How to get bot lobbies in Black Ops 6 (3 methods)

Bot lobbies are a great way to unwind after a hard day, grind camos, or ease back into the game after one too many rough matches. If you’re wondering how to get bot lobbies in Black Ops 6 (BO6), using a VPN is the quickest (and cheapest) method, and it also lets you level up your weapons and complete your daily challenges.

Two-boxing is another option, but it can be pretty expensive if you don’t already have the necessary extras. Plus, if you don’t care about XP or dailies, there’s always private matches with bots (including in split screen).

I’ll go over each of these methods in the guide below, including how to get a VPN working on your PlayStation or Xbox. If they’re not up your alley, I’ll offer a few tips to get easier matches in BO6 without any tricks.

What are bot lobbies?

Bot lobbies are matches filled mostly or entirely with AI opponents instead of real players. People use them to warm up, test or level weapons, do their dailies, or play at a slower pace, since bots don’t react like human players do.

You can create them manually in private matches by adding AI players to each team, allowing you to control the difficulty and practice freely. They can also form automatically when the skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) can’t fill a lobby with enough players at your skill level. In this case, you can still earn weapon XP without having to fully lock in.

What is SBMM in Black Ops 6 and how does it work?

SBMM is the system Black Ops 6 and other multiplayer games use to pair you with players of similar ability in online lobbies. It looks at factors like your recent performance, connection quality, and other stats to avoid large skill gaps, so your matches feel balanced rather than full of pros or beginners.

Many players complain that they never get a break from tough matches or losing streaks due to SBMM. That’s why some seek out bot lobbies to enjoy a relaxing, “casual” game against lower-skilled players.

How to get bot lobbies in Black Ops 6 with a VPN

To get bot lobbies in Black Ops 6 that let you level up your weapon and won’t mess up your SBMM rank, follow these steps:

1. Subscribe to a fast, reliable gaming VPN. I recommend NordVPN for the best experience and its extensive server network, though Surfshark and Total VPN are great budget-friendly alternatives.
2. Download and install the provider’s VPN app on your PC.
3. Log in, and connect to a server in a distant region, ideally in a low-traffic time zone.
4. Open Black Ops 6 and join a multiplayer game. Due to your slightly higher ping and fewer available players, you’re more likely to land in a bot lobby.

How to get bot lobbies in Black Ops 6 on PlayStation and Xbox

Consoles don’t support VPN apps natively, so you’ll need to install one on a compatible router to get the same benefits—whether it’s playing on bot lobbies in BO6 or avoiding bandwidth throttling from those extra 50 GB of texture data the game streams.

In any case, here’s what you need to do:

1. Sign up for a capable VPN for routers. My top pick is NordVPN, with IPVanish as a fast alternative, and ExpressVPN, which includes a standalone router app.
2. Follow your provider’s VPN setup guide for routers. I’ve added links for the most popular router models below.
3. During setup, ensure you connect to a VPN server in a country of your choice.
4. Launch Black Ops 6 on your console and enjoy easier matches against bots.

Here are those guides I’ve mentioned:

• Guide to setting up a VPN on your Linksys router
• Guide to setting up a VPN on ASUS router
• How to set up a VPN on a Netgear router
• Guide to setting up a VPN on your TP-Link router

Other methods to get bot lobbies in Black Ops 6

If you don’t want to use a VPN, you can still get bot lobbies through private matches or two-boxing. Here’s how each method works.

Play private matches

Not interested in dailies or weapon XP? Just want to relax and click heads after work or school? Private matches let you play with bots with no extra requirements. Here’s how:

1. Fire up Black Ops 6 and head to Multiplayer or Zombies mode.
2. Hit Find A Match > Private Match > Create Private Match.
3. Give your profile a moment to load.
4. Press the + sign under Team 2 and add bots, change their difficulty, and so on.
5. Hit Confirm to save your settings.
6. You can then go to Game Setup to change the game mode, adjust the map, add custom rules, and so on.
7. When you’re done, just return to the Private Match screen, press Play, and enjoy!

Try two-boxing

Two-boxing is a method in which you use a second, low-level account to host a lobby, so your main account gets easier matches. Since matchmaking uses the host’s skill rating to build the lobby, the game often fills it with bots or low-skilled players.

It’s not a cheap method by any means, so try the other options unless you already have:

• A second gaming device; performance doesn’t matter, as long as it can load the game.
• A second copy of Black Ops 6 (or Game Pass).
• Two Activision accounts.

If you’ve got everything covered, follow the steps below:

1. Boot up BO6 on both devices.
2. Add your second account as a friend.
3. Create a new lobby on your fresh account.
4. Join in with your main and start playing.

In theory, this should start a game with bots or low-skill players, but in practice, you could still get matched with high-skill opponents.

Just don’t throw team-based matches if you plan on lowering your second account’s SBMM rank. Losing solo matches or joining and leaving a few games will do the trick without affecting other players.

Does Black Ops 6 have split-screen bots?

Yes, Black Ops 6 supports bots in split screen. Here’s how to get started on both PlayStation and Xbox:

1. Launch Black Ops 6 on your console and go to Multiplayer or Zombies.
2. Turn on or plug in your second controller.
3. Log in or choose an existing profile, then press X (or A on Xbox) to join split screen.
4. Next, go to Find A Match > Private Match > Create Private Match.
5. Wait a few seconds for your profiles to load.
6. Add bots by pressing the + sign under each team, for up to a 6v6 matchup. You can also change the bot difficulty here.

Note that if you want to play on the same team, you’ll have to add a greater number of bots to Team 2. Otherwise, changing teams will set you to Spectator.

Black Ops 6 split-screen not working with bots: How to fix

Having trouble playing Black Ops 6 in split screen with bots? Here’s what to check:

• Split screen mode is only available on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The PS4 and Xbox One simply aren’t powerful enough to run BO6 in split screen.
• For PS5 players: Ensure you downloaded the correct version of the game, as the PS4 version doesn’t have split screen.
• Both players require a PSN or Xbox account to play together. You may have to sign into BO6 with the second profile to set up the Activision account as well.
• You need an Xbox Game Pass Core or PlayStation Plus subscription to create private split screen matches with bots.

Fortunately, you don’t need to pay for two separate subscriptions. Follow these steps instead:

• On PlayStation: If Black Ops 6 keeps asking the second player for PS Plus when you’re just trying to play split screen, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other and enable Console Sharing and Offline Play.
• On Xbox: If you’re using a friend’s console or a secondary Xbox, make sure it’s set as the Home Xbox so both profiles can play through Game Pass. To do so, press the Xbox button on your controller, then go to Profile & system > Settings > General > Personalisation > My home Xbox and select Make this my home Xbox.

How to find easy matches without bot lobbies

You don’t need to exploit the SBMM for low-pressure games. Here are a few ways to play easier matches without using a VPN or other tricks:

• Schedule your games for quiet hours when high-skill players are offline.
• Keep your win streaks in check, but don’t intentionally throw games. Your teammates are probably looking to relax as well.
• Turn off voice chat and stick to Domination, Kill Confirmed, and other 6v6 modes where you can let others do some of the heavy lifting.

Bot lobbies in Black Ops 6 FAQs

Related:

• Best VPN for COD Warzone
• Best VPNs for COD MW2