Modern Warfare III Sneaky Map Spots And Routes You Need To Know

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III’s old-school multiplayer maps are brimming with positions and pathways to let you catch opponents out. Many return from the 2009 title, but there are several new places and routes to be aware of as well. Even if you don’t plan on using them yourself, learning our list of sneaky map spots and routes in Modern Warfare III will stop you falling foul of opponents who do, especially in game modes like Search and Destroy.

Afghan

Afghan only has a few unexpected positions, and most of them aren’t all that practically useful thanks to how open the map is. But if you can find a quiet moment, consider slipping into these unexpected spots.

1. Mattress Ledge

Against the main cliffside near the tail end of the plane wreck you’ll see a pile of mattresses dumped on the floor. To the right of these mattresses is a raised ledge with some grass and a tree. 

It looks like it should be off limits, but you can scale the rocks beneath to get up on top of it. Crouching or going prone will see you partially covered by the grass here. Grab a silenced weapon and surprise some foes.

2. Upper Cliffs Ledge

Another similar ledge can be reached by jumping onto the central plane section. Manage to pull that off without being shot and you can run up the angled wing. 

At the tip you can jump over to a clifftop ledge and look down over the whole center of the map. Sadly you can’t climb any higher, but if you get up here without being spotted, you’ll definitely have the element of surprise.

3. Poppy Fields Nook

Finally, a small nook most players aren’t aware of can be found at the very edge of the northern poppy fields. It doesn’t require any fancy jumps to get into, but you can crouch to mount on the wall and most players aren’t even aware it’s there.

Fair warning: this position won’t be much use in deathmatch. But in S&D or control point maps it’s a great place from which to ambush those looking to approach a nearby objective.

Estate

The ability to swim and mantle more consistently has opened up a few extra hiding spots and angles on Estate. Here are a couple we’ve discovered.

1. Greenhouse Peek

From the south spawn behind the estate itself, you can take up a vantage point on the greenhouse to see down to the map’s lower regions. Start from the back of the greenhouse and climb up via the boat and tank on the rear. 

Once on top, you can shimmy along the edge of the greenhouse edge by walking forward and sticking in close to the greenhouse on your right at the same time. Near the edge you’ll be able to see down to the lower barn and spawn area to pick off unwary foes.

2. Water Palette & Barrels

On the east end of the map is a lake which you can now swim in. If you’re after and extremely odd defensive position, you can swim to either lie on top of the palette or, better yet, stand behind the floating barrels.

On the palette you’ll be very open, but from behind the barrels you’ll barely be visible from the land. It’s a little filthy, and not just because you’re wading in mucky water. For an alternate view, try climbing up on top of the boathouse nearby.

Favela

Verticality is at the heart of Favela, and while there are plenty of obvious ways to scale buildings, there are also a few less well-known routes and places you should learn.

1. Main Street Climb

From the top of main street on the south side of the map, you can quickly make your way up to the rooftops in the middle by scaling some air ventilation units. Stand on the roof of the hut and perform a sprinting leap toward the first unit. Make sure you mash jump as you reach it to grab on.

Get enough distance and you’ll be able to grip the unit and climb up. You can then leap to the next unit and either climb up to the roof or follow the lower ledge to the window further along. From on top of the rooftop you can also perform a jump down into the window opposite at the lower end of the street.

2. Alleys Nook

The center of Favela is a dangerous place, but you can hide away in this dark spot on the upper level to avoid the worst of the action.

Head over from the upper level of the central building and squeeze into this dark nook. On modes like Hardpoint, this is a great spot to spring out from and surprise anyone trying to capture the middle objective.

3. Alleys Roof Climb

From the central alley you can quickly climb up to the southern rooftops by jumping and climbing this gray ledge. 

Mantle up onto the ledge and walk around the corner to reach an easy spot to climb up onto the same roof we reached from the Main Street climb.

Highrise

Highrise is an explorer’s dream. The map is littered with extra paths and areas to discover, provided you don’t mind risking an untimely fall if you mess up your footing.

1. Roof Climb

The most famous hiding spot on Highrise is the roof above the Actibase spawn. To access it, you need to climb on top of the small hut just outside the building. Use the boxes and bricks to get on top of the hut, then turn back to face the main building. Jump across to the very small metal ledge protruding from its side above the windows.

Follow this ledge to the right. Once you turn the corner you’ll find a suspended scaffold that’s tilted at 45°. Jump onto this and you can climb up from its highest point to mantle onto the roof. 

Up here with the birds you’ll find a bunch of discarded teddy bears and the perfect sniper’s next from which to cover the entire map. It’s a powerful place, but the challenge is surviving the ascent up there in the first place.

2. Crane & Raised Office Platform (Front)

The next most famous Highrise position takes you outside of the map and onto the large crane on the west side, opposite the helipad. To access it, climb up onto the small elevator hut with a tank on top in the middle of this lane.

From there you can jump out onto a hanging bundle of beams and run along them to reach the crane. Your journey isn’t done, though! From either end of the crane you can now run up the narrow metal beams to reach the very top of the crane itself, giving you a great view of the map.

Head to the north end of the crane and you can make your way over to a thin white ledge. Follow this to the right and you can crouch through a vent to reach an upper platform inside the building. 

This offers a great vantage point from which to snipe or gun down enemies at range. You can also climb out through the window on the far side to reach a more exposed suspended scaffolding platform.

3. Raised Office Platform (Rear)

You can also reach the raised platform at the back side of the Phonic Office building on the north end of the map. All you need to do is climb on top of the nearby upright wooden sheets, face the raised platform, and make a running jump.

Jump towards them and you’ll be able to mantle up onto the platform. Here you can go prone to view the central lane of the map, or cover the entrances to either side of this spawn area.

4. Helipad Tank

Another sneaky position can be found behind the tank at the edge of the helipad on the map’s east side. Climb up to this and you can get behind it onto a small platform on its rear side. From here the top of the tank will provide a good deal of cover.

Go prone and you can position yourself to look towards either side of the map. Even if players shoot the tank to detonate it, the explosion shouldn’t hit you here. When you start drawing attention, you can drop down to the scaffolding below the edge of the map.

5. Lower Flank

Finally, one of the safest routes to flank is by jumping off the east edge of the map. No, seriously! Over the building’s lip past the helipad you’ll find a suspended scaffolding platform you can drop down to. 

From here, you can walk (don’t sprint) along the thin ledge along the side of the skyscraper. Round the corner you’ll find another platform you can use to climb back up and onto the very edge of the level, right by the window into the offices here. It’s a fantastic, lesser-known route that’ll take you across half the level unseen.

Karachi

Karachi is fairly locked down as Modern Warfare III maps go, but here are a couple of less common spots to set up in.

1. Main Street Balconies

Karachi’s Main Street features a series of stone balconies which look off limits but can be reached by climbing over from the raised platform with several barrels and sandbags. 

The balconies at each end are the best places to surprise enemies from. To reach them you’ll need to walk along the thin ledge of stone which sticks out between the balconies. Tuck yourself into the rear one and you can cover a few of the paths from the middle of the map from cover.

2. Apartment Nook

Nearer the center of the map is a raised apartment with a partially broken wall. There are no doors into this room, but you can access it by jumping across from the gap in the wall of the hotel on the other side of the street.

Enter the upper side of the hotel and face the apartment’s broken wall opposite. A sprinting jump will give you the distance to mantle up into this room. 

Once inside, you can take cover behind the broken wall inside and look down the central lane to the opposite end of the map. Just be prepared for any enemies you take out to return with grenades aplenty. EOD suit recommended!

Skidrow

Skidrow is a fairly straightforward map, but there are a couple of extra angles worth learning on one half of the map.

1. Roof Balcony

The central corridor of Skidrow is often a killbox, but if your team controls it, you can secure this uncommon position atop a balcony over the open roof section.

Start by climbing up on the water silo. Then, face the balcony and take a sprinting jump to mantle the side and climb up. 

Once in place you can surprise players below you or down in the streets toward the container spawn area.

2. Container Balcony

Another hidden spot is in the containers area looking towards the central Skidrow roof. You can access a balcony here which few players expect someone to be waiting in.

Start by climbing up onto the blue containers at the map’s edge. From here you can run and jump onto a ventilation unit along the edge of the roof. 

Once over there you can climb into the balcony and go prone for a surprise angle looking towards the roof. This is a handy one to know when covering objectives on the roof or if your side is stuck with the containers spawn.

Terminal

Terminal is a Call of Duty classic, and its structure holds up pretty well in Modern Warfare III. If your team finds itself caught on the lower half, here are a couple of tricks you can use.

1. Lounge Flowers Boost

Our first secret map spot is an unconventional view you can gain by standing on top of this tiny suspended flower pot in the lounge area.

To reach it, you’ll need a quiet moment (or a smoke grenade) as the method leaves you open on the upper side. When you’re ready to risk it, stand on the bannister at the top of the escalators and face toward the taller section of the barrier in front.

Run and jump to the left side of the barrier, turning to mantle onto it as you pass. It’s a little tricky at first but with a bit of practice you’ll be able to land it quickly. Climb up, then crouch and drop carefully over onto the flower pots on the far side. You can go prone here to avoid enemy fire and fool everyone into thinking you’ve dropped all the way down.

From this spot you can now poke over the wall to look towards the fast food joint. Most enemies won’t expect this angle, as defenders are usually positioned behind the lower wall or the roof on the opposite side.

2. Apron Shortcut Jump

If you’re struggling to get from the plane into the lobby area due to the tight pathway, use this route across a narrow ledge and through the side window instead.

Start by heading up the metal stairs. Face toward the building and climb up on the left metal railing. You now need to run along it and jump forwards and a bit to the left to land on the thin ledge sticking out from the building.

Once on the ledge, you can walk around to see into the lobby area through the windows. Most players won’t expect this angle, so try to make the most of it!

Those are all the secret routes and map points to know if you want to succeed, but you can secure an extra advantage in Modern Warfare III by picking up gaming gear from HyperX.