The iconic Ballista is making its long-awaited return to Call of Duty, this time reimagined as the Hawker HX, and it’s set to arrive with the Black Ops 7 and Warzone Season 1 Reloaded update.
A modern take on the fan-favorite sniper from Black Ops 2, the Hawker HX delivers devastating one-shot potential, giving players a compelling reason to step away from the VS Recon. With its classic high-risk, high-reward playstyle, it’s looking to be one of the most exciting long-range weapons of the season.
Here’s a detailed guide on how to unlock the Hawker HX in Black Ops 7 and Warzone, along with its stats and Weapon Prestige Camos.
Table of contents
How to unlock Hawker HX in BO7 and WZ
Based on Activision’s description, the Hawker HX trades some stability for speed when compared to the VS Recon, another bolt-action sniper rifle. It comes with higher recoil and flinch, feels less steady overall, and has a slightly slower rechamber time between shots.
That said, where the Hawker HX truly shines is in its handling and mobility. With snappy ADS speeds and fluid movement, it’s an ideal choice for aggressive snipers who want to line up shots fast and stay mobile rather than hold static sightlines.
The Hawker HX can be unlocked as reward from the Quantum Exchange Event taking place as part of the BO7 and Warzone Season 1 Reloaded update. In this event, you’re tasked to collect Nuka-Cola Quantum Bottle Caps by eliminating enemies in BO7 Multiplayer, Zombies, Endgame (Co-Op Campaign), or opening loot caches in Warzone. You can then exchange the Bottle Caps for the Hawker HX sniper rifle and Fallout-themed rewards, and ultimately earn the “Nuka Assault” Dravec 45 SMG blueprint mastery reward. To earn the Hawker HX, you’ll need to collect 100 Bottle Caps and exchange them for the sniper rifle on the event page.
Fastest way to unlock Hawker HX
If you’re looking to fast-track the Hawker HX and every Quantum Exchange reward, BO7 Zombies is the quickest route. Endless waves of AI zombies keep the kills flowing, letting you farm Bottle Caps without the chaos of human opponents. If you prefer sticking to Multiplayer, Hardpoint and Domination are your go-to modes, packing constant respawns and nonstop action into tight, high-traffic zones.
However, if you don’t own BO7 or just want playing Warzone exclusively, jump into Casual Battle Royale or Resurgence. These playlists reduce real-player encounters, giving you more breathing room to crack open loot caches and stockpile Bottle Caps efficiently.
Hawker HX stats and Weapon Prestige camos
Here are the weapon details for the Hawker HX sniper rifle:
- Levels: 38
- Mags: 4
- Mag Size: 7
- Mastery Badges: Yes
- Attachments Slots: Optic, Muzzle, Barrel, Underbarrel, Magazine, Rear Grip, Stock, Laser, Fire Mods
- Prestige Attachment: Damage Barrel: [Classified] Barrel – appears to allow for a Tac Stance Sniper build.
- Customize Options: Skins, camos and reticles (CM, MP, ZM, WZ), 1 accessory, 1 decal, 3 stickers.
If you’re looking to enter Weapon Prestige for the Hawker HX, expect these universal Prestige Camos:
- Prestige 1: Smoulder
- Prestige 2: Thorns
- Prestige Max: Medley
Make sure to make the most out of this returning sniper rifle by equipping it with the optimal settings:
- Best PC graphics settings
- Best controller settings
- Best aim assist settings
- Best mouse and keyboard settings
- Best audio settings
- Best movement settings
