Modern Warfare 3 players flame “garbage” armory unlock system

Ryan Lemay
Modern Warfare 3 armory unlock system

Community members mostly praised Modern Warfare 3’s multiplayer, but the new armory unlock system raised eyebrows.

Infinity Ward attempted to streamline Modern Warfare 2’s unlock process with weapon platforms, but community members slammed the “mind-boggling” system. For example, players had to level up the M14 to 14 in order to unlock an attachment for the FTAC Recon. Players couldn’t wrap their heads around using weapons to earn attachments for other guns.

Modern Warfare 3 replaced weapon platforms with a new controversial system. In MW3, most items are unlocked by reaching the maximum rank of 55, however, some weapons, equipment, perks, killstreaks, and attachments are locked behind armory unlocks.

Players don’t gain access to armory unlocks until they reach level 25, and that’s when the real chaos begins.

MW3 community members question purpose of armory unlocks

Once a player gains access to armory unlocks in Modern Warfare 3, they then choose one of 58 items to progress toward adding to their arsenal. The cost of each item depends on what it is. For example, the DDoS Field Upgrade requires five daily challenges to unlock.

But what the devs don’t tell you is that after completing the three daily challenges available on any given day, there is still a way to earn progression toward unlocking an item. Each win after completing every daily challenge contributes to the armory unlock system.

Getting wins may seem like a straightforward enough process to unlock new items, but players don’t necessarily agree.

A frustrated community member took to Reddit and argued: “Making me rely on teammates, primarily randoms, in order to unlock the best attachments, killstreaks, perks, equipment, lethals, etc. Is the worst possible thing to do and makes me really not want to play the game.”

Other segments of the player base agreed as a second user added: “The system is garbage and shouldn’t exist.”

But interestingly enough players can bypass relying on teammates by getting first place in a free-for-all match.

That solution still didn’t satisfy players as a third person argued: “At no point is it ever ok to Put gameplay-altering gear and weapons behind some kind of unlock wall.”

It remains to be seen if the Modern Warfare 3 devs have any plans to alter the system.

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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.