MW3 hackers are ruining matches by giving themselves Ray Guns

Modern Warfare 3 players have this week found an exploit that lets them use the Ray Gun in multiplayer, causing major issues and unbalancing matches.

Players are today complaining that hackers in MW3 lobbies are using cheats to equip the Ray Gun in various modes it wasn’t intended for. This devastatingly powerful weapon was originally meant to be used in the new Vortex mode, a limited-time Free-For-All playlist. But, opposite to its intended arrival, hackers have since been able to spawn it into other modes like Team Deathmatch to decimate opposing teams.

A Reddit thread dated Dec. 9 includes a video showing a MW3 player following a hacker who has somehow equipped the Ray Gun. In the video, the player sprints through the map and kills multiple enemies using the weapon, with each kill only taking a single shot.

The Ray Gun was a popular weapon that has appeared in multiple Call of Duty titles. It is famously known for appearing in the Zombies mode as an exclusive weapon, with its first appearance coming in World at War. It was only once previously included in a multiplayer mode for Call of Duty Online, called Ray Guns Only.

After the revelation, CoD players are sharing their frustration across X (formerly Twitter). Some urged players to be careful when playing MW3 multiplayer. Others noted the Ray Gun can also be stashed in a player’s inventory for Warzone gameplay, suggesting this exploit could extend beyond multiplayer playlists. One player did note it will disappear after a player enters a Warzone match though, since the item is considered contraband in the battle royale.

Others on Reddit questioned what would happen if another player was able to pick up the Ray Gun and use it. “If someone kills the guy with the ray gun, and you pick it up to have some fun, do you also get blamed for cheating? Or does the gun disappear when he dies?” Millertime941 asked. Those who replied questioned if another player picking up a Ray Gun that appeared would also receive a ban if reported⁠—and it’s very likely, considering it would mark the gun as “used” in their play history. Sledgehammer Games and Activision have yet to comment on the issue.

CoD fans have since urged others to report anyone they see using the Ray Gun when they aren’t supposed to, which is basically all the time outside the new LTM. While players are excited about the weapon being added to multiplayer, they understandably aren’t happy that hackers are using it to cheat online.