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In Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019), earn Gold on a weapon, then complete that weapon’s Obsidian challenge. You do not need Platinum or Damascus to unlock Obsidian. The year matters: Modern Warfare II (2022) has a different Gold–Platinum–Polyatomic–Orion progression.
Modern Warfare (2019): the unlock order
- Level the weapon. Weapon levels unlock its camo patterns and challenge sets. Exact objectives vary by weapon and category; check the weapon’s camo challenge panel for the requirements shown in your game.
- Complete all ten camo challenges for that weapon to earn Gold. Activision’s April 29, 2020 guide describes Gold as the prerequisite for pursuing Obsidian on that weapon.
- Complete the Obsidian requirement for that weapon. Obsidian can be pursued as soon as the weapon has Gold. Platinum and Damascus are not prerequisites.
- Work toward the other mastery camos separately, if you want them. Gold across an entire weapon category unlocks Platinum for that category, while Damascus involves further category-wide completion. The cited Activision guide does not specify all current thresholds for Platinum and Damascus, so consult the in-game challenge and unlock displays rather than relying on an assumed total.
Activision’s guide explains that the required per-match tallies can stack within a match: its example says 30 AK-47 kills count toward two 15-kill tallies. Use the category challenge displayed in your game as the final authority if its value differs from the 2020 guide.
MW2019 Obsidian requirements by weapon type
The following figures are from Activision’s April 29, 2020 Obsidian guide. For most weapon types, the requirement is to reach the listed kill count in a match the stated number of times. Riot Shield, launchers, and the named special cases use different wording.
| Weapon type | Obsidian requirement in Activision’s 2020 guide |
|---|---|
| Assault rifles | 15 kills in a match, 200 times |
| SMGs | 15 kills in a match, 150 times |
| Shotguns | 15 kills in a match, 150 times |
| LMGs | 15 kills in a match, 150 times |
| Marksman rifles | 15 kills in a match, 150 times |
| Sniper rifles | 15 kills in a match, 125 times |
| Riot Shield | 750 kills |
| Handguns | 15 kills in a match, 100 times |
| Launchers | Destroy a vehicle or Killstreak 100 times |
| RPG-7 | Five kills in a match, 150 times |
| Combat Knife | Ten kills in a match, 125 times |
Some entries are weapon-specific rather than general category rules: the guide gives the five-kill requirement specifically for the RPG-7. Check the individual weapon’s displayed challenge before planning around the table.
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MW2019 versus Modern Warfare II (2022)
Do not apply MWII’s 51-weapon gates or its longshot and headshot challenges to MW2019. The two games use distinct mastery-camo systems.
| Game | Mastery camos | How progression works | Final-camo gate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern Warfare (2019) | Gold, Platinum, Damascus, Obsidian | Gold is earned by completing all ten camo challenges for a weapon. Obsidian is a separate weapon challenge available after that weapon’s Gold; Platinum and Damascus are unnecessary for it. | Obsidian comes from completing the weapon’s challenge, with requirements varying by weapon type. |
| Modern Warfare II (2022) | Gold, Platinum, Polyatomic, Orion | Complete base challenges and Gold for the weapon; meet the category Gold threshold and complete that weapon’s Platinum challenge; then complete the Polyatomic challenge after the 51-Platinum gate. | Orion is granted after 51 Polyatomic challenges are complete, for weapons with Polyatomic. |
MWII challenge details and carry-forward
Activision’s MWIII guide describes the MWII challenges as follows: Gold requires all base challenges plus three kills without dying ten times; Platinum requires the weapon’s Gold challenge, enough Gold challenges in its type, and 25 longshot kills; Polyatomic requires that weapon’s Platinum challenge, 51 completed Platinum challenges, and 25 headshot kills. Completing 51 Polyatomic challenges unlocks Orion.
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The same guide says MWII camo challenges carry forward into Modern Warfare III. The MWII completionist camos can only be equipped on the MWII weapon for which they were unlocked. MWIII’s own weapon mastery sets are separate; carrying MWII progression forward does not make the MW2019 and MWII systems interchangeable.
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Official sources
- Activision: Become a True Weapon Master with Obsidian Camo (April 29, 2020).
- Blizzard News / Activision: Modern Warfare II Progression — Everything to Unlock Before Season 01 (2022 launch-period guide).
- Call of Duty / Activision: Modern Warfare III Weapons and Camo Leveling (Mastery).
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