Black Ops 6 Ranked Play, explained: Rules, banned weapons, maps, and more

Black Ops 6 Ranked Play continues to give players the opportunity to test their abilities and prove their mettle in season two.

BO6’s Ranked Play mode allows players to show off their skills like a Call of Duty League pro, using the same weapons and rules that the superstars do. If you’re ready to grind, get ready to make some loadouts and head into the playlist to hit the top rank each season.

Read on below for everything we know about Ranked Play in BO6.

BO6 Ranked Play, explained

In Ranked Play, players queue up for matches using the same settings, modes (Hardpoint, Search and Destroy, Control), maps (Hacienda, Protocol, Red Card, Skyline, Vault), and restrictions used by the Call of Duty League. Play, win matches, rank up through Skill Divisions with your Skill Rating (SR) points, and unlock rewards along the way.

“SR is awarded after each Ranked Play win and the amount earned is determined by the player’s distance away from their projected Rank, their match performance, and the margin of victory,” Treyarch said. “SR is deducted after losses.”

Your SR adds up to propel you through the game’s different Skill Divisions, all of which have three different tiers within each, except for Iridescent.

BO6 Ranked Play Skill Divisions

• Bronze – Starting Rank
• Silver – 900 SR 
• Gold – 2,100 SR 
• Platinum – 3,600 SR 
• Diamond – 5,400 SR 
• Crimson – 7,500 SR 
• Iridescent – 10,000 SR 
• Top 250 – 10,000-plus SR

Ranked Play in BO6 is “the definitive ranked play experience that Treyarch has been building towards” since developing the mode in both Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3 over the past few years. Treyarch said that it’s taken everything it’s learned in the past couple of games to make BO6 Ranked Play the best one yet, including some new additions and changes. But the basic info about the mode remains the same.

What’s new in BO6 Ranked Play?

Ranks are being updated from previous games, with Treyarch removing Progressive Rank and Victory Stars entirely. Instead, it’s all about SR gains and losses to move your way up and down the ranks to better focus on skill solely.

New features this year include the ability to veto maps. Before each match in Ranked Play, three separate map and mode combos will show up for the players. The two teams can then vote to decide which maps to veto, with the decision being either the one map that wasn’t vetoed or a random selection from two that weren’t vetoed.

Players will also be able to forfeit matches that they are getting stomped in as opposed to having to wait for it to come to an end. Forfeit will become available in the Options menu when a winning team reaches 100 points in Hardpoint, after the first round of Control, or after the third round of Search and Destroy.

Updates to existing features include the ability to party up with four players (skill matchmaking will be based on the highest ranked player), some less painful punishment on seasonal rank resets for players in lower ranks, and loss forgiveness meaning that each player’s first loss of the day won’t subtract SR.

How to unlock Ranked Play in BO6

Before queuing up for Ranked Play, you need to win 50 matches in BO6 multiplayer. This is to prevent hackers and cheaters from playing on new accounts and ruining the experience for many, but also so players can familiarize themselves with the game’s modes and maps before playing Ranked.

BO6 Ranked Play maps and modes in season two

Search and Destroy

• Hacienda
• Protocal
• Red Card
• Skyline
• Vault

Control

• Hacienda
• Protocol
• Vault

Hardpoint

• Hacienda
• Protocol
• Red Card
• Skyline
• Vault

All banned items in BO6 Ranked Play season two

This list is up to date as of the BO6 season two patch released on Jan. 22.

Weapon Restrictions

Assault Rifles

• All ARs except AMES 85 and GPR 91

SMGs

• KSV, Tanto .22, Saug, and PPSh-41 (C9, PP-919, Jackal PDW, and Kompakt 92 are allowed)

Pistols

• All pistols except Stryder .22

LMGs

• All

Sniper Rifles

• All

Marksman Rifles

• All

Shotguns

• All

Launchers

• All

Special Weapons

• All

Attachment Restrictions

Optics

• Thermal Optics
  • All
• Night Vision Optics
  • All

Muzzle Attachments

• Suppressors
  • All

Barrel Attachments

• Suppressed Barrels
  • All
• Headshot Multiplier Barrels
  • All

Underbarrel Attachments

• Underbarrel Launchers
  • All

Magazine Attachments

• All

Laser Attachments

• All

Fire Mod Attachments

• Rapid Fire
  • All
• FMJ Rounds
  • All
• 3-Round Burst Mod
  • All

Loadout Restrictions

Equipment

• Lethals
  • Impact Grenade, C4, Molotov, Blast Trap, Drill Charge, Combat Axe, Thermo Grenades (only Frag and Semtex are allowed)
• Tacticals
  • Decoy, Prox Alarm, Shock Charge, Spy Cam, Stim Shot (only Concussion and Flashbang are allowed)

Field Upgrades

• Spring Mine, Scrambler, Signal Lure, War Cry, Tactical Insertion, Acoustic Amp, Morphine Injector, Neurogas, Sleeper Agent (only Assault Pack and Trophy System are allowed)

Scorestreaks

Restricted in Hardpoint & Control

• RC-XD

All Modes

• Scout Pulse, Sam Turret, UAV, Counter UAV, Archangel Launcher, Care Package, Napalm Strike, LDBR, Sentry Turret, Watchdog Helo, AGR Mark 1, Interceptors, Strategic Bomber, HARP, Chopper Gunner, Dreadnaught, Nuke, Hand Cannon (only Hellstorm is allowed in all modes)

Perks

• Combat Specialties
  • All
• Enforcer
  • Scavenger, Assassin, Bruiser, Hunter’s Instinct, Bankroll, and Slipstream (Gung-Ho, Dexterity, and Double Time are allowed)
• Recon
  • Ghost, Engineer, Tracker, Forward Intel, Shrapnel Radar, Vigilance, and Cold-Blooded (only Ninja is allowed)
• Strategist
  • Dispatcher, Shadow, Guardian, Gearhead (Quartermaster, Flak Jacket, Fast Hands, and Tac Mask are allowed)

Wildcards

• Tactical Expert, Overkill, Danger Close, Prepper, High Roller, Flyswatter (Gunfighter and Perk Greed are allowed)

BO6 Ranked Play rewards

A variety of different rewards will be available each season, including the above skins that players can obtain by reaching certain Skill Divisions, including Top 250. But the main, rare prize is the Champion skin for the player who finishes first overall in a season.

Win challenge rewards (all-time)

Seasonal rewards

Each season will have its own individual rewards, too, such as blueprints, decals, and calling cards depending on which rank you reach, and more.

Season two ranked play rewards

• 10 wins: “Pro Issue” Jackal PDW blueprint
• 100 wins: “100 Season 2 Wins” large decal
• Silver: “Ranked Season 2 – Silver” calling card
• Gold: “Ranked Season 2 – Gold” calling card
• Platinum: “Ranked Season 2 – Platinum” calling card
• Diamond: “Ranked Season 2 – Diamond” calling card
• Crimson: “Ranked Season 2 – Crimson” calling card
• Iridescent: “Ranked Season 2 – Iridescent” calling card
• Top 250: “Ranked Season 2 – Top 250” calling card
• Number one overall: “Ranked Season 2 – Top 250 Champion” calling card

Players can also unlock exclusive camos to showcase the highest rank they achieve during season two.

This article will be updated with any new and relevant information once it becomes available.