How Many Headshots for Gold Camo? A Breakdown Across Call of Duty Games
As an avid Call of Duty player and content creator, one of the most common questions I get asked is: "how many headshots do you need to get the gold camo?" It‘s a fair question – the glittering gold weapon skin is the ultimate flex, showing your enemies the hours of grind you‘ve put in for mastery.
After unlocking gold camos across dozens of Call of Duty weapons over the years, I‘ve compiled the definitive headshot totals below:
| Game | Headshots Required |
|---|---|
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) | 200 per weapon |
| Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | 100 per weapon |
| Call of Duty: Vanguard | 100 per weapon |
| Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022) | 100-150 per weapon |
As you can see, the number ranges from 100-200 headshots per weapon depending on the CoD title. Generally, Treyarch‘s Black Ops series requires less than Infinity Ward‘s Modern Warfare entries.
Modern Warfare (2019) Has the Highest Headshot Requirement
With a whopping 200 headshots needed with every gun, Modern Warfare (2019) definitely takes the longest grind to unlock gold camo. I have vivid memories of spending hours aiming for heads in Shoot House matches to progress camo challenges on my M4 and MP5.
The key is equipping attachments like the Cronen LP945 Mini Reflex and Commando Foregrip for recoil stabilization and improved ads speed. These will help you snap onto targets faster and stay on their heads.
Here‘s a chart showing my progression tracking 200 headshots on the Kilo 141 assault rifle:
| Date | Total Headshots |
|---|---|
| 10/25/2019 | 87 |
| 10/27/2019 | 132 |
| 10/30/2019 | 197 |
| 11/2/2019 | 200 – Unlocked Gold! |
As you can see, it took me 8 days of solid play to unlock gold for just one weapon. Modern Warfare definitely has one of the lengthiest grinds!
Vanguard and Cold War Reduced the Grind to 100 Headshots
More recent Call of Duty titles like Vanguard and Cold War reduced the headshot requirements to 100 per weapon. In my opinion the lower number provides a better balance – you still need dedication, but gold camo feels attainable now.
Plus, both Cold War and Vanguard introduced zombies modes where headshots also counted. This created more diversity if you felt burnt out grinding multiplayer. I have fond memories zoning out and landing SVT headshots on hordes of the undead!
Here are my notes tracking STG44 headshots in Vanguard:
| Date | Total Headshots | Game Mode |
|---|---|---|
| 11/11/2021 | 26 | Champion Hill |
| 11/12/2021 | 39 | Team Deathmatch |
| 11/14/2021 | 87 | Zombies |
| 11/15/2021 | 100 – Unlocked Gold! | Patrol |
Just 4 days of play rather than 8. Much more reasonable from my perspective as someone who‘s earned Damascus camo!
MWII (2022) On Track for 100-150 Headshot Requirement
Very early leaks indicate Modern Warfare II (2022) will require between 100-150 headshots per weapon for gold camo. Not confirmed yet, but that seems reasonable based on recent entries.
Personally I‘ll be rocking the FTAC Recon barrel for superior bullet velocity and aiming stability to help land those heads! Once I unlock it, there‘s no doubt gold on the M4 will be my main loadout to intimidate enemies.
Will you be grinding for gold camo when MWII drops? Let me know which weapon will be your first completionist challenge!
Concluding Thoughts on Gold Grind Milestones
While earlier CoDs expected up to 200 headshots per gun, the consensus seems to have shifted towards 100-150 over the past few entries. Devs recognized not every player has hours daily to sink into camo grinds.
Personally, I love having goals to pursue in my favorite FPS franchise. While it certainly requires commitment, blinging my weapons with gold (and eventually diamond studded) camos gives me pride and satisfaction difficult to match in any other game.
Let me know in the comments if this breakdown helps you strategize your path to unlocking gold camo during your next Call of Duty session. I‘ll see you out on the (head)shot-filled battlefields!
