Many titles and emblems are unlocked through challenges, although a selection of titles are rank unlocks (titles 1-8). Players cannot unlock these for their callsign until the relevant challenges are completed in the barracks.
Challenge: "Kleptomaniac" - Steal an enemy's care package.
Yes
General Gameplay
253
Companion Crate
Challenge: "Air Mail: II" - Call in 25 Care Packages.
Yes
Kill streak
254
<3
Challenge: "Misery Loves Company" - Kill yourself and 1 enemy by cooking a grenade without throwing it.
Yes
Equipment
255
Heartbreaker
Challenge: "Scrambler Pro: V" - Get 125 Close Range Kills while using Scrambler.
Yes
Perk
256
Frag Out!
Challenge: "Grenade Kill: I" - Kill 10 enemies with grenades.
Yes
Equipment
257
Catch Shrapnel
Challenge: "Claymore Shot: I" - Kill 5 enemies with claymores.
Yes
Equipment
258
Pineapple Express
Challenge: "Grenade Kill: II" - Get 25 kills with frag grenades.
Yes
Equipment
259
Toxic
Challenge: "Radiation Sickness" - Get nuked by the enemy. You must be alive at the time the nuke goes off; if you are respawning you will not get the title.
Yes
Kill streak
260
Living Dead
Challenge: "Living Dead"-Survive in Final Stand long enough to get back up.
Yes
Death streak
261
Last Resort
Challenge: "Last Resort" - Get a game winning Killcam while in either Last Stand or Final Stand.
Yes
Finishing Move
262
Mmmmm Brains...
Challenge: "Both Barrels" - Kill an enemy with the ranger by firing both barrels at the same time.
Yes
Equipment
263
Phoenix Rising
Challenge: "Last Stand Veteran: I"(lvl5) - Kill 5 enemies using Last Stand.
Yes
Perk
264
Infected
Challenge: "Infected" - Get knifed by an enemy using this title.
Yes
General Gameplay
265
Friends with Benefits
Challenge: "The Resourceful" - Kill an enemy by sticking semtex to an ally.
Yes
Equipment
266
UAV Rays
Challenge: "Sunblock" - Call in 3 Counter-UAVs in a single match.
Yes
Kill streak
267
My Li'l Pwny
Challenge: "Stealth: I"(lvl5) - Kill 10 enemies while using a silenced weapon.
Yes
Equipment
268
Martyr
Challenge: "Martyr" - Kill an enemy with your Martyrdom grenade.
Yes
Death streak
269
Enemy With Benefits
Challenge: "Group Hug" - Kill multiple enemies with a Semtex Grenade stuck to one of them.
Yes
Equipment
270
How The?
Challenge: "How the?" - Kill an enemy by using bullet penetration to blow up an explosive through a wall. FMJ is not Required
Yes
General Gameplay
271
ID Thief
Challenge: "Identity Thief" - Get a payback with the killer's copycat class.
Yes
Payback
272
Disruptor
Challenge: "Scrambler Pro I" - Get 5 close range kills using Scrambler.
Yes
Perk
273
Flatliner
Challenge: "The Brink" - Get a 3 or more kill streak while near death (screen flashing red).
Yes
General Gameplay
274
TacDel (Tactical Deletion)
Challenge: "Tactical Deletion" - Kill 25 players that spawn using Tactical Insertion.
Yes
Equipment
275
Mastermind
Challenge: "Claymore Shot: II" - Get 15 Claymore Kills
Some titles are unlocked by completing challenges with specific weapons. It is possible to unlock five separate titles for a weapon, but not every weapon will have all five.
Below are examples of the five types of weapon specific titles along with the weapons that are eligible for each type. (Note: Headshots with Launchers are not counted, so Multikills are required instead). Italics show which challenge is needed. You must prestige to unlock the latter four challenges (Veteran and Master).
Some titles are only awarded after a player has committed to prestige. Below are the non-weapon specific titles awarded for completing certain challenges or attaining certain levels after starting Prestige mode.
For the Killstreak Challenges, 250 kills are needed for the Silver title using that killstreak, and 1000 are needed for the Gold title using that killstreak.
Title
Image
Rewarded for
AC-130 (silver)
Finish Spectre II
AC-130 (gold)
Finish Spectre IV
Attack Helicopter (silver)
Finish Chopper Veteran II
Attack Helicopter (gold)
Finish Chopper Veteran IV
Chopper Gunner (silver)
Finish Cobra Commander II
Chopper Gunner (gold)
Finish Cobra Commander IV
Harrier Strike (silver)
Finish You're Fired II
Harrier Strike (gold)
Finish You're Fired IV
Pave Low (silver)
Finish Jolly Green Giant II
Pave Low (gold)
Finish Jolly Green Giant IV
Precision Airstrike (silver)
Finish Carpet Bomber II
Precision Airstrike (gold)
Finish Carpet Bomber IV
Predator Missile (silver)
Finish Predator II
Predator Missile (gold)
Finish Predator IV
Sentry Gun (silver)
Finish Look! No Hands! II
Sentry Gun (gold)
Finish Look! No Hands! IV
Stealth Bomber (silver)
Finish The Spirit II
Stealth Bomber (gold)
Finish The Spirit IV
Blade Veteran
Finish Blade Veteran II - Stab 50 Enemies
Blademaster
Finish Blade Veteran IV - Stab 250 Enemies
Silent Veteran
Finish Silent Veteran II - Kill 50 enemies with a silencer equipped.
The Silent
Finish Stealth Veteran IV - Kill 1000 enemies with a silencer equipped.
Stand Veteran
Finish Last Stand veteran II - 15 Kills while in Last Stand.
The Stand
Finish Last Stand Veteran IV - 100 Kills while in Last Stand.
Stunner Veteran
Finish Flashbang Veteran II - Kill 75 enemies dazed by a Flashbang.
The Stunner
Finish Flashbang Veteran IV - Kill 300 enemies dazed by a Flashbang.
Flash Veteran
Finish Stun Veteran II - Kill 75 enemies still stunned by a Stun Grenade.
The Flash
Finish Stun Veteran IV - Kill 300 enemies still stunned by a Stun Grenade.
"Get to the Choppa!" is a line spoken by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film Predator. In addition, both "True Liar" and "Fired!" are references to another Schwarzenegger film, True Lies. The prestige challenge "You're fired!" is a line spoken by Arnold Schwarzenegger in that film. The title "The Exterminator" is a reference to the Terminator movies, both starring Arnold - the Austrian flag in the background is a reference to his Austrian nationality.
The title "Pineapple Express" is a reference to the 2008 movie of the same name, which itself is a reference to an astronomical phenomenon.
The title "Transformer" is a reference to the Transformer "Blackout," who transforms into a Pave Low in the 2007 film.
The title "Not in the face!" is probably a reference to the 1976 movie Blazing Saddles.
The title "Big Bada Boom" is a reference to the movie The Fifth Element, when a simple character describes an explosion.
The title "End of Line" is a reference to the movie Tron, where the Master Control Program says it to end each piece of dialogue.
Both the cut gamemode and the title "Global Thermonuclear War" are reference to the movie WarGames in which one of the computer's simulations was nuclear war.
The title "Spy Game" is a reference to the movie Spy Game starring Robert Redford and Brad Pitt.
The title "Live Long..." is a nod to the long-running TV series Star Trek and the saying "live long and prosper."
The title "1bullet2kills" is a reference to the 1993 movie Sniper starring Tom Berenger, in which the character signals his partner to get "One shot, two kills." The way in which is typed is a reference to the shock video "2girls1cup."
Literature
The title "The Stand" is a reference to Stephen King's book of the same name.
The title "Big Brother" is a reference to the character "Big Brother" in George Orwell's book, 1984.
Music
The title "It's Sabotage!" is a reference to the Beastie Boys song "Sabotage."
The title "Intergalactic" is also a reference to the Beastie Boys album "Intergalactic."
The title "Click Click Boom" is a reference to the song "Click Click Boom" by Saliva.
The title "Droppin' Crates" is a reference to the song "Droppin' Plates" by Disturbed.
The title "Last Resort" may be a reference to the song "Last Resort" by Papa Roach.
The title "Five Sided Fistagon" is a reference to the Rage Against the Machine song "Bulls on Parade."
The title "Completely Numb" is a reference to the Pink Floyd song "Comfortably Numb".
The title "Heatbreaker" could be a reference to the Led Zeppelin song "Heartbreaker"
Video games
The title "Companion Crate" is a reference to the Companion Cube from the Valve game Portal.
The title "All Your Base" is a reference to the game Zero Wing and the internet meme created from its poor English translation.
The title "Boom! Headshot" is a reference to "Pure Pwnage's" FPS Doug. His catch phrase is yelling "BOOM! HEADSHOT," both when getting headshots in Counter-Strike and in everyday life.
The title "Bandolier" is a reference to the 1st tier perk from Call of Duty 4.
Real life
The title "<3" is made for the son from the project leader of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 who died of cancer. The symbol itself represents a heart.
The title "Broken Arrow" is a reference to military code words. Broken Arrow is used to tell command that nuclear weapons have gone missing or are unaccounted for. It could also be reference to the movie "Broken Arrow" starring John Travolta.
The title "My Li'l Pwny" is a reference to the American figurine franchise My Little Pony.
The title "Rolling Thunder" is a reference to Operation Rolling Thunder, a bombing campaign by the United States during the Vietnam War, which would later appear in Black Ops as killstreak.
The title "Godhand" may be a reference to Mas Oyama, who earned the nickname "The Godhand" after killing a bull with a single punch.
The title "6 Fears 7" is a reference to the children's joke "why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 ate 9."
The title "BAM!" is a reference to famous chef Emeril Lagasse's catch phrase.
The "Continental" title may be a reference to a slang term used to describe Australians.
The title "Neutral" with the Switzerland flag background is a reference to the fact Switzerland did not participate in either World War.
The title "Army of 1" is a reference to the US Army's catchphrase "An Army of one."
Trivia
The title "Global Thermonuclear War" has the most characters (letters) of any title.
The "1 Bullet 2 Kills" title says Infinity Ward on the left side. The sign is also on the other titles with bullets such as the "K Factor" title
The "4 The Record" title is referencing to the title of the campaign "For The Record".
The game files refer to the Ivory Coast flag as cardtitle_flag_ireland. This is an oversight by the developers, as the two flags are only different by inverted color orders.