Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3's wild spawn rates are causing chaos in multiplayer matches
The "unfavorable" spawn rates in the latest Call of Duty game have prompted the devs to pull three maps offline to issue fixes
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 recently launched for all players, and many have already voiced frustration over certain aspects of the game. However, one thing that's prompted an immediate response from the developer is the spawn rate in online matches, which is wreaking havoc for players diving into multiplayer.
Per IGN, Activision has pulled several maps from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 for "unfavorable spawns," which were trapping some players in near-endless loops of spawning and death.
❗️ #MW3 MultiplayerQuarry, Rundown, and Scrapyard have been temporarily removed from Hardpoint playlists while we investigate an issue causing unfavorable spawns.https://t.co/qIfOBWd2TINovember 9, 2023
So far, Quarry, Rundown, and Scrapyard - specifically in the Hardpoint playlist - are the only maps that Activision has pulled offline. These maps also happen to be popular picks from previous Call of Duty games that were notable for their close-quarters design and/or dense map structure. While playing these maps led to experiences where players would die quickly in previous games, the frequency of online users getting killed in Modern Warfare 3 has reached comical levels.
On social media, players have shared videos of their experiences playing Modern Warfare 3 on the Quarry map, which has become a hotbed for the spawn rate. In online videos, matches would come near a standstill as one team would stand at a particular spawn point and pick off enemy players who would rejoin the match.
spawns seem good on this game #MW3 pic.twitter.com/UqnAgbrBYuNovember 9, 2023
YOOOO SPAWNS ARE INSANE RN! 🔥 #MW3 pic.twitter.com/QLIuQlBXObNovember 9, 2023
mw3 spawns go crazy 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/bZqFua59o1November 9, 2023
It's a frustrating issue, especially for players on launch day. However, Activision has responded quickly to try and correct the issue. That said, Modern Warfare 3 looks to have several other issues that many fans have been vocal about, which include the short campaign length and quality.
In our Modern Warfare 3 campaign review-in-progress, editor Leon Hurley stated that: "There are hints of a more traditional Call of Duty campaign in the roughly six hours it took me to compete Modern Warfare 3 - one mission on plane, for example, is a trademark bit of playable COD exposition. But the majority of the missions feel assembled instead of crafted, and there's very little texture variation to either them, or the game overall."
For more on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, check out our breakdowns of the new Tactical Stance, and see an early look at Battle Pass Season 1.
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Alessandro is a freelance writer and editor based in the San Francisco Bay Area who has covered the games, tech, and entertainment industries for more than 13 years. Having previously worked at GameSpot, CNET, and various other outlets writing features and coordinating event coverage, Alessandro enjoys playing games on PC, but also gives plenty of time to his Nintendo Switch. You can find him on various socials at @afillari.