How to level up weapons fast in Modern Warfare and Warzone

Theo Salaun

Leveling your guns up as quickly as possible is something every Warzone player will want to do, especially if you wish to get a competitive edge on the virtual battlefields of Verdansk. 

Whether you’re dropping in to Call of Duty’s multiplayer or Warzone playlists, your performance is largely dependent on the gun your using. Of course, if you wish to drastically increase your kill count in Season 2, then you’ll need to kit your gun out with the best attachments.

Of course, some of those attachments, like the ever-important Monolithic Suppressor, aren’t available until you hit a gun’s higher levels. Reaching those tiers is fairly straightforward, but it can take a long time if you’re not playing the best modes. Even if you’re just after a specific weapon’s camo, you’ll want to use these best weapon leveling modes.

Best way to level up guns in Warzone

Warzone Plunder

warzone plunder mode
Plunder still remains the best way to farm XP quickly.

If you didn’t pay for Modern Warfare or Black Ops Cold War, then there is still one way to effectively rank up. While working through a weak gun in your beginning loadout feels like a dreadful waste of money in Warzone’s BR playlist, Plunder is a perfect alternative.

In Plunder, you drop in already equipped with a Loadout and Munitions Box, so you don’t have to waste time or money finding the weapons (or ammo) you want to level up. You also automatically respawn on every death until the game ends, so dying isn’t problematic.

The simplest way to maximize this is to drop in solo with auto-fill turned off, land somewhere hot and just play super aggressively. Dropping in solo means you won’t ruin other people’s games by ignoring the mode’s objective (getting money) and by landing hot, you make sure you’re constantly in the action, even after death (since you respawn near where you died).

Superstore looks nice from the outside, but the inside is littered with loot and, usually, enemies—making it one of the game’s hottest drops.

If you want to get attachments for a sniper, land with great vertical positioning (maybe Downtown, Quarry, or Train Station), and if you want to level up an AR or SMG, feel free to just get spicy at Superstore or Boneyard. Remember to also complete as many contracts as possible as this will also add your weapon’s overall level. 

However you decide to go after the top-tier attachments, just remember not to get lost in the grind. If you stop having fun, then you’re doing it wrong. Call of Duty’s TTK’s are low enough that guns are ultimately up to preference, so you can always just take it slow and make a low-level or niche weapon work if that’s what you’re into.

How to level guns up fast in Modern Warfare

The gold standard: Hardcore Shipment

Infinity Ward - Modern Warfare
Shipment has always been a popular pick for those looking to level up.

This is by far the most efficient way to rank your weapons up in Modern Warfare. Shipment is the game’s smallest map and Hardcore means the lowest time to kill (TTK). Since it only takes about one shot to kill, you can be comfortable ranking up even the weakest Modern Warfare weapons in the game. 

Read More: 10 most popular weapons in Warzone

While Hardcore is a tense environment and you may die a lot, it’s great practice and the simplest way to level up with the utmost haste, regardless of mode, given how nearby everyone’s spawns are. Just keep shooting and you’ll get your gun’s attachments in no time.  

Best maps: Shipment, Shoot House and Rust

Center Tower in Rust on Modern Warfare.
Rust is another decent option.

Aside from stumbling over one another on Shipment, Modern Warfare has two other small maps that are particularly good for nonstop action: Shoot House and Rust.

While both give a little more room to breathe than Shipment, providing solace for those who might want a less-brutal grind, each has its own specific merits too. Shoot House is relatively similar to Shipment, as a primarily ground-based map with lanes that narrow into high-octane firefights.

But Rust has some verticality that you don’t find in the other two, making it an interesting option for players who want to rank up their snipers in a frenetic environment.

How to level guns up fast in Black Ops Cold War

Fireteam Dirty Bomb

Ruka from Black ops Cold War
Fireteam: Dirty Bomb is an excellent way to earn XP.

Black Ops Cold War’s Fireteam Dirty Bomb mode is arguably the best way to gain weapon experience fast. Simply load up a game and get gunning down waves of enemies and completing the objective. Games can get pretty chaotic, so try to find a decent spot to hunker down in and get firing away.

Nuketown TDM

Nuketown '84 in Black Ops Cold War
Nuketown 24/7 is another option for those that prefer aggressive play.

Whenever Nuketown 24/7 is available, you’ll want to go and queue up for a number of games. Not only does the close-quarters nature of the map make getting kills extremely fast, it also can help any guns that have yet to unlock any core attachments.

After all, most Cold War guns pack a mean punch in close-quarter engagements. Even if you don’t enjoy playing on Nuketown, you should be able to rack up a decent amount of experience needed to get that game-changing attachment.

So, there you have it, all the best ways you can earn experience in Warzone

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About The Author

Théo is a former writer at Dexerto based in New York and built on competition. Formerly an editor for Bleacher Report and philosophy student at McGill, he fell in love with Overwatch and Call of Duty — leading him to focus on esports for Dex.