What is the Black Ops 6 Prestige system? Getting the psychological edge over your opponents in Call of Duty can go a long way in winning a multiplayer match. Sure, your aim, loadouts, and general skill are huge factors in securing victory, but if you can put your enemies on the back foot before a single shot has been fired, you’re in a great spot to dominate.
One way to do that is with your Black Ops 6 Prestige level, which shows the world that you’re experienced and bloodthirsty. In good news for returning players to the multiplayer game, for Black Ops 6, the Prestige system reverts to a classic state, no longer tied to live service seasons. Here’s how that works in the latest iteration of the FPS game and what it means for you.
Black Ops 6 Prestige explained
Prestige in Call of Duty is essentially your player level, it shows how experienced you are and, in a way, how much time you have in the game. You begin at the bottom: no Prestige, level one. Once you hit level 55 you have the option to ‘Prestige’, resetting all your level and item unlocks, albeit with the fancy new Prestige icon next to your name. Prestige progression is global, spanning Black Ops 6 multiplayer, Warzone, and Zombies.
You can Prestige ten times in total, where you’ll then have the option to graduate to ‘Prestige Master’, unlocking an additional 1,000 levels to grind through. There are plenty of spicy cosmetic unlockables to be had, both in the Prestige system and throughout the 1,000 levels, including operator skins, blueprints, and more. Each Prestige has themed rewards based on iconic CoD games, for example, Prestige One is inspired by Call of Duty World at War.
It should be noted that, while you can receive rewards as a Warzone-only player seeing as it’s a free PC game, you will receive fewer rewards than those who own BO6. However, if you pick up Black Ops 6 later, any reward tiers you missed while grinding Warzone will automatically be unlocked – phew.
With each level, you’ll also unlock new weapons, perks, and other equipment necessary to build out the best Black Ops 6 loadouts the game has to offer. While you lose access to this gear when you Prestige, your weapon levels, operators, challenge progress, loadouts, and customizations are kept ready for you when you unlock them again. You also earn a ‘permanent unlock’ token each time you prestige, allowing you to circumvent the process for whichever item you choose.
When you Prestige, your combat stats – including your elimination-to-death record – will also be reset. Considering how different Black Ops 6 feels thanks to Omnimovement, it’s probably a blessing that your KDA from the first few weeks of play won’t be a permanent fixture. That being said, you can keep tabs on your record over time in the Combat Record menu.
Here’s what resets when using the Prestige system:
| Will be reset | Won’t be reset |
| Player level. | Weapon progression, camos, and sights. |
| Level unlocks (except for base Operators, emotes, and Zombies GobbleGums, alongside things you decide to permanently unlock). | Weapon builds (but will remain unusable until you’re at the necessary player level to use it again). |
| Loadouts. | Challenge progress and unlocks. |
| Stats outside your Combat Record (non-Combat Record stats will only be shown for current Prestige). | Store and Battle Pass content. |
| Operator and emote unlocks. | |
| Zombies GobbleGums. | |
| Permanently unlocked level unlocks. |
Black Ops 6 Prestige rewards
As previously noted, you’ll be treated to various themed rewards as you progress through each Prestige. If you’re a Warzone player who doesn’t have BO6, though, remember you won’t be entitled to all the rewards.
Here’s a list of the Black Ops 6 Prestige rewards, from Prestige 1 to Prestige Master:
Prestige 1
- Instant reward: ‘Nacht Raider’ Weaver operator skin.
- Instant reward: World at War Zombies Prestige one icon.
- Level 10: ‘Der Riese’ loading screen.
- Level 20: ‘Perk-A-Cola’ BO6 GobbleGums pack.
- Level 30: ‘Zombie Breach’ animated emblem.
- Level 40: ‘Insta-kill Power-Up’ charm.
- Level 50: ‘Teddy is a Liar’ C9 SMG blueprint.
Prestige 2
- Instant reward: World at War Death Cards Prestige two icon.
- Level 10: ‘Jungle Warfare’ loading screen.
- Level 20: ‘Bite Chew’ Gobblegum Pack.
- Level 30: ‘Madness Unleashed’ animated emblem.
- Level 40: ‘Berserker Death Card’ charm.
- Level 50: ‘Warrior’s Blood’ Model L blueprint.
Prestige 3
- Instant reward: Black Ops Campaign Prestige three icon.
- Level 10: ‘Interrogation’ loading screen.
- Level 20: Bite Chew Gobblegum Pack.
- Level 30: ‘The Numbers’ animated emblem.
- Level 40: ‘MACV-SOG’ charm.
- Level 50: ‘My Name Is…’ Payne operator skin.
Prestige 4
- Instant reward: Black Ops Nuketown Prestige four icon.
- Level 10: ‘Welcome to Nuketown’ loading screen.
- Level 20: Bite Chew Gobblegum Pack.
- Level 30: ‘Doomsday’ animated emblem.
- Level 40: ‘Nuked’ spray.
- Level 50: ‘Atomic Commando’ XM4 blueprint.
Prestige 5
- Instant reward: Black Ops II Menendez Prestige five icon.
- Level 10: ‘Battle for LA’ loading screen.
- Level 20: Bite Chew Gobblegum Pack.
- Level 30: ‘Claw’ animated emblem.
- Level 40: ‘Cordis Die’ spray.
- Level 50: ‘Absolute Loss’ Toro operator skin.
Prestige 6
- Instant reward: Black Ops II Zombies Prestige six icon.
- Level 10: ‘The Docks’ loading screen.
- Level 20: Bite Chew Gobblegum Pack.
- Level 30: ‘Tedd’ animated emblem.
- Level 40: ‘Jailbreak’ spray.
- Level 50: ‘Robot Abomination’ SWAT 5.56 blueprint.
Prestige 7
- Instant reward: Black Ops III Specialists Prestige seven icon.
- Level 10: ‘Miniature Mayhem’ loading screen.
- Level 20: Bite Chew Gobblegum Pack.
- Level 30: ‘Have a Nice Day!’ animated emblem.
- Level 40: ‘Tiny Treat’ charm.
- Level 50: ‘Specialist Fan’ Maya operator skin.
Prestige 8
- Instant reward: Black Ops III Al Corvus Prestige eight icon.
- Level 10: ‘Frozen Forest’ loading screen.
- Level 20: Bite Chew Gobblegum Pack.
- Level 30: ‘Corvus AI’ animated emblem.
- Level 40: ‘Boom Train’ spray.
- Level 50: ‘VMP Elite’ Jackal PDW blueprint.
Prestige 9
- Instant reward: Black Ops 4 Prestige eight icon.
- Level 10: ‘Welcome to Blackout’ loading screen.
- Level 20: Bite Chew Gobblegum Pack.
- Level 30: ‘Where We Dropping?’ animated emblem.
- Level 40: ‘Wall Buy’ spray
- Level 50: ‘Samantha’s PJs’ Grey operator skin.
Prestige 10
- Instant reward: Cold War Campaign Prestige eight icon.
- Level 10: ‘Break on Through’ loading screen.
- Level 20: Bite Chew Gobblegum Pack.
- Level 30: ‘Red Door’ animated emblem.
- Level 40: ‘Perseus’ charm
- Level 50: ‘Art of War’ Bailey operator skin.
Prestige Master
Once you’ve cleared the ten standard Prestige tiers, you’ll enter Prestige Master. Though there are 1,000 levels of goodness to soak up there, we’ve only had a couple of reward teasers:
- Prestige Master instant reward: ‘Sitting Bull Reborn’ Marshall operator skin.
- Prestige Master Level 90: ‘Classified Arsenal’ AMES 85 animated blueprint.
That being said, we do know that you’ll gain access to some pretty sweet legacy Prestige icons every 100 levels. At level 100 you’ll get a Prestige One icon set, at level 200 you’ll get the Prestige Two set, and so on and so forth. Once you’ve reached level 1,000 and ascended to ‘Prestige Legend’, classified rewards become available.
If you see someone with a high Prestige level, take care, as they are battle-hardened and have seen it all before. As you prepare yourself for the long journey ahead, check out the best Black Ops 6 weapons and the best BO6 loadouts that might help you get there. Make sure you meet the Black Ops 6 system requirements and that your rig is up to the task.
