One of the biggest draws to the Call of Duty franchise, multiplayer offers players the chance to compete in single or team-based modes to score points, progress their rank, and unlock new weapons.
Scoring & Progression
Multiplayer once again returns with a ranking system similar to the previous Call of Duty games.
Streaks
Scorestreaks replace the Killstreaks featured in previous games, making it so players are rewarded by earning a certain amount of points in one life. You don't have to choose which rewards you will bring into a match; Scorestreaks end up resetting when you die and you can't earn the same rewards in the same life.
Medals
Medals are XP rewards you get for performing specific actions during a multiplayer match. They are awarded when you meet a certain condition, and will always be awarded after doing that specific condition.
Challenges
Challenges are a set of in-match tasks that the players can complete for extra experience. There is a large variety of challenges to be fulfilled, such as killing a number of enemies with a certain weapon, to specific tasks like activating a certain number of a certain Scorestreak. Challenges are used to unlock skins for weapons. Although some challenges are available from the start, most of them won't unlock until you reach Level 4, and there are even more that won't unlock until later levels.
Perks & Wildcards
Perks in Black Ops II take the focus away from guns and places an emphasis on the player. There are three tiers of perks in the game, with the ability to equip one of each tier (each one you equip takes up one of the 10 points), although Wildcards allow you to equip two of a single tier.
Wildcards are a new feature in Black Ops II, which are customizable options for Create-a-Class. Each one you use will take up an allocation point.
- Primary Gunfighter - Equip a third attachment to a primary weapon.
- Secondary Gunfighter - Equip a second attachment to a secondary weapon.
- Overkill - Use a primary weapon in place of a secondary weapon.
- Danger Close - Use two Lethal grenades (they must be the same).
- Perk 1 Greed - Use a second Tier 1 Perk.
- Perk 2 Greed - Use a second Tier 2 Perk.
- Perk 3 Greed - Use a second Tier 3 Perk.
- Tactician - Use two Tactical grenades, in place of your Lethal grenade slot (they must be two different Tactical grenades).
Game Modes
Team Deathmatch (Multi-Team & Hardcore)
Players are split into two teams, and the objective is to kill as many players on the opposing team while limiting how many times you die. The match is over when a team reaches the necessary points or when the time runs out, with the team with the most points being declared the winner.
Free For All
A Deathmatch-type game mode, where every player is out for themselves. A total of 8 players can be in the match, with the player gaining 1 point for every kill they get. The first player to 30 points will win the match, or whoever has the most points as time expires.
Domination (Multi-Team & Hardcore)
Two teams of six players each fight over control of three flags (control points). Two of these flags are near each team's spawn points, while the third flag is in the middle of the map. All players have to do to capture each flag is stand within the circle around it with no enemies around, which will fill up a meter and when it's full, the flag will be that team's.
One player alone will require 10 seconds before the flag is captured, but the more players there are, the quicker it will be. The team will gain 1 point for every flag they control, which ticks every 5 seconds. The second round has all flags set to neutral, with teams switching sides. The first team to 200 points, or whoever has the most points at the end of both rounds, will win the match.
Demolition
Pits two teams of six players each, in an effort to blow up two bomb sites. There is a defensive team and an offensive team, with the goal of the defensive team to just stop the offensive one from planting bombs and blowing up the sites. Every player on the offensive team has a bomb that can be planted. There are two rounds, with each team having a chance to be offensive and defensive.
There is an initial 2 minutes and 30 seconds on the game clock. Once a bomb is planted, that game clock is replaced with a 45 second timer. If the defensive team doesn't defuse it in time, the bomb is detonated and another 2 minutes is added to the game clock. The round is over when time either runs out or both bomb sites are blown up. In the case of a tie after two rounds, an overtime starts with a neutral bomb site, allowing both teams to plant/defuse bombs.
Kill Confirmed (Multi-Team & Hardcore)
Similar to Team Deathmatch, it pits two teams of six players each against each other. The catch is that every time a player is killed, they drop their dog tags. If an opposing team member picks up the dog tag, then it is a Kill Confirmed and that team will earn one point. If a member of the same team picks up the dog tag, then it is a Kill Denied and no points are awarded. The first team to reach 100 points (or have the most points when time expires) will win the match.
Hardpoint (Multi-Team)
Similar to King of the Hill from other games, where an area will appear on the map and players fight against each other to occupy it. A team earns one point for every second they occupy the Hardpoint. If all members of a team leave the Hardpoint, or a member from the other team enters it while it is being occupied, then that team will stop earning points. The first team to 250 points or whichever team has the most points when time expires wins the match.
Headquarters
With a time limit of 15 minutes, two teams fight for control over small boxes that randomly appear on the map. The Headquarters will become active after 30 seconds of its appearance. It takes 20 seconds to capture a HQ alone, but that time reduces with the more players around it. Once captured, the team must hold it for 60 seconds before points are awarded.
Besides getting points, that team that captures the HQ cannot respawn until the HQ is destroyed. The other team must clear the HQ of enemies before they can gain access to destroying it. It takes a max of 20 seconds of standing near it for the opposing team to destroy a captured HQ. For every 5 seconds a HQ is captured, that team will earn 5 points. The first team to 250 points (or whoever has the most points) will win the match.
Capture the Flag (Hardcore)
Ppits two teams of six players each, with the objective to grab the other team's flag and return it to your base. Note that if the enemy team has your flag, it must be returned to your base before you can capture their flag.
Each match is divided into two rounds of 5 minutes each, with each flag returned to your base rewarding your team with one point. Three points are needed to win a round, or the team with the most points in the round will win in the case of a tie. In the case of a tie score (of rounds), then the match will go into overtime, where the time limit is shortened and the score limit is reduced to one.
Search & Destroy (Hardcore)
There are two teams (six players each), split up into rounds. At the beginning of the round, one team is designated as the attacking team and one is the defending team. The attacking team is tasked either eliminating the whole defending team or with destroying one of two bomb sites. The defending team wins if all of the attacking team is killed, if time runs out or if one of the bombs is defused.
Note that players only get life per round, so when they die, they will have to sit out until the next round begins.
Gun Game
Similar to Free-For-All, but every player starts out with the same gun. When a player gets a kill with the current gun, their gun will switch and move up a tier. If a player is killed with a melee attack, then they will go back one tier to the previous gun. The player who is farthest along when time expires or gets a kill with all weapons will win the match.
The following is the order of guns used in this match (with their attachments in parentheses):
- B23R (Tactical Knife)
- KAP-40 (Dual Wield)
- Executioner (Laser Sight)
- KSG (Quickdraw Handle)
- M1216 (Extended Clip)
- MSMC (Fore Grip)
- Skorpion EVO (Laser Sight)
- Chicom CQB (Reflex Sight)
- M27 (Millimeter Scanner)
- M8A1 (EOTech Sight)
- SMR (ACOG Sight)
- QBB LSW (Target Finder)
- Mk 48 (Hybrid Optic)
- SVU-AS (Dual Band Scope)
- DSR 50 (Variable Zoom)
- Ballista (Iron Sights)
- SMAW
- RPG
- Crossbow
- Ballistic Knife
Sticks and Stones
A Free-For-All type of game mode where players are given a special set of equipment, which is a Crossbow, Ballistic Knife, and a Combat Axe. Any player killed by a Combat Axe will have their points reset back to zero. The player with the most points when time expires is declared the winner.
One in the Chamber
Pplayers compete in a Free-For-All, with some special rules. Each player is killed in one hit and has a KAP-40 equipped, as well as only has three lives. Each time that a player successfully kills someone, they gain another bullet for their pistol. The player with the most points when time expires is declared the winner.
Sharpshooter
A Free-For-All type of game mode where players will get a new weapon every 45 seconds. Players are awarded points for each kill they get, although less points are awarded for a melee kill. Players will get Perks for getting multiple kills in a row without dying. The player with the most points when time expires is declared the winner.
Bootcamp
Designed for those new to Multiplayer, as it pits players and bots against each other. Players can level up from 1 to 10 in this mode and any player over 10 cannot play in this mode. It can be found under the Combat Training option.
Objective
One of the Combat Training modes, which allows a mix of players and bots to play in objective-based modes. Players are allowed to level past 10 in this mode, but all XP earned is cut in half.
Bot Stomp
Found under Combat Training, that pits six human players against six bots. No experience is earned in this mode.
