Black Ops 7 Zombies: Best strategies, weapons, and augments for each mode

The Zombies mode in Treyarch’s Call of Duty games has been a big hit since its launch in 2008. The new Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies brings plenty of old mechanics together with new ones to create one of the best zombie modes in recent memory. 

Whether you are after the weapon camo grind or just want to shoot some zombies, Black Ops 7 zombies has a mode for you. There’s a large map for up to four players to explore, shoot zombies in, and complete missions. However, there’s a mode for folks who just want to shoot zombies and exfil after a few rounds. Here are all Black Ops 7 Zombies modes and what you can expect from them. 

Our review praised the new Ashes of the Damned map, and for good reason, it’s big, full of unique locations, and has a pretty solid progression. The Standard mode is the classic zombies mode everyone likes, round-based waves of zombies ascend on you and your group. Kill zombies to get points and buy new weapons from the walls. 

The main quest progression is streamlined as well, with quest markers guiding players to the next objective. However, players will need to find and solve easter eggs themselves. Progress through the primary mission to unlock pack-a-punch machines to upgrade your weapons. You can also purchase perks from dedicated perk machines. 

Collect salvage to upgrade the rarity of your weapons or add mods to them. There are plenty of perks and mods available for you to experiment with. There are a total of 12 perks in the game and six different ammo mods. While you do get to drive a pickup truck in Black Ops 7 Zombies, the map is not as big as the Outbreak mode in Black Ops: Cold War.

Weapons are generally great in Black Ops 7 Zombies. I recommend getting the Warden off the first wall-buy. It’s a surprisingly powerful weapon that can one-shot zombies for a long while, that is, if you can land head shots. Shotguns are not as powerful in Black Ops 7, but Assault Rifles won’t disappoint. I also recommend picking the Healing Aura Field Upgrade if you are playing in a squad. 

The Directed mode was first introduced in Black Ops 6, which handholds new players through the main quest. The mode gives new zombie players step-by-step, detailed instructions for completing the main quest. Completing tasks and easter eggs becomes easier. However, side quests are turned off in this mode. 

The Black Ops 7 Zombies Directed mode also comes with a maximum round cap, so zombies stop getting progressively more challenging. The Directed mode is less stressful and more manageable for players who just want to explore. The Black Ops 7 Directed mode will launch with the Season 1 update at a later date. 

The Survival mode in Black Ops 7 Zombies is for the zombie slayers. If you don’t like the story or easter eggs, and just want to slay zombies, play Survival mode. The mode features a smaller chunk of the Ashes of the Damned map, with everything accessible almost from the start. 

Players only need to do one task and turn on the power to access the pack-a-punch as well as the perk vending machine. There is also a Mystery Box, so you can test your luck and get a Wonder Weapon early in the game. I got a Ray Gun in round III, a pleasant surprise. 

Pick a fast-firing weapon with a large magazine to easily destroy the fungus on the power pump. Or bring a few friends to make it easier. AKITA is a nice weapon to mow the hordes in Survival mode. You can get whatever Field Upgrade you like on this map. I recommend Toxic Growth for some passive earnings. 

Cursed is the new Black Ops 7 Zombies mode, which has excited old fans. The mode is highly challenging and is designed for veteran zombie players. Cursed takes us back to simpler times and makes you start with a pistol. 

The Cursed mode removes the mini-map and returns to the old points-based system. The big goal here is to find cursed relics, which will unlock permanent modifiers. So the next run will have more challenges, but also yield better rewards. Modifiers remove ammo caches or reduce the number of perks you can have, making the game harder. 

The Dead Ops Arcade mode makes a return in the Black Ops 7 Zombies. The top-down mode (also playable in first-person) is a smaller twin-stick shooter best played with a couple of friends. Slay zombies to gain points, collect guns and abilities from the map to become more powerful. 

The mode offers casual and normal difficulty levels. Casual Mode has kill-based rounds leading to a boss fight at round 40. Normal mode has one-hit kills, so you need to be nimble. Normal mode ends at round 80 with a boss fight. 

Not all Augments are created equally in Black Ops 7 Zombies. Some are more useful, or make the game easier. Here are the best arguments that you should focus on researching.

Doing well in Black Ops 7 Zombies mode is not hard; it has several quality-of-life features that make it a good entry point for zombie newbies. Just make sure you land your shots, and you’ll do great.