If you consider yourself a competitive gamer, then there are few games that offer the pulse-pounding moment-by-moment PvP action than the Call of Duty games, and the latest in the series is by no means slouching on that front. However, hopping on as a fresh player now can see you playing at a disadvantage compared to those who have been playing it since launch, so what can you do to get up to their level a little more quickly?

Understanding the progression system

One of the things that might immediately hold you back from getting the loadout and the playstyle that you want is the gating that MW3 offers in terms of its progression system. The more you play the game, the more that you are going to unlock all of the weapons, Field Upgrades, equipment, and perks. It’s not just cosmetic, so take the time to look at the unlocks to see what level you have to grind to for the kit that you want to play with.

Getting everything you want quickly

There are 55 levels to grind up to in COD: MW 3, and even if you’re playing well, that’s a lot of levels to climb. Thankfully, some people have discovered ways to level up fast through the progression system. Aside from completing the daily and weekly challenges that the game is constantly updating with, there are specific multiplayer modes, such as Kill Confirmed, Hardpoint, and Ground War that focus on objectives that are much more closely tied to the metrics that you need to hit in order to level up. It will still take some grinding, but you can get there a lot more easily than simply by flickering between all of the multiplayer modes.

Skip the grind

Not exactly excited about having to work your way up through a progression system that gates real gameplay advantages from you? You’re not alone there. With pre-leveled COD MW3 accounts, not only can you skip a lot of the grinding necessary to get everything required to play on an even level with the veterans, but you can also play with a lot of the cosmetics that help you stand out from the new players. It’s one of the easiest ways to slip right into the intended multiplayer experience without putting a ton of work in.

Keep up with the pros

Once you have the internal progression system nailed down, then it’s all about improving your skills as a player. To some degree, play, and experience are vital, but there are specific skills that you can focus on, such as movement and quick scope aiming, that will greatly improve your game. Keep an eye out for those pro tip videos on YouTube that can give you the skinny on the techniques that will raise your level well above the average.

Both a mix of internal progression systems as well as experience levels might separate you from the player that you’re supposed to be, so hopefully the tips above make it easier to reach that level.