How to unlock Ranked Play in Black Ops 6

Call of Duty gets competitive

Updated Nov 21, 2024, 9:48 AM UTC

Image: Treyarch / Activision

Johnny Yu (he/him) is a guides writer at Polygon. He has written about games such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo 4, and Fire Emblem Engage.

Ranked Play in Black Ops 6 is a separate multiplayer mode with its own set of requirements, rewards, and restrictions.

If you want to start playing more competitively, here’s how to unlock Ranked Play in Black Ops 6, and what to expect in Black Ops 6’s version of Ranked.

When does Black Ops 6 Ranked Play release?

Update (Nov. 21): Treyarch has pushed Ranked Play live a few hours ahead of its planned 12 p.m. EST release time — so you can start playing now! Once you have met the requirements, of course…

If you haven’t jumped into Black Ops 6 yet, this is one week into Season 1 — which introduced the Saug and Krig C, both of which made our rankings for the best guns in Black Ops 6.

How to unlock Ranked Play in Black Ops 6

Image: Treyarch / Activision via Polygon

To unlock Ranked Play in Black Ops 6, you’ll need to get 50 wins in matchmade multiplayer games.

If you’re wondering if you have enough wins to play Ranked, head to the Black Ops 6 main menu and look for the “Ranked Play” button at the bottom of your screen.

If there is a progress bar underneath the button, you’ll need some more wins in order to play Ranked. If you don’t see anything underneath, you’re good to go.

This is different to the level 55 requirement from Modern Warfare III’s Ranked Play, so focus on getting those wins! If you’re wondering the reason behind this, it’s to give the game’s Ricochet Anti-Cheat system “a historical match history” of your performance, according to a security blog post — as well as ensuring you are experienced enough with multiplayer before diving in.

How Ranked Play works in Black Ops 6

Ranked Play is Black Ops 6’s entryway into competitive Call of Duty. You’ll test your skill against players across all platforms to determine how good you really are. Things to know include:

You’ll use the same settings, maps, modes, and weapon restrictions as the Call of Duty League. Be sure to visit the competitive settings (which “adjust over time”) as some of your favorite weapons and perks might be restricted.
Everyone will start out in Bronze and progress through Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crimson, Iridescent, and Top 250 by earning Skill Rating (SR). SR is earned after each win and the amount will vary depending on the player’s distance away from their projected rank, their match performance, and the margin of victory. The only way to lose SR is by losing, so aim to win.
Map & Mode Veto is new to Black Ops 6. Teams can vote to veto one of the three map and mode combinations in the lobby. After both teams make their veto picks, the remaining option will be chosen. If both teams veto the same option, the map and mode combination will be randomly selected out of the two remaining options.
Teams can now unanimously decide to end a match in the Options menu at these points in the game:
- Hardpoint - Winning team reaches 100 points
- Control - After the first round
- Search & Destroy - After third round
Parties of four can now play together regardless of their individual ranks, but matchmaking will be based on the highest rank in the party.
Every new season, ranks may be reset based on your placement in the previous season:
- Bronze or Silver - Rank will not be impacted by seasonal setback.
- Gold or Platinum - Players will start the next season in Tier 1 of Gold or Platinum respectively.
- Diamond and above - Players will start the next season at Diamond 1.
You will not lose SR after your first loss of the day. Also, the three games of loss forgiveness you receive after promoting to a new rank will only count down after losses.

Ranked Play rewards

Image: Treyarch / Activision

There is a wide variety of rewards in Black Ops 6 Ranked Play:

Rank Skins - Reach Gold or higher to earn their respective Home and Away skin available on the “Competitor” Operator. You’ll receive these skins as soon as you’re promoted into the rank, except for the Top 250 skin, which will be rewarded to players in the Top 250 at the end of the season.
Win Challenges - Hit career win milestones over the course of multiple seasons to earn rewards such as skins and blueprints.
Seasonal Rewards - Each season will have their own rewards that are only available during that season. Seasonal Rank rewards will be rewarded as soon as you reach each Rank threshold instead of at the end of the season.

Want more help with Black Ops 6? We have multiplayer explainers on the best guns, maps, and Double XP, campaign guides for safehouse puzzles and safe code locations, and the Liberty Falls vault code in Zombies.

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