For the past two years, Treyarch has worked on Call of Duty’s Ranked Play mode in MW3 and MW2, perfecting the formula for what is now here in Black Ops 6.
For more info on Ranked Play in BO6 and what it entails, check out our guide. But if you’re looking for the best weapons and loadouts to use while you’re ranking up, you’ve come to the right place.
Best loadout and class setup in BO6 Ranked Play
The current best assault rifle in BO6 Ranked Play is the XM4 or Ames 85, the best SMG is the Jackal PDW, and the best secondary weapon is the Stryder .22. Below, we have listed all of the attachments you need to take your BO6 gameplay to the next level.
For more on Ranked Play, including maps, modes, rules, banned items, and more, check out our BO6 Ranked Play guide.
Best XM4 build for BO6 Ranked Play
| Slot | Attachment |
|---|---|
| Optic | Kepler Microflex |
| Muzzle | Ported Compensator (First Shot Recoil Control, Vertical Recoil Control) |
| Barrel | Reinforced Barrel (Damage Range, Bullet Velocity) |
| Underbarrel | Vertical Foregrip (Horizontal Recoil Control) |
| Rear Grip | Commando Grip (Aim Down Sight Speed, Sprint to Fire Speed) |
| Stock | Balanced Stock (Strafing Movement Speed, Hipfire Movement Speed, Movement Speed, Aim Walking Movement Speed) |
| Fire Mods | 5.56 NATO Overpressured (Bullet Velocity) |
While CDL pros have agreed to not used this weapon because it’s so dominant, you don’t have to. As of now, it’s still allowed within the ruleset, so make sure to equip this build immediately to rock your opponents as you rank up.
Best Ames 85 build for BO6 Ranked Play
| Slot | Attachment |
|---|---|
| Optic | Kepler Microflex |
| Muzzle | Ported Compensator (First Shot Recoil Control, Vertical Recoil Control) |
| Barrel | Reinforced Barrel (Damage Range, Bullet Velocity) |
| Underbarrel | Vertical Foregrip (Horizontal Recoil Control) |
| Rear Grip | Commando Grip (Aim Down Sight Speed, Sprint to Fire Speed) |
| Stock | Balanced Stock (Strafing Movement Speed, Movement Speed, Hipfire Movement Speed, Aim Walking Movement Speed) |
| Fire Mods | Recoil Springs (Horizontal Recoil Control, Vertical Recoil Control) |
Offering steady damage, good range, and little recoil, the Ames 85 is used for slaying at range and helping your SMG players while they advance on the objectives. It’s the current top pick for AR slayers in the pros because of other ARs being banned.
Best Jackal PDW build for BO6 Ranked Play
| Slot | Attachment |
|---|---|
| Muzzle | Compensator (Vertical Recoil Control) |
| Barrel | Reinforced Barrel (Bullet Velocity, Damage Range) |
| Underbarrel | Ranger Foregrip (Horizontal Recoil Control, Sprinting Movement Speed) |
| Rear Grip | Ergonomic Grip (Slide to Fire Speed, Dive to Fire Speed, Aim Down Sight Speed) |
| Stock | Balanced Stock (Aim Walking Movement Speed, Movement Speed, Hipfire Movement Speed, Strafing Movement Speed) |
Dominant since beta, the Jackal PDW is still the SMG of choice in Ranked Play for BO6. Even top pros like Shotzzy use this loadout with tens of thousands of dollars on the line, so it should work just fine for you as you climb the ladder. Become the movement demon with this build and surprise your enemies with how fast you can flank and dive around them.
Best pistol for BO6 Ranked Play
| Slot | Attachment |
|---|---|
| Optic | Merlin Mini |
| Muzzle | Muzzle Brake (First Shot Recoil, Kick Reset Speed) |
| Barrel | Long Barrel (Damage Range) |
| Rear Grip | Quickdraw Grip (Aim Down Sight Speed) |
| Fire Mods | .22 WMR Overpressured (Bullet Velocity) |
The Stryder .22 is the best secondary weapon for BO6 Ranked Play. It’s got a massive magazine, a high fire rate, and strong range to finish enemies when you don’t have the time to reload your primary gun.
Best Perks and equipment in BO6 Ranked Play
- Melee: Knife
- Tactical: Concussion
- Lethal: Frag
- Field Upgrade: Trophy System
- Perk 1: Ninja
- Perk 2: Fast Hands
- Perk 3: Double Time
- Wildcard: Gunfighter
Ninja is a necessity in BO6 Ranked Play. Everyone you play against will have their audio cranked up and be listening to you across the map, so make sure to be as quiet as you can with this in the Perk Two slot.
Perk Two is a good slot for Fast Hands for the sole purpose that it speeds up your weapon swapping. This is crucial when it comes to quickly pulling out your pistol to finish off a weak foe and pop off for the three-piece your team needs to capture a hill in Hardpoint.
Use your Knife in the melee slot to move quickly with Double Time, which lengthens your tactical sprint, and move swiftly without worrying too much about stomping around at the volume of an elephant thanks to Ninja.
The Frag is the preferred lethal since you can cook it to control its explosion and throw it farther as well, while the Trophy System is the Field Upgrade to use because everyone else will likely be doing the same exact thing with their lethals.
This article will be updated with new information (banned weapons, nerfs and buffs) when it becomes available.