Updated on January 5, 9:30 a.m. (GMT+8): Updated XP targets in rewards list.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Season 1 is holding a new, limited-time event as the calendar flips to a fresh year.

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The MW3 Vortex event, officially called as the Vortex: War’s Domain, takes place following the Christmas event or CODMAS, featuring an exhilarating game mode and coveted rewards.

Here’s everything you need to know about the event happening early this month.

What is MW3 Vortex?

MW3 Vortex event image featuring an Operator with Ray Gun
Credit: Activision

Vortex is a limited-time mode that brings the Zombies’ infamous weapon, the Ray Gun, to Multiplayer for the first time.

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In this free-for-all game mode, a player spawns with the Ray Gun, which they can use to one-shot enemies. Whoever eliminates the player with the Ray Gun becomes the new owner of the powerful weapon.

To win, you need to reach 30 kills or score the highest number of kills within the 10-minute match time.

MW3 Vortex event start and end dates

The Vortex event starts on January 3, 10 a.m. Pacific Time (PT), and ends January 17, 8 a.m. PT.

For the other time zones, check out the list below.

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TIME ZONELOCAL TIME (START)LOCAL TIME (END)
Mountain Time (MT)11 a.m.9 a.m.
Central Time (CT)12 p.m.10 a.m.
Eastern Time (ET)1 p.m.11 a.m.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC)6 p.m.4 p.m.
Central European Time (CET)7 p.m.5 p.m.
Eastern European Time (EET)8 p.m.6 p.m.
Indian Standard Time (IST)11:30 p.m.9:30 p.m.
China Standard Time (CST)
Singapore Time (SGT)
2 a.m. (January 4)12 a.m. (January 18)
Japan Standard Time (JST)3 a.m. (January 4)1 a.m. (January 18)
Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT)5 a.m. (January 4)3 a.m. (January 18)

MW3 Vortex-themed maps

Three maps are available in the Vortex game mode: Tetanus, Satan’s Quarry, and Sporeyard. These are otherworldy versions of Rust, Quarry, and Scrapyard, respectively.

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Tetanus

Tetanus map in MW3 Vortex event
Credit: Activision

Satan’s Quarry

Satan's Quarry map in MW3 Vortex event
Credit: Activision

Sporeyard

Sporeyard map in MW3 Vortex event
Credit: Activision

MW3 Vortex event rewards

You can claim up to 15 rewards during the event, including the ultimate reward, the Magma camo.

To get all the rewards, you need to gain a total of 1,233,700 XP. You can earn XP by simply playing any modes in Multiplayer, Warzone, or Zombies.

Additionally, using the War Horse Operator skin from the Weapons of the Apocalypse: War’s Vengeance store bundle grants 1000 bonus XP per match.

Here’s the full list of rewards along with the XP targets based on the latest update released by the developers:

  • “The Goat” weapon sticker (9,500 XP)
  • Double XP token (21,500 XP)
  • “Through the Smoke” large decal (36,900 XP)
  • Double weapon XP token (56,350 XP)
  • “Ghost Fire” charm (81,100 XP)
  • “Skull Fire” large decal (112,450 XP)
  • “Volcanic” emblem (152,300,000 XP)
  • “A Little Rusty” calling card (202,950 XP)
  • Double battle pass XP token (267,200 XP)
  • “Winged Fire” weapon sticker (348,900 XP)
  • Double XP token (452,550 XP)
  • “Forged in Flames” calling card (584,250 XP)
  • “Putrid Skulls” weapon sticker (751,500 XP)
  • Double weapon XP token (963,950 XP)
  • “Magma” weapon camo (1,233,700 XP)

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