Ranked Play Guide and List of Rewards

Ranked Play is the competitive game mode for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) Multiplayer. Learn more about Ranked Play's release date and time, its features, CDL rules, and a complete list of rewards for Season 2.

How to Unlock Ranked Play

Reach Account Level 55

Before you can queue up for Ranked Play, you will need to level up and reach Account Level 55. Play MW3 Multiplayer or Zombies to earn the XP needed to reach Level 55. Once you hit max level, the option to queue for a Ranked Match will become available.

How to Level Up Fast

Ranked Play Guns

Only CDL Approved Guns are Available

Only a select number of guns will be available to equip and use in Ranked Play matches. However, this also means that any gun or weapon listed below (including their Attachments) will be automatically unlocked and ready to edit via the Gunsmith when you play Ranked matches.

Allowed Weapons in Ranked
MCW				Striker				WSP Swarm
AMR9				WSP-9				Rival-9
Striker 9				KATT-AMR				Renetti
Gutter Knife						Karambit

Note: Do note that the universal unlock for the guns and attachments listed above only apply to Ranked. They will not be available outside of this game mode if you did not have them unlocked originally.

Ranked Play Equipment and Perks

Equipment and Perks are Limited Based on Game Type

Like weapons, Equipment restrictions apply based on CDL rules. Some equipment will even be restricted by game mode such as the Smoke Grenade only being available in Hardpoint and Control matches.

Allowed Perks and Equipment in Ranked
Tacticals						Lethals
Stun Grenade			Smoke Grenade			Semtex			Frag Grenade
Field Upgrades
Trophy System						Dead Silence
Boots Perks
Lightweight Boots				Climbing Boots				Running Sneakers
Stalker Boots						Covert Sneakers
Gloves Perks
Quick-Grip Gloves				Ordnance Gloves				Commando Gloves
Assault Gloves						Marksman Gloves
Gear
EOD Padding				TAC Mask				Mag Holster

Tip: Make sure to check your equipment loadouts and prepare alternatives in the instance that you get a game mode that prohibits one of your equipment from being used.

Ranked Play Rewards

Ranked Play Account Level Rewards

Account Level rewards are earned as you raise your Ranked Play Account Level to a max of 50. This level persists throughout different seasons so you will only need to do this leveling grind once.

At select Account Level milestones, you will receive an updated Rank Symbol as well as a free Calling Card, Operator Skin, and Emblem.

Note: Account Level/Rank does not affect your Skill Rating or Skill Division in any way. This is simply a measure of how many Ranked Play matches you've queued up for.

Season 2 General Rewards

The following rewards are for playing and winning matches in Ranked Play. These are not determined by your Skill Rating or Skill Division placement.

Win Requirement	Rewards
Win 5 Ranked Matches	MW3 Season 2 Competitor Weapon Sticker
Win 10 Ranked Matches	Pro Issue MCW Weapon Blueprint
Win 20 Ranked Matches	Farmed Them Weapon Charm
Win 50 Ranked Matches	Hard Day's Work Large Decal
Win 75 Ranked Matches	MW3 Ranked Play Season 2 Loading Screen
Win 100 Ranked Matches	MW3 Season 2 Ranked Veteran Weapon Camo

Season 2 Skill Division Rewards

The following rewards are given at the end of the season. For Season 2 Ranked Play, players within the following Skill Division brackets will receive the listed rewards:

• Bronze and Silver: Awards players with the related Season 2 Skill Division Emblem (Bronze or Silver).
• Gold through Crimson: Awards players with new Ranked Play-themed Operator Skins and Weapon Camo, as well as their related Skill Division Animated Emblem.
• Iridescent: Awards players with the MWIII Season 2 Iridescent animated Calling Card in addition to the Skill Division’s Operator Skin, Animated Emblem, and Weapon Camo rewards.
• Top 250: The best of the best will earn the Top 250 Operator Skin, a Weapon Camo, a unique animated Emblem and Calling Card for those who finish between 2 and 250, and a unique one-of-a-kind animated Emblem and Calling Card for the 1 ranked player of the season.

Ranked Play Skill Rating and Divisions

8 Available Skill Divisions in Ranked Play

Players looking to queue up in Ranked Play will be assigned a Skill Rating (SR) and Skill Division based on past performances in Ranked. To advance through the Skill Divisions on your way to the top, you will need to raise your Skill Rating by winning matches.

At the start of every season, your Skill Division from the previous season will determine where you will start for the new season. Bronze through Crimson I players are set back three Tiers, and Crimson II players and above will start the new season in Diamond I.

There are a total of 8 Skill Divisions in MW3 Ranked Play, each split into 3 Tiers. The 8th and highest Skill Division is reserved for the Top 250 Iridescent players of the game.

Each Skill Division listed above will have its own set of unique rewards once the current season ends.

What is the Difference Between Rank and Skill Rating?

Rank in this game mode refers to your Ranked Play Account Level. This is a separate "account rank" that allows you to get progression rewards by playing Ranked (compared to the Level and Prestige progression of regular Multiplayer).

Skill Rating is effectively your MMR in MW3. This rating determines your Skill Division when playing Ranked matches. SR is unaffected by your Account Rank and vice versa.

Skill Division Restrictions

In Season 1, Ranked Play introduced skill restrictions to promote fair play and game balance between matches. Players are only allowed to party with certain skill divisions based on their current SR.

Exceeds Skill Restrictions Error Explained

Ranked Play Maps and Modes

CDL Search and Destroy

In CDL Search and Destroy, teams will have a 1.5-minute round timer. No respawns and Friendly Fire is enabled during the match. To win, you and your team will need to secure 6 round wins.

In Search and Destroy, players are divided into attackers and defenders. Attackers will need to successfully plant and detonate the bomb in one of 2 bomb sites. Attackers will need to defend the bomb sites. Full team wipes are round wins for the survivors.

CDL Hardpoint

In CDL Hardpoint, stay on the rotating Hardpoint to earn points. The first team to reach 250 Points wins. The match will have a 5-minute timer but it only ticks down if a Hardpoint is not being capped. Hardpoint locations will rotate every 60 seconds and Friendly Fire is enabled during the match.

CDL Control

CDL Control enables Friendly Fire and gives each team 30 lives to play with per round, with the objective being to capture or defend 2 fixed control points on the map. Each round lasts for 1.5 minutes, with the clock freezing whenever a control point is being capped. First to 3 round wins takes the match.

Defenders will need to cap both control points to secure a round victory. Attackers will need to defend the control points, either by running down the time or having the enemy team use up all 30 of their lives during the round.

Ranked Play Features

Ranked Play Overview
Call of Duty League Rules Apply Rank Up by Earning Skill Rating Points Skill Division Decay per Season Skill Rating Penalties and Suspensions Hot Streak for Consecutive Wins

Play Using Call of Duty League Rules

Ranked Play mimics the current rules of the Call of Duty League (CDL) - the pro scene of MW3. A summary of CDL rules are listed below so make sure to keep these in mind since they are drastically different from regular multiplayer rules:

• All CDL-approved Weapons, Killstreaks, Equipment, and Gameplay content are unlocked in Ranked Play. No need to unlock certain guns or attachments before playing.
• Maps and Game Modes will adhere to the current pool available in CDL.
• Friendly Fire is on during Ranked Play. Be careful when shooting or using grenades during ranked.

Rank Up by Earning Skill Rating Points

Your rating will be determined by your Skill Division. The higher your Division, the better your rewards will be at the end of the ranked season. Earn Skill Rating Points by winning matches to rank up and advance through all 8 of the Skill Divisions available in Ranked Play.

Skill Division Decay per Season

At the start of a new season, players who participated in Ranked Play during the previous season will have their Skill Division updated. Calculate your starting Skill Division in the next season of MW3 by dropping your final Skill Division from the last season by 3 Tiers.

According to Sledgehammer Games, the highest Skill Division you can start at during a new Ranked Play season is Diamond 1.

Skill Rating Penalties and Suspensions

In Ranked Play, your Skill Rating will incur a -25 SR Penalty for the following reasons:

• Being inactive (AFK) for long periods of time during a ranked match.
• Disconnecting and abandoning ranked matches.
• Griefing your team by team killing them (Friendly Fire is on in ranked).

Repeat offenders will not only get the -25 SR Penalty, but may also be subject for Suspension from Ranked Play should they get flagged by the game.

Demotion Protection When Advancing Skill Divisions

As you move up into a new Skill Division, you will be given Demotion Protection. This means that for the next 3 games, losing will not deduct SR from your total.

Hot Streak Appears for Consecutive Wins

Players who net consecutive ranked match wins will get a custom rank display indicated by a Flaming Rank. Stoke the flames and continue building it up by winning more matches. The flames will expire once you lose or if you do not win another game within 72 hours.

Note: This is purely cosmetic in order to show your teammates and enemies that you're queuing up with at least a 3-game win streak. At the time of writing, there are no indicators as to whether this affects your Ranked matchmaking experience.

Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) Related Guides

Latest News and Updates

Latest News

All News Categories

All Other MW3 News