MW4 Prestige Explained: Classic vs Regular, and Prestige Master

Modern Warfare 4 gives you a choice at Level 55 that older Call of Duty games did not. Here is what each option actually costs and what it gets you.

Getting to 55 first

Military ranks run from Private I at Level 1 to Commander at Level 55. XP comes from Multiplayer and DMZ, and you unlock something most times you level: weapons, equipment, perks, killstreaks.

Level 55 is not the end of progression. It is the gate to the part that is.

The choice at 55

Classic Prestige resets your unlocks. In exchange you get a 20 percent XP boost and a Permanent Unlock Token, which lets you keep one thing unlocked through the reset.

Regular Prestige keeps every unlock you have. You move up a Prestige level without losing access to anything.

You make this choice again at each new Prestige, so it is not one decision for the whole game.

Which one to take

Take Regular if you play a range of guns, you are mid-way through camo chains, or the idea of relosing your loadouts would stop you playing. Nothing you have earned goes away.

Take Classic if you mostly play one or two weapons, you are chasing the prestige levels themselves, and the 20 percent XP compounding across the whole climb is worth more to you than convenience. Spend the Permanent Unlock Token on the thing you would miss most.

The XP boost is the real argument for Classic. Over ten prestiges it is a meaningful amount of time saved, as long as the resets do not drive you off the game.

After ten prestiges

There are ten Prestige levels. Clear them and Prestige Master opens, running all the way to Level 1,000, with rewards at milestones: more frequently in the early levels, then at wider intervals as the number climbs.

That is the long game, and it is where most of the total playtime in a Call of Duty year goes.

Weapon Prestige is separate

Worth being clear about, because the names collide. Player Prestige resets your player level. Weapon Prestige resets one gun and relocks its attachments, in exchange for the Pyroclast camos. They do not affect each other, and taking one does not take the other. More on Weapon Prestige.

FAQ

What is the max level in Modern Warfare 4?

Military ranks run to Level 55, Commander. After that there are ten Prestige levels, and Prestige Master continues to Level 1,000.

What is the difference between Classic and Regular Prestige in MW4?

Classic Prestige resets your unlocks and gives you a 20 percent XP boost and a Permanent Unlock Token. Regular Prestige keeps every unlock. You choose again at each new Prestige.

Should I pick Classic or Regular Prestige?

Regular if you play lots of different weapons or you are mid-camo-chain. Classic if you play a narrow loadout and want the XP boost compounding across the climb.

Does Prestige reset my weapon levels?

No. Player Prestige and Weapon Prestige are separate tracks. Classic Prestige resets player unlocks; Weapon Prestige resets one gun.