Black Ops 7 launches on November 14, and the game is packed with 30 weapons, including 16 debuting for the first time in Call of Duty history. There are plenty of powerful guns and equipment to try, as we went over in our best BO7 loadouts guide but you’ll also want to make sure you have the best perks to suit your playstyle. In this guide, we’ll discuss the recommended perks and Wildcards, and we’ll also break down how the new Combat Specialties work this year.
Best perks for multiplayer
Perk 1 slot
Ghost: Undetectable by enemy Scout Pulse and UAV when moving, planting, defusing, or controlling Scorestreaks. This is in the Recon (blue) perk category.
Ghost is a great perk for staying off the radar if you’re a player who wants to go for stealthy plays. This can also be a smart pick if you’re planning on making a class to lay low with a sniper rifle.
Ninja: Move more quietly. This is in the Recon (blue) perk category.
Like Ghost, this perk can be used for stealthy plays. It’s also one of the best picks for non-respawn modes like Search and Destroy.
Ghost and Ninja are both in the same perk slot this year, so you can’t equip them both for a stealth loadout unless you choose the Perk Greed Wildcard, as mentioned below.
Cold-Blooded: Undetectable by AI targeting and thermal optics. Player-controlled scorestreaks don’t highlight you. This is in the Recon (blue) perk category.
It’s always good to have at least one loadout equipped and labeled as a Cold-Blooded class. This makes it easy to switch in a pinch, as Black Ops 7 features plenty of lethal scorestreaks that can target you.
Flak Jacket: Reduces incoming explosive and fire damage. This is a Strategist (green) category perk.
Flak Jacket is a solid pick if you’re an objective player looking to jump on a Hardpoint or Domination flag. It will help protect you from the grenades lobbed your way.
Perk 2 slot
Looper: Gain the ability to re-earn Scorestreaks in the same life. This is an Enforcer (red) perk.
By default, you can’t keep earning your streaks in the same life, and you need to die to reset them. Looper allows you to keep earning your streaks over and over. This is a good perk if you’re someone who can rack up plenty of points and want to keep earning streaks.
Fast Hands: Swap weapons faster and extend fuses when throwing back grenades. This is a Strategist (green) category perk.
Movement and speed remain so important in Black Ops 7’s fast-paced multiplayer. Having the faster weapon swap can really save you when your primary runs out of ammo.
Perk 3 slot
Dexterity: Reduced weapon motion and full ADS on slides, dives, and wall jumps. Take less fall damage. This is an Enforcer (red) perk.
This is the most popular pick for the third perk slot. Dexterity is what you’ll want to equip to make the most of Black Ops 7’s omnimovement while engaging in gunfights.
Tracker: See rough locations of nearby enemies on your minimap and see their footsteps in the world. Aiming down sights auto-pings enemies.
If you don’t care as much about the movement aspects, Tracker is a great perk for getting more intel. This perk lets you follow highlighted footsteps and hunt your enemy on the map.
Bankroll: Start each life with +150 score towards scorestreaks. This is in the Recon (blue) perk category.
Bankroll is great if you normally struggle to earn streaks or just want to give yourself a boost to earn them faster.
Best Wildcard picks
Treyarch’s Wildcard system returns in Black Ops 7. Each loadout can be equipped with one Wildcard to help you further customize and make your loadout feel even more powerful. Here are some recommended options:
Overkill: Equip any non-melee weapon in Primary and Secondary slots.
Overkill lets you run an additional primary weapon. This is great for pairing something slow, like a sniper rifle or marksman rifle, with something faster, like a submachine gun. This lets you be prepared for more situations.
Gunfighter: Get three extra attachments for your primary weapon.
Gunfighter lets you add three more attachments to create a very powerful weapon build.
Perk Greed: Equip an extra perk.
It’s always handy to have an extra perk, especially with so many good perks being stacked in the Tier 1 slot.
Combat Specialties
Black Ops 7 includes a Specialty Bonus system similar to Black Ops 6. The three perks you select for your loadout will determine your Combat Specialty. Equip three perks of the same category to activate the Enforcer (red), Recon (blue), or Strategist (green) Combat Specialty bonus.
Additionally, you can now activate Hybrid Combat Specialties when pairing perks of different categories. As long as your loadout includes at least two perks of the same color, you’re guaranteed to unlock a Hybrid Combat Specialty.
Any of these specialties can be a nice addition, but see what bonus might fit your playstyle. It may or may not be worth it to tailor your perks toward the specific bonus.
Hybrid Combat Specialties
Hybrid Specialty: Scout (Red and blue perks)
Scout is an offense and stealth hybrid. When you get a bullet elimination, you’ll stay completely hidden from enemy minimaps for five seconds. Additional eliminations during this period reset the timer.
Hybrid Specialty: Tactician (Red and green perks)
Tactician is a support and offense hybrid. When you earn assists, you’ll also earn bonus score from bullet eliminations for ten seconds.
Hybrid Specialty: Operative (Blue and green perks)
Operative is a stealth and support hybrid. Earn Field Upgrade charge from stealthy eliminations. Suppressed weapons, melee eliminations, and eliminations while out of line of sight all count as stealth eliminations.
Core Specialties
Core Specialty: Enforcer (All red perks)
After each elimination, gain a buff to movement speed and health regen speed for a short time.
Core Specialty: Recon (All blue perks)
On respawn, see the direction of the closest enemy on the minimap. Edge of HUD pulses for enemies outside your view. You’ll also leave no death skulls.
Core Specialty: Strategist (All green perks)
Increased score for objectives and sabotage. You also deploy equipment faster and see enemy content through walls a short distance.
If you’re looking for guns to pair with your perks, we have recommended Black Ops 7 weapon builds to try in your next match of multiplayer. We also have a recommended settings guide for getting the most out of Black Ops 7 on PlayStation or Xbox consoles.
