Treyarch is back with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, and this year’s Zombies experience is shaping up to be the most ambitious iteration yet. From multiple playable modes available at launch to a main quest–driven core map and nostalgic survival gameplay, Black Ops 7 is building on the foundation of Black Ops 6 while introducing fresh layers of challenge, customization, and chaos.

Here’s a full breakdown of what’s new — including the Ashes of the Damned map, returning GobbleGums, new relics, and sweeping quality-of-life upgrades.

Three Core Modes at Launch

1. Standard Mode

The main Zombies experience in Black Ops 7 is the Standard Mode, featuring a primary questline and a wealth of side quests available on day one. Players can jump straight into exploration, lore progression, and gear building without waiting for post-launch updates.

This mode serves as the backbone of the game’s Zombies narrative — and the gateway to unlocking the game’s more classic challenges.

2. Survival Mode

The fan-favorite Survival Mode makes a triumphant return, beginning with the launch map Farm, inspired by one of the Ashes of the Damned points of interest. This map focuses purely on survival, removing side quests in favor of pure wave-based endurance.

Everything you need is here: Pack-a-Punch, Wonderfizz, and all the essentials for grinding rounds or testing weapons. Farm will also be playable during the Black Ops 7 Beta, with more standalone survival maps scheduled to arrive throughout the year — some tied to Ashes, and others set in brand-new locations.

3. Cursed Mode

Perhaps the most exciting new addition is Cursed Mode, a throwback to classic Zombies. It’s unlocked by completing the main quest in Standard Mode and features legacy mechanics:

· No loadouts — you spawn with only a pistol.

· No armor or minimap.

· The Black Ops 3 point system returns.

Cursed Mode challenges players to survive under old-school conditions while collecting Relics — modifiers that add unique twists to your runs.

Some examples include:

· Ammo Drought Relic: Removes ammo crates, forcing players to rely on wall buys.

· Classic Limit Relic: Restricts you to four perks, just like in early Zombies.

Activating multiple relics increases your rewards and unlocks new tiers of Cursed difficulty. It’s a love letter to longtime fans — brutal, rewarding, and pure.

Main Map: Ashes of the Damned

The launch map, Ashes of the Damned, is the largest and most dynamic Zombies environment yet. It’s heavily inspired by Transit and built around six main Points of Interest (POIs):

1. Janus Towers Plaza – The spawn area, reminiscent of Reckoning from Black Ops 6.

2. Van Dorn Farm – The Survival map’s setting.

3. Blackwater Lake – A moody, eerie swamp region.

4. Ashwood – Industrial and tight, suited for close-quarters combat.

5. Exit 115 (The Diner) – A nostalgic callback to Transit.

6. Zarya Cosmo (Ascension) – A rocket testing site filled with classic nods.

Fog Zones and Tessy the Vehicle

Travel between POIs introduces a new gameplay layer — the fog, where traditional round mechanics disappear. Here, infinite super sprinters and a new enemy type called Ravagers swarm the player.

To traverse the fog safely, you’ll rely on Tessy, a talking AI vehicle brought to life using Ted’s head (a direct reference to the Transit bus driver). Tessy can be upgraded to fire laser beams, launch lightning bolts, and even function as a mobile Pack-a-Punch station once you install a jet engine upgrade.

Alternatively, after restoring power, you can use Ascension jump pads to move between POIs quickly, paying a small essence cost per jump.

New Enemies: Ravagers and Zersa the Bear

Two major threats debut in Ashes of the Damned:

· Ravagers — fast, bio-like creatures that attack Tessy and steal salvage or dropped loot.

· Zersa the Bear — a massive beast covered in beehive-like growths, capable of devastating charge attacks and summoning deadly bees.

Both add unpredictability and environmental tension to exploration and travel.

New Wonder Weapon: The Necrfluid Gauntlet

The standout new Wonder Weapon, the Necrfluid Gauntlet, is both melee and ranged. You can:

· Fire spikes at enemies, then recall them to pierce zombies twice.

· Retrieve distant items by pulling spikes back through the air.

· Heal yourself or drain enemies via its vampiric effects.

Combined with the new melee QOL changes, this Gauntlet is a unique hybrid between utility and destruction.

New Perks, Ammo Mods, and Field Upgrades

· New Perk – Wisp Tea: Summons a floating wisp that periodically attacks nearby zombies. It’s like Luna from Black Ops 4, and it won’t end rounds accidentally.

· Returning Ammo Mod – Fireworks: Reimagined from Black Ops 3 with bigger, flashier explosions.

· Returning Field Upgrade – Toxic Growth: Slow zombies and deal poison damage, now with three deployable charges.

Some Black Ops 6 upgrades (like Frost Blast and Tesla Storm) will be reintroduced later through seasonal updates.

GobbleGums Return (and Expand)

GobbleGums return from Black Ops 6, complete with 41 returning classics and six new additions. You can even crush duplicates for essence, and new QoL features make them faster and more accessible.

New GobbleGums Include:

· Aftertaste (Rare) – Keep your perks after being revived.

· Equipment (Epic) – Slowly regenerates tactical and lethal gear.

· Power Vacuum (Epic) – Increased power-up drops.

· Round Off (Legendary) – Repeats the same round twice, ideal for farming.

· Armageddon (Legendary) – Instantly grants full armor and plates.

· Gift Card (Ultra) – Awards 30,000 essence immediately.

Augments, Build Codes, and Weapon Adjustments

The augment system from Black Ops 6 returns, now expanded to four majors and four minors per loadout, with the ability to equip two minor augments simultaneously after completing your research tree.

Treyarch also introduces Build Codes, letting players instantly share weapon builds via short importable codes — a massive quality-of-life improvement for the community.

Meanwhile, suppressors now grant less salvage, and early rarity upgrades cost more, making the early game more strategic.

New Tactical and Lethal Equipment

· Psych Grenade – Releases a red gas that charms zombies.

· Hunterbot – Seeks out elite enemies and explodes on impact.

· Point Turret – Deployable mini-sentry that distracts and damages enemies.

Each adds creative ways to survive high rounds and handle new elite enemies.

DeadOps Arcade 4

The iconic top-down mode returns, bigger than ever.

· 80 total levels (up from 64).

· 10 bonus rooms, new bosses, and core Zombies mechanics (GobbleGums, Field Upgrades, Ammo Mods).

· Earn XP, unlock Slayer upgrades, and even continue runs from your highest round reached.

It’s a full-fledged experience with more replayability than ever before.

Quality-of-Life and Gameplay Overhauls

Treyarch is refining progression and difficulty for smoother play:

· More gradual scaling up to round 100.

· Super sprinters reduced; armored sprinters removed.

· Round difficulty cues via audio notifications.

· Sliding into zombies knocks them down.

· Overheal mechanic adds temporary extra health.

· Turned zombies now have round-end protection.

· Salvage refunds every 10 rounds for uncollected drops.

Mystery boxes now have better drop balance, Wonder Weapons are slightly more common, and armor tiers can all be purchased from the same wall buy.

New HUD, Exfils, and Trials

Zombies now supports customizable HUD themes, letting players choose between modern and classic styles.

Sam Trials have been replaced by Ted Trials, and Exfils now use a yellow phone booth system. Answering triggers an HVT fight — survive and escape, or die trying.

Final Thoughts

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies is shaping up to be the deepest, most customizable experience the mode has ever offered. From the lore-heavy Ashes of the Damned map to the nostalgic chaos of Cursed Mode, Treyarch is giving both new players and veterans a reason to jump back in.

Whether you’re farming relics, upgrading Tessy into a laser-spitting death truck, or surviving the fog on round 100 — Black Ops 7 Zombies feels like the long-awaited evolution fans have been asking for.

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