Call of Duty esports star Octane has revealed how MW3 players can learn which Ranked game mode they’ll be playing before the start of a match.

Modern Warfare 3 players can unlock the game’sRanked Play offeringswhen reaching Level 55. The competitive 4v4 experience challenges users to come out on top in a match governed by the rules of the Call of Duty League.

Ranked Play recently entered the fray, complete with three different game modes – CDL Search and Destroy, CDL Hardpoint, and CDL Control. Of the three, Search and Destroy is the only one that removes the ability to respawn.

While some players like not knowing which mode they’ll join before the match starts, others would prefer to have that knowledge ahead of time – even if only for a few seconds. Call of Duty esports player Octane has a noteworthy tip for those in the latter camp.

CDL star unveils MW3 Ranked game mode tip

CDL star unveils MW3 Ranked game mode tip

During a recent MW3 stream,former CDL player Sam “Octane” Larewtold viewers how to figure out which Ranked Play mode they’ll join before the game starts.

CDL Clips accountSpawnUpshared the advice in a clip wherein Octane notes that players should check their Tactical while waiting in a lobby.

If a Smoke Grenade is not available to equip, “it’s a respawn game type.” If a Smoke Grenade does appear in the menu, then, users can expect to play Search and Destroy.

Octane reveals how to check game mode in ranked play!pic.twitter.com/v7MN8n3yxh

While some players in the SpawnUp comment were thankful for the tips, others noted that waiting another 15 seconds or so won’t hurt. “Damn, all that just to see what you play 15secs earlier.”

AnotherCall of Dutyplayer said those seconds are necessary to mentally prepare for Search and Destroy.

Someone else offered a tip of their own for figuring out the Ranked mode game shuffle in MW3. “Don’t gotta do all dat, just make a smoke class and whenever the class doesn’t have a restriction exclamation point. SEARCH.”

Players can decide for themselves which method works best.

Brianna Reeves is a Games Writer on Dexerto’s US team. She is a Gaming expert, covering Baldur’s Gate, Diablo, Pokemon, fighting games, first-person shooters, and single-player games. Brianna has bylines at CBR, PlayStation LifeStyle, and ScreenRant.