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How to get Overkill in Modern Warfare 3

Here's how to unlock your second primary weapon using Overkill

A screenshot from Modern Warfare 3 showing an Operator holding his vest.
Image credit: Activision

How can you get Overkill in Modern Warfare 3? With Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3's revamped perk system, the popular Overkill perk has taken a new form. Instead of a base perk unlocked by reaching a certain player level, Overkill now lives within the vest slot of your class setup.

In the guide below, we reveal all the details you need in order to unlock Overkill in Modern Warfare 3 and utilise its game-changing ability across MW3's multiplayer maps.

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How to get Overkill in Modern Warfare 3

The two best vests in MW3 unlock the Overkill perk for you by default when equipped: the Gunner Vest and the appropriately-named Overkill Vest. You can choose either of these vests for your loadout and they'll both give you the ability to run with a second primary weapon.

Is there any difference between them? Well, the Gunner Vest is unlocked at player level 20 and the Overkill Vest is unlocked at player level 50. That's a 30 level difference between the two, so you'll likely start using the Gunner Vest first. If you want tips on how to get the Overkill Vest a bit quicker, read our how to level up fast in MW3 guide.

When it comes to each vest's individual perks, some more notable distinctions emerge. With the Gunner Vest, you can only equip two primary weapons, meaning you'll need to say farewell to your secondary weapon slot. You'll also lose your boots slot. While these losses aren't ideal, you'll still have access to your gloves, gear, tactical, lethal, and field upgrade slots. The Gunner Vest also means you'll deploy with max ammo and benefit from improved reload speed, which may be worth losing your boots depending on your playstyle. At the very least, it's a lovely little accompaniment to your newly-unlocked double primaries.

The Overkill Vest is a little different - it unlocks the ability to equip two primary weapons, but doesn't remove your secondary weapon slot. This means you can play with two primaries, two secondaries, or one primary and one secondary. The trade-off for this versatility is the loss of your field upgrade slot, though you'll still be allowed to choose your gloves, boots, gear, tactical, and lethal options. With all these factors in mind, it really comes down to personal preference on what sort of flexibility you want and which attachment slot you'd rather sacrifice when deciding between the Gunner and Overkill Vests.

While that's everything we've got on unlocking Overkill in MW3, there's plenty more content available to help you nab your killstreaks. We've got guides full of details about Modern Warfare 3's best guns, best loadouts, and how to unlock all Operators to inform you on your next moves.

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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)

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Grace Dean avatar

Grace Dean

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Grace has been freelancing for RPS since September 2023, starting out on all things Starfield and Modern Warfare 3. She’s a huge fan of FPS games, as well as adventure and sims to mix up the pace. Studying journalism at university and then running a gaming YouTube channel before making short-form content for television, she left the world of TV to pursue her love of writing and find a beautiful balance between her busy work and family life. If she’s not playing Fortnite or COD, you’ll find her snuggled up somewhere warm playing The Sims 4 or Stardew Valley.

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