Perks are an important part of every Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer loadout, but choosing the best ones can be a difficult decision. Not every perk is available right off the bat, so you may have to grind for a while to unlock the one you really want, and sometimes two great perks occupy the same slot. To help you narrow down your decision, we’ve compiled a list of the most helpful perks in the game that fit every playstyle. These are the best perks in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
Best Perk 1
- Flak Jacket – Take less damage from enemy explosives and Molotov and Combat Bow flames.
- Tactical Mask – Maximized resistance to Flashbang and Stun Grenade. Immune to gas.
Grenades and throwable items are really powerful in Black Ops Cold War, so you’re going to want to select a Perk 1 that mitigates their effectiveness. If you find yourself constantly getting blown up by frag grenades or semtex, use Flak Jacket. This is especially useful if you play objective-based modes like Domination or Hardpoint where enemies love to spam explosives on the point.
Tactical Mask accomplishes the same, only with flash grenades and stun grenades. These are especially annoying in Black Ops Cold War, so use Tactical Mask to reduce the negative effects of getting stunned.
Best Perk 2
- Scavenger – Replenish ammo from fallen players.
- Quartermaster – Recharge equipment over 25 seconds.
- Tracker – See imprint of enemy footsteps. Aim at enemies to reveal them on your team’s minimap.
Every perk in the Perk 2 category is helpful, but these three are a cut above the rest. Scavenger is a Call of Duty staple that many players have been running for years, allowing you to pick up ammo from bodies so you never run out. You can’t go wrong with it.
As we mentioned above, throwables are very powerful in Black Ops Cold War, and Quartermaster lets you automatically regenerate grenades on a 25-second timer. If you want endless grenades, choose Quartermaster. You can toss frags and stuns as much as you want.
Finally, Tracker allows you to see recent enemy footprints, which can help you keep track of that enemy you just lost around a corner. It also helps you see where enemies have been recently, preventing you from walking into an ambush or stumbling into a camper. If you don’t want Scavenger or Quartermaster, Tracker is a nice bonus to have.
Best Perk 3
- Ghost – Undetectable by enemy Spy Planes whenever you are moving, planting or defusing bombs, or controlling Scorestreaks.
- Cold Blooded – AI-controlled Scorestreaks will not target you. Player-controller Scorestreaks will not highlight you. Show up cold on Thermal. Players in vehicles won’t see your nameplate.
- Ninja – Sprint more quietly. Resistant to Field Mic when sprinting. Speak only when necessary.
Ghost is another classic Call of Duty perk that most players swear by. It makes you invisible to Spy Planes, preventing you from appearing as a red dot on enemies’ mini-maps as long as you are moving. If you like to run and gun, Ghost is a must.
Cold-Blooded is a bit more situational, but it’s still incredibly useful. Scorestreaks like the Attack Helicopter won’t target you, and you won’t be highlighted on thermal scopes (which will be very helpful once Black Ops Cold War weapons are added to Warzone). Enemy vehicles also won’t see your nameplate, which is a godsend in Combined Arms. If you’re frustrated with scorestreaks or play Combined Arms a lot, you can’t go wrong with Cold-Blooded.
Ninja is perfect for run and gunners who love to flank. It dampens the sound of your footsteps and prevents your Operator from making excessive callouts and giving away your position. You’re not entirely silent, but you will be very hard to hear unless the enemy is wearing headphones and listening closely. If you like to sneak up on enemies and surprise them with a shotgun or submachine gun, take Ninja in your Perk 3 slot.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
