With the reveal of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, one of the most significant highlights is its deep and redefined create-a-class and gunsmith system. This article breaks down everything you need to know about building classes in Cold War, how attachments and perks work, and why wildcards might completely redefine multiplayer meta. Let’s jump straight into it.

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Gunsmith Returns—And It’s Better Than Ever

The Gunsmith system first introduced in Modern Warfare makes a return in Cold War—but this time, it’s simpler, clearer, and more powerful. Every primary weapon in the game comes with 54 unlockable attachments, and players can equip up to five attachments by default on both primary and secondary weapons.

Gone are the days of sacrificing grenades or secondaries to load up on attachments. Unlike older titles using the Pick-10 system, Cold War’s base class loadout includes:

• One lethal grenade
• One tactical grenade
• One field upgrade
• One perk from each category (Perk 1, 2, and 3)
• Five attachments per weapon

This layout gives players maximum freedom to customize without trade-offs, resulting in more defined and expressive playstyles.

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Transparent Attachment Stats

One of the biggest improvements is how information is presented. Instead of vague descriptions and mysterious stat bars (like “recoil stabilization” vs. “aiming stability”), Cold War spells out attachment pros and cons in exact percentages.

Take the Agency Suppressor for example:

• +5% vertical recoil control
• Minimap suppression
• -15% damage range
• +5% horizontal recoil

This means no more guessing how an attachment changes your weapon’s behavior. With clearly written, measurable stats, players can make informed decisions that reflect their needs in combat.

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In-Game Customization on the Fly

Another great returning feature is the ability to edit classes mid-game. Whether you just unlocked a new attachment or want to tweak your setup after a tough round, you can switch up your classes at any point during a match.

This encourages experimentation and adaptation—no more being stuck with an underperforming loadout for an entire game.

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Wildcards: The True Game-Changers

Wildcards are set to fundamentally shift how classes are built. Four wildcards were present in the alpha build, with more potentially coming later. Here’s a look at each one:

• Gunfighter: Equip three additional attachments on your primary weapon, bringing the total to eight attachments. That’s right—eight. Combine that with five on your secondary, and your loadout becomes a fully loaded arsenal.
• Perk Greed: Equip six perks instead of three—two from each category. This wild card alone creates extremely powerful class combinations and is likely to become one of the most-used choices in multiplayer.
• Danger Close: Grants you an extra lethal, extra tactical, and maximum starting ammo. It might not sound game-breaking at first, but in objective-heavy modes like Domination or Hardpoint, having more equipment and ammo can give you the upper hand.
• Lawbreaker: Enables mixing any two weapons (e.g., two primaries or two secondaries) and allows players to pick any three perks, regardless of category. Want to stack two Perk 2s and one Perk 3? Go for it. This wildcard maximizes class flexibility and opens the door for unique setups.

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Perks: What We’ve Seen So Far

Although we haven’t seen the full perk list yet, several returning favorites were confirmed in the alpha:

• Engineer
• Tactical Mask
• Flak Jacket
• Scavenger
• Quartermaster
• Tracker
• Cold-Blooded
• Ghost
• Ninja

Each category had three perks during the alpha phase, but more are expected in the full game. With wildcards like Perk Greed and Lawbreaker in the mix, expect players to experiment with combinations like Ninja + Ghost + Cold-Blooded, or Flak Jacket + Tactical Mask + Scavenger.

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Weapon Progression & Unlocks

Weapon leveling is back—just like in Modern Warfare. You’ll unlock all 54 attachments by ranking up individual weapons through use. Prestige information wasn’t detailed during the reveal, but weapons are expected not to reset upon prestiging—if the system even returns at all.

This attachment grind means players are encouraged to stick with a weapon, learn its strengths, and refine builds over time.

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Final Thoughts

Black Ops Cold War’s create-a-class system is easily one of the most robust and player-friendly systems we’ve ever seen in a Call of Duty game. Between the clarity of the Gunsmith stats, wildcard-enhanced customization, and mid-game class editing, players will have more tools than ever to optimize and personalize their gameplay.

The ability to build around your strengths—whether that’s stealth, power, or versatility—will be key in mastering Cold War’s multiplayer.

More perks, wildcards, and tweaks are sure to come with the beta and full release. But from what we’ve seen so far, class building in Cold War is shaping up to be a standout feature.

Get ready to build smarter, fight harder, and dominate the battlefield your way.