MW4 perks, equipment and killstreaks

Modern Warfare 4 Create-a-Class uses a pick-3 perk system, with 18 perks across three tiers, plus tacticals, lethals, field upgrades and killstreaks. Levels below are Player Levels from 1 to 55.

Open the class builder

Perks

Perk 1

Modern Warfare 4 tier 1 perks with unlock level and effect
Perk	Unlock level	Effect
Quick Fix	4	Kills and objective captures or holds immediately trigger health regeneration.
Overkill	4	Carry two primary weapons.
High Alert	8	Your vision pulses when an enemy outside your view spots you.
Ghost	24	Hides you from enemy callouts, UAVs, Portable Radars and Heartbeat Sensors.
Resupply	31	Equipment recharges over time and its maximum capacity rises by 1. Field Upgrades are earned faster.
Kill Chain	48	Kills from Killstreaks award half streak points.

Perk 2

Modern Warfare 4 tier 2 perks with unlock level and effect
Perk	Unlock level	Effect
Hardline	4	Reduces Killstreak cost by 1.
Blood Rush	4	Enables Tactical Sprint for a burst of speed; kills replenish stamina.
Bomb Squad	16	Less damage from non-Killstreak explosives, fuse timers reset on picked-up live grenades, and immunity to Knockdown.
Fast Hands	20	Faster reloads, equipment use and weapon swaps.
Ninja	30	Quieter footsteps with a much shorter audible range.
Birdseye	40	Zoomed-out minimap; UAV and Radar pings reveal enemy direction.

Perk 3

Modern Warfare 4 tier 3 perks with unlock level and effect
Perk	Unlock level	Effect
Lethal Reach	4	Throw equipment farther with a visible trajectory, and a weapon butt triggers your dedicated melee attack.
Combat Grid	4	Spots enemy equipment, Field Upgrades, Killstreaks and vehicles through walls and highlights friendly players.
Battle Hardened	12	Reduces the effect of enemy Tacticals.
Scavenger	28	Enemies drop a retrievable ammo cache on death. Launcher ammo is not included.
Tracker	32	Enemies leave a footprint trail and their death markers become visible; kill markers are hidden.
Cold-Blooded	36	Undetectable by AI targeting systems, thermal optics, recon drones, spotter scopes, Snapshot Grenades and High Alert.

Tacticals

Modern Warfare 4 tactical equipment with unlock level and effect
Name	Unlock level	Effect
Flash Grenade	4	Blinds and deafens targets.
Smoke Grenade	4	Smoke screen that blocks vision and automated targeting systems; gunfire and explosions tear through it.
Snapshot Grenade	10	Gives your team a momentary glimpse of enemies nearby.
Concussion Grenade	15	Disorients enemies with slower reactions and blurred vision.
Heartbeat Sensor	23	Battery-powered tablet that shows nearby enemy locations.
Shock Stick	29	Sticks to surfaces, electrocutes enemies, destroys equipment and sends vehicles haywire.
Decoy Grenade	42	Counter-intel grenade that fakes gunfire, movement and radar signatures.
Stim	47	Starts health regeneration at once, refreshes Tactical Sprint and mitigates flash and stun effects.
Screamer Mine	53	Proximity mine that suppresses and marks every enemy in range.

Lethals

Modern Warfare 4 lethal equipment with unlock level and effect
Name	Unlock level	Effect
Frag Grenade	4	Cookable fragmentation grenade.
Sticky Grenade	4	Timed sticky grenade.
Drill Charge	7	Thermal lance that burrows through surfaces before releasing an explosive round.
Proximity Mine	13	Launches and detonates in the air when triggered; can also stick to passing vehicles.
Zip Gun	17	Single-use 3D-printed pistol for quick close-range kills.
Trip Wire	22	Thrown trap that deploys a detonation wire on landing; several Trip Wires link into a network.
Thermite	26	Sticky incendiary that deals heavy damage to vehicles and armored targets.
Molotov Cocktail	28	Improvised incendiary that explodes on impact and leaves flammable pools.
Claymore	37	Proximity-activated explosive mine.
C4	43	Large explosive that sticks to surfaces and detonates on command.
Throwing Knife	49	Retrievable throwing knife that is lethal on impact.

Field upgrades

Modern Warfare 4 field upgrades with unlock level, recharge and effect
Name	Unlock level	Recharge	Effect
Portable Radar	4	Medium	Emits a periodic radar ping that detects nearby enemies.
DDOS	4	Fast	Localized pulse that temporarily jams nearby enemy electronics and sensors.
Munitions Box	6	Medium	Deploys a box of ammo and equipment for you and your teammates.
SAM Airburst Turret	8	Slow	Portable missile turret that incinerates aerial threats.
Riot Shield	11	Medium	Destructible shield you can plant to cover your team.
Trophy System	14	Fast	Deployable defense that destroys up to three airborne projectiles; larger targets take several shots.
Seeker Drone	19	Slow	Deployable drone that hunts nearby enemies and snapshots them.
Inflatable Decoy	25	Medium	Proximity-triggered decoy dummy that can also be set off manually.
Smoke Wall	29	Medium	Hand-held rocket that leaves a long trail of heavy smoke.
Recon Drone	33	Slow	Remote-controlled drone with manual and automatic marking.
Razor Wire Trap	41	Medium	Proximity mine that ensnares enemies in barbed wire.
Tactical Insertion	45	Medium	Marks a location as your next spawn point.

Killstreaks

Each loadout carries its own killstreaks. Activision has not said how many a class can hold, so the builder does not include them.

Modern Warfare 4 killstreaks with kills needed, unlock level and effect
Killstreak	Kills	Unlock level	Effect
UAV	4	4	Recon aircraft that reveals enemy locations on the minimap.
Bomb Glider	4	6	Hand-held glider carrying an explosive payload.
Care Package	4	9	Calls a random Killstreak care package to your location.
Impact Warhead	4	12	Explosive payload that drills through multiple floors.
Artillery Beacon	6	4	Calls in heat-seeking missiles that track the deployed beacon.
Crossfire	6	20	Dual airstrikes that hit enemies from both directions.
Combat Drone	6	26	Remote-controlled anti-personnel drone.
Counter UAV	6	31	Drone that scrambles every enemy minimap.
Wheelson	8	16	AI-controlled vehicle that hunts nearby targets or guards the area around its owner.
Missile Salvo	8	24	Aerial missile platform that fires lock-on missiles.
Railgun Sentry	8	38	Electromagnetic cannon firing tungsten flechettes at hypersonic velocity; deployable as an autonomous sentry.
Attack Helicopter	10	4	Overwatch helicopter that provides overhead support and target tracking.
Deathstalker	10	35	Remote-controlled helicopter with twin turrets that overheat.
Advanced UAV	10	40	Orbital UAV that shows enemy direction on the minimap in real time and is immune to lock-on.
Argonaut	10	45	Heavy assault armor with a pump-action cluster grenade launcher and a burst-fire sidearm.
Gunship	12	51	Heavy assault gunship with 105 mm, 40 mm and 25 mm cannons.
Air Lockdown	12	55	A series of bombing runs with extra anti-air coverage while active.

Frequently asked questions

How do perks work in Modern Warfare 4?

Perks use a pick-3 system: one perk from each of three tiers, with 6 perks per tier and 18 in total.

What does the Overkill perk do?

Overkill, a tier 1 perk unlocked at Player Level 4, lets you carry two primary weapons. The second primary weapon takes the place of the secondary weapon.

Which perks unlock at Player Level 4?

Quick Fix, Overkill, Hardline, Blood Rush, Lethal Reach, and Combat Grid.

How many tacticals, lethals and field upgrades are there?

9 tacticals, 11 lethals and 12 field upgrades are listed in Activision's launch post.

Which killstreak needs the most kills?

Gunship and Air Lockdown need 12 kills. Activision lists 17 killstreaks with requirements of 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12 kills.

Sources: Ready for Launch: All Modern Warfare 4 Operators, Weapons, Equipment, and Multiplayer Create-a-Class Features (October 19, 2026); Ready for Launch: Modern Warfare 4 Progression and Prestige (October 19, 2026). Updated October 24, 2026.