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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare experience bug hits as Warzone details leak

Gabe Gurwin
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Call Of Duty Modern Warfare - Season 2 In Game Cinematic Trailer

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare‘s progression system can make it grueling to level up, but a bug takes things even further. Developer Infinity Ward is investigating an issue that doesn’t give experience to players after completing a multiplayer match.

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The issue was discovered over the weekend, with Infinity Ward saying it provide further updates once it identified the cause. During this period, any online games that players participate in can be lost to the nether, at least if they value experience above playing the game for its own sake. The issue remains unresolved.

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Update: We’re still investigating and working on a fix for this issue. We’ll keep you updated and thank you again for your patience. https://t.co/JcEz6Mgf90

— Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) March 8, 2020

Players’ reactions to the announcement were mixed, and many are asking to have the experience retroactively added or to receive a double experience bonus once the problem was solved. A few complained that their premium Battle Passes were not properly tracking.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is no stranger to major bugs, either, with the game encountering crashing issues at launch. They could cause Xbox One X systems to completely shut down in the middle of multiplayer matches, though the issue appears to be largely fixed now. A cooperative mode bug also left Digital Trends without any enemies to fight before re-launching the mission, though this was resolved after reloading the mission.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The issues came just before Activision officially announced the free-to-play game Call of Duty: Warzone. A stand-alone experience, the 150-player game features an enormous map and a unique “gulag” system that gives players the chance to return to a match by killing another recently eliminated opponent. Along with battle royale, Warzone features a mode called Plunder that tasks teams with collecting cash, and the game supports three-player parties.

Warzone‘s Verdansk map features 300 points of interest and a variety of environments to make sections feel different from each other. As with Blackout mode in Black Ops 4, there are vehicles like helicopters and ATVs, and just like in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, the game supports cross-play and unified progression between all platforms. Warzone launches March 10 and is available as its own download through digital stores. It will also unlock as a new mode in Modern Warfare.

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Gabe Gurwin
Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
The best field upgrades for Modern Warfare 3 Zombies
A man holding a mysterious glowing vial.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's Zombies mode puts a slight twist on the mechanics you are already familiar with. It now plays much more like a souped-up DMZ mode rather than its old round-based format. And Field Upgrades have been modified in terms of both their effects and how you get them just for this game type. There are six different Field Upgrades you can bring into the map and use on a cooldown timer to help improve your chances of survival, but you can only pick one at a time. You will begin the game with only one option, but steadily unlock the rest as you level up. Once you have them all, the question then becomes which is the best Field Upgrade? We've managed to exfiltrate with the answer.

Healing Aura
Regardless of whether or not you're playing with a team or running solo, Healing Aura is no doubt the best Field Upgrade to bring on any Zombie run. When activated, you and any teammates in the area will not only gain immediate healing, but it will also instantly revive any downed teammates. The downside to all this power is that this upgrade has the slowest recharge time and is unlocked at level 19.
Aether Shroud
This is another upgrade that you will be glad to have. Aether Shroud makes you you temporary invisibile to all Zombies. This won't make you invincible, mind you, and PMCs can still take shots, but if you're getting swarmed and have no way to escape, becoming instantly invisible to a bloodthirsty pack of zombies can save your skin more often than you think. This upgrade has a medium recharge rate and is unlocked when you hit level 39.
Frenzied Guard
Just past the halfway mark, Frenzied Guard has a massive upside, but not without some risk. When you pop this Field Upgrade, you instantly repair all your armor, but also draw all the aggression of any enemy nearby for 10 seconds. However, another perk is that anything you kill during this time also repairs your armor, so situationally, it can be great or detrimental. This one recharges slowly, unlocking at level 9.
Frost Blast
Frost Blast does exactly what you expect: it fires a freezing blast that will slow down any enemy you hit with it and deal a bit of damage. It's decent in a pinch, but not a game-changer. You can get it when you hit level 29.
Tesla Storm
An odd ability on paper, Tesla Storm is only good if you have a team working together. Activating it will create a lightning chain between you and your team that will damage and stun enemies that get close to any one of you. It lasts for 10 seconds and can be great in the final moments while holding out for an extraction, but not in other situations. It recharges slowly and is the last upgrade you unlock at level 50.
Energy Mine
This is your default Field Upgrade, so it makes sense that it's the "worst" on the list. Energy Mine isn't exactly bad; you simply lay down a mine that does what a mine does -- explodes. It's just that setting up traps like this in Zombies isn't all that applicable except when kiting a boss around or waiting for the helicopter. It has a medium recharge speed.

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How to fix packet burst in Modern Warfare 3
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The last thing anyone wants to see when booting up a game like Modern Warfare 3 to head online with your friends is to be stopped by an error. Online games are susceptible to all types of problems beyond the player's control, leading to plenty of frustration and disappointment in a possibly ruined experience. While there are more substantial issues that can completely prevent you from playing, seeing the packet burst issue is almost worse because, while it does let you play, you will experience a ton of lag that makes the game essentially unplayable. If you've been struck by a packet burst error in Modern Warfare 3, here are some possible solutions so you can get back to fragging.
How to fix packet burst errors

If you spot a symbol of three squares on the left of your screen while playing Modern Warfare 3, it means you're suffering from a packet burst. This is essentially an error where something is messed up in the communication between your system and the game's servers, resulting in terrible performance. While it could be simply an issue on the server side and not related to you at all, which you can check by looking at the Modern Warfare 3 server status here, there are a few things you can do to potentially fix the issue on your end.

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Modern Warfare 3 Zombies: Mercenary Convoy guide
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The old format of Zombies has been left behind in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in favor of a more open-world, objective-based take on the undead survival game type. This time, you will squad up and drop into a map with specific objectives you can choose to complete to earn tons of XP, while also pushing the narrative forward and unlocking new, more difficult tasks to take on. The early-tier missions are generally very simple, but in Act 1, you will be given the objective to find and destroy a Mercenary Convoy somewhere on the map. This sounds easy enough on paper until you realize you have no idea where this convey is or how to find it. Every run in Zombies risks losing all your hard-earned progress, so we'll lead you to the Mercenary Convoy to take it out before the zombies even know you were there.
How to find the Mercenary Convoy

Your first challenge will be to find this Mercenary Convoy. The problem here is twofold: first is that it isn't marked on your map in any way, and second is that, being a convoy, it is mobile. Once you land, you and your team should find the nearest vehicle and head toward the center of the map. Depending on how the threat levels are on your particular map, you are looking for roads and highways that are around the medium-threat level zone. You will have to patrol these roads until you come across the convoy, which only consists of three vehicles. Once you are in range, it does appear on your map to let you know you've found it.

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