MW3 Season 5 Reloaded patch notes: JAK Cataclysm nerfs, Pulemyot 762 & DG-56 buffs, more

MW3 Season 5 Reloaded is live, introducing another wave of exciting content for Call of Duty players to get immersed in and try out.

This new update is detailed in the game’s official patch notes for August 21, revealing exactly what has changed this time around. This update adds two weapons, four game modes, and a cel-shaded variant of Stash House.

Additionally, a range of balance changes have been introduced to keep MW3’s meta fresh. This includes a huge set of buffs to the Pulemyot 762 and nerfs to the JAK Cataclysm.

Here’s a breakdown of the biggest changes in this mid-season update.

New weapons

Activision

The Torque 35 is Modern Warfare 3’s first bow, introducing a precision option to the launcher category.

The Torque 35 was added in Season 5 Reloaded, bringing a compound bow that can be found in the launcher category. Acquired via a mid-season weekly challenge, it offers a 60 lbs draw weight designed for taking down large prey, so against enemy players, you can imagine how lethal it is.

Those who prefer getting up close and personal may want to use the Spear instead. Unlocked via a new sector in the Season 5 Battle Pass, the Spear is a melee weapon that can be thrown and has extra lunge range, making it the perfect option for hunting down an enemy trying to escape.

New game modes

Activision

Fishfection offers a bizarre twist on Infection, seeing fish and cats go head to head.

Season 5 Reloaded introduces four game modes, three of which are brand new to the series. These are Cyber Attack, Fishfection, Paintball, and Desfuse or Destroy.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what to expect from each mode:

• Cyber Attack: In this no-respawn game mode, both teams battle for control of a centrally placed EMP device. Retrieve the device and then plant it at the enemy’s data center to win.
• Fishfection: In place of humans versus infected, this variant of the fan-favorite party mode pits cats against fish. Cats are equipped with the new Torque 35 compound bow and the Spear.
• Paintball: Splatter your foes in this ‘friendly’ game of Paintball where Operators are eliminated after taking a single hit.
• Defuse or Destroy: This round-based objective mode challenges teams to take turns attacking and defending bomb sites, but there’s an important difference compared to Search & Destroy. Each round begins with the bomb already planted in one of two possible locations.

Free Community Pack compensation

Activision has given out compensation rewards to make up for this update’s vast size. This Free Community Pack includes x10 Tier Skips, x10 Double Player XP Tokens, and x10 Double Weapon XP Tokens, all of which can be claimed by simply logging in at any time during Season 5 Reloaded.

Full Modern Warfare 3 Season 5 Reloaded patch notes

Global

Stability & Performance

• Implemented additional performance improvements for Xbox One consoles.
• Addressed an issue related to system language causing PC Game Pass players to crash.

Customization

• Fixed an issue causing Combat Knife Blueprints to appear as the base weapon.
• Increased the emissive intensity of the Royal Helix Camo.
• Reverted the color of the Azure Refract Camo to pink.
• Corrected the appearance of the Cat-Girl Smile Camo on BlackCell Blueprints.
• Corrected the animation for the Stabbed… A Lot and A Bit Stabby Finishing Moves.

Multiplayer

UIX

• Added a Customize tab to the Armory Unlocks menu for Calling Cards, Emblems, and other cosmetic items.
• Bug Fixes
  • Fixed an exploit allowing Conversion Kits to be equipped with incompatible Attachments.
  • Voice chat indicators now respect the HUD safe area.
  • Placeholder information is no longer displayed upon unlocking the JAK Decimator Conversion Kit.
  • Fixed an error caused by adding Orion Camo to Tracked Challenges.
  • Fixed an issue causing incorrect Challenge completion targets to be displayed in the Tracker Challenges widget.
  • Corrected the descriptions and pros/cons of several Attachments to accurately reflect their statistics.

Progression

• Added missing Armory Unlock Challenge for the Monolithic Suppressor S Attachment for the Rival-9 Submachine Gun.

Maps

• Dome
  • Fixed an issue preventing the Mosquito Drone Killstreak from targeting enemy players.
• Get High
  • Fixed an issue preventing the Mosquito Drone Killstreak from targeting enemy players.
  • Corrected the flight height of the Counter UAV Killstreak to allow destruction.

Modes

• COD Warrior
  • Fixed an issue causing players to become stuck in a round transition state.
• Free-for-All
  • Fixed an issue causing the Guardian-SC, EMP, and Suppression Mine to not impact enemy players.
• Kill Confirmed
  • Corrected the mode icon displayed during the lobby countdown.

Weapons & Attachments

Assault Rifles:

• DG-56
  • Increased lower torso damage multiplier from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).
• M4 (MWII)
  • Removed duplicate VX Pineapple and FSS Sharkfin 90 Underbarrel Attachments.

Battle Rifles:

• BAS-B
  • Increased upper leg, lower leg, and foot damage multipliers from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).

With the BAS-B, shots that land below the waist now deal damage equal to those that hit the torso.

• MTZ-762
  • Increased maximum damage range from 29.2m to 33m (+13%).
• FTAC Recon (MWII)
  • Increased near-medium damage from 43 to 50 (+16%).
  • Increased medium damage from 41 to 50 (+22%).
  • Increased far-medium damage from 38 to 45 (+18%).
  • Increased minimum damage from 38 to 40 (+5%).

Submachine Guns:

• Rival-9
  • JAK Headhunter Carbine Conversion Kit
    • Fixed an issue preventing the Quartermaster Suppressor Muzzle Attachment from properly equipping.

Light Machine Guns:

• Pulemyot 762
  • Decreased sprint to fire time from 285ms to 262ms (-8%).
  • Decreased aim down sight time from 450ms to 420ms (-7%).
  • Increased rate of fire from 492rpm to 545rpm (+11%).
  • Increased neck damage multiplier from 1.1x to 1.2x (+10%).
  • Increased lower torso and hand damage multipliers from 1x to 1.1x (+10%).
• RPK (MWII)
  • JAK Cataclysm Conversion Kit
    • Increased incoming flinch from 0.17n to 0.68n (+300%).
    • Increased hipfire spread minimum from 3.6deg/s to 10deg/s (+178%).
    • Increased hipfire spread maximum from 9deg/s to 14deg/s (+56%).
    • Increased recoil gun kick from 23.16deg/s to 38.60deg/s (+67%).
    • Increased horizontal recoil from 18.63deg/s to 23.29deg/s (+25%).
    • Increased vertical recoil from 56.45deg/s to 94.08deg/s (+67%).

Marksman Rifles:

• MCW 6.8
  • Increase rate of fire from 316rpm to 353rpm (+12%).
  • Increased lower torso damage multiplier from 1x to 1.2x (+20%).
• SP-R 208 (MWII)
  • Removed incompatible Paracord Grip Underbarrel Attachment.

Handguns:

• P890 (MWII)
  • Akimbo P890 Rear Grip
    • Decrease hipfire spread by 20%.
    • Decrease damage range penalty by 20%.
• .50 GS (MWII)
  • Akimbo .50 GS Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
    • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
• X12 (MWII)
  • Akimbo X12 Rear Grip
    • Removed hipfire spread penalty.
    • Removed damage range penalty.
• Basilisk (MWII)
  • Akimbo Basilisk Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
    • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
• FTAC Siege (MWII)
  • Akimbo FTAC Siege Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 20%.
    • Decreased damage range penalty by 20%.
• GS Magna (MWII)
  • GS Magna Akimbo Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
    • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
• 9mm Daemon (MWII)
  • Akimbo 9mm Daemon Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 10%.
    • Decreased damage penalty by 10%.
• X13 Auto (MWII)
  • Akimbo X13 Rear Grip
    • Decreased hipfire spread by 40%.
    • Decreased damage range penalty by 20%.

With these changes, the average time-to-kill of MWII Akimbo Handguns is now competitive with MWIII Akimbo Handguns. Thus, we’ve opted to improve the usability of these weapons rather than outright removing the inherited damage penalty.

Perks

• Infantry Vest
  • Added a second Gear Perk slot.

Note: This change does not apply to Ranked Play.

Killstreaks

• I.M.S.
  • Increased the hitbox size of explosives to further allow counterability.
  • Increased enemy detection radius from 10.2m to 12.7m (+25%).
  • Decreased duration for explosive to reach its vertical apex from 2s to 1.5s (-25%).
• Mortar Strike
  • Fixed an issue preventing announcer voicelines from acknowledging kills.
• Carpet Bomb
  • Fixed an issue preventing announcer voicelines from acknowledging kills.
• Advanced UAV
  • Enemy players equipped with Ghost T/V Camo Gear or Assassin Vest are no longer demoted to a dot indicator on the minimap.