Referred to by players as the Groot Skin, the Gaia Skin is an Operator Skin reward in the Season 6 Battle Pass of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (MW3). Read on to learn about future developer fixes for the skin, how to get the Gaia Skin, and why it is considered a game-winning skin in multiplayer.

Gaia Skin (Groot Skin) Temporarily Disabled

Gaia Skins Disabled for Upcoming Fix

Adjustments to improve the visibility of the Gaia Operator Skins are underway. Until these changes can be released to all players, these items will be unavailable to equip in MWIII.
Dev Post

In the November 30 Update, the Gaia skins have been disabled and players cannot equip it for the time being. This is in preparation for the visibility fix that is coming soon.

Updates and Patch Notes

How to Get the Gaia Skin (Groot Skin)

Reach Sector F11 of the Season 6 Battle Pass

In order to unlock the Gaia or Groot Operator Skin, players will need to progress the Season 6 Battle Pass to Sector F11. If you have the BlackCell offering of the Battle Pass, you can easily reach this sector since you'll be starting from the BlackCell Sector beside F11 and F20.

Battle Pass Purchase is Required to Get the Skin

Unfortunately, you have to purchase the Premium Battle Pass in order to get the Gaia skin. It will not be unlockable for players who are only in the free track of the Season 6 Battle Pass. A premium battle pass will set you back 1,100 COD Points ($9.99) while the BlackCell Battle Pass is priced at $29.99.

Season 6 Ends on December 5, 2023

If you're looking to get the Gaia Skin before Season 6 ends, then you will have until December 5, 2023 to get it. Make sure to play and complete challenges in either MW3, Warzone 2.0, or MW2 to earn enough Battle Pass XP to reach Sector F11.

What is Gaia or Groot Skin in MW3?

Unique Skin that Blends Into Map Environments

Gaia Skins for Nova
Gaia	Gaia BlackCell

The Gaia or Groot Skin (as some have taken to calling it) is an Operator skin for the MW2 Operator, Nova. It has been the center of controversy after players have rightfully pointed out that the skin blends in with the map environments of both MW3 and Warzone 2.0.

Naturally, this gave owners of the skin an unfair advantage against other players since they can be easily missed when playing foliage-heavy maps like Wasteland or Estate.

Gaia BlackCell Is Darker and Much Harder to See

If you purchase the $29.99 BlackCell Pass for Season 6, you will also get the Gaia BlackCell variant of the skin. Compared to the Gaia, this variant has a much darker hue and is even more difficult to spot than the original.

The BlackCell variant rose to notoriety back during the special Season 6 Halloween event called The Haunting for Warzone 2.0. Since Al Mazrah was turned into a night map for the event, this skin was used extensively to get the jump on players unaware of the its existence.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) Related Guides

List of All Operators

All Operator Articles

All Operators in Modern Warfare 3

MW3 Operators
Rick Grimes	Laswell	John Doe	Nolan
Dokkaebi	Abolisher	Lockpick	Alpine
Bantam	BBQ	Blaze	Byline
Corso	Doc	Enigma	Ghost
Jabber	Jet	Makarov	Pathfinder
Price	Raptor	Ripper	Riptide
Rocket	Scorch	Soap	Swagger
Thirst	Warden	-	-