The wait for Ranked Play in Call of Duty this year is way shorter than previous games, because it’s already time to rank up in Black Ops 6.
BO6’s Ranked Play mode is already here, giving players the opportunity to show off their skills like a Call of Duty League pro, using the same weapons and rules that the superstars do. If you’re ready to grind, get ready to make some loadouts and head into the playlist to hit the top rank each season.
Read on below for everything we know so far about Ranked Play in Black Ops 6.
BO6 Ranked Play, explained
In Ranked Play, players queue up for matches using the same settings, modes (Hardpoint, Search and Destroy, Control), maps (TBD), and restrictions used by the Call of Duty League. Play, win matches, rank up through Skill Divisions with your Skill Rating (SR) points, and unlock rewards along the way.
“SR is awarded after each Ranked Play win and the amount earned is determined by the player’s distance away from their projected Rank, their match performance, and the margin of victory,” Treyarch said. “SR is deducted after losses.”
Your SR adds up to propel you through the game’s different Skill Divisions:
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
- Diamond
- Crimson
- Iridescent
- Top 250
Ranked Play in Black Ops 6 is “the definitive ranked play experience that Treyarch has been building towards” since developing the mode in both Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 over the past few years. Treyarch says that it’s taken everything it’s learned in the past couple of games to make BO6‘s Ranked Play the best one yet, including some new additions and changes. But the basic info about the mode remains the same.
What’s new in BO6 Ranked Play?
Ranks are being updated from previous games, with Treyarch removing Progressive Rank and Victory Stars entirely. Instead, it’s all about SR gains and losses to move your way up and down the ranks to better focus on skill solely.
New features this year include the ability to veto maps. Before each match in Ranked Play, three separate map and mode combos will show up for the players. The two teams can then vote to decide which maps to veto, with the decision being either the one map that wasn’t vetoed or a random selection from two that weren’t vetoed.
Players will also be able to forfeit matches that they are getting stomped in as opposed to having to wait for it to come to an end. Forfeit will become available in the Options menu when a winning team reaches 100 points in Hardpoint, after the first round of Control, or after the third round of Search and Destroy.
Updates to existing features include the ability to party up with four players (skill matchmaking will be based on the highest ranked player), some less painful punishment on seasonal rank resets for players in lower ranks, and loss forgiveness meaning that each player’s first loss of the day won’t subtract SR.
When does BO6 Ranked Play come out?
BO6 Ranked Play begins on Nov. 21 as part of season one, which kicks off on Nov. 14.
How to unlock Ranked Play in BO6
Before queuing up for Ranked Play, you need to win 50 matches in BO6 multiplayer. This is to prevent hackers and cheaters from playing on new accounts and ruining the experience for many, but also so players can familiarize themselves with the game’s modes and maps before playing Ranked.
BO6 Ranked Play maps and modes
Hardpoint
- Protocol
- Red Card
- Rewind
- Skyline
- Vault
Control
Search and Destroy
- Protocol
- Red Card
- Rewind
- Skyline
- Vault
All banned items in BO6 Ranked Play
This list is up to date as of the v1.0 CDL settings from Nov. 18, 2024.
Weapons
- All LMGs
- All Marksman Rifles
- All Shotguns
- All Launchers
Attachments
- All Lasers
- Suppressor (Muzzle)
- K&S Thermal Holo, Otero Thermal 2x, Thermal Gx (Optic)
- Launchers: Drill Charge, High Explosive, Smoke, Standard (Underbarrel)
Tacticals
- Decoy, Prox Alarm, Shock Charge, Spy Cam, Stim Shot
Lethals
- Blast Trap, C4, Combat Axe, Drill Charge, Impact Grenade, Molotov, Thermo Grenade
Field Upgrades
- Acoustic Amp, Morphine Injector, Neurogas, Scrambler, Signal Lure, Sleeper Agent, Spring Mine, Tactical Insertion, War Cry
Perks
- Ghost, Scavenger (Perk One)
- Assassin, Bruiser, Dispatcher, Engineer, Forward Intel, Shadow, Tracker (Perk Two)
- Bankroll, Cold-Blooded, Gearhead, Guardian, Vigilance (Perk Three)
- All Perk Specialties and Wildcards
Scorestreaks
- Scout Pulse, SAM Turret, UAV, Archangel Launcher, Counter UAV, Care Package, Napalm Strike, Hand Cannon, LDBR, Sentry Turret, Watchdog Helo, Interceptors, A.G.R. MK1, Strategic Bomber, HARP, Chopper Gunner, Dreadnought
BO6 Ranked Play rewards
A variety of different rewards will be available each season, including the above skins that players can obtain by reaching certain Skill Divisions, including Top 250. But the main, rare prize is the Champion skin for the player who finishes first overall in each season.
Other rewards include those for win total challenges, and different seasonal items each season.