How to Unlock New Characters in Blackout

Find out how to unlock Richtofen, Reznov, and other characters in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Blackout.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4’s new battle royale game mode, Blackout, allows players to suit up as different characters from throughout the Black Ops series. There are 28 characters available to unlock in Blackout, and unlocking each one requires players to complete specific tasks called Character Missions. In this guide, we’ll go over what you need to do to unlock characters like Woods, Reznov, Richtofen and others in Black Ops 4: Blackout.

Recommended Videos

How to Unlock Characters in Blackout

While some Blackout character skins can be unlocked by earning Eschelon levels, many of the characters in Blackout are unlocked through Character Missions, which involve collecting special items and completing specific tasks during a Blackout match. Some Character Missions also require you to achieve a certain match placement with the appropriate mission items in your inventory.

Blackout Character Missions

Character Mission items in Blackout are typically found within Supply Drops. Character Mission items may also be occasionally looted from fallen players or found somewhere on the Blackout map as well. These items are usually an object related to the character based on their role in the Black Ops games. 

The Character Mission items will list a series of objectives that players must complete during the match in which they obtained the Character Mission. If you don’t complete the list of activities during the same match, then you’ll need to find the Character Mission item again and redo the objectives.

You must also keep the Character Mission items in your inventory throughout the entire match while completing its objectives, so make sure not to drop any mission-related objects from your inventory.

So, the steps for unlocking a character in Black Ops 4: Blackout are as follows:

  • Step 1: Find a Character Mission item in Blackout
  • Step 2: Complete the Character Mission objectives while keeping mission items in your inventory.
  • Step 3: Finish the match with the necessary items and placement.

Below, we’ve listed the requirements and objectives for unlocking each character in Blackout, based on what the community has discovered so far on the Black Ops 4 subreddit

Mobile users: Slide left/right to view the full tables!

Blackout Character Missions

Character Character Item Character Mission Objectives
Reznov TBA  
Mason TBA  
Woods Collect the Bandana

Get in a helicopter during the match.
Win the match.

Menedez Collect the Locket

Kill an enemy with melee.
Kill an enemy with a shotgun.
Finish the match.

Ranger N/A Reach Echelon 20
Frogman N/A Reach Echelon 40
Airborne N/A Reach Echelon 60
Seal  N/A Reach Echelon 80
Battle Hardened N/A Reach Echelon 80 (Prestige)

Zombies Character Missions

Character Character Item Character Mission Objectives
Shadow Man Blackout Pass Own Blackout Pass
Dempsey Collect Death Machine Kill zombies. Finish in Top 10.
Nikolai Collect Cymbal Monkey Kill zombies. Finish in Top 10.
Richtofen Find the Ray Gun. Kill zombies. Finish in Top 5.
Takeo Find the Katana. Kill zombies. Finish in Top 10.
Bruno TBA  
Diego TBA  
Scarlett  Find Racing Goggles
Find Scarf
TBA
Shaw TBA  
Samantha TBA  
Maxis TBA  
Samuel Stuhlinger TBA  
Marlton Johnson TBA  
Misty TBA  
Russman  TBA  

Multiplayer Character Missions

Character Character Item Character Mission Objectives
Battery Find the War Machine Get kills with the War Machine.
Finish in Top 15.
Firebreak Find the Burned Doll

Get a kill with fire.
Finish the match.

Nomad TBA  
Prophet TBA  
Ruin Grapple Gun

Craft the Grapple Gun.
Finish in Top 15.

Seraph Find the Annihilator

Get kills with the Annihilator.
Finish in Top 15.

Ajax Broken Armor Plates

Collect 3 Broken Armor Plates from enemies.
Finish the match with the armor plates.

Crash Find the Poker Chip

Finish the match with 15 healing items.
Place in Top 8.

Recon  Find the I Ching Coins

Avoid damage from the Collapse.
Finish in Top 7.

Torque Find the Note from Torque Deploy 2 Razor Wires.
Deploy 1 Barricade.
Finish in Top 7.

We will continue to update these charts as new information is discovered, so be sure to check back here for updates. For more Blackout tips and tutorials, check out our Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 guide coverage.


Prima Games is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article Monopoly GO: All Road to Stardom Event Rewards Listed
Monopoly GO Road to Stardom Featured
Read Article EA FC 24 Leah Williamson Ultimate Birthday SBC Tasks, Costs, and More
EA FC 24 Leah Williamson Ultimate Birthday SBC
Read Article How to Build a Custom Ship in No Man’s Sky
No Man's Sky Make Ship
Related Content
Read Article Monopoly GO: All Road to Stardom Event Rewards Listed
Monopoly GO Road to Stardom Featured
Read Article EA FC 24 Leah Williamson Ultimate Birthday SBC Tasks, Costs, and More
EA FC 24 Leah Williamson Ultimate Birthday SBC
Read Article How to Build a Custom Ship in No Man’s Sky
No Man's Sky Make Ship
Author
Larryn Bell
Larryn is a content creator on YouTube and a full-time writer who has written guides and editorial features for various gaming websites. She can often be found at small gatherings preaching the gospel of The Witcher 3.