain SR over the course of each match every time they get a Kill or Assist, with Kills and Assists being treated equally to encourage teamwork between Squadmates.
  • Players also receive some SR each time a Squadmate gets a Kill, even if they didn’t contribute to the Kill.
  • To reward high-stakes Kills and teamwork, SR increases over the course of each match based on the number of Squads left alive.
    • 9 – 17 Squads Remaining: +5 SR per Kills/Assists, +3 SR per Kill by Squadmate
    • 4 – 8 Squads Remaining: +7 SR per Kills/Assists, +5 SR per Kill by Squadmate
    • 1 – 3 Squads Remaining: +10 SR per Kills/Assists, +7 SR per Kill by Squadmate
  • Final Placements
    • Players earn SR based on their Final Placement at the end of the match.
      • Top 12: 20 SR
      • Top 8: 40 SR
      • Top 5: 60 SR
      • Top 3: 80 SR
      • 1st: 100 SR
    • Players will see this SR added throughout the match. Reach Top 12 and you’ll gain 20 SR. Reach Top 8 and you will see another 20 SR for a total of 40 SR.
  • SR Tracker
    • Players will be able to see and track SR earned via Kills, Asists, Unassisted Squadmate Kills, and Placements on a visible tracker in-game.
    • The SR Tracker will be visible while alive or spectating a Squadmate and will always display your own SR for the current match.
    • If your team is eliminated, the SR Tracker will be hidden when spectating an Enemy Squad, and your final earned SR will be shown in the After Action Report.
• Breakdown: Seasonal Challenges
  • Seasonal Challenges are a new addition to the Ranked Play SR system which allow players to complete a finite amount of challenges each Season that reward a large amount of SR.
  • Players can complete the below challenges once per Season.
    • First Kill or Assist: +100 SR
    • 10 Kills or Assists: +100 SR
    • 25 Kills or Assists: +100 SR
    • 50 Kills or Assists: +100 SR
    • 100 Kills or Assists: +100 SR
    • Reach Top 8 Squad: +100 SR
    • Reach Top 5 Squad: +100 SR
    • Reach Top 3 Squad: +100 SR
    • Win a Match: +200 SR
  • These one-time Seasonal SR Challenges are intended to supercharge SR gains at the start of each player’s Warzone Ranked Play: Resurgence Season. 
• Breakdown: Death Fees
  • Death Fees are a new addition to the SR system to ensure that every combat scenario feels high-stakes and that each life has meaning in Warzone Ranked Play: Resurgence.
  • Death Fees begin at Silver I, increasing in -SR with each Division, and apply with every death.
    • Silver I-III: -2 SR per Death
    • Gold I-III: -3 SR per Death
    • Platinum I-III: -4 SR per Death
    • Diamond I-III: -5 SR per Death
    • Crimson I-III: -6 SR per Death
    • Iridescent & Top 250: -7 SR per Death
      • Death Fees do not scale with SR >10,000+.
  • Competitors cannot lose more SR than their Deployment Fee which are listed below.
• Breakdown: Deployment Fees
  • Deployment Fees are a returning Ranked Play system that ensure that each division above Silver has increasing performance expectations which must be exceeded to progress.
  • Deployment Fees apply at the beginning of each match starting at Silver I, increasing in -SR with each Division, and are deducted from each player’s current SR total.
    • Bronze I-III: FREE
    • Silver I: -10 SR
    • Silver II: -14 SR
    • Silver III: -18 SR
    • Gold I: -23 SR
    • Gold II: – 28 SR
    • Gold III: -33 SR
    • Platinum I: -39 SR
    • Platinum II: -45 SR
    • Platinum III: -51 SR
    • Diamond I: -58 SR
    • Diamond II: -65 SR
    • Diamond III: -72 SR
    • Crimson I: -80 SR
    • Crimson II: -90 SR
    • Crimson III: -100 SR
    • Iridescent & Top 250: Starts at -110 SR to -280 SR
      • Deployment Fee increases every 300 SR above 10,000+ SR.
  • Players must earn this amount of SR in the following game if they wish to advance towards the next Skill Division or Tier. Failing to earn back the Deployment Fee will result in players losing SR for the match.
• Breakdown: End of Season Skill Setback
  • At the end of each Season, your ending Skill Division and Skill Division Tier will determine where you start the following season:
    • Bronze through Crimson I Players are set back three (3) Tiers below where they finished in the previous season.
      • Example: A Player ending Season 1 in Gold III will begin Season 2 in Silver III.
    • Players Crimson II and above will start Season 2 in Diamond I.
      • The highest starting position each Season is Diamond I.

Top 250 Leaderboard & Division

• The Top 250 Division returns, ranking the top 250 Ranked Play players in the world on an in-game Leaderboard that all players can view starting Day 1 of each season from within the Resurgence Ranked Play lobby.
  • Players will qualify for the Top 250 and appear on the Leaderboard as they surpass 10,000+ SR. 
  • The top 250 players with the highest SR above 10,000 will remain on the board and compete for 1st place over the remainder of the Season.
• Ultimate Bragging Rights: In addition to new Rank and Seasonal Rewards in Warzone Ranked Play: Resurgence, the #1 Ranked Resurgence player will receive a unique, one-of-a-kind Calling Card and Emblem at the end of each Season.

Ranks

Separate from the player’s SR and Skill Division is Rank. Rank persists across Seasons to celebrate the player’s journey across their Ranked Play career.

• Breakdown: Ranks
  • All players start at Rank 1 and can progress to Rank 50.
  • Players increase their Rank by earning Stars. Each match has the ability to award three (3) Stars dependent on match placement. Earn enough Stars to reach the next Rank.
    • Stars awarded by Placement:
      • Top 8: 1 Star
      • Top 5: 2 Stars
      • 1st Place: 3 Stars

Rewards

Resurgence Ranked Play joins Modern Warfare III Multiplayer Ranked Play to deliver the most rewarding competitive Call of Duty experience ever, with a variety of valuable rewards available to players at launch and Season after Season.

• Breakdown: Rewards
  • Players can earn rewards in three ways:
    • Rank Rewards: Available at launch and can be earned in any Season.
    • Season Rewards: Available at the start of a Season and only available in that Season.
    • End of Season Rewards: Rewards that are awarded after the Season has ended and represent either your highest attained Division or an active placement in the Top 250 Division.
• Rank Rewards
  • Every 5 Ranks players will progress their Rank icon and unlock a set of Rank rewards:
    • Rank 05: ‘Sweat Buggy’ Vehicle Skin & Calling Card
    • Rank 10: ‘On the Rise’ Animated Emblem & Calling Card
    • Rank 15: ‘Carrying the Squad’ Weapon Sticker & Calling Card
    • Rank 20: ‘Team Player’ Weapon Charm & Calling Card
    • Rank 25: ‘GOAT’ Animated Emblem & Calling Card
    • Rank 30: ‘WZ Ranked Play’ Weapon Camo & Calling Card
    • Rank 35: ‘WTB Teammate’ Weapon Sticker & Calling Card
    • Rank 40: ‘Beamed’ Large Weapon Decal & Calling Card
    • Rank 45: ‘You Tried’ Weapon Charm & Calling Card
    • Rank 50: “WZ Ranked Veteran” Operator Skin, Animated Emblem, and Animated Calling Card.
• Season 2 Rewards
  • In addition to Rank Rewards, each Ranked Play Season will give players the opportunity to earn exclusive limited-time rewards.
  • Throughout Season 2, players can earn the following rewards:
    • Placement Challenges
      • Finish Top 8 25 Times: ‘Melted’ Large Weapon Decal
      • Finish Top 5 25 Times: ‘Pro Issue Striker’ SMG Blueprint
      • Finish 1st: ‘Popped Off’ Weapon Charm
    • Kill & Assist Challenges
      • Get 50 Kills or Assists: ‘WZ Ranked Play Season 2 Competitor’ Weapon Sticker
      • Get 250 Kills or Assists: ‘WZ Ranked Play Season 2’ Loading Screen
      • Get 1000 Kills or Assists: ‘WZ Ranked Play Season 2 Veteran’ Weapon Camo
• End of Season Rewards
  • At the end of each Season, players will be awarded Skill Division rewards that represent their highest attained Division that Season or an active placement in the Top 250 Division.
  • Season 2 Division Rewards
    • Bronze: ‘WZ Season 2 Bronze’ Emblem
    • Silver: ‘WZ Season 2 Silver’ Emblem
    • Gold: ‘WZ Season 2 Gold’ Large Weapon Decal and Animated Emblem
    • Platinum: ‘WZ Season 2 Platinum’ Large Weapon Decal and Animated Emblem
    • Diamond: ‘WZ Season 2 Diamond’ Large Weapon Decal and Animated Emblem
    • Crimson: ‘WZ Season 2 Crimson’ Large Weapon Decal and Animated Emblem
    • Iridescent: ‘WZ Season 2 Iridescent’ Large Weapon Decal and Animated Emblem
    • Top 250: ‘WZ Season 2 Top 250’ Large Weapon Decal, Animated Emblem, and Animated Calling Card
      • Players must finish in the Top 250 Division to qualify for these rewards.
  • Seasonal Division Operators
    • New in Modern Warfare III, Warzone Ranked Play: Resurgence competitors can also earn the Skill Division Operator Skin set for use with both 2024 CDL Male & Female Operators on both Factions.
    • Regardless of where you play, MWIII or Resurgence Ranked Play, show off your highest attained Division above Gold.
    • Once the Skins from one Skill Division have been unlocked they can be permanently used in following Seasons in Modern Warfare III and Warzone.
      • Gold – Iridescent: Earn the applicable ‘Gold Competitor’, ‘Platinum Competitor’, ‘Diamond Competitor’, ‘Crimson Competitor’, or ‘Iridescent Competitor’ Operator Skin set based on your highest Skill Division reached over the course of the Season. 
      • Top 250: Unlock the ‘Top 250 Competitor’ Operator Skin set by finishing a Season in the Top 250 Skill Division.
        • Players must finish in the Top 250 Division to qualify for these rewards.
  • Ranked Play First Place
    • The player who finishes Season 2 in the #1 position on the Top 250 Leaderboard will receive an animated unique, one-of-a-kind Calling Card and Emblem for ultimate Season 2 bragging rights.

Competitive Integrity Features

• Rejoin: Players that unintentionally disconnect from a match will be able to reconnect to the match within 4 minutes.
  • In order to uphold the Competitive Integrity of Ranked Play, certain criteria must be met in order to rejoin a match:
    • Players must have at least 1 Squad member remaining.
    • There must be at least 3 Squads remaining in the match.
    • Players can only rejoin the same match once.
    • To protect against abuse, players can have their ability to Rejoin temporarily limited if they repeatedly disconnect from matches.
  • Callouts:
    • When a player disconnects their operator will remain in match and can be eliminated as if they were playing. Players who do not Rejoin during the allotted time will have their operator fully disconnected.
    • When a disconnected player is eliminated, their Resurgence timer will countdown as expected but they will only be redeployed once reconnected.
    • Players that have been eliminated for over 3 minutes and intentionally disconnect  via ‘Leave Match’ will not be presented with the option to Rejoin.
    • Players that disconnect while operating a vehicle will be ejected from the driver’s seat.
• Squad Backout / Match Cancel: If you lose a matchmade teammate before the match begins, your squad will be taken back to the lobby so you don’t start the match shorthanded. If too many squads get backed out before the match begins, we will return everyone to the lobby to find a better match.
• Suspensions & Penalties: Disconnecting from matches early and not rejoining can result in SR Penalties and Matchmaking Suspensions. Repeated disconnects will result in higher SR Penalties and longer Suspensions.
  • Note: Players that have been eliminated for over three minutes can disconnect from the match via “Leave Match” without penalties.
• SR Forgiveness: If a matchmade teammate disconnects during a game and does not rejoin, you won’t lose any SR for the match. You’ll still be able to gain SR if you manage to gain more than your Deployment Fee. However, SR Forgiveness does not apply if a party member leaves the match early. 
• Demotion Protection: Every time you are promoted to a new Division, you’ll gain 3 games of Demotion Protection where you won’t lose any SR. Once those games have passed, if you happen to lose enough SR where you would normally get demoted, you’ll instead only lose enough SR to reach the Division SR floor (Gold would be 2100 SR for example) to give you one more chance before getting demoted.
• Party SR Restrictions: To ensure competitive fairness and balance of matches in higher Skill Divisions, players in certain Divisions can only party up with players around their current SR. The player with the highest Skill Division in the party determines which Party SR Restrictions are used:
  • Bronze – Platinum: Can party up without any restrictions
  • Diamond: Can party within 2 Skill Divisions
  • Iridescent (Including Top 250) & Crimson: Can party with players within 1 Skill Division

Additional Features

• Hot Streaks: Win a Ranked Play game to earn Victory Streak Flames that appear behind your Rank Icon in the lobby and in-game. Extend your win streak to progress the flames. Victory Streak Flames expire when you are eliminated or after 72 hours without playing a Ranked Play match. Go on a roll and the competition will know the heat is coming.
• Social Profile: Your Warzone Ranked Play: Resurgence Rank & Division icon will be added to your Social profile anywhere your profile is viewed across Modern Warfare III and Call of Duty: Warzone.

Playlist Calendar Detailed

February 7-14

• Ranked Play Resurgence
  • Fortune’s Keep
    • Trios
• Battle Royale
  • Urzikstan
    • Solos, Duos, Trios, Quads
• Resurgence
  • Fortune’s Keep
    • Solos, Duos, Trios, Quads
• Plunder
  • Urzikstan
    • Quads

February 15-21

• Ranked Play Resurgence
  • Fortune’s Keep
    • Trios
• Battle Royale
  • Urzikstan
    • Solos, Duos, Trios, Quads
• Resurgence
  • Fortune’s Keep
    • Solos, Duos, Trios, Quads
  • Vondel
    • Quads
• Lockdown
  • Vondel
    • Quads

For information about upcoming Playlists, please check out the dedicated Warzone Trello Board.

General Updates

• Audio Improvements
  • Season 2 will see a continued effort in improving threat-based in-game audio, with notable improvements including:
    
  • Ascenders
    • Audible distance and volume increased.
  • Parachute
    • Audible distance and volume increased.
    • Removed environmental sounds that could be misconstrued as parachutes.
    • Reduced enemy parachute occlusion while firing a weapon.
  • Enemy Redeploy Drone
    • Players will now hear the intended VO when enemies are landing in their vicinity after using a Redeploy Drone.

Gameplay Updates — New Features

All Modes | All Maps

• Rogue Signal New Public Event
  • A match wide public event that pits players against one another for 90 seconds to be the best at a specified task – to gather the most money, get the most kills, deal the most damage, or open the most loot chests.
  • The top three teams are rewarded with Cash, XP, and the location of a special reward cache that holds a powerful wonder weapon.
     

Resurgence | All Maps

• Squad Wipe Streak
  • Added a new “Skull and Sickles” icon next to the remaining teams, players, your kills, and players watching you.
  • This represents the number of squad wipes you achieve back-to-back within 90-second windows.
  • This stat is tracked per match and is added to your main stats along with your personal best.
  • A white flare shoots up from the last enemy player to be slain after each streak. Visible for around ten seconds, this enables rival squads to spot your aggression if they’re observant.
  • Compete with other squads and claim in-game Calling Card and Emblem rewards as you reach Squad Wipe milestones throughout this and future Seasons.
  • This feature is disabled in Ranked Play.
     

Resurgence | Fortune’s Keep

• Eradication Contract New Contract | In-Season
  • Investigate any corpse you find, following tracks to a Zombie Nest of localized Zombie activity; they are infesting the island! Destroy the cysts, and any Zombie HVTs before the Contract completes. The exact type of HVT may change depending on time and other factors.
• Zombies Power-Ups New Power Mechanics
  • Double Points: 60-second duration. Doubles Plunder from ground loot and kills, and score events in Resurgence (that contribute to teammate respawn timers).
  • Full Armor: Instant buff. Fully fills your active Armor slots on pickup.
  • Max Ammo: Instant buff. Fully fills ammo for all your carried weapons on pickup.
  • Fire Sale: 90-second duration. Reduces the price of all shop items for a small duration of time.
  • Looting Spree: 60-second duration. Adds bonus items to caches, with a very high chance of a bonus Common item, and a small but significant chance of an additional Legendary item.
  • Zarkour: 60-second duration. Increases movement speed by around 10%, with infinite Tactical Sprint and Reloading while Sprinting, and disables Fall Damage.
  • Undead Sight: 45-second duration. Operators or AI enemies within the range of your vision are highlighted red and friendly squadmates are blue. Tracker footsteps are active.

Adjusted Features

All Modes | All Maps

• Health Regen Delay
  • The speed at which you begin to heal after taking damage has been decreased to 6 seconds, down from 7.
• Health Regen Per Second
  • Regen Per Second increased to 50, up from 40

• Ground Loot
  • Weapon builds have been updated in the ground loot.
  • Newer weapons have been added.
  • Existing weapons have received improved builds.
  • Removed several Modern Warfare 2 weapons and those that came defaulted to burst fire.

• “Danger Zone” Tac Map Notification Quality of Life
  • An icon has been added to the Tac Map to show the “Danger Zone” of an incoming Precision Air Strike. Players in this area are at risk of being damaged.

• Precision Air Strike Banner Radius
  • Alongside the above, the distance at which players see the existing warning banner for a Precision Air Strike on the HUD has had a range increase.

• UAV HUD Notification Quality of Life
  • Players will now see a small red outline around their Minimap when they are under the influence of an enemy UAV in order to help better understand when they may be visible, or even pushed, by a team.

• Auto-Equip Durable Gas Mask Quality of Life
  • Players will now auto-equip the durable gas mask over the regular gas mask by default.
  • Players can still equip a regular gas mask over an equipped durable in the backpack.
• Redeploy Drone Ping Quality of Life
  • The location of the ping icon for the Redeploy Drone has been moved to the bottom of the ascender to improve player navigation.
• Death Location Highlight Quality of Life
  • The player’s death skull icon appears upon redeployment and remains visible until the player has landed. 
  • When the player has landed, the death icon will stay for an extra 10 seconds if the player landed near the death icon.
• Lootable Grenade Visibility Quality of Life
  • Loadout Markers and Smoke Grenades are now easier to spot as ground loot – they are now up right and slightly elevated from the ground. 
  • This will now match the behavior of Deployable Buy Station grenades when they are on the ground.
• Auto-Equip Stowed Killstreaks Quality of Life
  • Players will now auto-equip the next available Killstreak that is stowed in the backpack if a matching one is not found.
• Live Ping Fade Quality of Life
  • While players are aiming down sights, live enemy pings will now fade away.
• Stow Equipped Perk Pack Quality of Life
  • Players can now stow their equipped Perk Pack.

Battle Royal – Uzbekistan

• Buy Station Shuffle
  • Buy Station locations across Urzikstan have been updated to refresh the gameplay loop and combat scenarios. 
  • The number of available Buy Stations remains unchanged.
• Gulag Loadouts
  • Updated the weapon builds for all weapons in the gulag.
• Item Drops
  • Decreased the chance a Portable Radar and Suppression Mine appears in ground loot by 30%. 
• Champion’s Quest
  • Progress will reset at the launch of Season 2.
  • Defuse time decreased to 10 seconds, down from 15.
  • Chopper health increased by 10%.
  • The order of elements has changed to Beryllium, Tritium, Plutonium.

Resurgence | All Maps

• Gulag Token
  • The Gulag Token has been removed from Resurgence loot tables.

All Modes | Vondel

• Dynamic Fog System
  • The fog will now only be present in 8% of games, it was 24%.
• Loot Density
  • In the smaller or more dense POIs the loot density has decreased.

Weapons

• ADS Idle Sway
  • While a player is aimed down sight, idle sway is active. This mechanic discourages players from holding their sights for an extended period of time with a constant, subtle motion that introduces slight inaccuracy.
    • ADS idle sway now initiates shortly after aiming down sight, rather than immediately, introducing a delay to the sway curve that is generally 5ms long but varies by weapon.
      • Note: Sniper Rifles are not included in this change.
    • After the initial delay, ADS idle sway now gradually increases over a 3s period before reaching peak speed, rather than beginning at full speed upon aiming down sights.
      • Note: Sniper Rifles are not included in this change.
    • ADS idle sway now consistently begins from the position of the player’s hipfire crosshair, rather than along the sway curve.
• Hipfire Crosshair Sway
  • The trajectory of weapon bullets is represented by the hipfire crosshair position on the player’s screen. Previously, the crosshair was influenced by the direction of the weapon, causing the firing direction to deviate from the center of the screen. Today’s changes eliminate the resulting compromise to accuracy without sacrificing the weight and reactivity this motion added.
    • Hipfire crosshair will no longer sway from the center of the screen while the player moves or rotates the camera.
      • Note: We’re aware that certain Stock Attachments may re-introduce this behavior. This is unintentional, and we’ll correct these artifacts in future game updates.
    • Weapon bullet trajectory is now truly aligned with the hipfire crosshair, and thus, the center of the player’s screen.
• Looking Ahead
  • Please take some time to adjust to these changes and let us know how you feel. We’ll continue to monitor your feedback as we determine our next steps for aiming and related mechanics.

New Weapons

• BP50 (MWIII) Assault Rifle
  • A modular bullpup chambered in 5.56. Tear down the competition with a high rate of fire and exceptional accuracy for dominating at mid to long ranges.
  • Can be acquired via Battle Pass Sector B7

• RAM-9 (MWIII) Submachine Gun
  • More maneuverable and agile than its assault rifle counterpart, this bullpup SMG chambered in 9mm is lethal at close range.
  • Can be acquired via Battle Pass Sector B6

• SOA (MWIII) Subverter Battle Rifle In-Season
  • Chambered in 7.62, this hard-hitting rifle dominates at mid to longer ranges thanks to a low rate of fire and predictable recoil.
  • Can be acquired via Weekly Challenge

• Soulrender (MWIII) Melee Weapon In-Season
  • A ceremonial blade capable of razor-sharp cuts and deadly melee action in close-quarters combat.

New Aftermarket Parts

• JAK Tyrant 762 Kit
  • Compatibility: Longbow (Sniper Rifle)
  • This caliber Conversion Kit swaps out the receiver and magazine to accommodate 7.62 BLK ammunition for a harder-hitting, subsonic weapon.
  • Can be acquired via Weekly Challenge.
• JAK Limb Ripper
  • Compatibility: Underbarrel Attachment, several weapons
  • Unrivaled at creating close-quarters carnage, this underbarrel chainsaw makes quick and messy work of anyone foolish enough to stand in your way.
  • Can be acquired via Weekly Challenge.
• JAK Maglift Kit
  • Compatibility: Haymaker (Shotgun)
  • With a new binary trigger and reinforced magwell to accommodate the extra large .410 drum mag, this kit is a room-clearing machine.
  • Can be acquired via Weekly Challenge.
• JAK Glassless Optic
  • Compatibility: Optic Attachment, several weapons
  • This glassless reflex optic offers a projected dot and state of the art stabilization technology that reduces visual recoil while firing.
  • Can be acquired via Weekly Challenge.
• JAK Outlaw-277 KitIn-Season
  • Compatibility: BAS-B (Battle Rifle)
  • This Conversion Kit transforms the BAS-B into a lever-action rifle, slowing fire rate but vastly improving accuracy for deadlier precision.
  • Can be acquired via Weekly Challenge.
• JAK Burnout KitIn-Season
  • Compatibility: Holger 26 (Light Machine Gun)
  • Gives the Holger 26 an adverse fire mode that provides a dramatically increased fire rate but will overheat and expand the barrel, introducing increased recoil over time. 
  • Can be acquired via Battle Pass.
• JAK Backsaw KitIn-Season
  • Compatibility: Holger 556 (Assault Rifle)
  • Gives the Holger 556 a high capacity drum magazine and a side-by-side double barrel, allowing for the weapon to fire two bullets at once.
  • Can be acquired via Weekly Challenge.

Weapon Adjustments

General

• We’ve reduced the recoil on all weapons while using them in Tac Stance.
• A number of improvements have been made to Modern Warfare II weapons:
  • Assault Rifles
    • Increased movement speed while aiming down sights.
  • Battle Rifles
    • Increased movement speed while aiming down sights and while crouched.
  • Marksman Rifles
    • Increased movement speed while aiming down sights and while crouched.
  • Light Machine Guns
    • Increased movement speed while aiming down sight, while crouched and while strafing.
  • Sniper Rifles
    • Increased movement speed while aiming down sight, while crouched and while strafing.

Assault Rifles

• RAM-7 (MWIII)
  • Mid Damage reduced to 24, down from 28.
  • Min Damage reduced to 22, down from 25.
• MCW (MWIII)
  • Increased aim down sight time to 265ms, up from 240ms.
  • Increased sprint to fire time to 252ms, up from 241ms.
• Holger 556 (MWIII)
  • Increased aim down sight time to 270ms, up from 260ms.
• TR-76 Geist (MWII)
  • Headshot Damage Modifier reduced to 1.25x, down from 1.3x.
  • Upper Torso Damage Modifier increased to 1.15x, up from 1.05x.
  • Arm and Hand Damage Modifier increased to 1.15x, up from 0.96x.

Battle Rifles

• BAS-B (MWIII)
  • Max Damage reduced to 30, down from 35.
  • Increased sprint to fire time to 252ms, up from 231ms.
  • Increased aim down sight time to 270ms, up from 260ms.
  • Increased hipfire spread minimum to 2.9deg/s, up from 2.3deg/s.
• MTZ-762 (MWIII)
  • Semi-Auto damage override has been removed.
    • The weapon now does the same damage in semi-auto as it does in automatic.
• Sidewinder (MWIII)
  • Increased bullet velocity to 600m/s, up from 540m/s.
  • Decreased recoil and gun kick significantly.
  • JAK Thunder LMG Kit
    • Increased delay before accelerated rate of fire begins to decay to 500ms, up from 200ms.
    • Decreased accelerated rate of fire decay rate to 240rpm/s, down from 300rpm/s.
    • Increased gun kick control and recoil control by 35%.

SMGs

• HRM-9 (MWIII)
  • Max Damage Range reduced to 12.9m, down from 16.5m.
• WSP-9 (MWIII)
  • Max Damage Range increased to 18m, up from 16.5m.
  • Near-Mid Damage Range increased to 26.7m, up from 22.9m.
  • Decreased aim down sight time 220ms, down from 240ms.
  • Broodmother .45 Kit 
    • Decreased aim down sight time to 241ms, down from 270ms.
    • Decreased movement speed penalties by 50%.

Shotguns

• Lockwood 680 (MWIII)
  • Mid Damage reduced to 30, down from 44.
  • Defender Heavy Long Barrel
    • Increased sprint to fire time penalty to 30%, up from 8%.
• Haymaker (MWIII)
  • 12 Gauge Dragon’s Breath
    • Max Damage Range decreased to 2.9m, down from 3.5m.
    • Near-Mid Damage Range decreased to 4.1m, down from 4.8m.
• Riveter (MWIII)
  • Near-Mid Mid Damage Range reduced to 5.5m, down from 6.3m.
  • .410 Gauge Incendiary
    • Max Damage Range decreased to 2.5, down from 3.0m.
    • Near-Mid Damage Range decreased to 3.3, down from 3.8m.
• Bryson 890 (MWII)
  • Mid Damage Range reduced to 10.4m, down from 13.2m.
• KV Broadside (MWII)
  • Decreased sprint to fire time to 189ms, down from 210ms.
  • Decreased aim down sight time to 240ms, down from 330ms.
• Lockwood 300 (MWII) 
  • 12 Gauge Dragon’s Breath
    • Max Damage Range decreased to 2.6m , down from 3.3m.
    • Near-Mid Damage Range decreased to 5.3m, down from 7.1m. 
• MX Guardian (MWII)
  • 12 Gauge Dragon’s Breath
    • Max Damage Range decreased to 2.9m, down from 3.5m.
    • Near-Mid Damage Range decreased to 4.8m, down from 5.5m.

LMGs

• Pulemyot 762 (MWIII)
  • Jak Annihilator Bullpup Kit
    • Near-Mid Damage set to 32. New Variable
    • Near-Mid Damage Range set to 38.1m. New Variable
    • Min Damage reduced to 30, down from 34.
• TAQ Evolvere (MWIII)
  • Max Damage increased to 34, up from 26.
  • Max Damage Range reduced to 30.5m, down from 45.8m.
  • Near-Mid Damage 29. New Variable
  • Near-Mid Damage Range 45.8m. New Variable
  • Min Damage increased to 26, up from 20.
• TAQ Eradicator (MWIII)
  • Increased sprint to fire time to 252ms, up from 210ms.
  • Increased sprint to fire time to 340ms, up from 330ms.
• 556 Icarus (MWII)
  • Decreased sprint to fire time to 235ms, down from 250ms.
• RAAL MG (MWII)
  • Decreased sprint to fire time to 199ms, down from 216ms.
  • Decreased aim down sight time to 330ms, down from 390ms.
• RPK (MWII)
  • Decreased aim down sight time to 380ms, down from 410ms.

Marksman Rifles

• KVD Enforcer (MWIII)
  • Decreased headshot multiplier to 1.4x, down from 1.8x.
• MTZ Interceptor (MWIII)
  • Increased sprint to fire time to 262ms, up from 252ms.
  • Increased aim down sight time to 280ms, up from 265ms.
  • Decreased neck multiplier to 1.0x, down from 1.62x.
• MCW 6.8 (MWIII)
  • Decreased aim down sight time to 245ms, down from 271ms.
  • Decreased hipfire spread minimum to 4.1deg/s, down from 5deg/s.
  • Decreased hipfire spread maximum to 10deg/s, down from 12.1deg/s.
  • Decreased bullet velocity to 930m/s, down from 1,016m/s.
• LM-S (MWII)
  • Reduced intensity of aim down sight idle sway.
• Crossbow (MWII)
  • Neck Damage Multiplier increased to 3x, up from 1.2x.
  • Lower limb Damage Multipliers increased to 1x, up from 0.9x. 

Sniper Rifles

• XRK Stalker (MWIII)
  • Now one-shot downs to the head within its Max Damage Range
  • Max damage range increased to 50.8 meters. 
• Longbow (MWIII)
  • Min Damage reduced to 73, down from 75.
  • Decreased aim down sight time to 520ms, down from 550ms.
• Signal 50 (MWII)
  • Near-Mid Damage Range reduced to 62.3m, down from 67.4m.
• SP-X 80 (MWII)
  • Increased aim down sight time to 545ms, up from 521ms.
     

Handguns

• Renetti (MWIII)
  • JAK Ferocity Carbine Kit
    • Reduced movement speed penalties by 50%.
• WSP Stinger (MWIII)
  • Max Damage increased to 24, up from 20.
  • Near-Mid Damage increased to 22, up from 16.
  • Min Damage increased to 20, up from 14.
• .50 GS (MWII)
  • Max Damage increased to 78, up from 72.
• Basilisk (MWII)
  • Lower Torso Damage Modifier increased to 1.2x, up from 1.0x.
     

Melee

• Gutter Knife (MWIII)
  • Decreased melee lunge distance by 30%.
• Karambit (MWIII)
  • Decreased melee lunge distance by 30%.
• Combat Knife (MWII)
  • Decreased melee lunge distance by 30%.
• Dual Kodachis (MWII)
  • Decreased melee lunge distance by 30%.
• Dual Kamas (MWII)
  • Decreased melee lunge distance by 30%.
• Pickaxe (MWII)
  • Decreased melee lunge distance by 30%.
     

Adjusted Adjustments

•  JAK BFB Muzzle
  • Decreased gun kick control benefit to 55%, down from 60%.
  • Decreased vertical recoil control benefit to 35%, down from 40%.
  • Increased aim down sight time penalty to 15%, up from 12%.
  • Increased sprint to fire time penalty to 14%, up from 11%.
  • Increased aim walking speed penalty to 17%, up from 14%.
  • Added 18% bullet velocity penalty.

Perks

General Adjustments

• Several perk descriptions have been updated for clarity.
• The spacing of perks located on the HUD has been increased for more separation between them and the tac stance indicator. 

Perk Adjustments

• Flex Perk
  • Revised audio levels while equipped.
• Irradiated
  • Will now reduce gas damage by 20%, up from 10%.
  • Allows players to replace armor plates while in the gas.
• Battle Hardened
  • Will now show the “resist” icon for the killstreak owner when a player resists the Guardian.
• Quick Fix
  • Quick fix will now correctly begin regenerating health when the player inserts an armor plate.
• Shrouded
  • The deployed smoke grenade has a slight randomized offset so that it is not deployed directly on top of the player.

Equipment

Adjusted Equipment

• Claymore
  • Following a related bug fix, players can expect the following damage values from claymores:
    • Close damage 170.
    • Far Damage 100.
• C4
  • Throw velocity increased to 425m/s, up from 392m/s.
  • The charge can now be thrown between 5m to 15m based on the type of throw.
• Breacher Drone
  • Close Damage decreased to 175, down from 200.
• Frag Grenade
  • Close Damage increased to 275, up from 250.
  • Mid Damage increased to 200, up from 150.
  • Far Damage increased to 175, up from 105.
• Gas Mask
  • Gas Mask health reduced to 100, down from 120.
  • Durable Gas Mask health reduced to 200, down from 240.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue causing a fourth melee hit to instantly down a second target.
• Fixed several geography issues throughout Urzikstan.
  • Yes, that includes doing some excavating near the historic Urzikstan Plateau.
• Fixed collision issues with various elements across Urzikstan allowing Players to exploit/peek/shoot through them.
• Fixed an issue causing the Battle Hardened hitmarker not to appear when a player with Battle Hardened is hit by an enemy Guardian.
• Fixed an issue where vehicles were not taking the intended amount of damage from lethal equipment. 
• Fixed an issue where ultimate perks were not being correctly removed and reset when switching perk packages. 
• Fixed an issue when hovering over an active mosquito drone on the tac map did not have any name.
• Fixed several issues that prevented a Players death icon from appearing.
• Fixed an issue preventing a Player from seeing their death icon if they did not fight anyone in the Gulag.
• Fixed an issue causing the Ammo Caches on Plunder to have lower cooldowns.
• Fixed an issue allowing a Player to respawn after the Resurgence countdown ended.
• Fixed an issue causing the Loot Crate icon from the Scavenger Contract to not appear.
• Fixed an issue causing multiple of the same Field Upgrade to spawn next to one another in ground loot.
• Fixed a collision issue with the Cash Drop Crate.
• Fixed an issue that would cause performance issues when opening the Tac-Map.
• Fixed an issue that would cause a ping on the enemy to appear as a Loadout Crate icon.
• Fixed an issue where a mushroom cloud would be visible in the victory cinematic even though the nuke was defused.
• Fixed an issue causing the Nuke icon to be visible to Players in the Gulag.
• Fixed an issue preventing Players from joining a Private Match after receiving an invite.
• Fixed an issue causing the Riot Shield to clip through the Player during the Exfil scene.
• Fixed an issue causing Champion’s Quest element icons to disappear after returning from the Gulag.
• Fixed a UI issue with the Resurgence timer in the Player Squad widget.
• Fixed an issue causing an Operator to appear invisible in the Exfil scene.
• Fixed an issue with the “Go Again” Gulag event that allowed Players to spectate an enemy instead of their alive teammate.
• Fixed an issue preventing Players from going down fire station tower stairs.
• Fixed an issue with incorrect accolades appearing during the Exfil scene.
• Fixed an issue that incorrectly details how much money a Redeploy Pack and a Gulag Token rewards Players.
• Fixed an issue causing the rarity of Mortar Strikes to be displayed incorrectly in the backpack.
• Fixed an issue where the red skull icon would overlap with the money in the Squad Widget.
• Fixed an issue preventing a cooldown on “request” pings from teammates.
• Fixed an issue preventing ATVs and PWCs from automatically exploding after receiving maximum damage.
• Fixed an issue that caused Gas Masks to be damaged when bought from a Buy Station.
• Fixed an issue in Plunder, causing the Cash Deposit Balloon to display the incorrect amount of money being deposited.
• Fixed an issue preventing the favorite icon from appearing on a favorited loadout.
• Fixed an issue that caused the EMP Killstreak to be displayed incorrectly in the backpack.
• Fixed an issue causing Black Site Keys to spawn when there is no Black Site available.

That does it for the full MW3 Warzone Season 2 Patch Notes. With Ranked Play, a new map, a returning map, and a new battle pass, there are plenty of reasons to jump back into CoD. We’ve got plenty more for you to discover at our guides hub here, like the 10 best weapons to increase your k/d, and more.