Call of Duty: Vanguard

Vanguard EX1

Assault RiflesSeason Five weaponTakes camo
Assault RiflesEX1 — Call of Duty: Vanguard weapon render

How do you unlock the EX1?

The EX1 was added after launch in Season Five in Call of Duty: Vanguard. It fills the flexible medium-range primary role in the Assault Rifles catalog. Its energy rifle rhythm should determine when you commit, reset and move. This guide stays with stable handling, access and camo progression instead of patch-sensitive damage or time-to-kill numbers. Its camo track finishes at Bloodspatter (Get 100 kills while moving with the weapon-specific attachment combination shown in game). Complete every camo challenge on it and Gold unlocks. Earn Gold on the whole class for Diamond. Complete the required base-game class mastery route to earn Atomic.

UnlockSeason Five weapon
AvailabilityHistorical post-launch challenge or entitlement access; the current in-game route can depend on account and platform services.
Takes camoYes
Gold camoComplete every camo challenge on this weapon
Diamond camoEarn Gold on every weapon in the class
Atomic camoEarn the required class mastery camos across the base-game weapon classes

Reviewed September 1, 2026. Launch and seasonal access facts were checked against official Call of Duty and Sledgehammer Games articles; the completed weapon and camo catalogs were cross-checked against GamesAtlas and the Call of Duty Wiki.

How does the EX1 play in Vanguard?

Roleflexible medium-range primary
Real-world basisVanguard in-game weapon; no unsupported real-world equivalence is asserted.
StrengthsThe EX1 has a clear flexible medium-range primary identity; Its energy rifle action gives the route a repeatable timing cue
TradeoffsThe energy rifle timing still has to match the available range and cover; A poor route can erase the intended advantage of this assault rifles entry
Useful setupBuild recoil control around the lane you intend to hold; Keep enough handling to leave a losing angle
Challenge noteComplete this weapon's Multiplayer categories for Gold or its Zombies categories for Golden Viper. Diamond and Plague Diamond use class quotas; Atomic and Dark Aether require the full mode-specific class route.
Progression tipMultiplayer and Zombies track separate weapon-camo ladders. Attachment-specific Multiplayer challenges show their required build in the in-game challenge panel.
Camo tipUse the EX1 from a route that gives its energy rifle action time to work, then move before repeating the same angle.
Compared withCompare it with the Vargo-S in the same class: both cover flexible medium-range primary space, but the EX1's energy rifle timing needs its own route.

Every camo, exact unlocks — see the full Vanguard camo directory.

Browse camos

EX1 — common questions

How do you unlock the EX1 in Vanguard?

The EX1 was added post-launch to Call of Duty: Vanguard through a season Five weapon. Platform availability is listed on this page. The level cap is 55, and prestige is seasonal Prestige continues after the 55-level Military Rank path. Historical post-launch challenge or entitlement access; the current in-game route can depend on account and platform services.

How do you unlock camos on the EX1?

Camo progress is per-weapon. Eligible firearms use ten ten-camo categories in Multiplayer and ten ten-camo categories in Zombies. Launchers and melee weapons use class-specific reduced challenge sets. Gold or Golden Viper completes a weapon; Diamond or Plague Diamond completes a class; Atomic or Dark Aether completes the mode-wide class route. Progress is tracked separately on each weapon and separately between Multiplayer and Zombies. On the EX1 the final tier is Bloodspatter — Get 100 kills while moving with the weapon-specific attachment combination shown in game. After that, Gold needs every camo challenge on the weapon done, and Diamond needs Gold on the full class, and Atomic requires mastery across the base-game weapon classes.

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