Why is Ranked Play down in MW3?

When can I grind the ladder again!?

CoD operators take aim at enemies on the new map Rio in MW3 Season One Reloaded.
Image via Activision

There’s nothing more annoying than when you try to play a game and can’t, like when Ranked Play is down in Modern Warfare 3.

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Time is money, and Call of Duty players often look to spend their time grinding out Ranked Play to earn exclusive rewards, rank points, and bragging rights against common opponents within the ladder and skill divisions they’re placed in.

Ranked Play downtime is a bummer, but it’s usually not a very long affair. Still, it’s understandably frustrating when free time is here but ranked time is not. We’ve got you covered, though, with all the details you need to rank up again when you can.

Here are all the details on why Ranked Play is down in MW3 and when we can expect it to return.

Why is Ranked Play down in MW3?

MW3 Ranked Play
Can’t get these skins if you can’t play. Image via Activision

Ranked Play is down on the launch day of season six, Sept. 18, for maintenance downtime in between seasons. The servers will be down from 2am CT and Ranked Play won’t return until after the new update has been deployed and season five is live.

This is a normal occurrence. Ranked Play goes down routinely in MW3 because there is downtime at the start of each season or major update. When a new update goes live, specifically a new season update, Ranked Play is made unavailable and then brought back within a few hours once statistics are reset. Be patient, it’s usually just a couple of hours after the update becomes playable.

In the case of previous downtime earlier in the year on Feb. 23 in season two, that was because of widespread server problems causing major issues in the game. It was soon fixed, but it’s possible this could happen again at any time, so keep an eye out on social pages for news.

Make sure to follow @CODUpdates or @Treyarch on Twitter for official information directly from Activision and CoD developers to know details down to the minute.

When is MW3 Ranked Play coming back?

MW3 Ranked Play season 6 rewards
New rewards in season six. Image via Activision

MW3 Ranked Play will return in the after the launch of season six, according to Activision. Season six will go live around 11am CT on Sept.18, so Ranked Play should return any time after that within the day, unless there are more issues.

Until the Ranked Play playlist returns, we suggest ranking up the new battle pass, unlocking new guns, trying out new maps, and having some fun while warming up for whenever the Ranked mode returns to MW3. If you’re still having issues playing, try a different game or just wait it out.

Ranked Play should be back soon, so sit tight and get ready to hop back in for new rewards and ranks within a new season.

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.