Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 Create-a-Class Explained: Apex Attachments, Perks and Killstreaks

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 launches fully on October 23, but Infinity Ward has already published the complete breakdown of how the game's Create-a-Class system works, and it is the deepest loadout overhaul the series has had in years. The headline addition is Apex Attachments, a brand-new tier of Gunsmith customization that sits on top of the usual optics and barrels, alongside a returning Pick 3 Perk system, reworked Equipment categories, and a full Killstreak lineup running from a 4-kill UAV up to the 12-kill Gunship.

Here is everything confirmed for Modern Warfare 4's Multiplayer loadout at launch, including how it carries over into DMZ.

1. What's New in Modern Warfare 4's Create-a-Class

Create-a-Class unlocks at Player Level 4. Before that, players deploy with premade Default Loadouts. Once unlocked, every loadout slot — Primary Weapon, Secondary Weapon, Perks, Equipment, and Killstreaks — can be customized individually, and for the first time an individual Operator can be assigned to each loadout rather than one Operator for the whole match.

Infinity Ward also changed how Attachments are earned. Each Attachment is now unlocked only once and becomes available on every weapon that uses it, instead of being re-earned gun by gun. Reach a weapon level that would award a duplicate Attachment and the game grants a Bonus Level Up instead, so progression speeds up the more weapons a player levels.

2. Apex Attachments: Gunsmith's New Top-Tier Weapon Mods

The biggest Gunsmith change is Apex Attachments, unlocked as the final reward for fully leveling a weapon. They don't consume a standard Attachment slot and, rather than offering a small stat bump, they fundamentally change how a weapon performs. A few examples confirmed by Infinity Ward:

• Han X20 Skybreaker (Han 86 assault rifle): swaps the rifle for a targeting optic and a 20mm airburst launcher that detonates on target, effective at flushing cover.
• M4 Hurricane (M4): converts the M4 into a top-loading, high-capacity 5.7x28mm bullpup variant with a higher fire rate.
• Kastov ARC (Kastov 762): an experimental barrel that emits an RF pulse capable of incapacitating infantry and disabling nearby electronics and vehicles.
• Oden Sentinel (Oden): turns the bullpup into a semi-automatic sniper configuration with a bipod, suppressor, and scope.
• ISO Trace (ISO Nightshade SMG): ammunition that tags targets on impact and feeds their movement to the optic in real time.
• Rezi 12 Enforcer (Rezi 12 shotgun): switches to pump-action cycling with hot-loaded explosive slugs.

Every one of the 24 Primary Weapons, plus the four Pistols, has its own unique Apex option. Infinity Ward also added Gunny, an in-menu Attachment Optimizer available in both Create-a-Class and the DMZ Forward Operating Base Gunsmith, which suggests close-range, balanced, or long-range builds from Attachments a player has already unlocked.

Weapon categories at launch

• Assault Rifles (8), Submachine Guns (5), Shotguns (2), Light Machine Guns (3), Marksman Rifles (3), Sniper Rifles (3)
• Secondary Weapons: Pistols (4), Launchers (4)
• Melee: the FSS Carbon Edge 1095 combat knife

The entry-level weapon in each category (Han 86, ISO Nightshade, Rezi 12, FiNN LMG, MAR-9, KG-7 Vulcan, SANG 9mm, and PILA) all unlock the moment Create-a-Class opens at Level 4; the rest unlock on a staggered schedule up through Level 55, where the Cronen Squall marksman rifle and the PM-40 Anvil grenade launcher round out the arsenal.

3. Perks: The Pick 3 System Returns

Multiplayer Perks go back to a Pick 3 structure split into three categories, each gating offensive, defensive, or support roles. All six Perks in a category unlock progressively between Level 4 and Level 48:

• Perk 1: Quick Fix, Overkill, High Alert, Ghost, Resupply, Kill Chain
• Perk 2: Hardline, Blood Rush, Bomb Squad, Fast Hands, Ninja, Birdseye
• Perk 3: Lethal Reach, Combat Grid, Battle Hardened, Scavenger, Tracker, Cold-Blooded

A few are worth planning around early. Ghost (unlocked at Level 24) hides a player from Enemy Callouts, UAVs, Portable Radars, and Heartbeat Sensors. Overkill is available from Level 4 and lets a loadout carry two Primary Weapons instead of a sidearm. Cold-Blooded, the highest-level Perk 3 option at Level 36, adds AI Targeting Systems and Thermal Optics to the list of detection methods it defeats.

4. Tactical and Lethal Equipment Explained

Nine Tacticals and eleven Lethals are confirmed for launch, all gated behind Player Level milestones rather than being available immediately. On the Tactical side, the Flash Grenade and Smoke Grenade are available from Level 4, with the Heartbeat Sensor arriving at Level 23, Decoy Grenade at Level 42, and the Stim — which starts health regeneration and refreshes Tactical Sprint — at Level 47.

Lethal Equipment ranges from the Level 4 Frag and Sticky Grenades up to the Level 43 C4 and Level 49 Throwing Knife. Notable newcomers include the Zip Gun (Level 17), a 3D-printed single-use pistol for close kills, and Trip Wire (Level 22), which can be chained between multiple placements to build a connected explosive network.

5. Field Upgrades: Recharging Support Tools

Twelve Field Upgrades recharge over time after use rather than being limited per life. They range from the Level 4 Portable Radar and DDOS jammer up to the Level 45 Tactical Insertion, which sets a custom spawn point. In between, the Level 14 Trophy System can shoot down up to three incoming projectiles, the Level 19 Seeker Drone auto-marks nearby enemies, and the Level 33 Recon Drone supports both manual and automatic spotting.

6. Killstreaks: From a 4-Kill UAV to the 12-Kill Gunship

Seventeen Killstreaks are confirmed, split across five kill-requirement tiers that both eliminations and objective play count toward. The 4-kill tier covers the UAV, Bomb Glider, Care Package, and Impact Warhead; the 6-kill tier adds the Artillery Beacon, Crossfire, Combat Drone, and Counter UAV. At 8 kills, the Wheelson (an AI-controlled ground vehicle), Missile Salvo, and Railgun Sentry become available. The top end holds the 10-kill Attack Helicopter, Deathstalker, Advanced UAV, and Argonaut assault-armor streak, climbing to the 12-kill Gunship and Air Lockdown bombing run.

7. How It Carries Over to DMZ and the October 23 Launch

Multiplayer's Equipment and Killstreak lists aren't identical to DMZ's — Infinity Ward notes DMZ has its own gear pool, discoverable in the Forward Operating Base, that overlaps with but doesn't exactly match this list. Any weapon or Attachment unlocked through Multiplayer or DMZ leveling can be equipped at the FOB Gunsmith as long as a player has the DMZ Cash to buy it, and the same Gunny optimizer and Firing Range tools are mirrored there.

All of this goes live alongside Modern Warfare 4's full launch on October 23 across Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC, Battle.net, Steam, and Nintendo Switch 2. Campaign and DMZ Early Access are already running for anyone who pre-ordered digitally, and Infinity Ward says Call of Duty: Warzone integration for this Multiplayer content is planned for Season 1 later this year. Players wanting the full roster alongside this loadout breakdown can check the full list of launch Operators and weapons, and anyone tracking how fast they'll hit these unlock levels should see how Prestige and the Career Menu track your climb.

8. Quick Tips Recap

• Create-a-Class and Gunsmith unlock at Player Level 4 — until then, use the premade Default Loadouts.
• Fully level a weapon to unlock its unique Apex Attachment; it doesn't take up a normal Attachment slot.
• Attachments only need to be unlocked once and then apply to every compatible weapon, so leveling a second weapon in the same class goes faster.
• Use Gunny in Create-a-Class or the DMZ FOB Gunsmith if unsure which Attachments to run together.
• Killstreak progress counts both kills and objective play, so Hardcore and objective modes aren't dead ends for earning streaks.
• DMZ's Equipment and Killstreak pool differs slightly from Multiplayer's — check the Forward Operating Base directly rather than assuming full overlap.

For more on what else is live this week, see every confirmed map and mode at launch and how DMZ's Forward Operating Base early access works, or browse the full walkthroughs.net guide archive for more Call of Duty coverage.

9. Official Resources

• Call of Duty Blog: Ready for Launch — Operators, Weapons, Equipment and Create-a-Class
• Official Modern Warfare 4 site
• Modern Warfare 4 platform availability and pre-order