The prestige system of Call of Duty disappeared with Modern Warfare and last year many players demanded a return. With CoD: Black Ops Cold War you can rise again to unimagined level heights.
With the Prestige system you could sacrifice your entire level progress in previous Call of Duty games to gain one level of prestige. You had to unlock all equipment and weapons, but you could also shine with your prestige emblem.
Modern Warfare tried something new here and went completely away from the prestige levels. The CoD from 2019 relied on seasonal progress and let you climb 100 levels per season. With each level, you also unlock tasks that unlocked experience points and special season emblems.
New CoD Prestige system enables 1,200 levels per season
How does it work with Cold War With the new Black Ops the Prestige system returns and offers you more levels than ever before. In the English Treyarch blog, the developers speak of “the best of both worlds”.
Like CoD MW, the new system is based on a seasonal rhythm, but offers so many level ascents that you will have to invest a lot of time to get even close to the level limit. You can climb 1,200 levels per season.
Over all Cold War seasons, you will be able to gain more than 25 prestige ranks, compared to the previous system which allowed a maximum of 10 prestige ranks. However, each season will have a limited number of prestige ranks, followed by a mastery system that will allow you to climb 1,000 levels beyond the available prestige ranks.
Pre-Season does not yet come with the final system
How does it work before Season 1? First of all, if you climb the Prestige ranks, you won’t lose any more progress. You can still use all the weapons and equipment you unlocked in the first 55 levels. These base levels are called “Military Ranks”. Once you fill them, no one will take them away.
Once you have completed the first 55 levels, you will receive your first Prestige badge. The system is already active with the release of Cold War, and CoD will let you climb up to Prestige level 3 before the start of the first season, which is equivalent to 100 levels – 50 levels always represent a Prestige level in the Season Prestige system.
Every 50 levels you get an emblem and a “Prestige Key”. The key is part of a new reward system, where you can get more items for your busy level ascents. The Prestige Shop also starts with Season 1.
Before Season 1:
- 55 Military Ranks to unlock weapons and equipment and reach Prestige level 1
- Afterwards, maximum level 100 (Prestige 2 to 50, Prestige 3 to 100)
- All Prestige ranks are associated with rewards
With Season 1 the big grinding really starts
What happens at the start of Season 1? With the start of each Season the Rank System resets itself. But you keep your military ranks and the number of prestige levels you have reached. Let’s say you’ve filled the 3 prestige levels of the pre-season, then your prestige ranks will show that as well.
However, your prestige season progress will be 0 and you can unlock 4 prestige ranks with each season. Each rank will require you to level up 50 times, and rewards will be given. When you have completed all of these (200 level-ups), you will be at Prestige level 7 along with the 3 ranks from the pre-season.
In addition, every time you complete all 4 prestige ranks of a season, you will be awarded the title “Prestige Master” of that season and enter the last system that will let you climb another 1,000 levels. Again, you will receive a reward every 50 levels.
With every new season:
- Reset level progress to 0 (you keep your 55 military ranks and achieved prestige levels)
- Each Season offers 4 Prestige Ranks – One rank has 50 levels (maximum of 200 levels)
- After completing the 4 Season ranks, you are “Prestige Master” and go to the Prestige Master ranks (maximum 1,000)
- You can climb 1,200 levels per season
- Prestige reward for all 50 levels – also for the Prestige Master ranks
4 types of rewards – buy emblems with prestige key
What rewards can I expect? The system rewards you in 4 ways:
- Each season offers unique rewards when you reach the first prestige level of level 50 (for example, a weapon building plan in the pre-season)
- For each prestige level you reach, you will receive special prestige emblems
- You unlock a Season Challenge every 10 levels of the first 200 Season levels
- Every 50 levels of a season (up to the maximum level of 1,200) you will receive a Prestige Key / Key for the Prestige Shop
Your current Prestige level will be visible to everyone, and with each new level you will also receive a unique emblem that can only be obtained through the Prestige system. These emblems will also never be available again after a prestige phase has ended.
You can then use the Season Challenges to unlock 20 challenges that will unlock special business cards. Every 10 level-up of a season (if you already have the fixed military ranks) you can get more prestige cosmetics, but you have to complete the tasks (similar to the Officer Rank Challenges of CoD MW).
And then there is the Prestige Shop, which will go live with the start of Season 1. Here you can exchange your prestige keys for legacy emblems, for example. These are prestige emblems from earlier CoD parts, which you can now unlock again. You can only use them after you have completed the 4 Prestige ranks (200 levels) in a season and are “Prestige Master”.
Level progression can be achieved in 3 CoDs simultaneously
Can I only level this in Cold War? The 3 prestige levels of the pre-season can. But with the start of Season 1, Modern Warfare, Warzone and Cold War will share a level system.
Whether you’re spawning from an enemy on Shipment, not pulling your parachute in time in the Warzone, or celebrating your next epic victory in Cold War, every experience point counts for the Prestige system and the Battle Pass, which will go online with every season as usual. You can read more about how this combination works here.
With the new system, CoD does not completely follow the approaches of the past and rather offers a compromise between the former approach and the ongoing system of Modern Warfare. But it brings you much more rewards and progress. It remains to be seen whether this compromise and the merging of the CoDs will be accepted by the players.
