How to Get Raw Aetherium Crystals in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies

Raw Aetherium Crystals can upgrade your weapons in Zombies.

How to Get Raw Aetherium Crystals in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies
Image via Activision

You can find multiple upgrades and helpful items while exploring the Modern Warfare 3 Zombies map, many of which are rewards for completing contracts. A rare item many will want to hunt down are the Raw Aetherium Crystals, which you can use to Pack-a-Punch your weapons.

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The Raw Aetherium Crystals are not the only way you can Pack-a-Punch a weapon, but they allow you to do it instantly. It’s an excellent way to save money on other items you might want to purchase, and you don’t have to go searching for a Pack-a-Punch machine.

Locating Raw Aetherium Crystals is the real challenge, and this guide shows you how to get them in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies.

Where to find Raw Aetherium Crystals in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies to instantly Pack-a-Punch weapons

Where to Find Raw Aetherium Crystals in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies
Aetherium Crystals from completing contracts. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The Raw Aetherium Crystals you find in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies come from completing contracts or finding Schematics of them by looting caches. Between the two options, finishing a contract with your party is likely the best way to reliably find Raw Aetherium Crystals. They should appear in the glowing, purple rift that spawns after you finish a contract during a Zombies match.

The unfortunate thing is how infrequently they appear as a reward. Every reward you receive after completing a Modern Warfare 3 Zombies contract is randomly generated, and that means it’s never a guaranteed item for you to receive. You might go multiple matches before you receive a Raw Aetherium Crystal as a reward and you can apply it to one of your weapons.

The alternative to completing contracts in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies is looting a Raw Aetherium Crystal schematic. A schematic can appear whenever you’re looting a cache, and when you exfil with one in your inventory, you’ll be able to use one before you begin a Zombies match. However, the item goes on cooldown whenever you activate a schematic like the Raw Aetherium Crystal before a match. You won’t be able to use it again until the timer has finished, which can take several hours.

Many Modern Warfare 3 Zombies players will be on the hunt for a Raw Aetherium Crystal. They’re exceptionally helpful, providing a level of Pack-a-Punch to the weapon you’re holding and providing it a hefty enhancement. I’ve discovered that you won’t last too long in a Zombies match without giving each of your weapons a Pack-a-Punch upgrade, which can quickly become expensive.

The Raw Aetherium Crystals are a great workaround to avoid paying for those improvements.

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Zack Palm
Zack Palm has been writing about video games for the past five years. He spends his free time trying to learn about a new board, reading high-fantasy series, or working on his latest DnD character.