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How to rank up fast in Modern Warfare 3: best ways to farm XP

Jesse Lennox
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Every year when the new Call of Duty title drops, the playing field is once again reset as everyone needs to start grinding back up the ranks. Fully embracing the RPG elements, Modern Warfare 3 once again allows you to earn XP as you play match after match to rank up your character, with each rank not only bringing you closer to hitting prestige but also unlocking new options for your chosen operator. Your player rank is unique from your weapon levels and can take a lot longer to grind if you don’t know the most efficient methods. If you want to fast-track your career through the ranks, here are the fastest ways to earn XP in Modern Warfare 3.

How to earn XP fast in Modern Warfare 3

There’s basically no way you can play Modern Warfare 3 without earning XP, but some modes and methods can earn you double (or more) what you could if you were just playing without a plan.

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Play the objective

Soldiers fighting near a helipad.
Infinity Ward

We all love playing team deathmatch or any other mode where all you need to worry about is being the one to shoot first. However, if you want to earn that sweet XP fast, you need to choose one of the objective modes like Domination, Hardpoint, Ground War, or even Kill Confirmed. Not only do you get XP for killing enemies, but the amount you get on top of that for playing the objective can make up the bulk of your XP gain. This is especially true if you’re not at the top of your game and end up dying more than you kill since you have another method to contribute. Also, objective modes grant you an XP bonus just for finishing the match.

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Always work towards daily and weapon challenges

A soldier with a shotgun in Modern Warfare 3.
Infinity Ward

Modern Warfare 3 is always giving you little tasks to complete. Daily challenges can usually be done in a few matches, but give you a nice payout of  2,500 XP each that you might as well aim for while playing anyway. Some could be done by accident, but most ask you to use specific weapons or equipment so you probably will need to modify your loadout for a round or two.

Weapon challenges are tied to each weapon, obviously, and can get you some cool cosmetic items like new skins for them, but also XP. These are generally more difficult than the simple daily challenges, such as getting headshots or kills from a certain distance with specific guns, but also reward you with 10,000 XP so are well worth using a gun you might otherwise ignore.

Pop your double XP tokens

A soldier initiating a lunch with a phone.
Infinity Ward

Of course, activating a double XP token will instantly double how fast you generate XP for a duration of time. Double XP tokens come in different forms, such as pure double XP, double weapon XP, operator XP, or battle pass XP, and can only be obtained in a few ways. There are occasional events where you can earn these tokens in-game, or special double XP weekend events where XP is automatically doubled, as well as being rewarded for certain challenges. If you’re desperate, you can also find special promo products in stores that include codes for double XP tokens that can be activated at various times. While we don’t recommend the latter method, always be aware of when double XP events are happening and try to grind out as much as you can during those times.

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Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…
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