I went into the Naughty and Nice event thinking the "Holiday Cheer Score" task would just happen while I played, the same way you knock out most checklist stuff. Nope. In Holiday Havoc, you can frag out and still barely see the number move. If you're the type who likes warming up in a CoD BO7 Bot Lobby before jumping into the chaos, you'll spot the difference fast: this challenge isn't about clean gunfights, it's about squeezing points out of the mode's weird little rules.

What the game actually rewards

The goal is 2,500 Holiday Cheer Score, and the annoying part is the game doesn't make it obvious what counts as "cheer" and what's just normal score. Regular eliminations help, sure, but they're not the main engine. The big gains come from anything that feeds your team info or pushes those holiday-themed pop-ups. You'll notice it when the on-screen text changes and your score bumps in small, repeated chunks. That's the trail you want to follow, not the top-of-board ego chase.

Run support streaks, even if it hurts your pride

First thing I'd do is swap streaks to pure support. UAV and Counter-UAV are basically mandatory, and if you can reliably reach a HARP, even better. The reason is simple: reveals create assist ticks, and assist ticks stack while you're doing other stuff. You pop a UAV, your teammates start cleaning up, and you get those "reveal assist" notifications rolling in. It feels stingy per tick, but it's steady. And steady is what this grind is built on.

Play the map like a scavenger

Second, don't ignore Care Packages in this playlist. People treat them like a side quest, but in Holiday Havoc they're all over the place and they're basically free progress if you can secure them. Grab one, pop whatever you get, and you're back to farming those event actions. Also watch the bonus tracker in the corner. It's easy to forget it exists, but you'll sometimes get little boosts just for chaining the mode's bonuses. Don't build your whole plan around it, just take the points when they show up.

How long it usually takes

You're probably looking at 5 to 10 matches depending on how hard you lean into support and how often you can stay alive to cycle streaks. The trick is letting go of K/D for a bit. Sit back, keep your UAV cadence up, and play for information and timing instead of highlight clips. If you want a smoother path to testing setups and getting your rhythm down, slipping in a few reps where fights are predictable can help, and then you can carry that flow into the real grind with buy BO7 Bot Lobby as part of your prep routine rather than a crutch for the whole challenge.