How long does it take to Prestige in Black Ops Cold War?

The Prestige system has returned in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War after being absent last year in Modern Warfare. However, it's not exactly the traditional system that veterans of the series have come to know and love. There are some key differences with the new system that keep the seasonal levels from last year while adding some traditional elements.

Though this new system isn't what fans are used to, there are still three Prestiges to enter before Black Ops Cold War Season One arrives on December 10. Of course, before that, there are 55 levels you need to progress through to enter the first Prestige. Many fans are curious how long it takes to go rank up through these levels. Today, we'll be going over roughly how much time it takes.

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Prestiging in Black Ops Cold War

First off, this article will focus mainly on Black Ops Cold War Multiplayer. However, for the first time ever, Zombies is tied directly with MP, so you can play Zombies to rank up as well. Although, since the undead game mode can feature extremely long sessions, it's hard to pinpoint how much time it takes to reach level 55 along with playing MP.

First Prestige icon in Black Ops Cold War. Image via Treyarch

If you're strictly playing Multiplayer though, we can provide a more concrete answer. Of course, most of the data is based on how well you're performing in given matches. If you're going off for 60 kills in Domination matches, you'll rank up fast. However, if you're only managing 10 kills in Team Deathmatch, the process will be much slower.

In short, it will take at least 10 hours of in-game playtime to reach level 55. In-game playtime refers to the amount of time your Combat Record in Black Ops Cold War reflects. So if you play for 10 hours straight, that's not the same as 10 in-game hours.

The figure of 10 hours is pulled from various player reports. Some stated they reached first Prestige in around this time by playing extremely well in objective-based game modes. However, reports also came in saying it took 12-13 in-game hours. Naturally, these players were averaging a median amount of kills and score.

All in all, expect to do quite a bit of grinding before reaching level 55 and entering Prestige for the first time. Though, as long as you keep at it, you'll eventually get that elusive icon next to your name in Black Ops Cold War.