I spent 15 hours reaching Prestige in Black Ops 7 using only Multiplayer and hoo boy I am EXHAUSTED

I recently hit a personal goal in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – leveling up to Prestige as fast as possible just by playing multiplayer. I’m not a content creator or a particularly skilled player; I’d say I’m pretty average.

I get to cover games like Call of Duty as part of my job, which is great. However, playing for 15 hours straight, from 11am GMT on November 13th until around midnight tonight, November 15th, to reach Prestige level was definitely challenging.

I’m having fun with Black Ops 7, and I’m not letting online negativity bother me. I actually enjoy the challenge of leveling up and unlocking everything the game offers, and there’s a lot to do. However, playing right when it launched and trying to reach the highest rank quickly was incredibly stressful and tiring – one of the most demanding gaming experiences I’ve had.

Getting into the open playlists with the Black Ops 7 demons

Okay, so if someone was playing right when the game launched at 11am GMT on November 13th, it was either because they live in New Zealand, or they’re a seriously dedicated gamer! Honestly, I think those two groups probably overlap a lot – anyone up at midnight for a game release is definitely not just playing casually, right?

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launched with the same open playlists that were tested during its beta phase. This change greatly reduces the influence of Skill Based Matchmaking, potentially leading to matches where players of all skill levels – from professional gamers to complete newcomers – are grouped together.

The problem is, the people who jump into matches right away are usually the most serious players – streamers, pros, and those who just play Call of Duty constantly. Because of this, many matches feel incredibly competitive, like you’re playing in a professional tournament.

Overall, my experience has been pretty positive. While I occasionally encounter unhelpful players, most of my matches have been genuinely competitive and enjoyable. I wouldn’t say it’s been a negative experience at all.

It’s pretty easy to spot newer players, and I especially want to apologize to the person I kept defeating repeatedly on Blackheart – I killed them seven times in a row! Sorry about that, and please don’t get discouraged – just keep practicing and improving.

Honestly, playing in those super competitive online lobbies just drains me. I realized I hadn’t really pushed myself in the game for a while. Usually, I start by messing around in Multiplayer, trying out different maps, then I’ll check out Zombies for a bit, and finally dive into the campaign. It’s just a more relaxed way to enjoy things.

I’m definitely older than the average Call of Duty player, and it’s starting to show. My eyes get strained and my fingers ache. Between work and my kids’ busy schedules, playing for 15 hours straight over just two days feels like a lot – and it really is.

15 hours, but it really should have been a lot longer

I want to be honest: reaching Prestige level so quickly – in just 15 hours – wasn’t entirely on my own. I had a stockpile of unused 2XP tokens from Black Ops 6 that I used to help me get there.

I’ve mainly been using the shorter time tokens – 15 and 30 minutes each. I wanted to save the longer ones, as I was frequently starting and stopping, and especially in the evenings, I wasn’t sure how much time I’d actually have to continue.

Looking back, I realize I could have saved at least an hour, possibly more, if I’d just been tracking my playtime. I reckon I played for a good ninety minutes, maybe even longer, without using any boosts or tokens.

Those items are meant to help you progress, but I didn’t need them in Black Ops 6. The game kept offering them, and I wasn’t aiming for the highest level, so I decided to save them for the next game instead.

I still have plenty of time boosts available – over 44 hours worth of one-hour boosts, plus a lot of shorter ones. That adds up to at least 100 hours of progress, and I’m using it all to reach the highest level. You should definitely try to do the same!

What have I actually got to show for it?

After playing the multiplayer game for 15 hours, I’ve actually made good progress! I was among the first 2% of players to reach Prestige, which is a nice achievement. I’m also slowly working towards unlocking the Mastery Camo, though I know it will be a long and challenging process – it’s harder than I initially thought.

As a researcher of in-game achievements, I’ve managed to unlock one Shattered Gold emblem and I’m very close to getting another. I’m also working on leveling up two weapons to Prestige 2. Beyond that, I’ve naturally completed a number of Calling Card challenges just through gameplay, and I’ve even tackled a couple of the Dark Ops challenges. Though, I suspect one of those Dark Ops challenges might be glitched, as many other players seem to be experiencing issues with it.

I’m positive I didn’t do three minutes of consecutive full point capture in Domination.

I also earned 12 Xbox achievements playing multiplayer, with the most valuable ones being for reaching Prestige and then Weapon Prestige.

I’m taking a break from Multiplayer for now. Black Ops 7 has two other game modes to explore, and Warzone is still on the way, even though I’m not thrilled about it. I’m especially excited about the new mode inspired by Blackout, though!

So what do I do next in Black Ops 7?

I haven’t played much of the Zombies mode before, but I’m planning to focus on it this year. I’m going to begin by playing through the Campaign and then try out its Endgame extraction feature.

I’m a little hesitant to talk about this, considering the Black Ops 7 campaign hasn’t been very well-received. I really dislike the fact that you always need an internet connection, even when playing by yourself, and it’s frustrating that you can’t pause the game.

This year’s Campaign is a bit of a slog, mainly because of the Endgame content, but I generally like playing the PvE side of things. I’ve always hoped Call of Duty would focus more on this, as I haven’t been very interested in recent modes like Spec Ops and DMZ, beyond Zombies.

This Black Ops game is massive, even compared to previous titles. While Black Ops 6 had a good amount of content to unlock, this year’s game has taken it to the next level. It’ll be interesting to see how much I’ve accomplished by this time next year, when the next Modern Warfare game (likely Modern Warfare 4) is released.

If you’re playing Black Ops 7 already, tell me what you think in the comments! I’d love to hear how you’re progressing in the game.

FAQ

Is it possible to hit Prestige in Black Ops 7 in 15 hours?

A focused player can reach Prestige in around 15 hours by playing Multiplayer modes that give a lot of experience points, using Double XP tokens, and earning Scorestreaks.

What is the best game mode for grinding XP in Black Ops 7?

Game modes focused on objectives, such as Hardpoint and Kill Confirmed, usually give you the most XP per minute. You can boost this even further by using Scorestreaks like UAV and Counter UAV, which passively earn you extra experience.

Does the Black Ops 7 Campaign or Zombies mode contribute to Prestige?

In Black Ops 7, playing any of the main modes – Multiplayer, Zombies, and Campaign – will help you level up your account and increase your Prestige. However, the progress described here was achieved solely through playing Multiplayer.

2025-11-15 17:43