
The Katana is officially set to return in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Warzone as part of the Season 3 Reloaded update, launching on April 30, 2026.
This fan-favorite melee weapon first appeared in Black Ops 3, and now the Japanese sword is making a comeback in Black Ops 7 and Warzone for those who love stylish finishes in close-quarters combat. Here’s everything you need to know about unlocking it, along with its unique Prestige Camos.
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How to unlock the Katana melee weapon in BO7 and Warzone
The Katana won’t be available through standard progression. Instead, it will be tied to a limited-time in-game event during Season 3 Reloaded in both Black Ops 7 and Warzone.
At the moment, the exact event hasn’t been fully confirmed. However, based on the midseason roadmap, it’s not part of the upcoming Call of Duty x RoboCop Event Pass or the Multiplayer-exclusive Freerun Ascent Challenge. That leaves a strong possibility that the Katana will be featured as a reward in the Call of Duty Endowment C.O.D.E. Navigator Challenge, an event held for Military Appreciation Month in May.

We’ll likely get confirmation at launch, but the important thing is this: the Katana will be time-limited. If you want it, you’ll need to complete the event challenges before it ends.
If you don’t want to grind the event, there’s also a paid shortcut. The Katana is featured as a blueprint called “Laminar Flow” in the Tracer Pack: Transfusion Reactive Ultra Skin Bundle. While the official price hasn’t been revealed, Ultra bundles typically cost around 2,400 CoD Points or more, so expect it to sit in that range.
The Katana delivers high damage, paired with moderate reach and attack speed, allowing you to chain together fluid slashes and overhead strikes to take down enemies at close range. There’s also a heavier attack option by holding the heavy attack button and releasing it to deal maximum damage in a single hit.
All Katana Prestige camos in BO7 & WZ
For those aiming to fully max out the Katana, these are the unique Prestige camos you can unlock through Weapon Prestige progression:

- Prestige 1: Splash
- Prestige 2: Sour Raspberry
- Prestige Max: Enamored
All Weapon Prestige Camos are universal, meaning once unlocked, you can apply them to other weapons in your arsenal as well. Unfortunately, the Katana doesn’t feature any animated Prestige Camos.
If you want to know all the content coming in the midseason, check our breakdown of the Black Ops 7 and Warzone Season 3 Reloaded roadmaps.