Hitting level 55 in Black Ops 6 feels like a massive win until that "Prestige" prompt stares you in the face. It’s a gut-check. Do you really want to reset your level to 1 and lose all those hard-earned weapons? Honestly, the community was pretty split on this until they saw the loot.
The classic prestige system is back, and it’s not just for show.
Treyarch leaned heavily into nostalgia for this first tier. Every single reward in the prestige 1 rewards bo6 lineup is a love letter to World at War, specifically the origins of Zombies. If you spent late nights in 2008 fending off undead on Der Riese, this set is basically a digital trophy room.
📖 Related: Brain Test Level 215: The Trick to Helping the Poor Man That Everyone Misses
Why the Prestige 1 Rewards BO6 Grind is Actually Worth It
Let's be real: losing your favorite perks and lethals sucks. But the moment you click that button, you get hit with "Instant Rewards" that make the level 1 struggle a lot easier to swallow.
The standout is the Nacht Raider Weaver skin. It’s a zombified version of the iconic Operator, wearing tattered WWII fatigues with those haunting yellow glowing eyes. It’s the kind of skin that tells everyone in the lobby you’ve already put in the work while they’re still sitting at level 30.
You also get your first Permanent Unlock Token. This is the most strategic item in the game. You pick one weapon, perk, or wildcard, and you keep it forever. No more waiting until level 45 for that one specific attachment or gun.
The Level-by-Level Breakdown
Unlike the old days where you just got a shiny icon and a pat on the back, BO6 drips out rewards every 10 levels within the prestige. You don’t just hit Prestige 1 and wait for Prestige 2; you’re constantly earning stuff.
- Instant Reward: The Prestige 1 Icon (an animated soldier from World at War looking very undead).
- Level 10: The "Der Riese" Loading Screen. It’s gorgeous artwork of the Nazi Zombies facility that started it all.
- Level 20: A Perk-A-Cola GobbleGum Pack. This is huge for Zombies fans. It includes heavy hitters like Perkaholic (gives you every perk on the map) and Soda Fountain.
- Level 30: "Zombie Breach" Animated Emblem. It shows a zombie tearing through a barricade. Classic vibes.
- Level 40: "Insta-kill Power-Up" Charm. It’s a little golden skull you can dangle off your gun.
- Level 50: The "Teddy Is A Liar" C9 Weapon Blueprint.
That C9 blueprint at level 50 is the real prize. It’s themed after the famous Easter egg and gives the SMG a weathered, mystical look that fits the Zombies lore perfectly.
The Strategic Side of Your First Permanent Unlock
The biggest mistake players make with their prestige 1 rewards bo6 is wasting their Permanent Unlock Token. Don't just unlock a gun you like if that gun is already available at level 10. That's a waste of a token.
👉 See also: Why Little Nightmares Six Cosplay Is Actually Harder Than It Looks
Instead, look at the high-level gear. Most veterans are using their first token on things like the GPR 91 or high-tier perks like Ghost or Ninja, which usually don't unlock until you’re deep into the 40s or 50s. If you unlock it now, you have a massive advantage from level 1 all the way back up to 55.
Another pro tip: if you own a blueprint for a weapon, you can actually use that weapon at level 1, even if the base version is locked. This means if you have the Vault Edition or store blueprints, you might not even need to use your token on a weapon. Save it for a Perk or a Wildcard like Overkill.
Does Your K/D Reset?
Short answer: yeah, sort of.
When you enter Prestige 1, your "Current" stats for that prestige start fresh. However, your Lifetime Stats in the Combat Record stay intact. Honestly, for a lot of us who struggled with the new "Omnimovement" system in the first few days, a fresh start on the leaderboard is a blessing. It’s a chance to see how much you’ve actually improved once you stopped diving into walls by accident.
Moving Toward Prestige Master
Prestige 1 is just the start of a massive 1,000-level climb. While these rewards are themed after World at War, the later prestiges move through the timeline. Prestige 2 shifts to the World at War campaign, Prestige 4 hits Black Ops 1 and Nuketown, and so on.
If you're worried about the grind being "too much," remember that weapon levels and camo progress do not reset. You keep all your attachments. You just can't put them on the gun until you either reach the level to unlock the gun again or use one of those precious tokens.
The ultimate goal is reaching Prestige Master. That’s when you unlock the "Sitting Bull Reborn" skin for Marshall and start getting access to Legacy Prestige icons from the older games. But you can't get there without clearing this first hurdle.
Next steps for your grind:
Take a look at your most-used Perk in your Combat Record. If it’s something that unlocks after level 40, plan to use your Prestige 1 Permanent Unlock Token on it immediately. This ensures your playstyle doesn't have to change while you're grinding back through the early levels. Once you've spent the token, focus on the Daily Challenges to hit Level 10 quickly and snag that first loading screen.