When you hit Prestige, or the top level in Call of Duty multiplayer, it’s usually a solitary affair. But in Call of Duty: WWII, you can share your achievement for all of your friends to see.
I went to a review event for the game, which debuts on November 3, and I was able to see a demo of the Prestige ceremony. I captured it on video for you to see. If you want to wait to see what it’s like for yourself, then don’t watch the video.
The ceremony takes place within the Headquarters social hub, where you can gather with a total of 47 other friends. You walk over the bluff overlooking Normandy’s Omaha Beach, where General Howard awaits you. You confirm to the general that you want to level up your Prestige and start over again at level one. He says, “Soon enough, it will be time for another promotion. It’s important we maintain ceremony and reward merit.”
(Here’s our other coverage of Call of Duty: WWII).
You see the different rewards you get. A fighter plane zooms by, and your Prestige medal glows above for everybody in the HQ compound to see. In the distance, some fireworks go off above the ships. Each time you hit Prestige, the ceremony gets more elaborate.
“We think Prestiging is the one of the most important things people do in their soldier career, and yet up to this point there hasn’t been the fanfare it deserves,” said Michael Condrey, cofounder of Sledgehammer Games, developer of the game, in an interview with GamesBeat. “Headquarters allows you to prestige in front of the community, and so you’re allowed access to this exclusive space, the overlook where you meet the general, and the very ceremonial aspect. The entire community gets to watch you celebrate that moment. Fireworks go off. Planes go by. The more you prestige, the greater than fanfare becomes. You can imagine that max prestige guys, in front of a group of players — it’s a significant event.”
With Prestige 1, you return to Rank 1. You keep your progress on all of your Division levels, your weapons, challenge progress, and customization. You get a new custom class slot, and you get a variety of Prestige rewards. By the way, this is a staged demo. I haven’t actually hit Prestige yet.
Call of Duty: WWII is available on November 3 for the PC, Xbox One, and Playstation 4. The publisher provided GamesBeat with a copy of PS4 edition of the game for this review, and I attended a review event.