MW3’s worst weapon is finally good after massive Season 2 buff

The weapon that has been universally panned as the worst in multiplayer received a huge buff in MW3 Season 2 which has made it not only viable but even one of the best options in its category.

It’s no secret that most players prefer to use strong weapons that dominate Modern Warfare 3’s meta. These primaries give you an objective advantage be it due to their great TTK, exceptional handling, or ease of use.

Equally, some guns see next to no usage outside of Mastery Camo grinding because they are far from competitive. One of the best examples of this was the Sidewinder which many fans had long since decided was MW3’s worst weapon.

However, a huge buff in Season 2 has seen the Sidewinder not only become relevant but even a genuinely strong option.

The Sidewinder is now a great option in Modern Warfare 3

As part of the Season 2 update, MW3’s worst weapon was given a huge buff that has propelled it from useless to legitimately competitive.

As detailed in the patch notes, the base Sidewinder received the following buffs:

• Increased bullet velocity to 600m/s, up from 540m/s.
• Decreased recoil and gun kick significantly.

The bump in bullet velocity is useful but it’s the “decreased recoil and gun kick,” that have truly transformed the Sidewinder. Its extreme recoil was by far the battle rifle’s biggest flaw but it is now a relatively accurate gun given its high damage output.

Call of Duty expert TheXclusiveAce showed this in action in his Season 2 weapon balance changes overview. In this video, he compared the Sidewinder’s recoil pre and post-patch and the difference is staggering with the post-patch spread being clumped far closer together and easier to predict.

Another change that has benefitted the Sidewinder is the overhaul to Aiming Idle Sway. As of Season 2, Idle Sway is much more predictable and does not trigger immediately upon aiming in but rather briefly after.

This benefits slower-firing weapons a lot as precision is much more important given that missing shots with them is less forgiving. This is especially true for those who enjoy using the Sidewinder in semi-auto, which has historically been the preferred method of using the battle rifle.