Many MW3 Zombies fans have noticed plenty of server lag – and the cause seems to be players farming Weapon XP by calling in Exfils!
Modern Warfare 3’s Zombies mode has gotten a pretty positive reception so far. However, one of the main complaints so far has been server lag.
Although, as COD fans have quickly deduced, server lag isn’t an issue with the game itself or their internet connection. In fact, other players are causing it by using a Weapon XP farming method!
Why Are Servers Lagging in Zombies?
The cause behind the frustrating server lag issues in MW3 Zombies is players farming Weapon XP by calling in Exfils.
Too many Zombies on the map at one time causes the server to lag. In turn, gameplay stutters and jumps for everyone in the lobby!
Calling in an Exfil chopper is how you are supposed to leave Zombies matches. However, players are requesting Exfils multiple times for leveling-up purposes instead.
In case you didn’t know, farming Zombies Exfils is one of the fastest ways to earn Weapon XP and level up guns in Modern Warfare 3. This is because you can kill a load of Zombies in a very short amount of time, netting you a load of Weapon XP!
Therefore, plenty of players hop into Zombies purely to level up guns using this trick, rather than to play the mode as it was intended.
While this shouldn’t be an issue, multiple squads calling in Exfils simultaneously clearly affects the game’s server performance.
It seems like the MW3 Zombies mode cannot handle hundreds of zombies spawning all at once and still provide a lag-free gameplay experience. Therefore, if too many Zombies are on the map, the game will stutter for every player in the lobby.
Unfortunately, if this happens in one of your Zombies matches, there’s nothing you can do. You just have to play out the rest of the match with server lag or hope that it stops.
Hopefully, the Zombies lag will be addressed in an upcoming MW3 update, but it may be difficult and costly to upgrade the servers. Instead, a more likely solution is adjusting how Exfils work or how much Weapon XP players can earn in Zombies.
Zombies player u/Zhiyi suggests that limiting how many Exfils players can call in is the right way to combat server lag. Although, of course, this would make the Weapon XP farming trick much less effective.
Let’s hope that MW3 developer Sledgehammer Games addresses the lag in Zombies soon. However, only time will tell what the solution to this problem will be!