MW3 players celebrate “long overdue” Riot Shield change in Season 1
ActivisionFans of Modern Warfare 3 have been calling for Riot Shield changes since launch. To players’ delight, it seems like a Riot Shield rebalancing is finally set to arrive with Season 3.
Modern Warfare 3 Season 1 is right around the corner and players are eager to test out the slate of new weapons, maps, and the many changes implemented by the devs. Since the game’s launch, MW3 players have been begging for changes to the Riot Shield.
According to players, utilizing the Riot Shield as a protective shell that keeps your back safe has been a broken and prominent strategy since the game arrived. After numerous calls to tweak how the weapon functions on players’ backs, the Riot Shield is finally set for an overhaul in MW3 Season 1.
Some lucky content creators got a chance to test out MW3 Season 1 content ahead of its arrival on December 6. One player took to the MW3 subreddit to discuss the teased Riot Shield changes.
According to XclusiveAce‘s December 4 video, Riot Shields users will receive a movement penalty in Season 1, but that will be balanced by a buff to its damage. The OP of the above post summed up the changes with: “Buffed as a shield, nerfed as a turtle shell.”
In a rare turn of events, players unanimously praised the impending Season 1 Riot Shield changes coming to MW3: “I see this as a win/win. Great news that addresses both camps.”
Players were pleased to see that the devs not only planned a change to diminish the use of Riot Shields on players’ backs but also buffed its melee kill requirement to two hits to “compensate for the movement penalty.”
Previously, the Riot Shield required three melee hits to kill full-health enemies in MW3. When tweaking weapons, it’s rare that players unanimously agree with the outcome. In the Riot Shield’s case, the majority of players are calling it “an actual sensible middle ground.”
For more Modern Warfare 3, check out when Ranked Play is coming or all of the Prestige levels and rewards up for grabs in Season 1.