Everything we know about scorestreaks in Call of Duty: Cold War

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Cold War scorestreaks help level the playing field between experienced veterans and new players.

cod cold war scorestreaks
(Image credit: Activision)

Call of Duty: Cold War scorestreaks are being brought back to the forefront of Multiplayer. Scorestreaks give players special weapons and abilities after they rack up enough points. They're more forgiving than killstreaks, which stop rewarding players once they die. 

Both scorestreaks and killstreaks have been part of the Call of Duty franchise since 2007, but different studios have switched back and forth between the two (some mixing both together). Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare remake also included scorestreaks, although they were only enabled as part of the Pointman perk. 

Killstreaks are still present in Cold War, but the general inclusion of scorestreaks will significantly change how multiplayer matches feel after last year's Modern Warfare. Here's everything you need to know about scorestreaks in Call of Duty: Cold War. 

What are scorestreaks? 

Scorestreaks giveyou special abilities, such as napalm strikes and counter UAVs, if you earn enough points through kills, assists, and completing objectives. While killstreaks end if a player dies, scorestreaks continue after death. This makes them slightly easier to obtain, although you still need a lot of kills to earn the more powerful scorestreak abilities.

Scorestreaks are designed to reward players who focus more on the objective during game modes like Domination and Hardpoint. They gives players who play conservatively a way of contributing to their team. 

How do Call of Duty: Cold War scorestreaks work?

Since Cold War flings players back to the early 1980s, you won't be seeing some of the more technologically advanced rewards from Modern Warfare, including UAVs and precision airstrikes. Instead you'll receive rewards that reflect the time period of the game. Spy planes, for example, are Cold War's equivalent to Modern Warfare's UAVs, doing a similar job in a more historically-accurate fashion. 

(Image credit: Activision)

Here's a list of the rewards we know will be in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War:

  • Combat Bow: Arrows that burn targets and the surrounding area
  • RC-XD: Gives players a remote controlled car that can detonate on command. 
  • Spy Plane: Reveals enemy positions through fog of war.
  • Counter Spy Plane: Scrambles enemy mini-maps and disables hostile SAM Turrets for a short time.
  • Armor: Reduces incoming bullet damage and is destroyed after it absorbs too much.
  • Care Package: Airdrop a random scorestreak.
  • Sentry Turret: Deploys a computer-controlled turret that targets enemy players and equipment. 
  • Napalm Strike: Launches a targeted carpet bomb strike of explosive napalm.
  • Artillery Strike: Launches three targeted explosive strikes. Unused strikes can be used later. 
  • Cruise Missile: Steer a trio of missiles with boost and air brake controls.
  • Air Patrol: Calls in a squadron of fighter jets to destroy enemy air support. 
  • War Machine: Gives players an extra-powerful grenade launcher
  • Attack Helicopter: Calls in an armed, AI-controlled support helicopter.
  • Chopper Gunner: Puts players in the gunner seat of a helicopter.
  • VTOL Escort: Lay waste to enemy infantry and vehicles from the cockpit of a jet.
  • Gunship: Be the gunner in a close air support gunship.

How do you earn scorestreaks?

Scorestreaks are earned by completing objectives, like capturing points during Domination or planting bombs during Search and Destroy. Players can also build their score by getting kills, shooting enemy air-support down, earning assists, and so forth.

Kills are worth 50 points in regular gunfights, and more if the kill is earned while defending a point or another objective. Players will also receive bonus points for earning consecutive kills. The amount of bonus points awarded increases after each kill too. 

(Image credit: Activision)

How will scorestreaks affect Warzone?

Killstreaks and scorestreaks are completely removed in Warzone. Instead, the individual rewards can be purchased from Buy Stations, where players can also acquire armor, air support, and Warzone loadouts. In Modern Warfare, players can gather money by completing contracts and looting buildings, then use that money to purchase abilities like UAVs and airstrikes at a Buy Station. This functionality shouldn't change when Warzone is integrated into Cold War in December.