Best PU-21 Loadouts and Class Guide in Black Ops 6

Crafting the best loadout in Black Ops 6 is essential to play at your best. For players looking to play methodically & to lock down lanes or objectives, the PU-21 Light Machine Gun is an excellent weapon choice in the early stages of the game.

The PU-21 resembles the classic RPK from earlier games: a low-recoil, fully automatic weapon capable of locking down any lane or objective area. These loadouts build on the gun's strengths: while it may not specialize in one specific area, in the right hands, it can compete with virtually any weapon in the game.

With the current meta and mapset in Black Ops 6, Assault Rifles are very powerful and can be effectively used on every map. Although that class is favored, each of the remaining weapon classes can shine with the right loadouts. It is vital to find the right attachments, perks, and equipment to allow you to shine on the map. Below, you’ll find the best PU-21 loadout in Black Ops 6, how to unlock it, and the ideal class setup to complement it.

How to unlock the PU-21 in Black Ops 6

The PU-21 is unlocked instantly at the start of the level progression. It is the first weapon in the LMG category to be unlocked, only requiring players just to reach level four in order to create a class.

Available: Unlocked Immediately

"Full-auto light machine gun. Deceptively lightweight and easy to aim with high damage. Rewards vigilance and careful recoil control."

There is the ability to use the PU-21 before that as well, as the default class that includes the PU-21 with multiple attachments. Players can use this class to level up the PU-21 quickly and unlock attachments that can be used in Loadouts.

How good is the PU-21 in Black Ops 6?

The PU-21 is a strong LMG within Black Ops 6. It has a good fire rate and bullet velocity. The base weapon can four-shot kill with just body shots but can go down to a three-shot kill with 2 headshots. This allows for a good time-to-kill and is forgiving towards missed shots due to its fire rate. Below are the complete weapon statistics for the PU-21:

MAGS: 3

MAG SIZE: 75

Camos for the PU-21 Black Ops 6

Each weapon within Black Ops 6 has nine Military Camos, two Special Camos, and four Mastery camos for both multiplayer and zombies.

The Military Camos for multiplayer are unlocked by headshot kills, requiring 100 to completely finish the category. In Zombies, players must get 2,000 critical kills in order to complete the Military Camos in that mode.

The Special Camos are:

Multiplayer
Neon Bath Camo: Get 30 Kills shortly after sprinting with the PU-21
Vigilance Camo: Get 2 Kills without reloading 10 times with the PU-21

Zombies
Vivid Camo: Get 10 Mangler Eliminations with the PU-21
Justice Camo: Get 300 Hipfire Kills with the PU-21

To complete the Mastery Camos, we have a complete guide to each. They include Gold, Diamond, Dark Spine, and Dark Matter in multiplayer. In Zombies, the Mastery Camos are Mystic Gold, Opal, Afterlife, and Nebula.

Best Low-Level Class Setup for the PU-21 in Black Ops 6

In Black Ops 6, players don't have to fully level up the PU-21 in order to unlock all of the camos or to build a good weapon class. Below is a great low-level class setup for the PU-21:

Barrel: Reinforced Barrel
Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
Optic: Kepler Microflex
Magazine: Fast Mag I
Stock: Light Stock

Best Pubs Class Setup for the PU-21 in Black Ops 6

What is the best class build for the PU-21 for public matches? We have you covered with a build that uses just 5 attachments, allowing for multiple Wildcards to be used. This build brings out the best characteristics of the weapon such as low recoil, high damage, and excellent time-to-kill. Here are the attachments:

Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
Optic: Kepler Microflex
Rear Grip: Ergonomic Grip
Magazine: Fast Mag I
Stock: Balanced Stock

How to get the Diamond Camo

Best Zombies Class Setup for the PU-21 in Black Ops 6

Zombies has made its great return in Black Ops 6, having two maps to play. The PU-21 is a lethal weapon to use when combining the CHF Barrel (Extra headshot damage), Extended Mag II, and Rapid Fire Mod. Here is the full build for the PU-21 Zombies Class:

Muzzle: Ported Compensator
Barrel: CHF Barrel
Underbarrel: Vertical Foregrip
Optic: Kepler Microflex
Rear Grip: Ergonomic Grip
Magazine: Extended Mag II
Stock: Balanced Stock
Fire Mods: Rapid Fire

How to get the Opal Camo

Interested in more Black Ops 6 content? Check out the Black Ops 6 Hub with articles on competitive class guides for SMGs, competitive AMES 85 Classes, or guides for the campaign including completing the safehouse puzzles and other achievements.