There are 8 Perks found in Slot 2 for the Loadout section of Black Ops 7's Multiplayer, and while each of them has a distinct use, only some of them will be worth equipping. We've gone through all Perk 2 Slots in Black Ops 7 Multiplayer and ranked them based on their usefulness in the meta, and in general. If you're looking to see what Perk you should run in Slot 2, then be sure to check out our thoughts below, along with what the Perk actually does, and how you can unlock them for your Loadout.
Combat Specialties, Explained in Black Ops 7
Combat Specialties add unique traits to your Multiplayer loadout, but how do they work, and which one could be considered the most meta?
How to Unlock All Perk 2 Slots in Black Ops 7
Players have a choice between 8 Perks in the Slot 2 section of their Multiplayer Loadout. Below, we've outlined how to unlock each one, and even further below, you'll find our appropriate ranking of the Slot 2 Perks so that you can decide which one best fits your playstyle and your Loadout:
|
Perk |
Unlock Level |
Combat Specialty |
|---|---|---|
|
Vigilance |
Level 4 |
Recon |
|
Tech Mask |
Level 5 |
Strategist |
|
Scavenger |
Level 6 |
Enforcer |
|
Blast Link |
Level 9 |
Recon |
|
Fast Hands |
Level 14 |
Strategist |
|
Assassin |
Level 27 |
Enforcer |
|
Close Shave |
Level 36 |
Enforcer |
|
Engineer |
Level 42 |
Recon |
Close Shave
Use a Melee Weapon for Extra Score, Health, and Faster TTK
- Level Unlock: 36
- Perk Type: Enforcer
- Description: Automatically use the dedicated melee when you perform a weapon butt. Melee kills replenish health and earn extra score.
Close Shave is an interesting perk that will only benefit the players dangerous enough to rely on a melee-focused build. With Close Shave, not only will their dedicated melee button use their melee weapon instead of their gun butt, but you will see further benefits from using melee-focused weapons. Every melee kill with recover health, which you will surely lose in the first place if you're charging at an armed enemy while wielding just a knife. The extra score is also nice for building Scorestreaks, but since you can only use them once per life, they become pretty useless. Most players aren't going to run around with a knife anyway, so Close Shave might be fun, but it requires you to change your entire Loadout to use it semi-effectively.
Blast Link
Mark Enemies With Explosive Damage for More Score
- Level Unlock: 9
- Perk Type: Recon
- Description: Your explosive damage marks enemies on your minimap. Grant this benefit to all allies. Earn score when they deal explosive damage.
Blast Link is a perk used for players who like to rely on Lethal and Tactical Equipment to their dirty work. If a player takes any form of explosive damage, they will be marked on the minimap for you and your allies. However, using explosive damage to mark someone is pretty minuscule, as if you've gotten a hitmarker, you should either have killed them, or should be close to killing them due to the fast TTK. The score earned from explosive damage is also just not worth it, and there are superior perks to use instead.
Fast Hands
Reload and Swap Weapons Faster, and Reset Grenade Fuses if Thrown Back
- Level Unlock: 14
- Perk Type: Strategist
- Description: Reload and swap weapons faster. Extend fuses when throwing back grenades.
Running out of bullets, or do you need to swap out to a sidearm? Fast Hands has you covered! With Fat Hands, you're going to be able to reload faster and swap to your other weapon so that when you are empty in the middle of a fight, you're switching and shooting before your enemy can counter you. The extra fuse time when throwing back grenades is also useful, but players rarely use Frags and mainly stick to Cluster Grenades and Semtex, which cannot be thrown. Either way, if you find yourself reloading more than most, or you want a reliable way of switching to a sidearm, then Fast Hands is a great pick.
Assassin
Track High Value Players and Your Killer's Position
- Level Unlock: 27
- Perk Type: Enforcer
- Description: Kill streaking enemies are marked on your minimap and drop Bounty Packs when killed. On respawn, see your killer's last known position for a short duration.
Assassin is for the petty players out there who don't like it when their opponents are doing well. With Assassin, the top player who's on a kill streak will be marked for death, meaning you can track their location on the minimap. Killing them rewards you with a Bounty Pack for more Score, and even if you are killed during any fight, the killer's location will be tracked for a short duration. This is great for players who like running into a fight regardless of the outcome, as you'll always have a target tracked that needs killing, and if you get killed? Simply track the new one to ensure nobody kills you and gets away with it.
Engineer
Detect and Avoid Enemy Equipment and Scorestreaks
- Level Unlock: 42
- Perk Type: Recon
- Description: See enemy Equipment and Scorestreaks through walls. Aim at them to see the target information. You do not trigger traps or mines.
Engineer is an effective perk in which you can now see enemy Equipment and Scorestreaks through walls, thus allowing you to better track where enemies are and where they might be hiding their pesky Trophy Systems in the middle of a Hardpoint to ensure you can't spam Lethal Equipment in their direction. It's always nice to see enemy Equipment, as it helps you lock down campers, and the ability to become invisible to traps and mines makes flanking opponents all too easy, so long as the opponents are actually using these; otherwise, it's pretty pointless.
Tech Mask
Negate the Effects of Flash, Concussion, Gas, EMP, and Hacking
- Level Unlock: 5
- Perk Type: Strategist
- Description: Resistance to enemy flash, concussion, and gas. You cannot be EMP'ed or Hacked.
Tech Mask is the Tactical Equipment counter, as it will make you resistant to enemy Flash Grenades, Concussion Grenades, Gas Grenades, and even stop you from being harmed by EMPs and Hacking equipment. If you just want to run around without being deterred by players who spam Tactical Equipment, then give Tech Mask a go, as it will really aid you in your fight against the meta to ensure no spam can stop your killing spree.
Scavenger
Resupply Ammo and Equipment From Slain Enemies
- Level Unlock: 6
- Perk Type: Enforcer
- Description: Resupply ammo and Equipment from killed enemies.
Scavenger is more important than you might think, as it will allow you to resupply ammo and Equipment from enemies that you have killed. If you intend to go on a kill streak to try and get a Nuke, then you will need to use Scavenger, as ammo is very fleeting in Multiplayer, and you're going to have to switch weapons or loot a corpse in order to keep the streak going. That is, unless you have Scavenger. If you're not as interested in staying alive, then Scavenger might not be for you, but it's a great offense perk that allows you to run around and kill enemies without having to worry about what your ammo count is at.
Vigilance
Become Immune to CUAV and Scrambler, & Receive Warnings if Detected
- Level Unlock: 4
- Perk Type: Recon
- Description: Increased minimap area. Display a HUD icon when you appear on hostile minimaps. Immune to CUAV and Scrambler.
A very meta Scorestreak will always be the Counter-UAV (CUAV), as this will disable the minimap for all enemy players. As such, Vigilance becomes a crutch perk that can ensure you're never impacted by CUAV again, and you can just resume as normal without worrying about what stealthy tactics the enemy team is up to. Even better still, is that the minimap is increased, and there's a HUD icon that displays if you appear on a hostile's minimap to ensure they're never catching you off guard. Vigilance is great for players who are always on the move and looking for the next kill, and to those who just don't want to die unaware.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 66 /100 Critics Rec: 34%
- Released
- November 14, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
