Capture and hold the Hardpoint to earn score for your team.
Prebrief
Since its release in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Hardpoint has been one of the competitive mainstays of the Call of Duty® franchise. The aspects that make the mode competitive are also what has made it so popular across all levels of the COD community. Hardpoint brings out the core energy of what it means to play Call of Duty, and now that competitiveness is enhanced in Black Ops 6.
// INTEL CARD
- BO6
Hardpoint
// MULTIPLAYER // CORE
Cover the chokepoint: Hardpoints are usually in locations that have clearly visible entry points. Use teamwork to hold these entry points so that the enemy team cannot get in. Work together, because even the best players have a hard time holding the Hardpoint by themselves.
Fortify with Field Upgrades: Field Upgrades are some of the most powerful tools in Hardpoint, whether you’re defending the Hardpoint with a Trophy System or attacking one with the Acoustic Amp so that you can hear where the enemy might be shuffling around preparing to counterattack. Tactical use of these abilities can lead to major score gains.
Shrouded by shadows: Keep the enemy guessing by finding a new sightline every few seconds. Boost your stealth abilities by equipping perks like Cold Blooded and Ninja.
Mode Details
Team Size: 1-6 Players
Hardpoint is a 6v6 core Multiplayer mode and is made to require teams to work together in order to secure victory. There are several points on any given map where the Hardpoint may be located, but they’ll always be located there and will rotate through these locations in a linear and predictable fashion. Learning these rotations can be beneficial to staying one step ahead of the enemy team.
Operator Brief
Two teams compete to control the Hardpoint objective as it rotates to linear and predictable locations around the map. To score points, operators must stand within the Hardpoint, indicated by the white markers that create the border of the capture zone which can also be seen on your mini-map. When the Hardpoint is occupied, the match timer will pause.
The first Hardpoint activates 5 seconds into the match. Hardpoints last for a total of 60 seconds before moving to the next area; 10 seconds before the next Hardpoint activates, the next hardpoint will appear, however it will be locked until the Hardpoint rotation triggers.
Match Win Condition
In public matches, the first team to reach the score limit of 250, or the team with the highest score when the match timer runs out, wins the match.
Main XP Gains:
- Capturing and holding the Hardpoint.
- Eliminating enemies on or near the Hardpoint.
Key Terms and Definitions
Hardpoint Revealed
When a Hardpoint is revealed it means that the next Hardpoint is now visible to both teams. However, it doesn’t mean the Hardpoint is able to be captured just yet.
Contested
A Hardpoint with members of both teams within the capture zone will cause the status to become contested, preventing either team from scoring points until one of the teams is removed from the Hardpoint.
Point
The Point is and alternate name for the Hardpoint. Players will often refer to each Hardpoint as P1, P2, P3, P4, and P5. Each of them respectfully referring to the individual points by their number in the rotation sequence.
Rotation/Rotating
What players use to describe the change of Hardpoint locations, or the act of getting to the next objective before the current one expires. Alternatively used to describe a set of Hardpoints.
Scrap Time
The final 5-10 seconds of an active Hardpoint.
Topline Tactics
A winning Hardpoint player:
- Gets on the Hardpoint and defends it with everything they’ve got.
- Learns the rotation of Hardpoint zones for each map.
- Rotates to the next Hardpoint early to establish an advantageous position.
- Attacks enemy-controlled Hardpoints in coordination with their team.
Recruit Tactics
Combine and capture
Hardpoint games are won and lost depending on your teamwork. Wandering around and earning kills like a Team Deathmatch is a recipe for losing control of objectives and allowing enemies to spawn in advantageous locations. Focus on the current objective and work with your squadmates to take the hill.
Learn the rotations
Don’t just rely on the in-game 10-second heads-up; knowing where the next Hardpoint will spawn is key to setting up an early defense. Consult the Tac Maps on each of the Map Guides to view the Hardpoint hills for each map. Each Hardpoint zone is sequentially numbered in Black Ops 6, which gives you another tool to utilize when learning the rotations. Utilize each Map Guide’s Tac Map feature to be certain that you know which Hardpoint is going to show up next.
Field Upgrade placement
Because the Hardpoint moves every 60 seconds, a stationary Field Upgrade like the Trophy System may not be helpful if the current Hardpoint is running out of time. A good rule of thumb is if the time left in the current Hardpoint is less than 30 seconds, consider saving a defensive Field Upgrade until the next location appears. Better yet, get ahead of the rotation and plant it at the next Hardpoint.
Advanced Tactics
Packing the Hardpoint
In Hardpoint, only one operator needs to be on the point for their team to score. Therefore, in most scenarios, there is no need for an entire squad to bunch up in the small scoring zone, as that’s just asking for a Scorestreak barrage or multikill to come in.
Packing the Hardpoint can be useful if it offers enough multiple hard cover points to hide behind. Note how large the Hardpoint is before getting the whole squad in there to better determine its suitability as a defense position.
Fight for “scrap time”
A common competitive callout is all about “scrap time,” the final seconds of an active Hardpoint. If the entire squad is rotating to the next Hardpoint and the game is close, try hanging back and picking up the final seconds of the last Hardpoint. Over time, those seconds add up and can be the difference between victory and defeat.
Chalk one, get the next
Another common competitive tactic is to not waste resources — lives and time — against a Hardpoint that an enemy is defending. Move on and set up a better defense for the next Hardpoint.
Stick with one squad
It’s difficult not to harp on the point of teamwork. The importance of playing with a squad that understands your style or that you play well with is the number one strategy to succeed in Hardpoint. Whether you’re finding a team on the outside or taking advantage of the in-game social features, try working together with one squad consistently. Coordinate your tactics and keep practicing.
Setup for success
Hardpoint wins are not built only on good rotations — it also takes the entire team figuring out the best way to defend each hill, exploring the environment for the best vantage point over incoming enemies.
Anchor spawns
Spawns will rotate intelligently based on player positions around the map. This is incredibly important to stay aware of and use to your advantage in Hardpoint. Anchoring yourself or teammates to a side of the map that you don’t wish your opponents to spawn near is a great strategy when locking down a specific Hardpoint.
Jump into a Hardpoint Playlist and get some reps in to use these tips and see how they feel for you. Just remember:
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