MW4 Unlock Levels: What Level Unlocks Every Gun, Perk & Killstreak (Official 1–55 List)

Modern Warfare 4 locks almost all of your loadout behind 55 player levels. Create-a-Class opens at Level 4. The last two unlocks, the Cronen Squall assault rifle and the Air Lockdown killstreak, arrive together at Level 55. Activision published the full unlock table on October 19, 2026, four days before the October 23 launch. Below you'll find the level for every weapon, perk, killstreak, lethal, tactical and field upgrade, plus each gun's max weapon level and Apex attachment, in one place.

Quick answer (TL;DR): MW4 has 55 Multiplayer player levels. You use default loadouts until Level 4, when Create-a-Class unlocks along with the starter guns (Han 86, ISO Nightshade, Rezi 12, FiNN LMG, MAR-9, KG-7 Vulcan, SANG 9mm, PILA). Milestones worth knowing: the M4 at 14, Fast Hands at 20, Ghost at 24, Cold-Blooded at 36 and Tactical Insertion at 45. Everything is unlocked at Level 55: the Cronen Squall and Air Lockdown. Every gun then has its own weapon-level track (53–75 for primaries, 37–44 for pistols) before its Apex attachment and Weapon Prestige unlock. DMZ XP counts toward your 1–55 level, so the DMZ Early Access that starts today (October 20) gives you a head start. Source: Activision's official progression blog.

The numbers that matter:

• 55 Multiplayer player levels (Private I to Commander), with one or more unlocks at every level
• 33 launch weapons: 24 primaries, 8 secondaries, 1 melee
• 18 perks, 17 killstreaks, 11 lethals, 9 tacticals and 12 field upgrades
• 75: the highest max weapon level at launch (KG-7 Vulcan). The lowest primary is the X-58 Nyx at 53
• 70 separate DMZ levels. DMZ XP feeds your 1–55 level, but Multiplayer XP does not feed DMZ

"Earn XP to progress through 55 Levels, unlocking Weapons, Equipment, Perks, Killstreaks, and more." — Call of Duty Staff, callofduty.com, October 19, 2026

What is the max level in MW4, and when is everything unlocked?

The Multiplayer progression track runs from Private I (Level 1) to Commander (Level 55). Per Activision, you earn XP in Multiplayer and DMZ, and in Call of Duty: Warzone once Season 1 integrates MW4. Every level grants at least one unlock. You can check the full track in-game under Career → Progression → MP Level Unlocks.

How it plays out:

• Levels 1–3: default loadouts only (Demolition at 2, Sniper at 3).
• Level 4: Create-a-Class. All of the "Level 4" items in the tables below are available from here.
• Level 55: the final unlocks, Cronen Squall and Air Lockdown. After 55 you choose between Classic and Regular Prestige. We cover that choice in our MW4 Prestige guide.

DMZ has a separate 70-level track for FOB stations, 3D Printer recipes and operator skins. The overlap matters, though. According to the official blog, "XP earned while playing DMZ also contributes to your overall 1-55 Player Progression, but XP earned in Multiplayer or Call of Duty: Warzone does not contribute to your DMZ Level."

What level unlocks every MW4 weapon?

Here are all 33 launch weapons, sorted by class. Player Level is when the gun appears in Create-a-Class. Max Weapon Level is how far you have to level that gun to unlock its Apex attachment and Weapon Prestige.

Weapon	Class	Player Level	Max Weapon Level	Apex Attachment
Han 86	Assault Rifle	4	72	Han X20 Skybreaker
M4	Assault Rifle	14	72	M4 Hurricane
Hyeon Burst	Assault Rifle	21	68	Hyeon Hyperburst
Patriot XMR	Assault Rifle	27	72	Patriot XMR Volt
Kastov 762	Assault Rifle	34	68	Kastov ARC
Oden	Assault Rifle	39	65	Oden Sentinel
Axion	Assault Rifle	52	69	Axion Clearcut
Cronen Squall	Assault Rifle	55	67	Cronen Maelstrom
ISO Nightshade	SMG	4	64	ISO Trace
VEL 46	SMG	5	60	VEL 46 Snap
Wz.55 Striga	SMG	18	60	Wz.55 Striga Rampage
PPSh-41	SMG	30	62	PPSh-41 Ember
X-58 Nyx	SMG	46	53	X-58 Void
Rezi 12	Shotgun	4	60	Rezi 12 Enforcer
Warlord	Shotgun	32	60	Warlord Lumen
FiNN LMG	LMG	4	59	FiNN Adverse
Type 73	LMG	9	65	Type 73 Assault
APOC-338	LMG	44	56	APOC-338 Praetor
MAR-9	Marksman Rifle	4	73	MAR-9 Auto
Oris 8.6	Marksman Rifle	11	70	Oris 8.6 Razor
Mosin-Nagant	Marksman Rifle	36	69	Mosin Harpoon
KG-7 Vulcan	Sniper Rifle	4	75	KG-7 Drillcharge
Astaroth .57	Sniper Rifle	25	54	Astaroth .57 Infiltrator
Signal 50	Sniper Rifle	50	74	Signal Inferno
SANG 9mm	Pistol	4	38	SANG Breach
Krait P68	Pistol	7	38	Krait P68 Commando
.50 GS	Pistol	41	37	GS Magna
Mojave .357	Pistol	48	44	Mojave Lawless
PILA	Launcher	4	46	None
RPG-8	Launcher	23	46	None
JOKR	Launcher	43	46	None
PM-40 Anvil	Launcher	54	46	None
FSS Carbon Edge 1095	Melee (Knife)	4	46	None

Heads-up: Activision's own launch post disagrees with itself on six guns. The per-weapon cards in the Operators and Weapons blog give different player levels for the VEL 46 (13), Wz.55 Striga (21), PPSh-41 (27), X-58 Nyx (34), Astaroth .57 (10) and Signal 50 (35). We went with the levels above for two reasons. They match the official Multiplayer Progression Table in the progression blog's appendix and the summary list in the same weapons post. And Activision's in-game screenshot of the Progression menu shows the VEL 46 unlocking at Level 5, not 13. If your menu shows something different on launch day, trust the game. We'll update this table after launch.

Our full MW4 launch arsenal breakdown covers what each of these guns does in more detail.

How many weapon levels does each MW4 gun have?

Max weapon level is set per gun, and the spread is wide. The KG-7 Vulcan needs 75 levels, while the X-58 Nyx caps at 53. Most assault rifles sit between 65 and 72, SMGs between 53 and 64, and pistols between 37 and 44. Launchers and the knife have 46 levels each. They have no Apex attachment, and Activision says launchers can only change their appearance (camos, decals and stickers) while the knife only changes camos.

Three rules from the official blogs change how you should plan the grind:

• Attachments unlock once, for every gun. Activision: "each Attachment is unlocked only once, meaning that once unlocked, the same Attachment will be available across all weapons that use it." Leveling one gun per class first pays off on every gun after it.
• Apex attachments need max level. The Apex slot (Han X20 Skybreaker, M4 Hurricane and so on) doesn't use up a normal attachment slot, but you only get it by fully leveling that specific weapon. Here's how Apex attachments work.
• Weapon Prestige resets the gun. Once a weapon is maxed you can Prestige it for exclusive camos. Doing so "will relock all of your attachments and reset your weapon level back to zero." Per the progression blog, the exceptions are Apex Attachments and Weapon Blueprint Attachments, which stay unlocked. Prestiging one gun also doesn't relock shared attachments you're using on other guns.

The eight Military Camos are tied to weapon level too, and they unlock separately on each gun. That means weapon XP drives both your attachments and the start of your camo grind.

What level unlocks each perk in MW4?

There are 18 Multiplayer perks across three categories. Two perks in each category are available at Create-a-Class (Level 4).

Perk	Category	Player Level
Quick Fix	Perk 1	4
Overkill	Perk 1	4
High Alert	Perk 1	8
Ghost	Perk 1	24
Resupply	Perk 1	31
Kill Chain	Perk 1	48
Hardline	Perk 2	4
Blood Rush	Perk 2	4
Bomb Squad	Perk 2	16
Fast Hands	Perk 2	20
Ninja	Perk 2	30
Birdseye	Perk 2	40
Lethal Reach	Perk 3	4
Combat Grid	Perk 3	4
Battle Hardened	Perk 3	12
Scavenger	Perk 3	28
Tracker	Perk 3	32
Cold-Blooded	Perk 3	36

Per Activision, Fast Hands (20) lets you "Reload, use Equipment, and swap weapons faster." Overkill is available from Level 4 if you want two primaries. Note that the appendix table files Warlord and Tracker under a duplicated "31" row. The loadout blog lists both at Level 32, which is the value we use.

What level unlocks each killstreak in MW4?

Killstreak	Player Level
UAV	4
Artillery Beacon	4
Attack Helicopter	4
Bomb Glider	6
Care Package	9
Impact Warhead	12
Wheelson	16
Crossfire	20
Missile Salvo	24
Combat Drone	26
Counter UAV	31
Deathstalker	35
Railgun Sentry	38
Advanced UAV	40
Argonaut	45
Gunship	51
Air Lockdown	55

Two of the higher-tier streaks come late. The Advanced UAV unlocks at Level 40 and the Gunship at Level 51, only four levels before Commander.

What level unlocks lethals, tacticals and field upgrades?

Lethal	Level	Tactical	Level	Field Upgrade	Level
Frag Grenade	4	Flash Grenade	4	Portable Radar	4
Sticky Grenade	4	Smoke Grenade	4	DDOS	4
Drill Charge	7	Snapshot Grenade	10	Munitions Box	6
Proximity Mine	13	Concussion Grenade	15	SAM Airburst Turret	8
Zip Gun	17	Heartbeat Sensor	23	Riot Shield	11
Trip Wire	22	Shock Stick	29	Trophy System	14
Thermite	26	Decoy Grenade	42	Seeker Drone	19
Molotov Cocktail	28	Stim	47	Inflatable Decoy	25
Claymore	37	Screamer Mine	53	Smoke Wall	29
C4	43	—	—	Recon Drone	33
Throwing Knife	49	—	—	Razor Wire Trap	41
—	—	—	—	Tactical Insertion	45

One small inconsistency: the official progression blog's Prestige example mentions re-unlocking the Throwing Knife at Level 48, but both the official loadout list and the appendix table put it at Level 49.

Which MW4 unlocks should you rush first?

These are the levels that bring the biggest batches of unlocks:

• Level 4: Create-a-Class, Han 86, ISO Nightshade, Overkill, Quick Fix, Hardline, UAV.
• Level 14: the M4 and the Trophy System.
• Level 20: Fast Hands and Crossfire.
• Level 24: Ghost and Missile Salvo.
• Level 36: Cold-Blooded and the Mosin-Nagant.
• Level 45: Tactical Insertion and Argonaut.
• Level 55: Cronen Squall and Air Lockdown, and every item is now unlocked.

Getting from 1 to 55 is only the first step. After that, every weapon has its own level track (up to 75), Apex attachments, Military Camos and the mastery camo track. Our fastest MW4 weapon leveling guide and how to rank up fast at launch cover XP routes, and the Double XP token guide shows where to get free tokens.

Does DMZ Early Access count toward your MW4 unlock levels?

Yes, and it starts today. DMZ Early Access opens October 20 for digital pre-orders and pre-purchases (see our DMZ Early Access start time guide). DMZ XP counts toward your 1–55 player level. Activision's progression blog says that if you level up your weapons in DMZ, the Attachments and Camos you earn "will be available in Multiplayer at the game's official launch on October 23." We break that down in what carries over from DMZ Early Access to Multiplayer.

It doesn't work the other way. Multiplayer XP does not raise your 70-level DMZ track. For the full timeline of what opens on which day, see the MW4 unlock schedule.

Should you Classic Prestige after Level 55?

If you choose Classic Prestige, you go back to Level 1 and lose these unlocks in exchange for a 20% XP boost and a Permanent Unlock Token. The token keeps one item of your choice unlocked for good. Activision recommends spending tokens on perks, field upgrades, killstreaks and equipment rather than weapons, because buying a weapon blueprint from the Store or Battle Pass permanently unlocks that gun's base version anyway. Based on the tables above, late unlocks are the natural token targets, for example Ghost (24), Cold-Blooded (36), Advanced UAV (40) or Gunship (51). Regular Prestige keeps all of your unlocks. Our Prestige guide has the full comparison.

Skip the 55-level grind before launch weekend

Want your MW4 setup ready on day one? Get bot lobbies, max player level and leveled-up weapons before everyone else.

• MW4 Bot Lobbies: low-skill lobbies for fast weapon XP, camo challenges and stress-free leveling
• MW4 Account Leveling: reach Level 55 and unlock every gun, perk and killstreak on this page
• MW4 Weapon Leveling: max out weapon levels for every attachment and the Apex
• MW4 Mastery Camo Unlock: hand off the camo grind once your guns are leveled

Want to compare everything first? Browse the whole MW4 hub on timesaver.gg, or read how MW4 bot lobbies work and whether they're safe.

FAQ

What is the max level in MW4? Level 55 (Commander) is the top of the standard Multiplayer track. After that you enter Prestige (10 levels), then Prestige Master, which goes up to Level 1,000. DMZ has its own separate 70-level track.

What level does Create-a-Class unlock in MW4? Level 4. Before that you can only choose from premade default loadouts.

What level unlocks the M4 in MW4? Player Level 14. Its max weapon level is 72, and maxing it unlocks the M4 Hurricane Apex attachment.

What is the last weapon you unlock in MW4? The Cronen Squall assault rifle at Level 55. It unlocks together with the Air Lockdown killstreak. The PM-40 Anvil launcher (54) and Axion (52) come right before it.

Do attachments carry between weapons in MW4? Yes. Each attachment only needs to be unlocked once, and it then becomes available on every weapon that can use it.

Does DMZ XP count toward MW4 multiplayer level? Yes. DMZ XP counts toward your 1–55 player level. Multiplayer and Warzone XP do not count toward your DMZ level.

Sources: Activision, "Ready for Launch: Modern Warfare 4 Progression and Prestige" and "Ready for Launch: All Modern Warfare 4 Operators, Weapons, Equipment, and Multiplayer Create-a-Class Features", both October 19, 2026. Launch October 23, 2026. Last verified October 20, 2026.