Treyarch took to its Black Ops 2 forums today, providing new details on just how the multiplayer leveling system of the hotly-anticipated first-person shooter will work when it launches later this year.
As previously mentioned, Black Ops 2’s multiplayer will feature 55 levels and 10 levels of prestige. Treyarch compares the XP gain in Black Ops 2 to that in World at War and the first Modern Warfare. It notes that players will “earn more XP than ever before” over the course of their matches, making it “easier to level up” on the whole.
Every time you level up in Black Ops 2, you’ll receive an unlock token, which can then be spent on certain equipment, weapons, or perks. Just like the original Black Ops, the Create-a-Class ability will unlock at Level 4.
Once you hit that level, you’ll receive “about a dozen” things that you’ll be able to equip without having to spend a token, alongside about a dozen things that you can spend a token on. So far, the list of those free things looks like this:
- 1 Assault Rifle
- 1 SMG
- 1 LMG
- 1 Shotgun
- 1 Sniper Rifle
- 1 Perk from each of the 3 perk categories
- 1 lethal grenade
- 1 tactical grenade/equipment
A new perk comes at level 5, and equipment is unlocked at level 6. Level 7 introduces Black Ops 2’s answer to Killstreaks, called Scorestreaks. The next level grants you another perk, and level 9 nets you a new Scorestreak.
Things will generally steady out around level 10, as the leveling pattern will typically see players receive a weapon and “something else” at every major rank change, which comes every three levels.
Treyarch gave the example of receiving a weapon and “something else” at level 10, a new piece of equipment at level 11, and a new Scorestreak at level 12. At level 13, you’ll get a new weapon and “something else” again, while another new piece of equipment comes at 14, and so on and so forth, with only minor deviations from the formula.
The developer does note that this build is still being worked on, and isn’t completely finalized just yet, so you can still give your feedback and let Treyarch know what you like and don’t like about the proposed changes.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 is out November 13 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.