This guide uses confirmed official information. Recommendations are practical starting points; live balance and availability should be checked in the game.
Why the first three levels feel empty
Create-a-Class does not unlock until player level 4. Before that you are on preset Default Loadouts, which means there is genuinely nothing to optimise in the opening levels. That is the intended shape of the progression, not a bug — spend it on settings.
The level curve is the guide
Every weapon, Perk, piece of equipment, Field Upgrade and Killstreak has a published player level. Reading that curve tells you what your account will have when you need it: the arsenal opens fast early and then stretches out, so the class you build at level 10 is not the class you build at level 40.
What to do at each band
The table below lists every unlock in each level band. The last column is this site's own advice — it is a reading of the unlock curve, not an official progression plan.
What unlocks at each level
Every weapon, Perk, piece of equipment, Field Upgrade and Killstreak grouped into level bands, generated from the official unlock table.
| LEVELS | ITEMS | WHAT UNLOCKS | WHAT TO DO |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levels 1–3 | 0 | Nothing to optimise yet — Create-a-Class is still locked. Set your graphics and audio now so the first matches are readable. | |
| Level 4 | 24 | Weapon: Han 86, ISO Nightshade, Rezi 12, Finn LMG, MAR-9, KG-7 Vulcan +3 more · Perk: Quick Fix, Overkill, Hardline, Blood Rush, Lethal Reach, Combat Grid · Tactical: Flash Grenade, Smoke Grenade · Lethal: Frag Grenade, Sticky Grenade · Field Upgrade: Portable Radar, DDOS · Killstreak: UAV, Artillery Beacon, Attack Helicopter | Create-a-Class opens. Lock in one class per role and stop changing it for a day so you learn what each slot actually does for you. |
| Levels 5–9 | 9 | Weapon: VEL 46, Type 73, Krait P68 · Perk: High Alert · Lethal: Drill Charge · Field Upgrade: Munitions Box, SAM Airburst Turret · Killstreak: Bomb Glider, Care Package | Your second weapon in most classes arrives here. Pick a primary by role, not by what looks best. |
| Levels 10–14 | 8 | Weapon: M4, Oris 8.6 · Perk: Battle Hardened · Tactical: Snapshot Grenade · Lethal: Proximity Mine · Field Upgrade: Riot Shield, Trophy System · Killstreak: Impact Warhead | The first real choices arrive — the M4 and the earliest perks. Test two primaries in the firing range before committing to a rotation. |
| Levels 15–21 | 9 | Weapon: Hyeon Burst, Wz.55 Striga · Perk: Bomb Squad, Fast Hands · Tactical: Concussion Grenade · Lethal: Zip Gun · Field Upgrade: Seeker Drone · Killstreak: Crossfire, Wheelson | Enough of the arsenal to run a second loadout. Test one alternative class rather than upgrading the one you already know. |
| Levels 22–27 | 10 | Weapon: Patriot XMR, Astaroth .57, RPG-8 · Perk: Ghost · Tactical: Heartbeat Sensor · Lethal: Trip Wire, Thermite · Field Upgrade: Inflatable Decoy · Killstreak: Combat Drone, Missile Salvo | The mid-game band. Start rotating a third class, and pick Killstreaks by the playlist you actually queue. |
| Levels 28–34 | 12 | Weapon: Kastov 762, PPSh-41, Warlord · Perk: Resupply, Ninja, Scavenger, Tracker · Tactical: Shock Stick · Lethal: Molotov Cocktail · Field Upgrade: Smoke Wall, Recon Drone · Killstreak: Counter UAV | Most players have a primary they trust by now. Spend the rest of the band learning the maps instead of the arsenal. |
| Levels 35–44 | 14 | Weapon: Oden, APOC-338, Mosin-Nagant, .50 GS, JOKR · Perk: Birdseye, Cold-Blooded · Tactical: Decoy Grenade · Lethal: Claymore, C4 · Field Upgrade: Razor Wire Trap · Killstreak: Railgun Sentry, Deathstalker, Advanced UAV | Late unlocks start to matter — a Killstreak tier or two. Check what your level has opened before replacing a working class. |
| Levels 45–55 | 14 | Weapon: Axion, Cronen Squall, X-58 Nyx, Signal 50, Mojave .357, PM-40 Anvil · Perk: Kill Chain · Tactical: Stim, Screamer Mine · Lethal: Throwing Knife · Field Upgrade: Tactical Insertion · Killstreak: Argonaut, Gunship, Air Lockdown | The final band. Check the unlock tracker to confirm you have everything you are entitled to before Prestige. |
Where this information comes from
Reviewed October 21, 2026. Official details can change at launch.
