Black Ops 6 multiplayer has ten core modes: Team Deathmatch, Domination, Search and Destroy, Kill Confirmed, Free-For-All, Hardpoint, Gunfight, Headquarters, Kill Order and Control. Some give you endless respawns and others make every life count. Below is what each one asks of you.
Quick reference
| Mode | What you do | Respawns |
|---|---|---|
| Team Deathmatch | Out-kill the other team | Yes |
| Domination | Hold zones A, B and C for points over time | Yes |
| Search and Destroy | Plant or defuse a bomb | No, round-based |
| Kill Confirmed | Collect dog tags from kills | Yes |
| Free-For-All | Everyone for themselves | Yes |
| Hardpoint | Hold a zone that moves on a timer | Yes |
| Gunfight | 2v2 on small maps with random loadouts | No, round-based |
| Headquarters | Capture and defend a moving HQ | Not while defending it |
| Kill Order | Kill the enemy high-value target | Yes |
| Control | Attack or defend two zones with limited lives | Limited pool |
Kill-based modes
Team Deathmatch
The classic. Two teams race to a score limit with fast respawns. Stay close to teammates so you are not outnumbered, and use your tactical and lethal equipment early.
Kill Confirmed
Team Deathmatch with a twist: a kill only counts when someone picks up the dog tag. Keep moving to grab tags, and watch for enemies who camp over them. Picking up a friendly tag denies the other team points.
Free-For-All
No teams, quick respawns, and the most kills wins. Stay mobile, control a part of the map and carry a loadout that works at any range. A stim tactical helps.
Kill Order
Each team has a high-value target with extra armour. Killing the other team's target scores bonus points. Protect your own with layered defence and tell your team where enemies are.
Objective modes with respawns
Domination
Three zones, points for every one you hold. Rotate between attack and defence and predict where the other team will go next.
Hardpoint
One zone at a time, moving around the map on a schedule. Learn the order, get into position before it appears, and use defensive equipment like a trophy system to keep the hold.
Headquarters
A headquarters spawns at different spots. While your team holds it, you do not respawn, so risk and reward are both high. Build a defence and plan for the next location.
No-respawn and limited-life modes
Search and Destroy
Attackers plant, defenders stop them or wipe the team. One life per round, so patience, quiet movement and smokes and flashes win rounds.
Gunfight
Two-player teams on small maps, with random loadouts each round, first to a set number of rounds. Speak to your partner and adapt to whatever weapon you get.
Control
Attackers need both zones, defenders need to run the attackers out of respawns. Manage lives carefully and adjust once you see how the round is going.
Limited-time playlists
Treyarch ran Nuketown 24/7 from 1 November 2024 and Stakeout 24/7 from 8 November 2024, with a Double XP weekend around the Nuketown launch. Check in-game for what is running now.
Where to go next
If you play on Call of Duty's competitive side, our Black Ops 6 settings guide is a good follow-up. We sell a product for the series, and its details are on the Call of Duty cheat page. As with any cheat, there is some risk of a ban, so check the live status page before you play.