Summary

  • Flashbanging teammates gives XP in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
  • The exploit grants 15XP per flashbang hit, an easy way to rank up.
  • It's likely this will be patched out in a future update.

Players are using a strange new exploit to farm XP in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, with the trick quickly spreading online. The trick is fairly simple, hinging itself on the XP given when flashbanging others in multiplayer matches. However, some Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 players quickly discovered XP is also dished out when flashbanging teammates, turning what was intended to be a small, supplementary form of experience into an incredibly easy and near-limitless way to rank up.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was officially released on October 25, 2024, ushering in an exciting new age for both Treyarch's beloved Black Ops franchise and the Call of Duty brand as a whole. Black Ops 6's multiplayer mode has been especially interesting to watch as players find new ways to climb the leaderboards. There's always an increased sense of urgency to Prestige whenever a new Call of Duty title is released, and Black Ops 6 is no different. However, this race has had potentially unintended consequences, with players using a bizarre new XP trick to rank up even faster.

Call of Duty player iamExpel confirmed the new XP farming tactic on Twitter, sharing a video of themselves using the exploit during a match. Players have historically been awarded for hitting enemy players with lethal and tactical items, but this new trick turns the tables quite literally, making friendly fire advantageous to those seeking to rise through Black Ops 6's numerous Prestige ranks.

Black Ops 6 XP Trick Encourages Friendly Fire

The exploit gives out 15XP for each hit by a flashbang, one of many tactical items in Black Ops 6, a pittance in the grand scheme of things, though certainly one of the easiest ways to generate experience. Using this method, players could theoretically receive a small yet endless stream of XP as long as they recoup their tactical items. This "feature" likely won't last long, though, as the video itself seems to indicate this a glitch rather than an intended way to gain XP. When friendly teammates are hit by flashbangs, they register on the screen as an enemy along with the 15XP.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 doesn't make a lot of changes to the Call of Duty formula, more so tweaks and adjustments based on player feedback over the last few years. These adjustments are felt the most in Black Ops 6's new Zombies mode, which features a few changes compared to Treyarch's last Call of Duty title, Cold War. The armor system has been overhauled, as has the way salvage works. Treyarch even made adjustments to Liberty Falls prior to Black Ops 6's release due to fan feedback. Listening to the community seems to have paid off, with the consensus among both longtime and new fans being that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's Zombies is fast, frantic, and very fun.

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
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FPS
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
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Released
October 25, 2024
ESRB
Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
Developer(s)
Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher(s)
Activision
Engine
IW 9.0
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Cross Save
Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
Franchise
Call of Duty
Number of Players
1-4
Split Screen Orientation
Vertical or Horizontal
Steam Deck Compatibility
Unknown
PC Release Date
October 25, 2024
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
October 25, 2024
PS5 Release Date
October 25, 2024
Genre(s)
FPS
How Long To Beat
8 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
PS Plus Availability
N/A
File Size Xbox Series
216 GB (October 2024)
Local Co-Op Support
1-2 Players
OpenCritic Rating
Strong