MW3 Season 5 Reloaded update patch notes – New weapons, modes & final Zombies mission

Modern Warfare 3 Season 5 Reloaded is hitting multiplayer as the next major update, and the patch notes have revealed weapon balance changes, new modes, and the final Zombies mission.

You’ll be able to get your hands on two new weapons, so check them out below along with all of the changes and major fixes in the patch notes.

MW3 Season 5 Reloaded release date

The Modern Warfare 3 Season 5 Reloaded update arrives on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM BST, alongside the game file reorganization update.

This date was confirmed by Activision in their blog regarding the major Call of Duty app changes.

New weapons in MW3 Season 5 Reloaded

The mid-season update brings two new weapons to unlock – the Spear and Torque 35. First, the Spear melee weapon is unlocked by completing challenges listed in the Classified BP Sector.

The second new arrival is the Torque 35, a “compound bow with 20 retrievable arrows” and a built-in red dot sight that you can unlock via mid-season Weekly Challenges. As you’d expect, holding down the trigger increases the force of each shot and there are some “creative” ammo types to experiment with.

New game modes

Cyber Attack

Returning after a hiatus, Cyber Attack sees players locating an EMP device and disabling the enemy data center. It was first seen in Modern Warfare 2019, and it makes its debut in MW3 with Season 5 Reloaded.

There are no respawns in this mode, both teams battle for control of the central EMP device. Retrieve it, plant it, and protect it to win. Teams switch sides every two rounds and the first to five wins gets the victory.

Fishfection

The second of four new modes being added is Fishfection. This is a spin on regular Infection where you’re armed with the new Spear and Torque 35, and they need to survive against a horde of fish Operators that grows with every fallen player.

Paintball

In Paintball, all weapons are replaced with paint guns and are an instant one-shot kill. All players are also given increased movement as they battle it out on small maps in classic modes like Kill Confirmed or Capture the Flag.

Defuse or Destroy

Search and Destroy is one of Call of Duty’s most iconic modes, but Defuse or Destroy adds an extra layer of chaos. At the start of each round, one of the two bomb sites is already planted, forcing you to decide whether to rush in for a defuse or defend the last remaining location.

Final story mission & new Dark Aether Rift

Season 5 Reloaded finally delivers the last story mission in MWZ, bringing Operation Deadbolt’s journey to an end. Players will descend into the Dark Aether one last time to “sever the connection between Ava and the Entity to stop the Dark Aether from seeping into the Exclusion Zone.”

MW3 Season 5 Reloaded patch notes

New Map Variant

Ink House (6v6, Stash House Variant)

Return to Palo Alto as Stash House gets the cel-shaded, inked look.

New Modes

Fishfection

Eliminated Survivors become Infected fish.  Infect everyone, or survive the game to win.

Paintball

Paintball weapons and ammunition with enhanced sliding movements. Defeat the enemy team. All weapons are 1 shot kills.

Defuse or Destroy

Defend or Destroy the objective. No respawning.

Cyber Attack

Back by popular demand. Retrieve the EMP device and plant it near the enemy’s Data Center.

New Weapons

Torque 35 (Launcher, Week 5 Challenges)

A combat-ready compound bow with a 60lbs draw weight capable of taking down large prey. Certain types of arrows are retrievable after being fired.

Spear (Melee, Battle Pass)

Channel your inner spartan with this razor-sharp, serrated spear. This weapon boosts melee reach and can be thrown at enemies.

New Aftermarket Parts

JAK Deathmarch (BAL-27 Assault Rifle, Week 6 Challenges)

This aftermarket part replaces standard ammo with high-voltage power cells and the barrel with a photonic scatter barrel. Fire a spread of lethal laser blasts that take down enemies at short range.

JAK Devastators (Reclaimer 18 Shotgun, Week 7 Challenges)

Dual-wield Reclaimer 18 shotguns and become a mobile artillery barrage with this aftermarket part. Accuracy and recoil control are minimal, but destruction is maximized.

New Events

Wildlife Most Wanted (August 21 – August 28)

It’s time to unleash your inner animal! Complete event challenges or earn XP to unlock wild rewards

Emotional Overdrive (September 12 – September 18)

Don’t rage quit just yet! Earn XP in-game to unlock slightly cursed rewards.

Global

Stability & Performance

• Implemented additional performance improvements for Xbox One consoles.
• Addressed an issue related to system language causing PC Game Pass players to crash.

Customization

• Fixed an issue causing Combat Knife Blueprints to appear as the base weapon.
• Increased the emissive intensity of the Royal Helix Camo.
• Reverted the color of the Azure Refract Camo to pink.
• Corrected the appearance of the Cat-Girl Smile Camo on BlackCell Blueprints.
• Corrected the animation for the Stabbed… A Lot and A Bit Stabby Finishing Moves.

Multiplayer

UIX

• Added a Customize tab to the Armory Unlocks menu for Calling Cards, Emblems, and other cosmetic items.
• Bug Fixes
  • Fixed an exploit allowing Conversion Kits to be equipped with incompatible Attachments.
  • Voice chat indicators now respect the HUD safe area.
  • Placeholder information is no longer displayed upon unlocking the JAK Decimator Conversion Kit.
  • Fixed an error caused by adding Orion Camo to Tracked Challenges.
  • Fixed an issue causing incorrect Challenge completion targets to be displayed in the Tracker Challenges widget.
  • Corrected the descriptions and pros/cons of several Attachments to accurately reflect their statistics.

Progression

• Added missing Armory Unlock Challenge for the Monolithic Suppressor S Attachment for the Rival-9 Submachine Gun.

Maps

• Dome
  • Fixed an issue preventing the Mosquito Drone Killstreak from targeting enemy players.
• Get High
  • Fixed an issue preventing the Mosquito Drone Killstreak from targeting enemy players.
  • Corrected the flight height of the Counter UAV Killstreak to allow destruction.

Modes

• COD Warrior
  • Fixed an issue causing players to become stuck in a round transition state.
• Free-for-All
  • Fixed an issue causing the Guardian-SC, EMP, and Suppression Mine to not impact enemy players.
• Kill Confirmed
  • Corrected the mode icon displayed during the lobby countdown.

Weapons & Attachments

Assault Rifles

• DG-56
  • Increased lower torso damage multiplier from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).
• M4 (MWII)
  • Removed duplicate VX Pineapple and FSS Sharkfin 90 Underbarrel Attachments.

Battle Rifles

• BAS-B
  • Increased upper leg, lower leg, and foot damage multipliers from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).

With the BAS-B, shots that land below the waist now deal damage equal to those that hit the torso.

• MTZ-762
  • Increased maximum damage range from 29.2m to 33m (+13%).
• FTAC Recon (MWII)
  • Increased near-medium damage from 43 to 50 (+16%).
  • Increased medium damage from 41 to 50 (+22%).
  • Increased far-medium damage from 38 to 45 (+18%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 38 to 40 (+5%).

Submachine Guns

• Rival-9
  • JAK Headhunter Carbine Conversion Kit
    • Fixed an issue preventing the Quartermaster Suppressor Muzzle Attachment from properly equipping.

Light Machine Guns

• Pulemyot 762
  • Decreased sprint to fire time from 285ms to 262ms (-8%).
  • Decreased aim down sight time from 450ms to 420ms (-7%).
  • Increased rate of fire from 492rpm to 545rpm (+11%).
  • Increased neck damage multiplier from 1.1x to 1.2x (+10%).
  • Increased lower torso and hand damage multipliers from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).
• RPK (MWII)
  • JAK Cataclysm Conversion Kit
    • Increased incoming flinch from 0.17n to 0.68n (+300%).
    • Increased hipfire spread minimum from 3.6deg/s to 10deg/s (+178%).
    • Increased hipfire spread maximum from 9deg/s to 14deg/s (+56%).
    • Increased recoil gun kick from 23.16deg/s to 38.60deg/s (+67%).
    • Increased horizontal recoil from 18.63deg/s to 23.29deg/s (+25%).
    • Increased vertical recoil from 56.45deg/s to 94.08deg/s (+67%).

Marksman Rifles

• MCW 6.8
  • Increase rate of fire from 316rpm to 353rpm (+12%).
  • Increased lower torso damage multiplier from 1x to 1.2x (+20%).
• SP-R 208 (MWII)
  • Removed incompatible Paracord Grip Underbarrel Attachment.

Handguns

• P890 (MWII)
  • Akimbo P890 Rear Grip
    • Decrease hipfire spread by 20%.
    • Decrease damage range penalty by 20%.
• .50 GS (MWII)
  • Akimbo .50 GS Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
    • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
• X12 (MWII)
  • Akimbo X12 Rear Grip
    • Removed hipfire spread penalty.
    • Removed damage range penalty.
• Basilisk (MWII)
  • Akimbo Basilisk Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
    • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
• FTAC Siege (MWII)
  • Akimbo FTAC Siege Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 20%.
    • Decreased damage range penalty by 20%.
• GS Magna (MWII)
  • GS Magna Akimbo Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
    • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
• 9mm Daemon (MWII)
  • Akimbo 9mm Daemon Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
    • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
• X13 Auto (MWII)
  • Akimbo X13 Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 40%.
    • Decreased damage range penalty by 20%.

With these changes, the average time-to-kill of MWII Akimbo Handguns is now competitive with MWIII Akimbo Handguns. Thus, we’ve opted to improve the usability of these weapons rather than outright removing the inherited damage penalty.

Perks

• Infantry Vest
  • Added a second Gear Perk slot.

Note: This change does not apply to Ranked Play.

Killstreaks

• I.M.S.
  • Increased the hitbox size of explosives to further allow counterability.
  • Increased enemy detection radius from 10.2m to 12.7m (+25%).
  • Decreased duration for explosive to reach its vertical apex from 2s to 1.5s (-25%).
• Mortar Strike
  • Fixed an issue preventing announcer voicelines from acknowledging kills.
• Carpet Bomb
  • Fixed an issue preventing announcer voicelines from acknowledging kills.
• Advanced UAV
  • Enemy players equipped with Ghost T/V Camo Gear or Assassin Vest are no longer demoted to a dot indicator on the minimap.

Zombies

UIX

• Bug Fixes
  • Fixed a missing subtitle for Ravenov after killing the Dokkaebi Warlord.

Gameplay

• Fixed an issue causing inconsistent damage in hipfire compared to aiming down sights

Weapons & Attachments

Shotguns

• Reclaimer 18 Pack-a-Punched
  • Removed increased ammunition capacity.
  • Increased damage scale from 2x to 3x.
  • Increased damage range scale from 3x to 4x.

Don’t forget to check out the new Weekly Challenges to unlock the Torque, as well as any new Aftermarket Parts that make their way to the game.

SOURCE: Call of Duty