Ninja

Ninja is a Tier 3 perk appearing in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2


Ninja stops users from appearing on Heartbeat Sensor attachments. It is unlocked at Rank 29.

The Pro version of this perk is unlocked after players kill 50 players in "close-quarters" while using the perk, and it reduces the movement noise volume (footsteps, mantling and climbing) by 75%, effectively replacing Dead Silence. The actual distance that constitutes "close-quarters" needed for the challenge is unknown (50 close-quarters kills will unlock the Pro version), but it is approximately the range at which the Tier 3 Perk Scrambler completely Scrambles the radar of enemies - Scrambler Pro is unlocked similarly by making "close-quarters" kills. It also may be the distance at which a Heartbeat Sensor can detect players.

This is useful to players who like going lone-wolf and sneak behind enemy lines. A complete custom stealth class often comprises silenced weapons, Cold-Blooded as their Tier 2 Perk, and Ninja Pro (silent footsteps are needed) as their Tier 3 Perk. As mentioned in Dead Silence, though it removes all "high-profile" movement (sprinting, climbing onto an obstacle/platform) noise, a player can imitate this quiet manner by moving while crouched or in ADS (aiming down the sight).

Ninja is most useful in games such as Sabotage and Search and Destroy as players with Heartbeat Sensors often wait by the objectives, but it is often useless in other game types due to the rarity use of Heartbeat Sensors. Earlier in Modern Warfare 2s multiplayer there were more Heartbeat Sensors used as players were trying out attachments, so the Ninja perk was more useful.

Ninja Pro is more often used in all custom classes by players that use gaming headsets, which help them to hear other player's movements without theirs disrupting them. This has also stopped some players from Prestiging as they find it difficult to play the game without their footsteps being silent.

Call of Duty: Black Ops
Ninja will return in Black Ops, again as a Tier three perk. It makes users' movement silent, similar to Dead Silence.

Trivia

 * Even with Ninja Pro, players will still make a loud crunching sound when falling from an elevated height, just like its predecessor Dead Silence. Players with Ninja Pro will also make noise if they move through branches or bushes.
 * Ninja Pro actually reduces footstep sounds to a fourth of their original volume, but this is still extremely quiet and will almost never be heard.
 * SitRep Pro has no effect on Ninja Pro. Players using SitRep Pro will not be able to hear Ninja Pro users more easily than players who are not using SitRep Pro.
 * Friendlies using Ninja do not appear on Heartbeat Sensors.
 * Dead Silence was originally going to be an ability of one of the four planned multiplayer character abilities. However, the character models were scrapped and it was added as the Pro ability of Ninja.
 * The icon of this perk possibly made on early stage of development - it has the same style and dimensions as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare perks icons.