Sometimes success in Call of Duty's multiplayer can depend on the weapons and perks equipped to your custom Create-a-Class. Call of Duty: Vanguard's perks provide classic options like Ghost or Ninja, but developer Sledgehammer Games recently made a few major changes to less popular perks that might provide you with more benefits now. Here we recommend some of the best perks in Call of Duty: Vanguard after the January updates.

　　

Perk 1

First perk tierThe first perk slot is a bit tricky this year, as Vanguard places some of Call of Duty's most popular options all in one perk tier. In past years, Ghost and Ninja wouldn't be competing with each other in the same perk tier, plus there are some other strong perk contenders to consider in this category. Here we break down your best options for the perk one slot based on your playstyle and preferences.

　　

Ninja

If you're a player that really likes to move around the map, the Ninja perk is going to be a solid pick. It offers silent movement and reduced damage when falling. These are great benefits if you're the teammate who likes to aggressively flank opponents. And it's great for making stealthy plays in modes like Search and Destroy.

　　

Ghost

The Ghost perk is a popular choice because it makes you undetectable by Spy Planes, enemy intel, and Field Mics. However, you won't be kept off the enemy radar if you're sitting still. The Ghost perk only works while you're moving.

　　

Dauntless

The Dauntless perk didn't seem particularly important when Vanguard launched, as it only made you immune to movement-reducing effects, but Sledgehammer Games modified the perk with Season 1's mid-season update to include some fire protection. The Dauntless perk now also gives immunity to fire and burning effects, which include incendiary rounds, flamenaut killstreak, and any lingering fire on the ground. This can be a crucial perk if you prefer Vanguard's small map playlists for Shipment and Das Haus, where use of fire-based equipment has become a popular and overpowered tactic.

　　

Cold Blooded

The Cold Blooded perk protects you from being targeted by AI-controlled killstreaks and makes it so player-controlled killstreaks won’t highlight you. It also reduces the range at which awareness markers appear for enemies, and you do not trigger the High Alert perk for your enemies. In Vanguard's January 27 update, Sledgehammer Games further buffed this perk by including protection from dogs. The Cold Blooded perk is a great option if you play a lot of objective modes or prefer the larger player count of the Blitz combat pacing, as these can be prone to producing matches with a plethora of killstreaks.

　　

Perk 2

Second perk tierThe second perk slot isn't quite as competitive as the first tier, and this choice will mostly depend on what kind of intel benefits you prefer to receive.

　　

Forward Intel

Forward Intel is hands down the most powerful perk in the second perk slot. Despite the Radar perk allowing you to see any unsuppressed gunfire on the minimap, Forward Intel provides even better map information. Red squares will appear on the minimap to mark where the opposition is spawning. This intel allows you to better judge their movements and warns you if enemies are spawning behind you. The minimap also shows a larger area with this perk. This will increase your map awareness and serves as a useful perk for all playstyles and preferences.

　　

Radar

Radar is a perk that gives you a more traditional minimap, as the benefit here is that it reveals enemies on your minimap when they fire an unsilenced weapon. This was a staple minimap feature in Call of Duty's past games, but you need to equip the Radar perk to get that map intel in Vanguard. Forward Intel provides more information and is the stronger of the two perks, but this is another solid option if you just want a classic minimap.

　　

Perk 3

Third perk tierJust like the second tier, the third perk slot choices aren't as competitive as the first tier. However, there are two really great perks that you can benefit from.

　　

Overkill

Overkill is a perk that lets you carry two primary weapons. This is a great third perk choice if you are an aggressive player, riot shield user, or even those looking to do some sniping. This lets you pair a sniper with a faster weapon like a submachine gun to better tackle those close-quarters encounters.

　　

Lightweight

Lightweight is a strong choice if you like to rush around the map, as this perk grants increased movement speed. This is great to use for modes like Hardpoint or Kill Confirmed, where you often need to get to the objectives with haste.

　　Now that you have some perk recommendations, you'll want to make sure you're equipping the best weapons and attachments. Here are our recommended weapons loadouts to dominate in your next match of multiplayer. We also have tips for scoring wins in Vanguard's Champion Hill tournament mode.