Modern Warfare 2 progression explained: Military Ranks & Prestige system

Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer gives players multiple different ways of progressing and unlocking new items. Here’s everything you need to know about Modern Warfare 2 progression, from the standard Military Ranks to the returning seasonal Prestige system.

After months of build up, players are finally dropping into Modern Warfare 2 for the very first time. The single-player campaign is on hand to provide a quick thrill but it’s the multiplayer mode that will be the main draw for many.

Modern Warfare 2 shakes things up dramatically with the new Gunsmith system and a complete overhaul to Perks. So players may be wondering how progression works this time around and how they can go about unlocking everything that MW2 has to offer.

We’ve got a breakdown of progression in Modern Warfare 2 below, including Military Ranks and the Prestige system.

Modern Warfare 2 Military Ranks

The first thing to do when you arrive in Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer is work through the Military Ranks, which go from 1 to 55. Each new Military Rank comes with an unlock, whether it be a new Weapon Platform, loadout items, or Spec Ops Kits.

Leveling up through each Military Rank is achieved by earning in-game XP, which is done in the following ways:

• Playing matches
• Completing daily challenges
• Completing milestone challenges

Unlike in previous years, not all weapons are unlocked by Military Ranks. This time around reaching level 55 will earn players every Weapon Platform, but additional guns are earned by leveling up that specific platform.

This is done by playing matches and earning kills with that weapon equipped, which then unlocks new Receivers that switch the look and function of each gun.

Modern Warfare 2 Prestige explained

Once players reach level 55 they enter the seasonal leveling system, where every new level reached goes towards their season level. Then, every 50 seasonal levels players gain a Prestige rank, up to Prestige 3, which is shown with a new emblem next to their name.

These are unlocked in the same way as Military Ranks: by playing matches and completing challenges to earn XP. However, they do not lead to new weapon unlocks and are purely a show of skill and dedication.

Modern Warfare 2 makes use of the same Seasonal Prestige system that the last few Call of Duty installments have adopted. This means that at the beginning of each new season your seasonal level resets back down to zero, and you can work your way back through to earn three new Prestige ranks.

In the classic CoD titles, players would have the choice to Prestige and essentially start from scratch. All guns would be locked again and they would have to work through levels 1 to maximum again. However, in recent years Activision have made the process more automatic in an effort to keep players hooked in every new season.

There is every chance that the devs decide to shake up the progression system later down the line, so we’ll be sure to keep this page updated with all the latest details.

For more on Modern Warfare 2, take a look at some of our other guides:

How to Slide Cancel in Modern Warfare 2 | How to unlock Oni Operator & Blueprint in Modern Warfare 2 | All Modern Warfare 2 Killstreaks | What is Modern Warfare 2 Spec Ops mode? | All Modern Warfare 2 perks | All Modern Warfare 2 Field Upgrades