Getting started in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War can feel overwhelming, especially for new players or those returning after a break. Whether you just unwrapped the game during the holidays or you’ve been playing casually but want to improve, this guide is packed with practical, beginner-friendly tips. These suggestions aren’t listed in any particular order, but they’re designed to help you gain a competitive edge, grow more confident, and, most importantly, enjoy the game.

Choose Forgiving Guns to Start

As a newcomer, you don’t want to begin with weapons that require pinpoint accuracy or complex recoil control. Ease of use and early unlock availability should be your top considerations. One of the best starter guns is the AK-47, an incredibly versatile assault rifle with low recoil, a consistent four-shot kill capability, and excellent body-shot performance. It handles smoothly and doesn’t punish you for missing headshots—making it a highly accessible weapon.

If you prefer a faster, more aggressive playstyle, consider using the AK-74u or the MP5. These submachine guns are known for their manageable recoil and quick kill times, offering a smooth transition into more dynamic combat without overwhelming new players. Stick with these guns initially, and once you’re more comfortable, feel free to explore other options to find what fits your style best.

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Use Zombies Mode to Skip the Early Grind

Unlocking attachments in multiplayer can be frustrating, especially when your gun starts at level 1 and feels underpowered. A great workaround is to level your weapons in Zombies mode first. It’s a relaxed, stress-free environment where you can quickly unlock the first 10 or so attachments without the intensity of multiplayer. Once you’ve equipped key attachments, you’ll find the gun far more competitive and enjoyable when you return to PvP matches.

Master the Stats System for Attachments

For the first time in the series, Cold War provides highly detailed stats for weapon attachments. When customizing your loadout, press R2 while hovering over an attachment (on controller) to access advanced stats. These include damage, rate of fire, ADS speed, sprint-out time, and bullet velocity. By understanding and watching how each attachment changes these values, you can create a class setup that perfectly matches your playstyle—whether that means a snappier aim or more stability.

Rather than copying loadouts from YouTubers, use this in-game feature to make informed, personalized decisions. It’s an invaluable tool for players who want to grow and understand the nuances of weapon handling.

Unlock and Equip Ninja ASAP

Sound is a huge part of competitive play, and in Cold War, footsteps are extremely loud by default. The Ninja perk, which significantly silences your movement, is a game-changer. While it unlocks later in the progression, it should be one of your first goals. Without it, skilled players using headsets will hear you coming from across the map. Once unlocked, Ninja makes aggressive and flanking playstyles much more viable and effective.

Go for Headshots—They’re Actually Worth It

Unlike many previous CoD titles, Cold War rewards players for headshots. For most guns (excluding the AK-47), even one or two headshots in a gunfight can dramatically reduce your time-to-kill. Even better, Cold War features minimal flinch, so getting shot doesn’t knock your aim off target. This makes aiming for the head a much safer and more rewarding strategy than in past games.

Additionally, since the game’s TTK (time to kill) is slower overall, shaving off even a single bullet from the equation by hitting a headshot gives you a significant edge in combat.

Fix Your Centering Habit

One of the most common beginner mistakes is poor centering—essentially, not aiming where enemies are likely to appear. Always keep the center of your screen aimed at head or torso level, especially when approaching corners or high-traffic areas. Aiming too low or toward a wall means that you’ll need extra time to correct your aim, which often results in losing the gunfight.

Being properly centered allows you to react faster, aim down sights, and shoot with minimal adjustment—crucial in a fast-paced shooter.

Keep Moving—But Move Smart

It’s tempting to sit back and camp as a new player, but if you want to improve long-term, you need to keep moving across the map. Don’t just run blindly—move with intention and scan your surroundings. The more variety in the situations you put yourself in, the faster you’ll learn what works and what doesn’t.

Stationary players might earn a higher K/D ratio in a match, but they also stagnate. If you’re learning actively and constantly adjusting based on experience, your overall gameplay will develop faster.

Learn From Every Mistake

Growth in Cold War comes from reflection. After every death, ask yourself: Why did that happen? Was my position weak? Was I too aggressive? Was my aim off? Each mistake is a learning opportunity. Don’t shut your brain off while playing—analyze and adapt. This mindset transforms gameplay from reactive button-mashing into deliberate improvement.

Train Your Aim with Bots

Muscle memory is key. To develop your aim more quickly, set up a custom game with bots and practice regularly. Aim drills build consistency, reduce hesitation, and free up your attention for more strategic elements of the game. Once gunfights become second nature, you’ll find yourself thinking more about positioning, map control, and objective timing.

Adjust Your Dead Zone Settings

One overlooked but vital controller setting is dead zone adjustment. The default value is often too high, making aim feel sluggish or unresponsive. Navigate to the controller settings and look for the Minimum Input Threshold for both sticks. Gradually lower it until you notice stick drift (where your aim moves on its own), then raise it slightly until the drift stops. This fine-tuning can make your aim feel tighter and more responsive, offering a hidden but powerful advantage.

Understand the New Scorestreak System

Unlike past CoD titles, Cold War features a revamped scorestreak system. Your streaks no longer reset upon death, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore survival. Score bonuses for kill streaks within a single life are dramatically higher than isolated kills. For example, your fifth kill in a streak nets 10 times the score of your first. This means the system still rewards smart, cautious, and survival-focused gameplay.

Oddly enough, this incentivizes playing less of the objective in objective-based modes—something many players criticize. But if you’re focused on unlocking your powerful streaks (like UAVs and napalm strikes), chaining together kills in a single life is still the most efficient path.

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Final Thoughts These beginner-friendly tips offer a solid foundation for success in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Whether it’s optimizing your weapon builds, tightening your aim, or learning the subtle mechanics of movement and centering, each element builds into a broader skill set. Start with the fundamentals, experiment confidently, and remember that every match—win or lose—is a chance to improve.

Now grab your controller, hit Zombies mode to gear up, and head into multiplayer ready to dominate the battlefield.