MW3 CODMAS is here, ushering in the festive period with new events, a suite of fun new playlists, jolly maps, and new cosmetic items for MW3 players to earn on PS5 and Xbox. However, this free Santa’s Slayground event isn’t quite living up to the theme of gift giving, with the MW3 CODMAS challenges giving a lackluster selection of cosmetic rewards that feels more like being gifted coal. As much as the CoD community complains, we can’t all be on the naughty list.
Despite Call of Duty MW3 giving players a CODMAS MW3 Double XP Weekend to celebrate the occasion, PS5 and Xbox fans like ourselves are rather let down by the CODMAS rewards, even though the festive maps and playlists are a blast. Nevertheless, there is one reward that stands out, so we’re still going to kit up with the MW3 meta setups and get grinding in one of the best FPS games right now.
Heading to the events page, you can browse the full selection of Santa’s Slayground rewards, which include a sticker, charm, calling card, emblem, finisher, weapon blueprint, a Double Weapon XP Token, and a tier skip – “prizes more impressive than a lump of coal” according to Sledgehammer in the official blog.
Now, that might sound like a hearty handful of goodies up for grabs – this is a free event, after all. However, most players aren’t concerned about stickers, calling cards, or emblems, especially ones so festively themed – even being described as “filler” rewards to pad out the event. Moreover, the Ugliest Sweater weapon blueprint, although it’s a shiny, high-tier blueprint, is not all that enticing since weapon blueprints are generally not tuned for competitive play; you could make a better gun and loadout yourself. Unfortunately, due to it being a weapon blueprint specifically for the DG-58, you can’t even apply the festive paint job to another weapon using the MW3 camos system.
This leaves players with a new finisher and a helpful but rather boring gift of a Double Weapon XP Token and a single tier skip – rewards that previous, non-festive events already included. Thankfully, the Santa’s Right Hand finisher is incredible, with a pesky little elf in a military getup spawning to take down your opponent in a humiliating fashion. However, having largely bland rewards behind a lengthy grind during a two-week event doesn’t feel all that jolly, even if the event is free.
It’s no wonder then that players aren’t pleased with the MW3 CODMAS rewards, with one player expressing that they’re “not even worth getting” given the effort it takes to get them, a sentiment echoed by many. If the goal was to entice players to play the game during the holiday season, with rewards locked behind a grind, then Sledgehammer has seemingly let the player base down in that regard.
As for the Santa’s Slayground challenges themselves, many players can’t even see the MW3 events tab in-game to view and track them, further adding to the frustration. To make matters even worse, these challenges are generally more laborious than previous events too, requiring more deliberate actions to complete them.
In case you’re one of the unlucky players, the MW3 CODMAS Santa’s Slayground challenges are as follows:
- Get 40 melee kills with Stalker Boots equipped
- Get 40 kills with a weapon picked up from enemies
- Get 100 kills with the DG-58 LMG
- Get 6 snowball kills in the Snowball Gunfight playlist
- Get 40 headshot kills with a sniper, battle rifle, or marksman rifle
- Get 30 kills while playing in the Infected Playlist
- Get 5 kills while sliding or crouching
Fortunately, even if you can’t see the events page in MW3 right now, you can still complete the challenges and earn the rewards, you just won’t be able to track your progress. Nevertheless, this has only added further fuel to the fire over the weak selection of CODMAS rewards up for grabs in Santa’s Slayground.
Even though the MW3 CODMAS challenges are a pain to complete and Santa’s Slayground rewards are rather lacking, we’re still having a blast tearing through the newly decorated maps with the best MW3 loadouts and best MW3 guns at the ready. With the inevitable influx of new PS5 and Xbox players picking up Modern Warfare 3 over the holidays, this event will at least give these players a headstart on the grind.