The FG42 is one of the two launch weapons arriving with Season 5 of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and it earns attention for good reason. This assault rifle hits hard at mid-to-long range, pairs a high damage output with a strong rate of fire, and brings a distinctive side-mounted magazine that sets it apart visually from every other AR in the pool. The good news: you can unlock it for free without spending a single dollar on the premium Battle Pass track.
How do you unlock the FG42 in Black Ops 7 Season 5?
There are three ways to get the FG42 into your weapons locker, and the free route is the most straightforward.
FG42 on Battle Pass Page 3
Free unlock via Battle Pass Page 3
The FG42 sits on Page 3 of the Season 5 Battle Pass as the HVT (High Value Target) tier reward. HVT tiers work differently from standard tiles: you must unlock every other tile on that page before the HVT node becomes claimable. Once Page 3 is fully cleared, spend a Battle Pass token on the HVT slot and the FG42 is yours permanently across multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone.
This is the free track, so you do not need to purchase the premium Battle Pass to claim the base weapon.
Weapon blueprint on Battle Pass Page 15
Further into the pass, Page 15 contains a weapon blueprint for the FG42. Unlocking this blueprint also grants access to the rifle if you somehow reach Page 15 before completing Page 3, though that scenario is unlikely in practice. The base version on Page 3 is the faster, more logical target.
Store Bundle purchase
A Store Bundle featuring an FG42 blueprint went live around the Season 5 launch. Buying it with COD Points gives you immediate access to the rifle without any progression requirement. This is the only paid shortcut if you want the weapon on day one without grinding.
How do you earn Battle Pass tokens faster?
Clearing Page 3 requires tokens, and tokens come from two places: playtime and direct COD Points purchases. Earning them through play takes time, but a few habits accelerate the process significantly.
- Complete Daily Objectives every session. These grant large XP payouts and directly push your tier count.
- Knock out Weekly Challenges before they reset. Weekly bonuses contribute far more XP per hour than raw match score alone.
- Play objective-heavy multiplayer modes or high-elimination Resurgence matches rather than slower playlists. Score-per-minute matters more than match count.
- Activate Double Battle Pass XP tokens during your grind sessions, especially in the first week of the season when you want to reach Page 3 quickly.
- Zombies runs also count toward Battle Pass XP, so mixing in extraction runs keeps progression moving if you want a break from multiplayer.
Battle Pass token progression
What makes the FG42 worth the grind?
After spending time with the FG42 across different ranges, the rifle earns its reputation as a mid-to-long range option. The default recoil control is strong, the iron sights are clean enough to skip an optic slot entirely, and the damage output competes well against other ARs at distance.
The trade-offs are real, though. Movement speed while aiming is noticeably slower than faster ARs, and the open-bolt delay means pulling the trigger a fraction of a second before you expect the first round to leave the barrel. Players used to snappier ARs will feel that delay in close-quarters fights.
The practical fix for the movement penalty is pairing the FG42 with a high-mobility SMG as your secondary. Let the FG42 handle power positions and long sightlines, then swap to the SMG when you need to push or rotate.
What are the FG42 Prestige attachments and camos?
Pushing the FG42 to max weapon level unlocks the MFS Ambilateral Stock, the rifle's unique Prestige attachment. Equipping it increases rate of fire and nearly removes horizontal recoil, which turns the gun into a genuine long-range laser. The cost is heavier vertical kick and reduced aiming speed, so it rewards players who can manage muzzle rise rather than those looking for a plug-and-play option.
Three Prestige camos unlock as you level the weapon:
- Prestige 1: Zesty
- Prestige 2: Plume
- Prestige Max: Momiji
MFS Ambilateral Stock equipped
Recommended loadout approach
The FG42 performs best when you build around its strengths rather than trying to patch every weakness.
- Use attachments that improve bullet velocity and reduce vertical recoil to extend effective range.
- Skip the optic if your sightlines are predictable. The clean iron sights free up an attachment slot for something that matters more.
- Run a mobile SMG secondary for any map with tight corridors or frequent close-range contact.
- Save the MFS Ambilateral Stock for modes where you hold positions rather than push aggressively.
For players building out their full Black Ops 7 roster alongside the FG42, the full operator unlock guide covers every method to add all 24 operators to your collection. If Zombies is your primary mode, the Agarthan Device Relic guide and the rest of the Black Ops 7 guide collection have everything you need to progress through Totenreich efficiently.