All Modern Warfare 3 Zombies acts & rewards

Ryan Lemay
MW3 Zombies gameplay

MW3 Zombies presents a much different story than Zombies fans are familiar with. Instead of delivering a plot through Easter Eggs and lore, MW3 utilizes multiple acts as a narrative device.

The Modern Warfare 3 Zombies story starts with Viktor Zakhaev, the ultranationalist arms dealer and villain, discovering two vials with an unknown substance. The military police try to stop Zakhaev, and the skirmish devolves into a gunfight.

Outnumbered and out of options, Zakhaev throws one of the vials toward the police, and the vessel shatters, and purple smoke engulfs the entire street, transforming everyone into zombies.

Operation Deadbolt tasks squads with stopping Zakhaev and Terminus Outcomes, a private military company, from stealing more resources while also containing the zombie outbreak before it spreads any further. Players complete acts to progress the story further.

Contents

Zombies in Modern Warfare 3

MW3 Zombies Act 1 missions and rewards

The first set of MW3 Zombies missions are designed to get squads familiar with the game mode’s mechanics. Players learn the ins and outs of every system, setting the stage for later and more difficult tasks later in the story.

Tier 1

Direct Line

  • [1/3] Ping a Contract in the Tac Map
  • [2/3] Complete a Contract
  • [3/3] Exfil
  • Rewards: Jugger-Nog Can Acquisition & 1500 XP

Treasure Hunter

  • Open 25 Loot Caches
  • Rewards: Instant Insanity Sticker & 1500 XP

Road Rage

  • [1/2] Kill 30 Zombies by running them over with vehicles
  • [2/2] Repair 1 vehicle tire
  • Rewards: Stamin-Up Can Acquisition & 1500 XP

Wall Power

  • [1/2] Purchase a weapon from a Wall Buy
  • [2/2] Kill 50 Zombies with a Wall Buy weapon
  • Rewards: Get Smoked Emblem & 1500 XP

Firepower

  • [1/2] Pack-A-Punch a weapon to Level 1
  • [2/2] Kill 50 Zombies with a Level 1 Pack-A-Punch weapon
  • Rewards: Uncommon Aether Tool Acquisition & 1500 XP

Take up Arms

  • [1/2] Purchase a primary weapon from a Mystery Box
  • [2/2] Kill 50 Zombies with a Mystery Box weapon
  • Rewards: Cryo Freeze Ammo Mod Acquisition & 1500 XP

Tier 2

Interceptor

  • [1/2] Destroy Mercenary Convoy
  • [2/2] Collect Stronghold Keycard dropped by Mercenary Convoy
  • Rewards: Bone Rattle Weapon Blueprint & 3000 XP

Tier 3

Freezer Burn

  • [1/2] Slow 50 Zombies with Cyro Freeze Ammo Mod
  • [2/2] Slow 10 Hellhounds with Cyro Freeze Ammo Mod
  • Rewards: Baseball Fan Calling Card & 1500 XP

Minelayer

  • [1/2] Kill 25 Zombies with the Energy Mine Field Upgrade
  • [2/2] Kill 15 Mercenaries with the Energy Min Field Upgrade
  • Rewards: Rare Aether Tool Acquisition & 1500 XP

Pit Stop

  • Fully refuel 3 different vehicles at Gas Stations
  • Rewards: Double XP Token Consumable & 1500 XP

Saboteur

  • [1/4] Complete an Aether Extractor Contract
  • [2/4] Kill 15 Mercenaries guarding the Extractor
  • [3/4] Shoot down a reinforcement helicopter
  • [4/4] Exfil with the Uncommon Aether Tool
  • Rewards: Hamlet Charm & 1500 XP
how to skip armory challenges MW3 zombies

Automated Backup

  • Activate 3 Deadbolt Turrets with Ammo Mods
  • Rewards: Death Perception Acquisition & 1500 XP

Tier 4

Infiltrator

  • [1/3] Obtain a Stronghold Keycard
  • [2/3] Clear a Terminus Outcomes Stronghold
  • [3/3] Retrieve Terminus Outcomes Record from Stronghold
  • Rewards: Raw Aetherium Acquisition & 3000 XP

Tier 5

Hands Off

  • [1/3] Kill 20 Zombies with Sentry Guns
  • [2/3] Kill 10 Mercenaries with Sentry Guns
  • [3/3] Acquire Cyphered Tablet
  • Rewards: Mayhem on Wheels Calling Card & 1500 XP

Blasted

  • [1/2] Destroy armor on 25 Zombies using Shatter Blast Ammo Mod
  • [2/2] Acquire Cyphered Tablet
  • Rewards: Napalm Burst Ammo Mod Acquisition & 1500 XP

Bring ‘Em On

  • [1/3] Kill 50 Zombies with Frenzied Guard Field Upgrade
  • [2/3] Kill a Special or Elite Enemy with Frenzied Guard Field Upgrade
  • [3/3] Acquire a Cyphered Tablet
  • Rewards: Double Weapon XP Consumable & 1500 XP

Hostile Takeover

  • [1/2] Loot 3 Safes
  • [2/2] Kill 50 enemies while drilling Safes
  • Rewards: Masked Charm & 1500 XP

Chaperone

  • [1/4] Complete an Escort Contract
  • [2/4] Kill 75 Zombies during a single Escort Contract
  • [3/4] Maintain ACV’s health above 50%
  • [4/4] Exfil with Quick Revive Recipe
  • Rewards: Rare Aether Tool Acquisition & 1500 XP

Nest Wrecker

  • [1/3] Obtain a Gas Mask
  • [2/3] Destroy an Aether Nest
  • [3/3] Acquire Cyphered Tablet
  • Rewards: Shatter Blast Acquisition & 1500 XP

Tier 6

Where’s Dr. Jansen?

  • [1/3] Complete an Outlast Contract
  • [2/3] Obtain Dr. Jansen’s Tablet
  • [3/3] Exfil
  • Rewards: Ride and Die Calling Card & 3000 XP

Extraction

  • [1/2] Deploy to Dr. Jansen’s Coordinates
  • [2/2] Bring Dr. Jansen in for Questioning
  • Rewards: Rage and Fire Loading Screen

Completing all Act 1 missions will unlock the secret Act 1 ending cutscene and the Act 2 missions with harder objectives and more rewards.

Does Modern Warfare 3 have Zombies?

Every MW3 Zombies Act 2 mission and reward

With all the basics under your belt, Act 2 puts your knowledge to the task with increasingly difficult missions and enemies to take on. Through these missions, squads will become more familiar with how Field Upgrades work and ammo mods.

Tier 1

Same Day Delivery

  • [1/3] Complete a Cargo Delivery Contract
  • [2/3] Destroy the enemy helicopter chasing the Cargo Delivery Vehicle
  • [3/3] Destroy the Cargo Delivery vehicle after completing the contract
  • Rewards: Refined Aetherium Crystal & 3000 XP

Tier 2

Safe Cracker

  • [1/4] Complete a Raid Weapon Stash Contract
  • [2/4] Kill 30 Zombies attracted by the safe drill
  • [3/4] Do not allow the safe drill to pause
  • [4/4] Exfil with the Cyro Freeze Formula
  • Rewards: Quick Revive Can Acquisition & 2000 XP

Ascension

  • [1/1] Use a Redeploy Drone to free fall or parachute
  • Rewards: Pistol Partner Emblem & 2000 XP

Merc Cleanup

  • [1/2] Kill 20 Mercenaries in Merc Camps
  • [2/2] Loot 3 Merc Camp caches
  • Rewards: Deadshot Daiquiri Can Acquisition & 2000 XP

Reaper

  • [1/2] Collect 15 Items from Harvester Orbs
  • [2/2] Destroy 3 Harvester Orbs
  • Rewards: PHD Flopper Can Acquisition & 2000 XP

Guardian Angel

  • [1/1] Heal Operators 20 Times with Healing Aura Field Upgrade
  • Rewards: Epic Aether Tool Acquisition & 2000 XP

Shocked

  • [1/2] Stun 25 Zombies with Dead Wire Ammo Mod
  • [2/2] Stun 5 Special Zombies with Dead Wire Ammo Mod
  • Rewards: Madness Sticker & 2000 XP

Tier 3

More Firepower

  • [1/3] Pack-a-Punch a weapon to Level 2.
  • [2/3] Kill 75 Zombies with a Level 2 Pack-a-Punch Weapon
  • [3/3] Kill a Special Zombie with a Level 2 Pack-A-Punch Weapon
  • Rewards: Survivors Calling Card & 2000 XP

Bounty Hunter

  • [1/3] Complete a Big Bounty Contract for a Mangler
  • [2/3] Complete a Big Bounty Contract for a Disciple
  • [3/3] Complete a Big Bounty Contract for a Mimic
  • Rewards: Dead Wire Ammo Mod Acquisition & 2000 XP

Essence of Aether

  • [1/3] Collect the Essence Sample in Hamza Bazaar at Hadiqa Farms
  • [3/3] Collect the Essence Sample in Rostova Shops at Levin Resort
  • [3/3] Collect the Essence Sample in Quadri Shopping Center at Zaravan City
  • Rewards: Speed Cola Can Acquisition & 2000 XP

Tier 4

Heist

  • [1/2] Complete an Aether Extractor Contract
  • [2/2] Collect a filled Essence Container from an Aether Extract Contract
  • Rewards: Cranial Adjustment Charm & 3000 XP

Tier 5

Mind Control

  • [1/2] Turn 20 Zombies with Brain Rot Ammo Mod
  • [2/2] Allow 25 Zombies to be killed by turned Zombies
  • Rewards: Elemental Pop Can Acquisition & 2500 XP

Frost Bite

  • [1/2] Freeze 50 Zombies with the Frost Blast Field Upgrade
  • [2/2] Freeze 5 Mimics with Frost Blast Field Upgrade
  • Rewards: Double XP Token Consumable & 2500 XP

Exterminator

  • [1/3] Complete a Sport Control Contract
  • [2/3] Complete the Contract in under 2 minutes
  • [3/3] Obtain Rare Aether Tool Schematic and Exfil
  • Rewards: Bad Biker Calling Card & 2500 XP

Shepherd

  • [1/2] Deploy the Neutralizer Test Site
  • [2/2] Successfully test the Neutralizer
  • Rewards: Warmageddon Vehicle Skin & 5000 XP

When you complete all Act 2 missions, the secret Act 2 ending cutscene will unlock. Act 3 missions will become available with increased difficulty objectives and more rewards.

Fans call MW3 Zombies boring

All MW3 Zombies Act 3 missions and rewards

Act 3 takes the training wheels off and throws teams into the deep end. Squads must be prepared to take on bosses and complete challenging missions that will take multiple attempts. This all leads to an epic boss battle at the end, worth grinding toward.

Tier 1

Two Factor Authentication

  • [1/4] Complete a Defend Ground Station Contract
  • [2/4] Kill 20 Mercenaries during the Contract
  • [3/4] Maintain the computer’s health above 60
  • [4/4] Exfil with the Death Perception Recipe
  • Rewards: Flawless Aetherium Crystal Acquisition & 3000 XP

Tier 2

Firestarter

  • [1/2] Ignite 50 Zombies with Napalm Burst Ammo Mod
  • [2/2] Ignite 5 Special Zombies with Napalm Burst Ammo Mod
  • Rewards: Epic Aether Tool Acquisition & 2500 XP

Ghosted

  • [1/2] Kill 100 Zombies with Aether Shroud Field Upgrade
  • [2/2] Kill 20 Mercenaries with Aether Shroud
  • Rewards: Saw Blade Emblem & 2500 XP

Alternate Current

  • [1/2] Hit 10 Mercenaries with Tesla Storm Field Upgrade
  • [2/2] Kill 50 Zombies affected by Tesla Storm Field Upgrade
  • Rewards: Brain Rot Ammo Mod Acquisition & 2500 XP

Most Firepower

  • [1/3] Pack-a-Punch a weapon to Level 3
  • [2/3] Kill 100 Zombies with Level 3 Pack-a-Punch Weapon
  • [3/3] Kill a Megabomb with Level 3 Pack-a-Punch Weapon
  • Rewards: Carnage Charm & 2500 XP

Paint the Target

  • [1/3] Kill 20 Mercenaries with Precision Airstrike
  • [2/3] Hit a Mercenary Convoy with a Precision Airstrike
  • [3/3] Hit a Merc Camp with a Precision Airstrike
  • Rewards: Tombstone Can Acquisition & 2500 XP

Crash and Burn

  • [1/1] Shoot down 3 Enemy Helicopters
  • Rewards: Double Weapon XP Consumable & 2500 XP

Tier 3

Storm the Castle

  • [1/4] Complete a Merc Camp
  • [2/4] Clear a Merc Stronghold
  • [3/4] Defeat Warlord
  • [4/4] Collect Strauss’s Research
  • Rewards: Malicious Weapon Blueprint & 3000 XP

Tier 4

Closing Time

  • [1/3] Enter the Aether Storm
  • [2/3] Kill 50 Zombies inside the Aether Storm
  • [3/3] Defeat Stormcaller inside the Aether Storm
  • Rewards: Legendary Aether Tool Acquisition & 2500 XP

Spring Cleaning

  • [1/1] Clean an infested Stronghold in the High Threat Zone
  • Rewards: Death Rig Sticker & 2500 XP

Holdout

  • [1/3] Complete an Outlast Contract
  • [2/3] Kill 50 Zombies inside the corrupted space
  • [3/3] Exfil with the Wunderwaffe DG-2 Plans
  • Rewards: Ray Gun Acquisition & 2500 XP

Defeat Zakhaev

  • [1/2] Deploy to Zakhaev’s Stronghold
  • [2/2] Cleanse the Exclusion Zone
  • Rewards: The Bone Collector Operator Skin & 10000 XP

Related Topics

About The Author

Ryan is a former games writer for Dexerto. Ryan graduated from Ithaca College in 2021 with a sports media degree and a journalism minor. He gained experience as a writer for the Morning Times newspaper before joining Dexerto as a games writer. He mainly writes about first-person shooters, including Call of Duty and Battlefield, but he is also a big FIFA fan.