Call of Duty Server Error Wipes Player Progression: Ranked Play and Modern Warfare Zombies Temporarily Disabled
In a recent overnight incident, players of Call of Duty have experienced an unexpected setback as servers encountered an error that reportedly wiped their playing progression for weapons, Ranked Play, and battle passes. To address this issue, the Call of Duty teams have taken immediate action by disabling player access to Ranked Play and Modern Warfare Zombies while the bug is being investigated. However, there is currently no timeframe for how long it will take to resolve the issue or whether player progression will be fully restored.
Fortunately, an update has been deployed to fix the progression issue and restore player progress across impacted games. As a result, Ranked Play modes for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 multiplayer and Call of Duty: Warzone are now back online. Players can also access Modern Warfare Zombies, and Warzone’s Champion’s Quest challenge has been reactivated. To make up for the inconvenience caused by the error, the double XP event, which had been activated for the weekend, has been extended until Tuesday, February 27. Additionally, players can now collect double the skulls for the currently active Horde event.
Although the progression tracking fix has been implemented, there are still minor bug fixes for the COD team to roll out heading into the weekend. One of these includes an issue with player-controlled cruise missiles in multiplayer patches not behaving accordingly.
Moving forward, the Call of Duty social media accounts have announced that a fix has been deployed to restore player progression in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Modern Warfare 2, and Warzone. However, Ranked Play modes and the Champion’s Quest challenge for Warzone will remain disabled until the progression restoration process is completed. Double XP has also been activated to compensate for the inconvenience caused.
Players who logged into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 or Warzone in the early morning were surprised to find that their player level and weapon progression had reset to level 1. Additionally, some players found that their purchased store bundles were inaccessible. These issues were reported across Modern Warfare 3, Warzone, and Modern Warfare Zombies.
The Call of Duty team has taken swift action by disabling access to Ranked Play in both Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone, as well as Modern Warfare Zombies, while the issue is being investigated. This also includes the temporary disabling of the Call of Duty: Warzone Champion’s Quest. However, a fix for loadouts has already been deployed, and the team is actively investigating the issues at hand.
During this time, CharlieIntel initially reported on Twitter that Skill-based Match Making (SBMM), the algorithm used to balance matches in online play, had also been affected. Players noted that matchmaking rules for Modern Warfare 3 were dramatically relaxed, resulting in matches that seemed easier to handle. While multiplayer is still accessible, players will likely experience unusual behavior with their player ranks and weapon progression if they choose to play during this period.
Sledgehammer Games, the lead studio behind Modern Warfare 3, has provided players with an explainer on how SBMM works for the popular first-person shooter. They have even shared plans to create an experimental playlist, allowing players to join matches without SBMM. However, no specific date for this experiment has been publicly announced.
This server error comes shortly following Call of Duty was declared the best-selling game of January 2024. The mega-popular first-person shooter franchise, now under the wing of Xbox following Microsoft’s record-breaking $70 billion acquisition of its publisher, Activision, has recently faced challenges with the integration of Call of Duty titles into Xbox Game Pass. These challenges were partly due to legal obstacles that limited collaboration between the merging companies until the deal was finalized.
Looking ahead, this incident highlights the importance of maintaining stable and secure server systems for online multiplayer games. It is crucial for developers to ensure that updates and bug fixes are thoroughly tested to prevent such setbacks. Additionally, the swift response from the Call of Duty teams in disabling affected features and actively investigating the issue demonstrates their commitment to providing the best gaming experience for players.
As the gaming industry continues to evolve, it is likely that we will see an increased focus on server stability, bug prevention, and timely issue resolution. The success of a game relies heavily on its online capabilities, and any disruptions can lead to frustration among players and potentially impact the reputation of a franchise.
In conclusion, while the recent Call of Duty server error caused a temporary setback for players, the deployment of fixes and restoration of progression in impacted games demonstrates the commitment of the Call of Duty teams to rectifying the situation. As online gaming continues to thrive and evolve, it is crucial for developers to adapt to emerging trends, invest in secure server systems, and address issues promptly to ensure an optimal gaming experience for all players.
