So, you finally ground through those first 55 levels, hit that first reset, and now you’re staring at the second icon. Honestly, hitting Black Ops 2 prestige 2 is kind of a weird milestone. It’s that middle ground where the initial "newness" of the prestige system has worn off, but you’re still miles away from that coveted Prestige Master badge.
Most players just click the button because they want the shiny new emblem—which, for the record, is that classic two-pronged wing design—but there's actually a lot of strategy involved in how you handle this specific reset. If you just burn through your tokens without a plan, you’re basically making the next 55 levels a total slog for no reason.
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The Reality of the Prestige 2 Reset
When you jump into Black Ops 2 prestige 2, the game pulls its usual trick: your rank resets to Level 1. You lose your guns, your perks, and your scorestreaks. But—and this is a big "but" that people often forget—you keep your weapon levels and your camo progress.
If you had a gold DSR-50 at Prestige 1, it’s still gold. You just can't touch it until you hit Level 4 to unlock Create-a-Class, and then whatever level the DSR actually unlocks at (which is Level 4 anyway, so bad example, but you get the point). If you were working on the AN-94, you have to wait all the way until Level 55 again unless you use a permanent unlock token.
What do you actually get?
It's not just about the icon. Every time you prestige in this game, you get a Permanent Unlock Token. Since this is your second one, you’re starting to build a real "base" of gear that stays with you forever.
You also get a choice of one of three "Prestige Awards":
- Extra Create-a-Class Slot: This is almost always the right answer. You can get up to 10 total slots.
- Refund: You get back all the standard unlock tokens you spent during this prestige. Kinda useless if you’re planning on prestiging again anyway.
- Fresh Start: The "nuclear option." It wipes everything. Don’t do this at Prestige 2 unless you really hate your K/D.
Why Your Second Permanent Unlock Token is Crucial
By the time you hit Black Ops 2 prestige 2, you’ve likely realized that some of the best gear in the game is locked behind incredibly high levels.
Think about the Ghost perk. It doesn't unlock until Level 55. If you didn't use your first token on it, you're basically invisible to UAVs for exactly five minutes before you prestige again. That sucks. Most veterans use their Prestige 1 token on Ghost and then use their Prestige 2 token on something like the AN-94 or M8A1.
Why? Because having a top-tier assault rifle available at Level 4 makes the grind to Prestige 3 infinitely faster. You aren't stuck using the MTAR or the Type 25 if you don't want to.
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The "Middle Child" Syndrome of Prestige 2
There’s a reason people overlook this rank. In the original 2012-2013 cycle, and even on the populated servers today in 2026, Prestige 2 is where the "fatigue" sets in.
You’ve done the loop twice. The maps are familiar. The "Nuketown 24/7" playlists are starting to feel like a fever dream. But this is actually the best time to start focusing on Weapon Prestige.
A lot of players confuse player prestige with weapon prestige. You can prestige your gun twice.
- Weapon Prestige 1: You can put your Clan Tag on the side of the gun.
- Weapon Prestige 2: You can put your Emblem on the gun.
If you’re sitting at Black Ops 2 prestige 2 and you haven't even prestiged your primary weapon once, you’re leaving XP on the table. Re-unlocking attachments gives you a massive boost to your player level. If you want to blast through these 55 levels, prestige your guns the second you max them out.
Common Misconceptions
I hear this a lot: "If I use a permanent unlock on a gun, do I get the attachments back too?"
No. You get the gun. You still have to level that gun up from scratch to get your Quickdraw handle and Stock. This is why some people prefer unlocking high-level perks (like Scavenger or Dexterity) over weapons. A perk is 100% effective the moment you equip it. A Level 1 AN-94 is still just an AN-94 with iron sights.
Another one is the "Stat Reset." Some people think hitting Prestige 2 gives them a "cleaner" look on their Combat Record. It doesn't. Your stats follow you. The only way to change that is the "Fresh Start" award, which—again—is basically hitting the delete button on your entire career. Unless you're trying to get the "Eraser" calling card, just stay away from it.
Making the Most of the Grind
If you're looking to move past Black Ops 2 prestige 2 as fast as possible, stop playing Team Deathmatch.
Seriously.
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Go to Hardpoint or Kill Confirmed. The score-per-minute in those modes is drastically higher. In Kill Confirmed, you get 100 points for a kill and another 100 for the tag. That’s double the XP of a TDM kill for basically the same amount of effort. Plus, with the Pick 10 system, you can strip your secondary and grenades to stack more perks, keeping you alive longer and on higher streaks.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Session
Don't just mindlessly play. If you're at this rank, do these three things:
- Audit your Permanent Unlocks: If you haven't unlocked Ghost or Flak Jacket, do it now. Dying to random Hunter Killer drones and UAV spam is what makes people quit the grind.
- Choose the Class Slot: Don't be tempted by the "Refund" option. Having 7 or 8 class slots allows you to have a dedicated "Anti-Air" class, a "Tryhard" class, and a "Sniper" class without having to constantly edit them between matches.
- Focus on Challenges: Check your barracks. Look for challenges that are 90% done. Finishing a "Mastery" challenge for a piece of equipment provides a massive XP dump that can skip you through 2 or 3 levels at once.
Getting through Black Ops 2 prestige 2 is a test of patience. It’s the point where you decide if you’re actually going for Master Prestige or if you’re just a casual player. Set a goal, pick a high-level gun to anchor your loadout, and keep pushing. The emblems only get cooler from here.