What is the time limit in MW3 Zombies?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies is an experience unlike any other we have ever had with an undead game mode. There’s an open map, completely different systems and mechanics, and enemy AI. However, perhaps the biggest change with MW3 Zombies is the addition of a time limit.

In the past, you were able to stay on a Zombies map for as long as you could survive. This was usually a part of Round-Based Zombies maps, but no map ever featured anything like a time limit until MW3. Naturally, with this new mechanic in place, you might be curious about exactly how much time you have on the map and what happens if you exceed that time limit.

Below, I’ll explain all of that and how it all works in MW3 Zombies.

The time limit in MW3 Zombies

For starters, the time limit in every Zombies match on the Urzikstan map is 1 hour. While you might think it’s only 45 minutes due to the in-game timer at the start of a match, you actually get an additional 15 minutes after that 45-minute timer has expired. During these 15 minutes, the Aether gas starts to spread from the Hazard Zone on the map.

You need to find an Exfil Point before the Aether gas consumes you. You are able to use a Gas Mask to stop the gas from harming you for a brief time, but eventually, the gas will kill you if you don’t make it to an Exfil Point.

Related: How to get a Large Rucksack in MW3 Zombies

However, as the gas spreads and other teams leave, more and more Exfil Points will expire and no longer be usable. Luckily, there is a Final Exfil Point that appears around the eight-minute mark during the 15 minutes. You need to look on your map, find where that is, and head there. It will always be the last spot on the map the Aether gas reaches and the helicopter from there leaves at exactly zero seconds on the clock once the extra 15 minutes is up. If you don’t leave by the time the Aether gas spreads around the map, you will be killed and lose all of your gear.

So, to sum up, you technically have one hour to play a match of MW3 Zombies. However, the last 15 minutes of a match is spent avoiding a spreading Aether gas and you need to exfil before the gas kills you. If you wait until the last minute, you need to make it to Final Exfil Point and fight off a hoard of zombies before you’re able to get on the chopper.