Modern Warfare 3 finally addresses Warzone water combat complaints

Raven Software listened to community feedback and made Warzone water combat more accessible in Modern Warfare 3.

WZ2 introduced water combat and the controversial mechanic divided players. The battle royale’s main map, Al Mazrah, featured some bodies of water, but frustrations truly mounted when Ashika Island launched. The island-based Resurgence map has several waterways and regularly forces players to engage in water combat.

Issues arose because the only weapons you could fire underwater were pistols. So, if you didn’t have a handgun as a secondary weapon, you were out of luck. And those complaints only grew louder with the introduction of Vondel. The dense urban setting is surrounded by water, and players use pistols to take advantage of swimming combat.

Some community members pleaded for the devs to remove water combat entirely in Modern Warfare 3. But Raven Software instead announced a compromise to make the divisive mechanic less painful if you don’t have a pistol on hand.

Modern Warfare 3 Warzone water combat changes explained

Along with a whole host of other new features, CharlieIntel reported that players will always have a pistol while swimming.

During COD Next, fans got a glimpse of what the new mechanic looks like in-game. While in the water, players were able to use a pistol with no attachments while swimming, even if they didn’t have one equipped.

Warzone – this is Urzikstan:

— MW3 movement
— Ghost only works while moving
— Stim Tactical boosts movement
— Red dots on mini map
— Ammo separate in backpack
— Gas Mask Equipped manually
— Always have pistol while swimming
— Tear Gas countered by Gas Mask
+ more. pic.twitter.com/ETW8WVpEud

— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) October 5, 2023

However, it remains to be seen if players will be able to customize their default water pistol loadouts. If players aren’t allowed to add attachments to their automatic handgun loadout, it may still be worth building a specialized water loadout for those special occasions when a final circle requires it.

We won’t know for sure until Warzone officially releases. But it will certainly come into play, as Raven Software confirmed the new battle royale launches with Ashika Island and Vondel as playable maps.

While we all wait for the new battle royale experience, make sure to check out the rest of our MW3 Warzone coverage.