You’ve been there. You’re slide-canceling around a corner in Face Off, you blast someone in the chest from three inches away, and the "Point Blank" medal just... doesn't show up. It’s frustrating. Honestly, the bo6 shotgun camo challenges are a weird beast this year. Treyarch changed the math on what counts as a "headshot" and "point blank," and if you’re still playing like it’s 2024, you’re going to spend twice as long in the grind.
The Marine SP and ASG-89 are the two pillars of this category right now. One is a pump-action that hits like a freight train; the other is a semi-auto spam machine that feels like it’s shooting wet paper towels until you get the right attachments. Getting them to Dark Matter isn't just about playing a lot. It’s about knowing which specific maps actually track the medals correctly.
The Brutal Reality of the Military Grind
Every single shotgun starts with the same slog: 100 headshots. In previous games, you just aimed for the general vicinity of the neck and let the pellet spread do the work. Not here. In Black Ops 6, the headshot multiplier for shotguns is tight. If even three pellets hit the shoulder, the game often registers it as a standard body kill.
You have to aim higher than you think. Aim for the forehead.
Best Modes for Headshots
- Hardcore Face Off: This is the gold standard. Stakeout and Pit are so small that you're constantly in engagement range. In Hardcore, a single pellet to the dome is a kill.
- Hardcore Domination: Good for when you need more predictable spawns. People love to prone on the B flag; that’s a free gift for your headshot counter.
I’ve found that running a 1x Reflex sight actually helps more than hip-firing for these. Hip-fire spread is too RNG. When you ADS, the pellet tightens, making that headshot much more likely to register.
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Special Camo Challenges: The "Point Blank" Nightmare
Once you hit those 100 headshots, you hit the Special Camos. This is where most players get stuck. For the ASG-89, you’re looking at 30 Point Blank kills. For the Marine SP, it’s usually 30 Hipfire kills and 30 kills shortly after sprinting.
The Point Blank requirement is notoriously picky. You basically have to be close enough to whisper in their ear. If there is more than a foot of daylight between your barrel and their spine, it’s probably not a Point Blank.
How to Cheese Point Blanks
Stop running. Seriously. If you’re sprinting, your sprint-to-fire delay gives the enemy time to back up. Instead, use the Recon Combat Specialty (three Blue perks). This lets you see enemies through walls for a few seconds after you spawn. See a guy camping in the Stakeout kitchen? Sneak up behind him, put the barrel inside his character model, and then fire.
For the Marine SP's "shortly after sprinting" challenge, you need to master the Gung-Ho perk. It allows you to fire while sprinting. Without it, the window of time after you stop moving is so small it feels bugged.
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Moving Into the Mastery Tier
After the specials, you hit the real grind.
- Gold: 10 Double Kills. (Easy enough in Face Off).
- Diamond: 3 kills without dying 10 times.
- Dark Spine: 3 Triple Kills.
- Dark Matter: 5 kills without dying 3 times.
The Diamond challenge is where the "shotgun struggle" becomes real. Shotguns are inconsistent. You’ll get a one-shot kill from 10 meters, and then a hitmarker from 2 meters. To get 3 kills without dying, you have to play "scummy."
Don't be the guy running into the middle of the map. Play the edges. Use Stim Shots. If you take a hit after your first kill, pop a Stim, reset, and wait for the next person to rush you.
The ASG-89 Sludge Problem
The ASG-89 is a hitmarker machine in Core. If you're going for Diamond or Dark Matter, stay in Hardcore. You cannot afford to give the enemy a chance to trade kills with you when you're on a streak.
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Pro-Tips for the 2026 Meta
If you're struggling with the bo6 shotgun camo challenges, check your attachments. The Long Barrel is a trap for some challenges. While it increases range, it can actually make Point Blanks harder to get because you’ll kill the enemy before you’re close enough for the medal to trigger.
Slug Rounds are a secret weapon for headshots. If you have decent aim, Slugs turn the Marine SP into a sniper rifle. It removes the pellet RNG entirely. If you click on their head, they die, and you get the progress.
Honestly, the grind is mostly a mental game. You'll have games where you get 15 headshots and feel like a god. Then you'll have three games in a row where you get zero because you keep getting mapped by an SMG. Just keep the Face Off playlist on loop.
Your Action Plan for Dark Matter Shotguns
If you want to finish these quickly, follow this specific order:
- Step 1: Level the gun to max in Zombies or Multiplayer first. Don't worry about camos yet; you want all the attachments unlocked.
- Step 2: Go into Hardcore Face Off for the 100 headshots. Use a Red Dot sight and aim for the hair.
- Step 3: For Point Blanks, switch to a build with maximum Hipfire Accuracy. Use the Laser Sight that improves hip-fire spread.
- Step 4: For the Mastery streaks (Diamond/Dark Matter), equip the Acoustic Sensor. Hearing someone coming around a corner gives you the split-second advantage needed to win the trade.
- Step 5: Don't forget the Enforcer Combat Specialty (three Red perks) for the Mastery challenges. The movement speed and health regen buff after a kill are vital for stringing together those Triple Kills.
The shotgun category is one of the fastest to "Diamond" because there are only two base weapons to deal with. Knock them out early before the meta shifts and everyone starts running high-armor builds that make shotguns even more frustrating to use. Focus on the Point Blanks during the small-map 24/7 playlists, and you'll have Dark Matter before the next season drops.