Prestiging in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 lets you restart your Player Level and work toward new ranks and rewards, but you no longer have to sacrifice your favorite weapons and equipment to do it. MW4 introduces two ways to prestige, and choosing the right one determines whether you'll keep your existing loadouts or start unlocking everything again.
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How to Prestige in MW4
Can You Prestige Without Losing Unlocks?
Is Classic Prestige Worth It?
How Many Prestiges Are in MW4?
How to Prestige in MW4
To prestige in MW4, you need to reach Player Level 55 and earn enough XP to finish that level. Simply reaching Level 55 isn't sufficient. Once you've completed it, you'll be given the option to enter either Classic Prestige or Regular Prestige.
Selecting either option starts your next Prestige and resets your Player Level to 1. You can then level up again and earn rewards associated with your new Prestige rank.
If you want to see what you're working toward before reaching Level 55, open the Career menu, select Progression, and navigate to Prestige. This menu displays the available Prestige ranks and their rewards, including the additional cosmetics offered through Classic Prestige.
Can You Prestige Without Losing Unlocks in MW4?
Yes. Choosing Regular Prestige allows you to prestige in MW4 without losing your Multiplayer and Warzone level unlocks or Create-a-Class content. Your Player Level still resets, but you can continue using the equipment you've already earned.
For most players, this is the better option. Once you've spent time unlocking weapons and putting together loadouts that suit your playstyle, there isn't much practical benefit to restricting yourself to lower-level equipment again.
Regular Prestige is also particularly useful if you switch between Multiplayer and Warzone. Since your unlocks carry over, you won't have to rebuild your available loadouts simply because you decided to pursue another Prestige rank.
You don't lose access to the standard Prestige reward track by choosing Regular, either. You'll still earn the usual cosmetics and progression rewards. What you miss out on are the exclusive Classic variants and the bonuses associated with resetting your unlocks.
Is Classic Prestige Worth It in MW4?
Classic Prestige is worth choosing if you want the additional cosmetic rewards or prefer the traditional Call of Duty experience of earning your equipment back with every reset. It offers more incentives than Regular Prestige, but you'll have to work around losing access to level-locked items.
- 20% XP boost to help you progress through levels.
- One Permanent Unlock Token with each Prestige reset.
- Exclusive cosmetic variants alongside the standard Prestige rewards.
The 20% XP boost makes repeated leveling more appealing, although it won't eliminate the inconvenience of having your equipment locked again. If your preferred Multiplayer class relies on several items unlocked later in progression, Regular Prestige will be more comfortable for everyday play.
For Classic players, Permanent Unlock Tokens provide a way to reduce that inconvenience. You can spend a token on an item you want to retain across future resets, allowing you to gradually preserve the parts of your loadout you depend on most.
To spend a token, open Career, go to Progression, and select Multiplayer Level Unlocks. Find the item you want to retain and use the Permanent Unlock prompt shown on screen.
Since the selection cannot be reversed, it's worth saving tokens for equipment that takes longer to unlock. A high-level Perk or Killstreak you use regularly will generally provide more value than an item available within your first few levels.
Also, Weapon Blueprints obtained through the Store or Battle Pass remain available regardless of your Player Level, so take that into consideration before spending a token.
If you're choosing Classic Prestige, our MW4 How to Use Prestige Token guide explains where to spend your Permanent Unlock Tokens and which items are worth unlocking first.
How Many Prestiges Are in MW4?
MW4 has 10 standard Prestige ranks, each with rewards earned as you level up. You can unlock additional cosmetics every 10 Player Levels, including items such as Operator Skins, Weapon Blueprints, charms, decals, and loading screens.
Completing all 10 Prestiges unlocks Prestige Master, which changes how leveling works for the remainder of your progression. Instead of returning to Level 1 after another 55 levels, your rank continues increasing toward Level 1000.
Reaching Level 1000 earns the Prestige Legend designation, while the journey through Prestige Master includes its own cosmetic rewards and emblem packs. Special Prestige emblem packs become available at every 100-level milestone starting at Prestige Master Level 100.
Both Regular and Classic Prestige lead into this endgame progression, so you can pursue the highest ranks without choosing the more restrictive Classic system. The decision ultimately comes down to whether you want to preserve your equipment throughout the grind or earn additional rewards by unlocking it again.
