Image via Activision.

Modern Warfare 3 Removes Weaponing Tuning With Major Gunsmith Overhaul

Call of Duty's Weapon Tuning system is dead in Modern Warfare 3, marking a huge change in philosophy from MW2's Gunsmith system.

Weapon tuning has officially been removed from Modern Warfare 3 Multiplayer. The controversial feature allowed players to customize their weapons down to the smallest detail, which might sound good in theory but was a headache in practice.

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Developers are citing community feedback about the changes, which will affect both Modern Warfare 2 and 3 players. They have also commented that Gunsmith will be easier to use thanks to new improvements. Fans are excited, calling it a “big win” for both games.

Related: Modern Warfare 3 – Every Map & Gameplay Mode

Modern Warfare 3 Removes Weapon Tuning From Multiplayer

In a thread on Twitter shared by the official Call of Duty account on November 3, 2023, the developer states, “Based on community feedback, the Weapon Tuning feature present in MW2 has been removed and we’ve made further improvements to make Gunsmith easier to use. This change to Weapon Tuning applies to both MW2 and MW3 weapons that utilize modifications.”

For those out of the loop, Weapon Tuning was the anchor for Modern Warfare 2’s Gunsmith. Players were tasked with leveling up each gun to its maximum level before unlocking the ability to make major changes to its performance.

This made it unlikely for guns to be usurped in the meta, as tighter tunings would simply undo big buffs and nerfs. Both Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone’s meta grew very stale for this exact reason, and Sledgehammer Games cited player feedback as the reason for the switch.

Image via Activision.

MW3’s chevron-centric style is a major pivot back to classic Call of Duty. Not only will this make weapons distinct and easier to understand, but it’s also going to save a lot of balancing headaches for a development team that’s already got a full plate. There’s no word on whether Warzone will follow suit or not, but we’ll hear more about that in the coming days.


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Alec Mullins
Alec Mullins is a freelance writer for Gamepur who specializes in FPS games. They spend their time writing novels, listening to The Mountain Goats, and watching the Call of Duty League. Alec's previous work can be seen at TheGamer and Dexerto, and he can be contacted via Twitter (@LifeAsAlec).