Black Ops 7 Zombies launches November 14, 2025, featuring the franchise's biggest round-based map, Ashes of the Damned, with six interconnected locations accessible via the new Wonder Vehicle, Ol' Tessie. The mode includes Standard, Survival, Cursed, and Directed gameplay options, bringing back the original crew (Dempsey, Richtofen, Nikolai, and Takeo) alongside the Black Ops 6 characters for an eight-person dedicated crew experience set entirely within the Dark Aether.
| Key Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch Date | November 14, 2025 |
| Main Map | Ashes of the Damned (6 locations) |
| Game Modes | Standard, Survival, Cursed, Directed (post-launch) |
| Playable Characters | 8 dedicated crew members |
| Wonder Weapon | Necrofluid Gauntlet |
| Wonder Vehicle | Ol' Tessie (upgradeable pickup truck) |
| Beta Access | October 2-8, 2025 (Survival mode playable) |
Black Ops 7 Zombies represents Treyarch's most ambitious undead experience yet, continuing the Dark Aether saga exactly where Black Ops 6's Reckoning left off. With groundbreaking features like a mobile Pack-a-Punch machine, the return of Dead Ops Arcade after five years, and the hardcore Cursed Mode, there's never been a better time to dive into the undead chaos. Let me walk you through everything you need to know about this massive Zombies expansion.
Contents
Ashes of the Damned marks a monumental achievement for Treyarch, delivering the largest round-based Zombies map ever created in the franchise's history. Set entirely within the Dark Aether, this expansive hellscape can best be described as an off-world "Bermuda Triangle," where various earthly and celestial locations were transported and dropped into this cursed dimension.
The map features six distinct main locations, all linked by treacherous, fog-choked roadways teeming with deadly threats. The environment draws inspiration from Black Ops 2's iconic TranZit map, but expands the concept exponentially with interconnected areas that each tell their own dark story.
Janus Towers Plaza
A triple-towered superstructure violently crashed into this warped dimension, with one tower completely collapsed while electricity sparks and crackles from severed power lines. This location appeared as the final Zombies map in Black Ops 6 set in Liberty Falls, now twisted by the Dark Aether's corruption.
Vandorn Farm
A once-idyllic homestead that has become a horrific memory of one family's descent into madness and ritualistic terror. This familiar location last appeared in Black Ops 2 and will serve as the first Survival map at launch, playable during the October beta.
Blackwater Lake
An area haunted by tormented phantoms where drowning victims relive their final moments in the dark waters, with a single act of horror remembered across an afterlife of guilt.
Ashwood
A frontier town sunken into a rift, overrun and its inhabitants massacred in a war of a bygone era where the dead are more than just memories.
Exit 115
Once thriving, this rest stop and crumbling freeway overpass was torn from its original location, with faint echoes of a doomed confrontation leaving only desperation and betrayal.
Zarya Cosmodrome
A location where voices speak of betrayal, sabotage, and scientific hubris, where greed and darker influences have prevented an ascension.
Much of the traversal roads between locations are blanketed in a layer of foreboding mist referred to simply as "The Fog." Unlike the safer main locations, venturing through the fog on foot is extremely dangerous. Enemies in the fog are far more powerful, appearing more rapidly and moving at faster speeds, with explosive growths lurking in the mist.
The difficulty in fog areas doesn't gradually increase—you either have the skill and preparation needed or you'll quickly become overwhelmed. Transportation via the Wonder Vehicle is strongly advised for fog traversal.
The new Wonder Vehicle, Ol' Tessie, is a rusty pickup truck that can withstand significant damage but isn't invincible. This armored truck serves as your primary means of transportation between the six main locations of Ashes of the Damned.
After taking severe damage, Ol' Tessie can become temporarily inoperable and will need repairs, though methods to repair the vehicle remain to be discovered. However, exploring carefully can unlock a series of powerful upgrades:
This mobile Pack-a-Punch represents a revolutionary change for Zombies gameplay, allowing you to upgrade your weapons on the move rather than returning to a fixed location.
The entire Black Ops 7 story takes place within the "beating heart" of the Dark Aether as different timelines collide, bringing together an eight-person crew.
The classic Zombies crew returns in Black Ops 7 with familiar faces:
These eight characters make up the 'dedicated crew' members, meaning you'll experience additional conversations and the richest story if you and your teammates choose from this list of characters. You're free to mix and match crew members, as the game features unique interactions between each character.
Upon discovery, the Necrofluid Gauntlet is a black, skull-fanged glove that glows with a bilious greenish hue, deadly at both melee and long ranges.
This ancient artifact's umbral surface veins are choked by a viscous liquid that the gauntlet seems to control—the entire weapon seems alive and hungry.
Primary Attack: Command the Gauntlet and the dark liquid can be reshaped into powerful spikes that shoot forth, skewering targets at range before being summoned back into the Gauntlet, inflicting further damage.
Vampiric Abilities: The Necrofluid Gauntlet has vampiric tendencies and can pull in items and Power-Ups from a distance.
This Wonder Weapon joins the Ray Gun and Ray Gun Mark II as legendary armaments you can wield in Ashes of the Damned.
Black Ops 7 launches with four distinct gameplay modes, each offering unique experiences for different player preferences.
Play the new Round-Based Map Ashes of the Damned, continuing the fight against the undead within the Dark Aether, searching for clues to the truth of what lies ahead. This mode is recommended for experienced players and includes access to Main Quest and Side Quest content, available at launch on November 14.
A focused, unfiltered experience based on a small part of Ashes of the Damned at launch, with no quests other than you and your squad surviving against the relentless undead for as long as you can.
Vandorn Farm - First Survival Map
The first Survival Map coming at launch is a focused, bite-sized experience set on the Vandorn Family Farm that lies within the larger Round-Based Zombies map. Key features include:
All six main locations from Ashes of the Damned will be released as separate Survival maps throughout the post-launch seasons.
Tailor-made for the hardcore, crafted for those seeking a more demanding experience with new layers of challenge to discover and overcome for access to unique rewards.
How to Unlock Cursed Mode
According to leaker information, Cursed Mode can only be unlocked in Zombies after you have completed the Main Easter Egg Quest in Standard or Directed Mode.
Cursed Mode Features
You'll start your Cursed match with only a trusty pistol in your hand with no Loadout weapons available, no minimap, and a classic point system inspired by Black Ops 3.
The Relic System
Your focus is on finding archaic artifacts of great power, hidden away across Dark Aether time and space, known as Relics, each themed around a totem from Black Ops Zombies history.
These cursed Relics provide a debuff modifier making your subsequent matches even more challenging, with each Relic offering a unique challenge to overcome. Examples include:
Each Black Ops 7 Zombies map will also have more Relics to discover throughout the post-launch seasons. Why curse yourself? Because doing so is the key to unlocking more powerful Relics, as well as granting you benefits and rewards unique to the mode.
Directed offers a streamlined path through a Zombies map, where clear objectives and guided progression keep you locked on the Main Quest. This is an experience that's more approachable for new players or those chasing story-driven completion, expected to launch after Standard in a similar cadence to Black Ops 6.
The foundation of every horde: ceaseless, ravenous, and relentless in their pursuit, swarming in masses and clawing until nothing remains. When they can't reach you, they resort to tearing flesh from their own decaying forms to fling as grotesque projectiles.
Black Ops 7 Enemy Changes:
Said to be a tortured minion of an unknown evil, the Ravager prowls the Dark Aether on all fours, usually in packs, lurking in shadows until it can strike.
Ravager Abilities:
An apex predator twisted by the Dark Aether, the Zursa is no ordinary bear but a hulking, undead monstrosity whose thick hide and parasitic infestations make it an Elite level threat.
Combat Capabilities:
Wraith Seeds: Volatile explosive entities mentioned as additional threats across the map.
Jump Pads: Once power has been restored, mysterious technical marvels allow players to navigate across the vast landscape for a nominal Essence fee, launching instantaneously into the skies and landing at chosen destinations.
Saw Blade Trap: A viciously effective chimera of a trap featuring a small plastic doll on megaphones, below which is a chainsaw with circular saw blades, attracting zombies with haunting music before mincing them.
Black Ops 7 Zombies launches with massive variety across its enhancement systems.
This Perk specializes in adding a protective ethereal creature that remains near the player, appearing only after inflicting large amounts of damage to enemies.
How Wisp Tea Works:
Wisp Tea Augments Include:
Last seen in Black Ops 3 Zombies, each bullet that hits a Normal or Special Enemy has a chance to launch fireworks that target enemies in a brightly colored, deadly lightshow.
Fire Works Mechanics:
Supporting a more defensive playstyle, Toxic Growth allows you to deploy a thicket of viciously sharp, poisonous thorns.
Tactical Applications:
12 Perk-a-Colas Total: Wisp Tea, Jugger-Nog, PhD Flopper, Elemental Pop, Melee Macchiato, Vulture Aid, Double Tap, Quick Revive, Deadshot Daiquiri, Death Perception, Stamin-Up, and Speed Cola
6 Ammo Mods: Fire Works, Brain Rot, Napalm Burst, Shadow Rift, Dead Wire, and Cryo Freeze
6 Field Upgrades: Toxic Growth, Dark Flare, Healing Aura, Frenzied Guard, Energy Mine, and Aether Shroud
For each returning enhancement, expect six Augments from Black Ops 6 plus two brand-new Augments (one Major and one Minor), with Black Ops 6 Augment Research continuing with all your completed Augment unlocks accessible in Black Ops 7.
This brings the total to 192 Augments across all enhancements at launch—a staggering 66 new Augments to unlock and master!
Key Augment Changes:
Black Ops 7 Zombies arrives with 47 different types of GobbleGums (six new, 41 returning), divided across five rarity tiers.
In Black Ops 7, GobbleGums can be crushed during a match while in your inventory and converted into Essence on the fly, with the amount received dependent on the Rarity of the GobbleGum.
Recycling Benefits:
After five years, Dead Ops Arcade 4: Papaback in Black resurrects the chaos, continuing the saga of the Silverback family's vendetta.
In Dead Ops Arcade 4, the Silverback family has taken up arms to win back their pet chicken, Fidolina, from the player who has attempted to abscond with the beloved bird over the course of the past three games. This time, the Papaback himself has joined the fight.
Scale and Content:
Silverback Challenges:
New Slayer Maps and SlayerMart:
For the first time, familiar Round Based Zombies gameplay mechanics are available in Dead Ops Arcade, including Ammo Mods, Field Upgrades, and GobbleGums.
Play Modes:
Player progression is tied to Dead Ops Arcade 4, meaning you can level up across five separate modes: Co-Op Campaign, Multiplayer, Zombies, Dead Ops Arcade 4, and Call of Duty: Warzone at Season 1.
New Disciple Injection: After injecting yourself with an unstable serum, your crew member's body transforms into a ferocious floating killing machine with abilities to Grab and Hurl zombies, Drain Life from enemies, and release an Unholy Scream stunning caught foes.
New Equipment:
Melee weapons in Black Ops 7 can now inflict Critical and more damaging attacks, allowing you to aim at a target, strike them at the head, and cause Critical attacks granting more damage and Essence.
An archaic German telefonzellen booth, repurposed as a cosmic gateway portal, can be called upon to extract you from the mayhem.
How Exfil Works:
Weapon Prestige Returns: Weapon Prestige is available in Zombies for all Black Ops 7 weapons, including the ability to unlock a unique Prestige Attachment and more Weapon Camos with each weapon.
Build Codes: In addition to Zombies Preferred Builds, Weapons you construct in the Gunsmith now have an associated Build Code that you can both share with friends or import using a code you see someone using.
30 Weapons at Launch: There are 30 weapons to choose from at the launch of Black Ops 7 that you can take into Zombies, each with an impressive leveling journey with multiple Military, Special, and Mastery Camos to unlock.
On November 14, expect all Double XP Tokens, all GobbleGums, all Augments and Augment Research progression, the Black Ops 6 Zombies Dedicated Crew, and Operator Skins earned from completing Main Quests in Black Ops 6 Zombies to be accessible in Black Ops 7 Zombies.
For the first time ever, Zombies will be playable during the beta, with fans able to check out the Vandorn Farm Zombies map in the Zombies Survival mode.
Early Access Beta (Pre-Order Required):
Open Beta (All Players):
The Black Ops 7 Zombies beta content won't be available until October 3, so early access players should note this timing.
Beta participation will unlock rewards for use in the full game once Black Ops 7 launches on November 14.
Before attempting Cursed Mode:
Stay connected with the Black Ops 7 Zombies community through these official channels:
These communities are invaluable for staying updated on active codes, Easter egg solutions, optimal weapon builds, and seasonal content releases.
Black Ops 7 Zombies launches on November 14, 2025, alongside the full game release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.
Yes! You'll be able to play Survival Mode in the Black Ops 7 Beta starting October 3, 2025, featuring the Vandorn Farm map. The beta runs from October 2-8, with early access for pre-order customers.
At launch, Black Ops 7 features one massive round-based map (Ashes of the Damned with six interconnected locations) and one Survival map (Vandorn Farm). The other five locations will release as Survival maps post-launch, with additional round-based maps coming each season.
Cursed Mode is a hardcore experience featuring classic Black Ops 3 point system, no loadouts, no minimap, and Relics that add challenging modifiers. According to community sources, you must complete the Main Easter Egg Quest in Standard or Directed Mode to unlock it.
Yes! All GobbleGums, Augments, Augment Research progression, Double XP Tokens, and Operator Skins from Black Ops 6 Zombies will be accessible in Black Ops 7 at launch.
Absolutely! Black Ops 7 Zombies fully supports solo play with Solo Save, pause functionality, and all content accessible for single players. The game scales difficulty based on player count.
Ol' Tessie is a rusty pickup truck that serves as the Wonder Vehicle, providing transportation between the six locations and featuring upgrades including a mounted turret and mobile Pack-a-Punch machine.
The Pack-a-Punch machine in Ashes of the Damned is clamped to Ol' Tessie's exhaust as an upgrade, allowing you to enhance weapons on the move rather than returning to a fixed location.
GobbleGums can now be recycled to receive instant Essence, with the amount determined by GobbleGum rarity. Additionally, Power-Up summoning GobbleGums now automatically activate their effects, and six new GobbleGums have been added.
Yes! Wisp Tea is the new Perk-a-Cola that summons a companion wisp after killing zombies to help slay nearby undead for around 30 seconds. All 11 perks from Black Ops 6 also return.
Black Ops 7 Zombies represents Treyarch's most ambitious undead adventure yet, bringing together beloved characters, revolutionary gameplay features, and the largest map in franchise history. Whether you're a hardcore veteran ready to tackle Cursed Mode or a newcomer excited to experience Survival with friends, Ashes of the Damned offers something spectacular for everyone.
With the beta launching this October, now's the perfect time to rally your squad, study these strategies, and prepare for November 14 when the full Dark Aether experience arrives. The original crew has returned, the Wonder Vehicle awaits, and 192 Augments are ready to unlock—the nightmare begins where reality ends.
Ready to dive into the darkness? Pre-order Black Ops 7 now to gain early beta access and start your journey through the Dark Aether on October 2!
Bookmark this guide and check back regularly for updates as we discover more secrets from Ashes of the Damned and future seasonal content drops.