Finishing Moves return in Call of Duty: MW3 and more brutal than ever. Here’s how you pull them off.
Finishing Moves were introduced in Modern Warfare 2019 as a way of making the melee combat more flashy. They’re melee animations from a third-person perspective that show your character taking down an enemy in a gory fashion. MW3 sees them return, with new ones being introduced for the latest batch of Operators. Below, we explain exactly how to use them as well as how to unlock new ones.
How to Use Finishing Moves in Modern Warfare 3
To use a Finishing Move in MW3, you need to get behind an enemy player and press the melee button. This differs by platform, so we’ve listed it below:
- PlayStation & Xbox – R3
- PC – V
Once you’ve pressed the melee button, the Finishing Move animation you have equipped to your Operator will start playing. You can use Finishing Moves on enemies that are standing, crouched, or prone, and a different animation will play depending on their position. Additionally, Finishing Moves can be used with any weapon equipped, primary or secondary.
It is easier to pull off a Finishing Move if you use a flashbang first, as it’ll distract your enemy long enough for you to sneak up behind them and execute the move. Of course, you can also practice in Private Matches to ensure you get the timing perfect. You can see the Finishing Moves available in the COD: Modern Warfare 3 below:
How to Unlock Finishing Moves in MW3
You can unlock new Finishing Moves in MW3 by doing the following:
- Unlocking them through Battle Pass tiers
- Purchasing Operator Bundles
- Buying the Vault Edition
Finishing Moves can be unlocked via Battle Pass tiers by choosing sectors with new Operators, as each of them comes with their own one. They are also occasionally included in Operator Bundles as a cosmetic for that Operator. Finally, you will get Finishing Moves for Makarov, Captain Price, Ghost, and Warden as part of the Vault Edition.
Additionally, all Finishing Moves that you collected in MW2 will transfer over to MW3 as long as you are logged into the same account. This ensures that you’ll have a vast library of Finishing Moves for all applicable Operators on launch day.
Once you’ve got the perfect Finishing Move for your Operator, head into any online match or Private Match to use it. In the meantime, make sure to check out our Games Hub for all the latest news and guides on Modern Warfare 3.