Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies Mode Guide — Grief

Welcome to Grief, the highly-anticipated Zombies mode returning for the first time in over a decade, now equipped with Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6 flavor and features. Grief is a 4v4 indirect PvP mode that pits Team S.A.M. and Team Richtofen against each other in the ultimate battle of zombie-killing efficiency. Which team can survive the longest while sending as many “Griefs” at the enemy team as possible? Put your Zombies talents to the test in this mode while competing against real players attempting to survive longer than you and your squad.

Rules of Grief

Indirect PvP

When playing Grief, it’s important to understand the rules at play to get the upper hand on the enemy team. The first rule: you cannot directly hurt or eliminate enemy players, but you can ruin their day. Firing on enemy players will cause them to slow down. Striking enemy players with your melee will also cause them to slow down as well as push them. The effect only lasts while you are “attacking” them, so utilizing this slow effect is all about timing. Additionally, players cannot pass through each other, so using your body as a blocker can torment the enemy in the right circumstance.

Quicker Round Progression

Win Condition

To win a match of Grief is to simply be the last team standing. Once all members of one team have been fully eliminated or downed, the game is over and the surviving team earns the win.

Respawn rounds will occur every three rounds in a match reviving any players that have been eliminated, albeit often with less gear than they had previously. To get the win, you may have to introduce some Hail Mary strategies to Grief the final member of the enemy team if they’re holding on with some tenacity.

Grief Arenas

Grief takes place in specific locations on each Zombies map, known as Grief Arenas. Below are the available arenas and where they are on each map:

You’re probably familiar with this area from your first journey into Liberty Falls. Utilize the Motor Lodge’s stairs and the vehicles scattered around the parking lot to help split up the zombie hordes. Use the doorway into Liberty Lanes to block and hinder the enemy team, but don’t get caught in any corners.

Arena 2

Dark Aether Church, Cemetery, and Hilltop

The three locations that make up Arena 2 create a loop that provides options to keep moving without getting stuck too easily. However, getting in and out of the church could be an issue if the enemy team uses some clever tactics at the openings. Tossing a Shock Charge near the entries or laying down heavy fire as an enemy is attempting to move through chokepoints can cause some havoc.

Crab Island is a close-quarters arena surrounded by water. Because of its size and tight spaces, it may be more beneficial to focus more on your own survival rather than Griefing your opponents. Remember to utilize Field Upgrades in cooperation with your teammates to stay alive and keep pressure on the other team.

The Dark Aether Nexus is covered in all kinds of terrain and elevations, which can make for a large variety of combat opportunities. Players can weave in and out of the outside edge pathways and attempt to trap the enemy team in some of the more dangerous areas.

Shattered Veil

Arena 1

Garden Pond, Lower Terrace

This large arena is split into two sections: Shem’s Henge and the Motor Court. Both are connected by the Upper Terrace, which is also a prime location for splitting up and focusing on Griefing the enemy team. Just be sure to stay on comms with your team if you do.

Arena 3

Grand Foyer, East Foyer, Library

Inside the mansion, your team will need to navigate some close quarters carefully. Pay close attention to the upper level for both zombies and enemy players, as they may drop in for a surprise.

Arena 4

West Hallways, South West Balcony, Bottlery

Capture Zones

Capture Zones will appear rather frequently throughout a Grief match. When a Capture Zone becomes active, each team will compete to eliminate zombies within the zone and complete the objective before their opponents. The HUD will inform players of exactly how many enemies their team needs to eliminate, as well as how you need to eliminate them. The goal may be simply to get kills or be more specific in whether they need to be Critical Kills, Support and Equipment Kills, or even Melee Kills.

The goal is simple, but strategies for success can vary. Players can choose to disrupt the other team while they attempt to complete the objective or simply finish theirs faster.

Capture Zones can quickly turn the tide of a match, especially when both teams are evenly skilled. For example, winning a Capture Zone means that, even in high rounds, you can catch a small break that could give your team an opportunity to visit the Pack-a-Punch machine before the action heats up again.

When a Capture Zone is secured, the team that lost that fight will be sent a Grief, in other words the team that did not capture the Capture Zone will be debuffed by one of the Griefs listed below. These can come in several different forms, all of them making life quite a bit more challenging. Here’s a list of the possible Griefs you may experience:

Weapon Nerf

Affected players do significantly less damage to zombies while this Grief is in effect.

Ammo Drain

Affected players will have their ammo slowly drained from their weapons, even if the weapon is stowed and not currently out.

Zombie Ambush

An Elite zombie is spawned and friendly to the team that secured the Capture Zone. This Elite will not attack the friendly team and will only focus on the aggrieved team for one minute or until it is eliminated.

Weapon Carousel

Affected players will have their weapons randomly swapped every few seconds to a weapon that is not of their choosing. Players will be left with a random weapon in the end; however, the PAP, Rarity Level, and Ammo Mod will be retained.

Frozen

Affected players will be slowed to half of their normal speed.

Grief Strategies