How to use melee weapons in Black Ops 6

Black Ops 6 has made one big change compared to older Call of Duty games: you don’t have to pick a melee weapon in your loadout anymore. A knife is always part of your gear by default. That means you can use it whenever you want, as long as you know the right button press to switch.

The catch is that switching to the knife isn’t instantly obvious if you haven’t dug into the controls. A single button tap and a button hold do two very different things, and knowing the difference will save you from awkward misses in the middle of a fight.

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How to switch to melee weapons in Black Ops 6

Black Ops 6 splits melee combat into two actions:

• Quick Melee - Tapping the melee button makes your character smack with whatever gun you’re holding. This is a fast, last-ditch attack, but it’s weaker and slower than using the knife itself.
• Knife Swap - Holding the melee button fully switches your weapon out to your knife. Once it’s out, you can chain swings quickly and move faster, giving you a real edge in close-quarters fights.

This small difference in timing changes how melee works compared to previous games, so it’s worth practicing until it feels natural.

The melee controls in Black Ops 6 are simple once you know them, but they change slightly depending on platform and button layout:

• PlayStation - Hold R3 (click on the right stick). If you use the Tactical layout, hold Circle instead.
• Xbox - Hold RS (click on the right stick).
• PC - The default melee key is E, but if you’ve customized your setup, just hold whichever key you’ve assigned for melee.

Remember, tapping gives you the quick strike, while holding switches you fully to the knife. The melee weapon is worth using because it kills in one hit up close. It’s also completely silent, which makes it perfect for sneaky plays. On top of that, you run faster with it out, which is great for rushing objectives, chasing enemies, or escaping gunfire.

In Zombies, it’s even better since knifing saves ammo and earns you more points in the early rounds.

To use a melee weapon effectively, don’t run in a straight line. Slide, jump, or flank to close the distance. Pair it with perks like Dead Silence for stealth or movement boosts to get in close faster. If you miss your swing, swap back to your gun quickly so you’re not caught off guard.

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