How to get a Crossbow in MW3 Zombies

Not only is the Crossbow extremely fun to use, but it's also one of the best weapons in all of MW3 Zombies. However, to use a Crossbow in Modern Warfare 3's Zombies Mode, you need to find one first, which isn't always easy.

Let's review all the ways to get a Crossbow, plus how to enhance the Crossbow with attachments, Perk-a-Colas, and more in the open-world Zombies experience from Treyarch.

How to get a Crossbow

There are a few different ways to get yourself a Crossbow, like looting Mercenary Caches in High Threat Zones or opening Mystery Boxes. We've gone into more detail about these methods below:

Loot Mercenary Caches in the High Threat Zone

A relatively reliable method of obtaining a Crossbow in MW3 Zombies is to loot Mercenary Caches in the High-Threat Zone. You can find Mercenary Caches in Mercenary Strongholds, Infested Strongholds, Mercenary Camps, and Mercenary Convoys.

There are reports of players finding Crossbows in the Low and Medium-Threat Zones and from other sources like Weapon Lockers and regular caches, but Mercenary Caches seem to consistently contain Crossbows!

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Open Mystery Boxes

When you open a Mystery Box, there's a slim chance you'll receive a Crossbow. However, we don't recommend this strategy, as it requires a lot of luck and will probably cost you a ton of Essence.

Get a Crossbow from a friend

If you have a buddy who already has the Crossbow, you can get it too, with their help. All your friend has to do is bring a Crossbow with them into Urzikstan as an Insured Weapon and drop it. Then, if you pick it up and exfil with it, you'll unlock it permanently!

Unlock the Crossbow in Multiplayer

If you unlock the Crossbow in Multiplayer, you can use it in Zombies as an Insured Weapon! To unlock the Crossbow in Multiplayer, you must achieve 50 Longshot Kills with Marksman Rifles.

How to use a Crossbow

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A non-upgraded Crossbow with no attachments might feel underwhelming to use, but with the right setup, the Crossbow rivals any weapon in MW3 Zombies.

The key to turning the Crossbow into the ultimate zombie-slaying tool is the Brightblaze 20" Bolts. These thermite-tipped bolts burn on impact and make quick work of even the strongest members of the undead army.

Next, pair the Brightblaze 20" Bolts with the PhD Flopper, Speed Cola, and Deadshot Daiquiri Perk-A-Colas. These Perk-a-Colas will enhance this Crossbow loadout even further by granting you immunity to Brightblaze 20" Bolts, reload the Crossbow faster, and make it easier to hit and deal bonus damage to weak points.

Finally, Pack-a-Punch the Crossbow to Level 2, or even Level 3, and even Megabombs won't be able to put up a fight!

Check out our Modern Warfare 3 homepage for more Zombies content like how to get a Hellhound or the latest weekly challenges.