Black Ops 7 is set to launch on November 14, bringing with it a formidable arsenal of 30 weapons, 16 of which are brand new to Call of Duty. While mastering your weaponry is crucial, equipping the right perks and Wildcards is equally vital to dominating multiplayer. This comprehensive guide will walk you through our top recommendations for perks and Wildcards, and explain how the innovative Combat Specialties system works this year.
Mastering Your Loadout: Best Perks for Multiplayer
Perk Slot 1
Ghost (Recon – Blue): Become invisible to enemy Scout Pulse and UAVs while moving, planting, defusing, or controlling Scorestreaks. This perk is perfect for players who prefer a stealthy approach or plan to anchor a position with a sniper rifle, keeping them hidden from aerial threats and enemy scans.
Ninja (Recon – Blue): Significantly reduces your footstep sounds, making your movement much quieter. Similar to Ghost, Ninja is crucial for silent plays and an excellent choice for tactical, non-respawn modes like Search and Destroy.
Remember, both Ghost and Ninja occupy the same perk slot. You cannot equip them simultaneously for a truly silent loadout unless you utilize the Perk Greed Wildcard, which we’ll cover later.
Cold-Blooded (Recon – Blue): Renders you undetectable by AI targeting systems and thermal optics. Player-controlled Scorestreaks will not highlight you. It’s highly recommended to have at least one loadout specifically designed with Cold-Blooded. This allows for quick switches when facing numerous lethal Scorestreaks that can target you, providing vital protection against automated threats.
Flak Jacket (Strategist – Green): Greatly reduces incoming explosive and fire damage. This perk is a strong contender for objective players who frequently push into Hardpoints or capture Domination flags. Flak Jacket will significantly boost your survivability against the barrage of grenades and explosive equipment often thrown at objectives.
(Image: The D.A.W.G. scorestreak)
Perk Slot 2
Looper (Enforcer – Red): This perk revolutionizes Scorestreak gameplay by allowing you to re-earn them within the same life. Normally, you’d need to be eliminated to reset your Scorestreak progress, but Looper empowers high-scoring players to continually unleash powerful streaks, maintaining pressure on the enemy team.
Fast Hands (Strategist – Green): In Black Ops 7’s frantic multiplayer, movement and reaction speed are paramount. Fast Hands significantly increases your weapon swap speed and extends the fuse timer when you throw back enemy grenades. This perk can be a lifesaver in intense firefights, ensuring you’re always ready with a backup weapon or capable of turning enemy explosives against them.
Perk Slot 3
Dexterity (Enforcer – Red): Consistently ranking as a top choice, Dexterity is essential for players leveraging Black Ops 7’s omnimovement system. It reduces weapon sway during slides, dives, and wall jumps, allowing for full Aim Down Sights (ADS) during these maneuvers. Additionally, it minimizes fall damage, keeping you agile and in the fight.
Tracker (Recon – Blue): For those prioritizing intel over acrobatic movement, Tracker is an invaluable asset. This perk reveals the approximate locations of nearby enemies on your minimap and highlights their footsteps in the world. Furthermore, aiming down sights automatically pings enemies, providing crucial information for hunting down opponents.
Bankroll (Recon – Blue): If you find yourself consistently struggling to earn Scorestreaks, or simply want a faster path to them, Bankroll is your answer. This perk grants you an immediate +150 score towards your Scorestreaks at the start of each life, giving you a significant head start.
Unleash More Power: Best Wildcard Picks
(Image: Black Ops 7 Wildcards display)
Treyarch’s renowned Wildcard system makes a grand return in Black Ops 7, allowing you to equip one special Wildcard per loadout for even deeper customization and amplified power. Here are our top recommended Wildcard choices:
Overkill: This Wildcard enables you to equip any non-melee weapon in both your Primary and Secondary weapon slots. Overkill is fantastic for creating versatile loadouts, such as pairing a long-range sniper rifle or marksman rifle with a close-quarters submachine gun, ensuring you’re prepared for any engagement scenario.
Gunfighter: Gain three additional attachments for your primary weapon. Gunfighter is the ultimate choice for players who want to fine-tune their main weapon, allowing for incredibly powerful and specialized weapon builds with enhanced stats and capabilities.
Perk Greed: This Wildcard grants you the ability to equip an extra perk. Perk Greed is incredibly useful, especially considering how many strong perks are available in the Tier 1 slot, giving you more flexibility and combinations for your playstyle.
Understanding Combat Specialties
Black Ops 7 introduces an intriguing Specialty Bonus system, evolving from Black Ops 6. The Combat Specialty you activate is directly influenced by the three perks chosen for your loadout.
By equipping three perks from the same category—Enforcer (red), Recon (blue), or Strategist (green)—you’ll unlock a powerful Core Combat Specialty bonus.
Alternatively, if your loadout includes at least two perks of the same color but mixes categories, you’re guaranteed to activate a Hybrid Combat Specialty. These specialties offer unique advantages, and while they’re always a welcome addition, consider how well a specific bonus aligns with your preferred playstyle before tailoring your entire perk selection around it.
(Image: Tactician Hybrid Combat Specialist graphic)
Hybrid Combat Specialties Explained
Scout (Red and Blue Perks): This hybrid combines offense with stealth. Upon achieving a bullet elimination, you will remain entirely concealed from enemy minimaps for five seconds. Subsequent eliminations within this timeframe will reset the timer, allowing aggressive stealth players to chain kills undetected.
Tactician (Red and Green Perks): A blend of support and offense, Tactician rewards team play and calculated aggression. When you secure an assist, you’ll receive a bonus score from bullet eliminations for the next ten seconds, encouraging objective play and coordinated attacks.
Operative (Blue and Green Perks): Embodying stealth and support, Operative helps you gain Field Upgrade charge through discreet eliminations. This includes kills with suppressed weapons, melee takedowns, and any eliminations made while outside of the enemy’s direct line of sight.
(Image: Enforcer Core Specialty graphic)
Core Combat Specialties Explained
Enforcer (All Red Perks): For the aggressive player, this Core Specialty grants a temporary buff to both movement speed and health regeneration after every elimination, keeping you in the thick of the action and ready for the next fight.
Recon (All Blue Perks): Prioritizing battlefield awareness, Recon provides crucial intel. Upon respawning, you’ll see the direction of the nearest enemy on your minimap, and the edge of your HUD will pulse to indicate enemies outside your direct view. Additionally, you’ll leave no death skulls, making your eliminations harder to track.
Strategist (All Green Perks): This specialty empowers objective players and saboteurs. You’ll earn increased score for objectives and sabotage actions, deploy equipment faster, and even gain the ability to see enemy outlines through walls for a short distance, granting a significant tactical advantage.
Beyond perks and Wildcards, optimizing your weapon builds is key. Many players find success by experimenting with different weapon setups to complement their chosen perks. Adjusting your in-game settings for controller layouts, sensitivity, and more can also significantly enhance your Black Ops 7 experience on PlayStation or Xbox consoles.
(Image Gallery: Various in-game shots and tips for Black Ops 7 Multiplayer)
