MW3 Ranked bug giving players banned Killstreak completely ruins matches

Nathan Warby
MW3 Ranked Play Operators in Terminal

Modern Warfare 3 Ranked Play features a strict set of restrictions when it comes to the equipment available, but a bug that’s letting players call in a UAV is disrupting the mode.

As the game’s competitive mode, MW3 Ranked Play mimics the same rules and regulations as the CDL. This means there are strict restrictions in place, limiting the weapons, Perks, and Equipment that are available when choosing a loadout.

The same is true for Killstreaks, as players are only supposed to have access to Cruise Missiles and nothing else, as opposed to the three options that can be selected in regular multiplayer. However, a bug has allowed UAVs to creep into Ranked Play unexpectedly.

Since the May update went live, many players have reportedly heard the announcer claim that the enemy team has called in a UAV, revealing their position on the map.

While some thought this could be the work of hackers, legit players have also been surprised to find themselves earning a UAV for a five killstreak in place of the usual Cruise Missile.

Although UAVs are commonplace in MW3 multiplayer, Ranked Play deliberately disables them to level the playing field and reward players for focusing on their surroundings – not the minimap. But, with the Killstreaks mysteriously appearing in the mode, those lucky enough to get one have a major advantage.

“So uhhhh what’s this UAV glitch in Ranked play? I just got RAN through by a team of UAV users. Once they got the first one, it was game over,” said ‘vMurdered’ in an X post, explaining how the bug cost them the match.

UAVs aren’t the only issue impacting Ranked either, as there have also been reports of hackers using the rocket Shotguns from the Arcade playlist. This is a known issue in Warzone already, but now it’s inevitably made its way over to MW3 too.

The MW3 devs are yet to officially address either issue, but it shouldn’t be too long before a fix is released. Fans will be hoping they get addressed sooner rather than later before they lose too much SR or even their Skill Division placement as a result.

About The Author

Nathan is a Senior Writer at CharlieIntel. He’s an expert in EA Sports FC, Call of Duty, and Overwatch, as well as superhero games, including Marvel’s Spider-Man. With a master's degree in Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University, he worked as a Trainee Reporter for Derbyshire Live before moving into games media, with bylines at Dexerto, Cultured Vultures, and more. You can contact Nathan by email at [email protected].