How the ranking and progression system works in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s ranking system is pretty simple. But Infinity Ward did add some stuff that gives it an extra flair and makes the multiplayer experience feel somewhat unique. 

As usual, you have an overall rank that represents how much experience you’ve earned while playing public multiplayer. There’s no prestiging in Modern Warfare, though. This time around, the two layers to the leveling system are the base Enlisted Ranks and the upper Officer Ranks. 

This just means there’s more for you to do and more rewards to claim while doing various challenges. Here’s the basic rundown of exactly what these ranks mean.

Enlisted Ranks (starting out)

When you first fire up multiplayer in Modern Warfare, you’ll begin at level one or an Enlisted Private. This system is what most CoD players should be used to since your goal will be to complete missions, online matches, and daily challenges to gain XP and level up. 

There are a total of 55 levels in the Enlisted Ranks. As you level up, you’ll unlock weapons, equipment, perks, and killstreaks. Some of the better weapons won’t start becoming available until you start hitting the higher ranks, but your first goal should be getting to level four so you can edit your weapon loadouts. 

Related: Here’s what happens when you hit level 55 in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

But that’s the simple stuff to get you started. The new Officer Rank system is where the real challenge lies. 

Officer Ranks (seasonal ladder)

After reaching level 55 in Enlisted, another 100 levels will open up to you. These are called the Officer Ranks and work as a seasonal ranking ladder that will reset after a set period of time. 

You’ll automatically get a Weapon Blueprint when you hit Officer Rank one, but then the grind starts again. You’ll have to aim for Officer Rank 100 if you want to get all of the rewards before the season ends. You earn XP the exact same way as in the Enlisted Ranks, so just hop back into multiplayer and start completing those challenges.

With every rank you gain in Officer, you’ll unlock what’s known as Officer Challenges, which work as an extra way for you to earn XP and get Seasonal Ribbons. Earning 10 of those ribbons will award you with a Seasonal Emblem that you can use to show off your skills.

If you’re really dedicated, earning all 100 ribbons will get you an animated emblem, along with another blueprint. You’ll get to keep all of your seasonal rewards even after the season resets and they’ll remain visible on your player profile.