Call of Duty will see a return to the traditional Prestige System in Black Ops 6, ditching the seasonal structure that was introduced back in 2020 with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. This comes as a relief to fans, as the seasonal prestige wasn’t popular owing to the fact that it majorly felt pointless and did away with permanent progression. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was released on October 25, 2024, on all major platforms.
Fans of Call of Duty will be delighted to learn that the latest installment in the long-running Call of Duty franchise, Black Ops 6, will bring back a staple of the franchise, the prestige system. The shift back to the more traditional and familiar system could be attributed to feedback from fans who actively shared their disinterest in the Seasonal Prestige System that was introduced back in 2023 with Modern Warfare 3.
img: Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Multiplayer – src: Activision
What is the Prestige System & How does it work?
The Prestige System is a staple of Call of Duty and has been around since Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare back in 2007. The system, ever since its inception, has been centered around giving players the opportunity to reset their level after progressing to the maximum level available, usually level 55. After resetting your level, you will start over at level 1 but will retain all your unlocked weapons, attachments, and camo.
Doing this doesn’t necessarily give you any perks but instead gives you an emblem to signify your progress in the game, as well as, on some occasions, fashioning you with new custom classes, calling cards, and weapon blueprints, among other things. The number of Prestige ranks varies from game to game, with some having up to 30 Prestige ranks, but for Black Ops 6, there will only be 10.
img: Black Ops 6 Prestige Master Icon – src: Activision
Making it to Prestige Level 10 in Black Ops 6 will unlock 1000 additional levels along with some perks. Players that reach Prestige Master will be awarded an exclusive, classified reward that is to be disclosed after the games launch later this year. The Prestige system will be available on launch day, so players may begin their campaigns from the moment they acquire the game. The lack of seasonal restrictions is great for fans of the traditional system, as there will no longer be a cap on how far you can get with the Prestige in a season, with the sky once again being the limit.
Why was the Seasonal Prestige unpopular?
Hopes are high for Black Ops 6 after the announcement of a return to the traditional Prestige System, as the seasonal one seemed to have lost a lot of favor from fans. A lot of fans were disgruntled with the system as it took away permanent progression, which was a crucial aspect of the game. Grinding for hours on the game just for the progress to mean very little with each new season was highly demoralizing, and the fans made it quite clear when airing out their critiques on recent games. The return to the traditional system is a welcome one and will hopefully bring players back to the mode once again.
