MW3 devs nerf overpowered secondary weapon plaguing Ranked Play matches

And there's more restrictions coming.

Soldiers moving out in MW3
Image via Activision

The first day of Modern Warfare 3’s Ranked Play mode has been a hit for most, save for a few complaints, like one overpowered secondary weapon. Thankfully for those players, though, Treyarch has already listened.

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Secondary melee weapons, like the combat knife, are a popular pick for some CoD players in Ranked on their classes, specifically because they allow the player to run faster. But the bigger issue is that they had the ability to kill in one hit.

MW3 Ranked Play skins
Watch your back out there. Image via Activision

Not anymore. Treyarch announced on Jan. 19 that secondary melee weapons will now kill in two hits instead of one, much to the joy of players everywhere who have been getting panic-knifed on objective hills or in Search and Destroy since the mode went live.

Additionally, though, Treyarch made a statement that it intends “to closely follow Pro GAs (Gentleman’s Agreements) during the MW3 Competitive Season,” meaning other weapons and attachments will soon be banned from Ranked Play, too.

Examples given by Treyarch as restrictions upcoming in a future update include the SVA 545, RAM-7, new HRM-9 SMG, and XRK Stalker for weapons. Soon-to-be banned equipment includes Tactical Pads, JAK Bullseye, and the new, powerful, JAK BFB compensator.

“The reception for MW3 Ranked Play has been [three fire emojis], and we’re excited to see who will reach the Top 250 first,” said Treyarch, who developed the mode for Sledgehammer’s MW3. “Like always, we’ll be keeping an eye on things and tuning in to streams! GLHF, and feel free to link yours below.”

Ranked Play was added to MW3 yesterday following a delay of just over a day after a “critical issue” was found that needed to be fixed before it could be deployed. Similarly, Warzone’s nuke quest was disabled for the first day of the update to protect the integrity of the achievement while the game was fixed.

Author
Image of Scott Duwe
Scott Duwe
Senior Staff Writer & Call of Duty lead. Professional writer for over 10 years. Lover of all things Marvel, Destiny 2, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and more. Previous bylines include PC Gamer, Red Bull Esports, Fanbyte, and Esports Nation. DogDad to corgis Yogi and Mickey, sports fan (NY Yankees, NY Jets, NY Rangers, NY Knicks), Paramore fanatic, cardio enthusiast.