Knife Fight is a 3 v 3 variation of the popular Gun Game mode. Gun Game originated in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Teams of two were assigned random weapon loadouts with no respawns, making for quick bursts of action. Knife Fight puts a melee spin on the small map mode and adds two more players to compensate for the lack of range.

Here’s everything you need to know to win more knife fights in Black Ops Cold War's sharp take on this fan-favorite mode.

How to win knife fights in COD

Throw the Tomahawk

If you’re good with the Tomahawk you’re going to do very well. Normally you have to be in slashing or striking distance to attack people with melee weapons. That means the Tomahawk is your only ranged attack. Hold R1 to ready the one hit weapon when you’re confident an enemy will either turn or be around the corner.

Get the Tomahawk back

Remember to pick it up from dead bodies or off the floor if you get a chance. Holding one provides a distinct advantage. Otherwise you’ll be sliding around in hopes of dodging your opponent’s, while striving to get close enough for the kill.

Don’t worry about health

Health doesn’t regenerate in Knife Fight. However, that isn’t important because most attacks will kill you in a hit.Don’t assume you have the advantage if your opponent took some damage from a two hit kill weapon like the E-Tool. Kills happen so fast that you should instead focus on the number of people left.

Keep an eye on the clock

If the round timer expires, a position will appear in the middle of the map. The first team to capture this Domination like position wins. These rounds tend to be quick, but if both teams are overly cautious, then there’s a good chance you’ll go into overtime.

Make sure you’re able to quickly reach the center of the map in overtime

There’s nothing more demoralizing than losing when the enemy is in sight and you’re about to go for the kill. Conversely, you can use the position as bait and wait for the enemy to sprint into it for an easy elimination.

Know every melee weapon’s stats or attributes

Each melee weapon has unique quirks that change your movement and striking distance. The Sledgehammer, Machete, and Wakizashi have more range than the Knife. The Sledgehammer is a slower weapon, while the Wakizashi is faster. The Knife is the fastest but you need to be closer than other weapons to get the kill. The E-Tool is also slow and doesn’t have great range. Learn all of their nuances to improve your kill count.

Jump, strafe, and slide

It’s harder to hit a moving target. Keep yourself alive by jumping, sliding, and moving around. This is especially important for dodging Tomahawks. Running in a straight line toward your opponent is extremely risky.

Bait Attacks

Try to outwit your enemy to create openings for kills. Get them to throw their Tomahawks by popping out of corners then returning to cover or going prone. Do your best to remain unpredictable. Run toward them then step back so they lunge. The miss will leave them open to a melee attack. Try different approaches and movements to find mix-ups that work well against a variety of players.

How to play Knife Fight

What weapons can you use in Knife Fight 3 v 3?

Weapons cycle through the Sledgehammer, the E-Tool, the Machete, the Wakizashi, and different knife melee blueprints, like the Banana Knife and the Currency Cutter. These don’t deal extra damage, but they do add style. Players always spawn with one Tomahawk.

Weapon selection changes every two rounds, giving teams a chance to use the same loadout from both sides of the map.

What maps are playable in Knife Fight 3 v 3?

Knife Fight is playable on U Bahn, ICBM, Game Show, KGB Headquarters, and Nuke Town as of Season 2. Fortunately the maps are small, keeping the action constant.

How many rounds are in Knife Fight 3 v 3?

The first team to take six rounds wins the match. 

There’s a gauge on the left of the screen that tallies your progress, similar to other round based modes. You can also see how many players are still alive and how much total health remains, although that’s less important since everything except the E-Tool kills in one hit.