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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is the first modern-era CoD that features a Zombies game mode. It merges the gameplay elements of DMZ with the progression seen in Cold War’s Outbreak, creating a PvE experience that has a surprising amount of depth. This even extends to how MWZ handles weapon camos.
Modern Warfare Zombies features a deep camo progression system that mirrors the Multiplayer camo grind. Each weapon has a unique set of base camos and mastery camos to earn, and there’s even a Zombies weapon mastery system for players that prefer Zombies over Multiplayer. This guide will showcase how MWZ’s camo system works and detail how to earn every MWZ camo in the game, including MW2 weapons ported to MW3.
Updated July 22, 2025, by Charles Burgar:Season 6 of MW3 has two new weapons to unlock: the Kastov LSW and the DTIR. We’ve updated this guide to include all Zombies camo challenges for these new weapons.
This guide covers how to earn camos tied to MWZ only. For MP camo challenges, consult ourmultiplayer weapon camo guide.
How Camo Challenges Work In Modern Warfare Zombies
Similar to how Multiplayer works, every weapon in MW3 has a set of base camos you’re able to earn by playing Modern Warfare Zombies (MWZ).Both Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 weapons have Zombies camos you can earn,most of which have four base camos and four mastery camos.
As with MP camos, you’ll need to unlock a weapon’s base Zombies camos before you can start earning Zombies mastery camos.Each weapon archetype shares the same mastery camo objectives, while the base camo challenges tend to be unique on a per-weapon basis. This is inverted from how it works in MW3 MP.
These MWZ camos are unique in design and have unique challenges, all of whichmust be completed in MWZ lobbies; you’re able to’t earn Zombies camos in MW3 Multiplayer and vice versa.Once you’ve unlocked all base Zombies camos for a weapon, you can start the MWZ mastery camo grind.There are four mastery camos to earn for each weapon, and each camo must be earned sequentially.
MW2 weapons have different mastery camo designs than MW3 weapons, as shown below:
Bioluminescent
Borealis
If you boot up Modern Warfare 2, you will not be able to retroactively add Zombies camos to your MW2 weapons. These camos may only be used in Modern Warfare 3.
All Zombies camos may be inspected in the “Camos” section of theGunsmith customization menu,found under the “Zombies Mastery” tab. you’re able to use Zombies camos in Multiplayer and vice versa, but you can’t earn the camos themselves in different game modes; Zombies camo challenges may only be completed in MWZ.
Zombies Weapon Mastery Challenges
The arduous weapon mastery grind is also present in MWZ, albeit with some minor changes.When you unlock a Zombies mastery camo for a weapon, you’ll unlock a set of weapon mastery challenges.Each challenge requires you to kill a certain number of zombies while a specific mastery camo is equipped. The requirements are the same for all weapons:
The challenge requirements are the same for all MW2 weapons. Only the camo names are different.
Completing a weapon mastery challenge will unlock a calling card and emblem for your account.If you complete all four weapon mastery challenges, you’ll unlock a unique weapon charm.This charm is slightly different from the weapon mastery charms earned from MP challenges, featuring a more weathered look.Both MW2 and MW3 weapons have Zombies weapon mastery cosmetics, not just MW3 weapons.
Maps And Mazes
Get 100 kills and successfully extract in a single deployment.
Defeat 10 Special or Elite zombies.
Get 250 kills at rare rarity or higher.
Get 250 kills in medium or high threat zones.
Highs And Lows
Primed And Polished
Get 250 kills at Rare rarity or higher.
Get 200 critical kills
