Black Ops 7 uses a structured camo system built around three main layers for each weapon: Military, Special, and Mastery. Mastery camos sit at the top of that pyramid and are designed as long-term goals that show deep commitment to a weapon, a weapon class, and eventually a wide slice of the arsenal.
There are 16 mastery camos in total – four for each main mode:
- Co-op Campaign (CM)
- Multiplayer (MP)
- Zombies (ZM)
- Call of Duty: Warzone (WZ)
Each mode has four tiers of Mastery for every weapon: a gold-tier camo, a second-tier camo tied to weapon classes, a third-tier camo tied to 30 weapons, and a final reactive camo that unlocks automatically once broad account-wide conditions are met. The same basic structure is shared across modes, but the specific challenges you complete and the visual style of each camo are different.
Black Ops 7 camo progression steps (Military, Special, Mastery)
Before you can work on Mastery camos for a weapon, you must first finish that weapon’s Military and Special camo sets. At launch, each weapon follows the same three-stage path:
| Step | Camo type | Scope | What you do | Unlock effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Military camos | Per weapon, per mode challenge set | Complete basic kill-type challenges (headshots, critical kills, eliminations, etc.) | Unlocks nine base-pattern camos for that weapon and opens Special camos |
| 2 | Special camos | Per weapon, per mode challenge set | Finish more focused tasks (multi-kills; kills under specific conditions or with specific setups) | Unlocks three Special camos and grants access to Mastery challenges |
| 3 | Mastery camos | Per weapon, with some account-wide requirements | Complete escalating challenges tied to gold, weapon-class, 30-weapon, and account-wide milestones | Unlocks up to four Mastery camos per mode on that weapon |
All of this ties into the global Career system. Progress toward Military, Special, and Mastery camos counts whether you are playing Co-op Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies, or Warzone, as long as the weapon and mode support the relevant challenge.
Black Ops 7 military and special camo prerequisites
Military camos are the foundation of the system and are available as soon as you start using a weapon. There are nine Military camos per weapon, unlocked in order, and each mode uses a different core requirement:
| Mode | Primary requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Co-op Campaign | Critical kills | Focus on precision hits that score critical damage on enemies. |
| Multiplayer | Headshots | For most weapons, a total of 80 headshot kills per weapon is required, reduced from older titles. |
| Zombies | Critical kills | Approximately 1,000 critical kills per weapon, with requirements lowered to reduce grind. |
| Warzone | Eliminations | Standard kills in battle royale count; the exact number required scales with the weapon. |
Shotguns and sniper rifles are treated differently for Military camos to better match how they are actually used. Instead of focusing on headshots, shotguns lean on close-range (“point-blank”) kills, and snipers lean on one-shot kills. This makes their Military progression more aligned with typical gameplay for those weapon types.
Once the nine Military camos are done for a weapon, you move on to that weapon’s three Special camos. These are still per-mode, per-weapon challenges but are more specific. For example, on one assault rifle:
| Mode | Special camo | Challenge example |
|---|---|---|
| Zombies | Mutilate | Earn several rapid sequences of five critical kills. |
| Zombies | Slither | Get streaks of ten kills without reloading, multiple times. |
| Zombies | Pathfinder | Secure hundreds of eliminations while using the Cryo Freeze Ammo Mod. |
| Warzone | Shimmer | Score several headshot kills. |
| Warzone | Tyrant | Achieve eliminations while your weapon is fitted with a suppressor. |
| Warzone | Trace | Earn kills without taking any damage during those engagements. |
Those examples illustrate the pattern: Special camos push you to play around ammo mods, attachments, and longer streaks, beyond simply racking up raw kills. Only after all nine Military and three Special camos (12 total) are unlocked for a weapon can you begin its Mastery camo track.
All Black Ops 7 mastery camos by mode
Every mode has four Mastery camos per weapon. The first three tiers are unlocked through direct challenges, while the fourth tier unlocks automatically once broad requirements are met. The table below summarizes all 16 Mastery camos and their visual style.
| Tier | Co-op Campaign | Multiplayer | Zombies | Warzone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 (Gold) | Molten Gold – flowing gold finish with vertical animation and a reflective surface. | Shattered Gold – fractured gold plating with a bright, mirror-like sheen. | Golden Dragon – animated dragon motif with subtle movement and reflective highlights. | Golden Damascus – gold Damascus steel pattern with a polished, reflective look. |
| Tier 2 (Class) | Moonstone – pale stone-like camo with shifting rainbow flecks that catch the light. | Arclight – second-tier Multiplayer Mastery camo; detailed visual behavior is not specified here. | Bloodstone – dark crystalline surface with animated red “veins” that slowly change shape. | Starglass – angular glass-like plating with internal liquid-style animation. |
| Tier 3 (30 weapons) | Chroma Flux – color-shifted finish with slow horizontal wave motion across the weapon. | Tempest – storm-like energy effect with constantly moving electrical arcs. | Doomsteel – mechanical metal with rotating cogs and pulses of green ethereal energy. | Absolute Zero – cold blue-toned camo with angular glow and a dark, bubble-like outer shell. |
| Tier 4 (Final, reactive) | Genesis – animated ripple effect; reactive color shifts and extra particles when firing. | Singularity – deep-space void with moving star fields; reactive effect intensifies the light patterns as you engage. | Infestation – organic, tendril-like pattern that changes color; reactive behavior makes the “sinew” appear more aggressive during combat. | Apocalypse – black void with moving red specks; reactive state pushes the entire camo toward a deep crimson tone. |
Tier 4 is reactive in all four modes, meaning the camo responds visibly to your actions (typically when firing the weapon). Earlier tiers mix reflective and animated elements but are not flagged as reactive.
Black Ops 7 mastery camo challenges by tier
Mastery challenges follow a clear pattern. Tier 1 focuses on that specific weapon in a single mode. Tier 2 adds a weapon-class requirement. Tier 3 scales up to 30 weapons across your inventory. Tier 4 has no per-weapon challenge at all; instead, it unlocks when you have met the broader 30-weapon condition for the third-tier camo.
The table below covers all Mastery camos, their prerequisites, and their mode-specific objectives.
| Tier | Mode | Camo | Prerequisites | Challenge / unlock condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Co-op Campaign | Molten Gold | Complete all nine Military and three Special camos on the weapon. | Eliminate 20 Special enemies while using that weapon. |
| Tier 1 | Multiplayer | Shattered Gold | Complete all nine Military and three Special camos on the weapon. | Earn three kills without dying, ten separate times. |
| Tier 1 | Zombies | Golden Dragon | Complete all nine Military and three Special camos on the weapon. | Secure ten rapid kills, fifteen times, with that weapon. |
| Tier 1 | Warzone | Golden Damascus | Complete all nine Military and three Special camos on the weapon. | Get three kills in a single match, five different times. |
| Tier 2 | Co-op Campaign | Moonstone | Unlock Molten Gold on all weapons in the same class (for example, all assault rifles). | In Endgame missions, defeat 100 enemies in Zone III or Zone IV. |
| Tier 2 | Multiplayer | Arclight | Unlock Shattered Gold on all weapons in the same class. | Earn 10 double kills or better (two or more kills in rapid succession). |
| Tier 2 | Zombies | Bloodstone | Unlock Golden Dragon on all weapons in the same class. | Achieve streaks of 20 or more consecutive kills without taking damage, five times. |
| Tier 2 | Warzone | Starglass | Unlock Golden Damascus on all weapons in the same class. | Get five kills without dying, five times. |
| Tier 3 | Co-op Campaign | Chroma Flux | Unlock Moonstone on 30 weapons (all 30 launch weapons or any 30 once more are available). | In Endgame, eliminate 10 Elite enemies. |
| Tier 3 | Multiplayer | Tempest | Unlock Arclight on 30 weapons. | Earn five kills without dying, three separate times. |
| Tier 3 | Zombies | Doomsteel | Unlock Bloodstone on 30 weapons. | Eliminate 10 Elite Zombies. |
| Tier 3 | Warzone | Absolute Zero | Unlock Starglass on 30 weapons. | Earn 10 eliminations while your squad is in the Top 10. |
| Tier 4 | Co-op Campaign | Genesis | Unlock Chroma Flux on 30 different weapons; there is no individual challenge for Genesis on each weapon. | Genesis unlocks automatically on eligible weapons once the Chroma Flux requirement is met. |
| Tier 4 | Multiplayer | Singularity | Unlock Tempest on 30 different weapons; no separate per-weapon challenge. | Singularity unlocks automatically on eligible weapons once Tempest has been earned on 30 weapons. |
| Tier 4 | Zombies | Infestation | Unlock Doomsteel on 30 different weapons; no additional per-weapon objective. | Infestation unlocks automatically on eligible weapons once Doomsteel has been earned on 30 weapons. |
| Tier 4 | Warzone | Apocalypse | Unlock Absolute Zero on 30 different weapons; no individual weapon-specific challenge. | Apocalypse unlocks automatically on eligible weapons once Absolute Zero has been earned on 30 weapons. |
The key change compared with older systems is the final tier: instead of repeating a separate grind for the last camo on every weapon, you earn it automatically once you have completed the third-tier Mastery on enough weapons overall.
Tracking Black Ops 7 mastery camo progress
Progress is tracked centrally in the Career menu and within the Gunsmith. You can follow your camo grind in two main places:
- Career > Challenges > Camos: Shows global progress for each weapon, including how many Military, Special, and Mastery camos you have unlocked in each mode.
- Weapons > Loadouts > Gunsmith > Customize > Camo: Shows camo options and challenges for the specific weapon you are currently editing.
While playing a match or mission, you can open the pause menu to check how far you are toward the next camo unlock. Co-op Campaign also includes a dedicated camo tracker, which is new for the series and makes it easier to pursue Mastery while progressing through story content.
How Black Ops 7 mastery camos reshape long-term progression
The Mastery system in Black Ops 7 is designed to be more consistent and less repetitive than in earlier games, while still providing a long-term grind for dedicated players. Several changes support this:
| Aspect | What changed in Black Ops 7 | Impact on mastery grind |
|---|---|---|
| Number of Mastery camos | 16 total Mastery camos (four per mode), including four new Co-op Campaign Mastery skins. | More high-end cosmetic goals to chase, and progression is spread across all modes. |
| Final tier unlocking | Final Mastery camos unlock automatically once the third-tier Mastery is completed on 30 weapons. | Removes repeated per-weapon “final camo” challenges; rewards broad weapon investment instead. |
| Military requirements | Reduced headshot and critical-kill totals in Multiplayer and Zombies. | Shortens the early grind and makes it more reasonable to start working on Special and Mastery camos. |
| Weapon role alignment | Shotguns and snipers use point-blank and one-shot kill requirements instead of headshots for Military camos. | Progress aligns better with realistic use of those weapons, avoiding awkward challenge playstyles. |
| Mode coverage | Co-op Campaign joins Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone in the Mastery system. | Players who prefer PvE now have a full Mastery track with its own reactive final camo. |
This structure also ties into Weapon Prestige and other long-term systems, but the Mastery camos are the most visible proof of completion. By the time you have a full set of Tier 4 Mastery camos across multiple weapons and modes, you will have completed a large portion of the game’s overall challenge framework.
If you focus on one weapon at a time, work through its Military and Special challenges, then climb the Mastery tiers while gradually spreading progress across different guns and modes, you will steadily move toward the final reactive camos. The requirements are demanding, but the system is clear: complete 12 base camos per weapon, earn gold and class-level Mastery, and then push out to 30 weapons to unlock the last tier across your arsenal.
