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How to level up fast in Call of Duty: Vanguard

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Back in the early days of online FPS titles, leveling up wasn’t even a concept. Eventually, numbers, or some other ranking system, were adopted as a way to make online matchmaking fairer when pitting teams against one another. As with RPGs, though, players see a number and inherently want to make it go up, leading to an ever-evolving system of levels being introduced. The Call of Duty games were perhaps the first to really nail the formula in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Since that game, earning XP, leveling up, unlocking things, and getting to prestige have been tweaked and modified from game to game.

Call of Duty: Vanguard is hot on the scene and tucks plenty of goodies behind its XP and leveling systems. That’s right, there are multiple paths you need to level up in order to unlock different things. Being at low levels is a huge handicap for any player. You’re limited to basic classes with boring guns and little you can even customize. The real fun hits when you start breaking into the high ranks. To get to the good stuff the game has to offer as fast as possible, here’s how to level up fast in Call of Duty: Vanguard.

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Different XP types in Call of Duty: Vanguard

As mentioned, there are three different aspects you can level up in Call of Duty: Vanguard independent of one another. Granted, many of them you’ll earn XP for at the same time, but each has its own levels and XP. These types are Operator XP, Weapon XP, and Player XP.

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Operator XP relates to the 12 unique Operators in Call of Duty: Vanguard. Leveling up your Operator level will unlock mostly cosmetic options for that Operator, such as skins, voice lines, finishing moves, and highlights.

Weapon XP is individualized to each weapon in the game. You will only earn Weapon XP for the weapon you’re actually using and that’s how you can get access to attachments, proficiency, kits, and cosmetics for that specific weapon. Unlocking an attachment for one gun, for example, won’t unlock it for any other gun.

Finally, you have your overall Player XP. Reaching higher levels here will unlock new weapons, killstreaks, perks, field upgrades, and new tacticals.

How to level up Operators fast

Halima Operator in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Operators are strange since, in a change from past games, you don’t actually start the game with any. Instead, before you can even start earning XP for an Operator, you have to unlock them by doing special challenges in multiplayer. These aren’t too hard, but you will need to check out what they are to make sure you unlock the Operator you want to start playing as. Once you unlocked them, then you can start earning XP.

Once you’ve unlocked your first Operator, you can start leveling them up. The fastest way to earn Operator XP is to first read that Operator’s bio and check out what their preferred weapon is, then use it as much as possible. When you use their favorite gun, you will earn twice as much Operator XP as normal, plus a higher amount of Weapon XP for good measure. Once you have that set, tab over to their Challenges. Here, you can see a list of specific tasks you can complete for huge amounts of XP that are broken down into tiers. The tier 1 challenges are very simple, like just winning games with that Operator, and will reward you with 1,000 Operator XP. Tier 2 challenges bump the XP up to 1,500, and the final tier challenges are worth 2,500.

Finally, you also will get a bonus influx of Operator XP when you reach certain levels with your Operator. At level 3, you get a bonus 1,500 XP; 2,000 for level 8; 2,500 for level 13; and 3,000 for hitting level 18. Just keep their favorite gun equipped, and you can easily boost up your Operator levels in no time.

How to level up weapons fast

Weapon Gunsmith featuring attachments in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Speaking of weapons, these are the levels you will care about most. Once you get the gun you feel the most comfortable with and find the most fun, you will want to level it up so you can make it as deadly as possible. If you get lucky and one of the 12 Operators happen to also prefer the same gun as you, then you will benefit from that extra Weapon XP for using it. It’s worth taking the time to go through all the Operators bios and check their favorite guns to see if you can capitalize on that synergy.

One new setting to be on the lookout for in Call of Duty: Vanguard is the Combat Pacing filter you can choose when doing matchmaking. You can choose to include them all, or select which of the three you want your matches to include. There’s Tactical, which caps the player count at 12; Assault, which ranges from 14 to 36 players; and Blitz, which cranks the chaos up to 16 to 46 players. While we probably wouldn’t recommend Blitz for a tactical or even thoughtful multiplayer experience, the sheer amount of other players to shoot does make it perfect for racking up tons of Weapon XP. You will need to be decent enough that you’re not just getting picked off without getting any kills, of course.

Blitz or not, Weapon XP only counts for getting kills with your weapon. You can still go into objective game types, but if you’re looking to maximize how much Weapon XP you’re earning in a match, focus on getting kills above anything else. Depending on what modes you do best in, playing in modes that only give you one life per round, like Search and Destroy, could be your best bet for grinding Weapon XP. While Blitz mode can feed you XP through sheer numbers, these more tactical modes give higher amounts of Weapon XP per kill. Again, the risk here is that if you get taken out, you will have to wait for the next round to get any kills.

Finally, weapons also have their own challenges that you should strive for to get extra XP bonuses. Most will probably come naturally, like reaching a certain number of kills, but others that deal with specific goals like getting headshots and multi-kills are good to keep in mind while grinding out Weapon XP in multiplayer.

How to level up your Player fast

Loadouts in Call of Duty: Vanguard.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Finally, we come to your overall Player level. Getting higher levels here is how you unlock new weapons, perks, killstreaks, and things of that nature. You’ll be earning Player XP doing just about everything in multiplayer, but there are some ways to maximize your XP gain to reach that favorite gun unlock faster.

First, check out the Challenges section of the menu, and aim to complete as many of them as possible. Not only does each one end with a sizable XP reward, but you can also get a bonus batch of 10,000 XP if you complete all the challenges in the same category, so try and focus your efforts on a set within one category. The categories are ranked by difficulty, but the bonus 10,000 XP is the same no matter what, so it’s best to start with the easiest and work your way up from there. If you haven’t looked, you’ve probably finished some or at least made progress on many Boot Camp challenges, like winning 25 matches.

Call of Duty: Vanguard obviously comes with a battle pass system, and even if you don’t buy into it, you still get the free “pre-season battle pass.” Just hitting tier 1 on this free pass will get you a Double Weapon XP token, and at tier 11, you get a Double Player XP token, so pay attention to when you unlock them, and pop them when you’re setting in for some XP grinding.

In terms of game type, objective modes do have a high potential for dishing out tons of XP per match. Champion Hill is a favorite. Not only can you get some good objective XP, but these games tend to last a bit longer than most, allowing you to get more XP from regular kills and opportunities to complete challenges.

If you’re desperate or were going to do it anyway, you can also get more double XP tokens in the form of “Dual 2XP” offers from various sponsored drinks and snacks. We don’t need to mention them by name since you can already guess what they are. Still, these Dual 2XP tokens give you double XP for set periods of time, between 15 minutes and 120 minutes, for Weapon and Player XP. These kinds of things have been around for a while now, so you can decide if these drinks and snacks are worth the cost of a shorter grind.

In a similar vein, although on a much bigger scale, all you PlayStation players out there automatically have a shorter grind. Call of Duty: Vanguard has a deal with the PlayStation consoles, PS4 and PS5, where every month there will be 24-hour double XP events, plus 25% more Weapon XP just for playing in a party with other PlayStation players. This isn’t a method you should buy a new console for, obviously, but if you’re already on PS4 or PS5, keep an eye out for those monthly events to take advantage of them.

Also, if you’re playing with friends, you can get a free 10% boost to every type of XP (Operator, Weapon, and Player) just by creating and playing with people in your clan.

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Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
The best Wildcards in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Kill Order gameplay in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.

The concept of a Wildcard might sound like a risky endeavor in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, but this part of your loadout isn't random at all. We haven't seen this system since Cold War, and even those who remember it from that game will need to learn all the new cards there are in Black Ops 6. You can only equip a single Wildcard on your loadout, but they are powerful enough to completely redefine your playstyle. So far, there are only six to unlock while grinding through the levels with your friends, but picking just one is still a tough choice, especially if you want to use a permanent unlock on one after hitting Prestige. We've ranked all the Wildcards in Black Ops 6 so you can always have the winning hand.
All Black Ops 6 Wildcards, ranked

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Perk Greed - Level 54
The last Wildcard you unlock is easily the most powerful. Perk Greed lets you unlock a fourth Perk to your loadout instead of being limited to three, which can borderline break the game if you choose the right set of Perks. It is also the most versatile of the Wildcards since it gives you the most options to play with instead of a specific bonus you may not find useful. It can also more easily unlock the special bonus buff you get for equipping three Perks from the same category.
Gunfighter - Level 33
Right in the middle of the unlock list, Gunfighter is one Wildcard you could easily make a case for over Perk Greed in some situations. This one increases your attachment points for your primary weapon by three. If you're rocking a top-tier weapon already, this Wildcard can let you tweak its stats even higher. We rank it second because it only applies to one weapon and thus is a bit more limiting.
Overkill - Level 24
For such an early Wildcard, Overkill is quite a powerful choice. This card lets you equip any weapon (except melee weapons) in your Primary and Secondary slots instead of the ones typically reserved for each. That means you can build a loadout with two Primary weapons and be far more versatile on the battlefield. Instead of having to trade off range, damage, rate of fire, mobility, or any other aspect of your game, you can cover almost all your bases by picking two Primary weapons that cover each other's weaknesses.
Prepper - Level 45
Field upgrades are powerful, don't get us wrong, but having two instead of one isn't always that much of a game-changer. It's a bit less useful than Gunfighter only because field upgrades are more situational and require more attention to use to their full potential. If that's you, then this is a great choice.
Danger Close - Level 38
Who doesn't want another grenade, Molotov, or combat axe? Is getting a second Lethal worth the Wildcard slot, though? Not in our opinion. Most of the time, Lethals are used in desperation or as a way to deny enemy movement for a time, and even then, they are risky because of how vulnerable you are while using them.
Tactical Expert - Level 15
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A screenshot from Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's zombies mode.

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Best Perk-A-Colas in Black Ops 6

We're ranking these Perk-A-Colas based on their base bonuses, not any additional effects you can get if you Augment them, from best to worst.
Jugger-Nog
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Quick Revive
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Speed Cola
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Stamin-Up
These zombies aren't the shambling types. They will chase you down like sprinters, and some of the monstrous ones can outpace you even at full tilt. Stamin-Up sounds like it would let you run for longer, but actually just lets you run faster since you have no limit on sprint in Black Ops 6. Positioning is everything in Zombies so being able to get where you need to be faster is never a bad thing, especially if it's a downed teammate bleeding out.
Deadshot Daiquiri
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PhD Flopper
Not being able to hurt yourself is situationally useful, and the ability to cause an explosion by diving is a risky move. Yes, it's cool, but you don't want to be lying prone surrounded by zombies. This is a cool gimmick, but save yourself the Essence and skip it.
Elemental Pop
When Elemental Pop works, it's great. The problem with it is that you can't rely on it. It gives a small chance on every shot you take to add a random ammo mod effect, which is cool but impractical. If you have spare Essence on you, sure, it won't hurt you to have, but it isn't something that will turn the tide for you or your team.
Melee Macchiato
Finally, Melee Macchiato bottoms out the list. It is fine in the early game when the hordes are small and you're better off meleeing enemies since it will smack enemies away with each hit, but quickly drops off in usefulness. When the zombies get too strong and too numerous, you will need a lot more than a strong punch to deal with them and end up forgetting you even have it.

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Few video game series are as influential and popular as Call of Duty. The annualized franchise throws players into fast-paced battles across various historical time periods -- along with fictional eras as well. Call of Duty has taken us to World War II, the Cold War, a modern setting, and even to the future.

Although it's one of the most successful video game franchises out there, Call of Duty's quality varies significantly from game to game, with some fantastic entries in the series, but many mediocre ones as well. But which Call of Duty games are worth your time and which ones should you skip? To answer that question, we've ranked all the mainline entries in the series, with details about why you should or shouldn't play a particular game.

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