How to Get Dark Matter Fast in Call of Duty (BO6): The Ultimate Guide

For years, the Dark Matter camo has been the final badge of honor in Call of Duty – a grind so brutal that unlocking it once practically brands you a veteran. In Black Ops 6, that grind has returned, refined, and rebalanced. It’s still hard. But now, with the right rhythm, you can do it faster than most.

If you’d rather skip the endless weapon leveling and jump straight into the action, check out Call of Duty accounts for sale with Dark Matter or other rare camos – verified listings that let you experience the full prestige grind-free.

Table of Contents

1. Understand the Path: Gold, Diamond, Dark Spine, Dark Matter

The system in BO6 isn’t random; it’s structured. To unlock Dark Matter, you need to complete mastery tiers for every weapon class.

Here’s the full path:

Gold Camo: Complete individual weapon challenges (usually headshots, kills while aiming down sights, and specific weapon-based tasks).
Diamond Camo: Unlock Gold for all weapons in a category (like all assault rifles).
Dark Spine: Earned by completing Diamond for every weapon and finishing a higher-tier challenge.
Dark Matter: Complete “Dark Spine” challenges for all weapon categories, typically involving streak-based kills (e.g., 5 kills without dying three times per weapon).

Sounds long? It is. But there’s a system to it – and once you master the sequence, you’ll fly through faster than players grinding randomly.

2. Start Smart: The Order of Weapon Categories Matters

The secret to a fast Dark Matter run isn’t superhuman aim – it’s efficiency. You want to start with weapon types that level quickly and rack up headshots naturally.

Recommended order:

Assault Rifles: Stable, adaptable, easy to control in any mode.
SMGs: Great for close-quarters maps; easy to chain multiple kills.
Tactical Rifles / Battle Rifles: Good for accuracy-based challenges.
LMGs: Slower, but pair with Hardcore modes for faster longshots.
Snipers: Tackle these mid-run when you’re comfortable with maps.
Melee & Launchers: Always last – they’ll break your streak flow.

This structure prevents burnout and lets you chain camo progress while your reflexes stay sharp.

3. Know the Challenges Before You Grind

Each weapon’s path to Gold includes four or five base challenges. The key to speed is completing multiple at once instead of grinding them separately.

Typical examples:

Headshots: 50–100 total, depending on weapon.
Kills while ADS: Usually 50+.
Kills without dying: Often 3–5 streaks of 5 kills.
Longshots / Point-blank kills: Depending on weapon class.

Before entering a match, read the requirements – then build a loadout that ticks two or three boxes at once. That’s how the top grinders cut their total playtime in half.

4. Choose the Right Modes for Each Phase

Not all modes are created equal. If you’re chasing Dark Matter, matchmaking smartly saves hours.

Best modes for weapon grinding:

Hardcore (Core Tactical): Fewer bullets to kill = faster progress on weaker weapons.
Domination / Hardpoint: High respawn rates and predictable enemy flows.
Free-for-All: Perfect for streak-based tasks (you control pacing).
Shipment or Nuketown-style maps: Fast kills, easy multi-kills, great for ADS and point-blank requirements.

Avoid long TDM matches on huge maps – the downtime between engagements wastes your time.

5. Optimize Your Loadouts for Camo Efficiency

For every class, small attachment tweaks make a huge difference in speed. Here’s a general framework to follow:

Weapon Type	Key Attachments	Why
Assault Rifles	Recoil control + high mag	Sustains streaks and ADS kills
SMGs	Sprint-to-fire + suppressor	Quicker point-blank and hipfire kills
Snipers	Stabilizer + fast ADS	Faster headshots, less downtime
LMGs	Extended mag + recoil control	Easier longshots without reloads
Melee	Lightweight + Stim	Speed + survivability on streaks

Also equip Tactical Insertion or Smoke Grenades to control your engagement spots and reset fights fast.

6. Stack XP Boosts and Double Weapon Events

Weapon XP governs how fast you unlock camo challenges. Always plan your sessions around Double XP weekends or token boosts.

Other small optimizations:

Use Operator Missions: Many reward weapon XP on completion.
Run weapon-specific Contracts.
Use friends or bots in private matches to warm up and tune recoil before entering lobbies.

Every hour of preparation saves three hours of inefficient grinding later.

7. Group Similar Challenges Together

Don’t finish one weapon completely before starting another. Instead, group challenges that require the same skillset:

Doing headshots? Run three ARs in rotation.
Doing longshots? Switch to LMGs and Marksman Rifles while your aim’s dialed in.
Doing streak challenges? Stick with your strongest setup for the day and burn through several weapons’ 5-kill-without-dying tasks at once.

This batching approach prevents mental fatigue and builds mechanical rhythm – the difference between “endless grind” and “smooth progression.”

8. Keep a Tracker (and Set Daily Goals)

Dark Matter feels infinite if you don’t visualize progress. Use a simple spreadsheet, or even a notebook:

List each weapon category.
Note Gold, Diamond, Dark Spine progress.
Highlight one daily target (e.g., “2 Golds per night”).

That dopamine hit when you tick boxes off? It keeps you consistent – and consistency wins the grind.

9. The Hard Parts: Launchers and Melee Weapons

Every COD veteran knows the pain. These are the true grind stoppers – here’s how to handle them efficiently:

Launchers:

Focus on modes with vehicles and streaks – Ground War, Invasion, or big-objective maps.
Always run a launcher as a secondary during your main grind to chip away passively.
Don’t wait till the end to start them; mix them in weekly.

Melee Weapons:

Tight maps only (Shipment, Rust equivalents).
Equip Smoke + Stim + Lightweight perks.
Chain flanks; treat it like stealth gameplay, not brawling.

One focused evening per weapon usually clears these pain points.

10. The Streak Requirement (Dark Spine, Dark Matter)

The final hurdle – typically 5 kills without dying, three times per weapon.

This is where 90 % of players stall. Here’s how to beat it:

Play smaller modes. You need frequency of fights, not wide maps.
Run UAV + Counter-UAV. Staying off radar gives you time to reset between streaks.
Use low-profile Operators and silencers. Surviving longer matters more than raw kills.
Avoid high-risk loadouts. Go reliable: balanced recoil, big mags, solid mobility.

Play conservatively, not aggressively. Three clean streaks per weapon will finish your path to Dark Matter.

Final Thoughts

Unlocking Dark Matter in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the ultimate test of consistency. But with planning – smart weapon order, mode selection, and loadout discipline – it’s far from impossible.

What once took months can now be done in weeks. Not by playing more – but by playing smarter.

And if you ever decide your time’s better spent climbing ranked instead of counting headshots, remember there are safe boosting options that handle the grind while you handle the fun.

Until then, load in, plan your route, and start painting every gun in the game with that swirling cosmic glory.