Season 04 Reloaded Update
Welcome to Season 04 Reloaded
Season 04 Updates
Welcome to Season 04
MULTIPLAYER
Modes
- Skirmish
- Addressed an issue where objective markers could remain on the map and HUD after being captured.
- Addressed an issue where Skirmish objective splashes could be misaligned when appearing.
Gameplay
- Best Play and Final Kill cam have been re-enabled. (Originally released Jun. 26th.)
Ranked Play
- Addressed an issue where the “Stay With Team” widget could appear for full parties.
- Addressed an issue where players could be unable to veto when tabbing away from the Lobby.
UI
- Addressed an issue where the Lockshot background could remain visible while navigating Scorestreaks in the Armory.
ZOMBIES
Maps
- Kowakujō
- Addressed an issue where unpurchased doors could open when loading a save.
- Addressed an issue where trap kill challenges would not count for the Ghostly Riflemen
- Addressed an issue where players who save their solo game near the Tenshu Entrance in Kowakujō can be immediately attacked by zombies upon loading their game. (Originally released Jun. 26th.)
- Addressed an issue where a certain fruit carrying zombie could be killed by zombies affected by Brain Rot. (Originally released Jun. 26th.)
- Addressed an issue that could prevent Power Ups from from spawning after Round 30.
- Addressed an issue that could prevent TEDD Tasks from appearing after loading a save.
- Addressed an issue where Assault Waves could stop occurring after completing the Wonder Weapon Quest.
UI
- Addressed an issue where the Nekomancer Dreadtail Wonder Weapon blueprint description could imply that attachments can be equipped.
Audio
- Kowakujō
- Addressed an issue that could prevent music from playing after and Assault Wave.
Stability
- Added various stability fixes.
ENDGAME
Challenges
- Addressed an issue that prevented the Apocalypse camo from unlocking on the CBRS-3 and VX Compact.
UI
- Addressed an issue where Prestige stars in the Operator Select menu could appear mirrored on unequipped Operator icons.
Stability
- Added various stability fixes.
WELCOME TO SEASON 04 RELOADED
The action explodes in our latest Mid-Season update, bringing the heat across every mode. Play new and remastered Multiplayer maps, drop into Operation King Killer in Endgame, and face Oni and Hellhounds in the new Kowakujō Round-Based Zombies map. Season 04 Reloaded launches on June 25 with all this and more, plus a Summer of Action led by the iconic Nick Cage.
Lock Into Summer
This summer, there’s no break in the heat as an unexpected hero leads the action across all four modes. Unlock and play as Nick Cage across new and returning Multiplayer maps and modes guaranteed to make you sweat. But it’s not time to cool off yet. End The Guild’s dominance in Avalon once and for all in Endgame’s new Operation King Killer and fight in a Japanese feudal castle engulfed by lava in the new Kowakujō Round-Based Zombies map
New and Returning Maps
Zenith (6v6, 2v2)
- In a last-ditch effort to reverse JSOC’s gains, The Guild assaults Karma’s sanctuary hidden deep in the jungle. The extravagant compound features everything the expert hacker needs, from state-of-the-art tech and security systems to high-end art and breathtaking architecture.
Launch (6v6)
- Deploy to a Russian rocket launch facility in Launch, returning from the original Call of Duty: Black Ops. At the start of the match, witness the massive rocket being lifted and moved into position over the Launch Pad, preparing for takeoff near the halfway point of the match.
New Weapons
AN-94 (Assault Rifle, Event Reward)
- Full-auto assault rifle. First two rounds fire at a faster rate. Slower handling and mobility.
- The AN-94 makes its triumphant return. Last seen in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, the Assault Rifle features a unique burst mechanism where the first two shots fire at a faster rate before settling into a more moderate fire rate.
Executioner’s Duet (Melee, Event Reward)
- Melee weapon. High damage, short range, and fast attack speed.
- Hack and slash foes with the dual-wield Executioner’s Duet. With an axe in each hand, be capable of unleashing a variety of slashing attacks designed to chop foes down to size. While the deadly weapon exhibits the shortest attack range of the current Melee Weapons on offer, it makes up for it with the highest mobility rating. Close the distance and start swinging.
New Attachments
XR-3 Ion Vulcan Minigun (XR-3 Ion Sniper Rifle, In-Season, Weekly Challenge Reward)
- Maximize control with this side-mounted foregrip that provides a focused hip-fire with reduced spread and improved aiming movement speed. Blocks Optic Attachments.
DS20 Mirage Dual Fire Kit (DS20 Mirage Assault Rifle, In-Season, Weekly Challenge Reward)
- Replaces ADS with high-powered slug rounds. Greatly improves hipfire accuracy, at a small cost to mobility. Blocks Optic Attachments.
Velox 5.7 Carbine Chassis (Velox 5.7 Pistol, In-Season, Weekly Challenge Reward)
- Pistol chassis that converts the Velox 5.7 to full-auto and gives improved range capabilities, at the expense of baseline handling. Unlocks underbarrel and stock customization options.
Returning Multiplayer Modes
Black Ops Classic Update (Launch)
- The popular throwback mode becomes a permanent addition to Black Ops 7 with Season 04 Reloaded, along with four more iconic maps from previous Black Ops titles joining the rotation. Starting on June 25, Black Ops Classic players can enjoy Launch (Black Ops), Fringe (Black Ops 3), Hacienda (Black Ops 4), and Gridlock (Black Ops 4).
Team Blueprint Sharpshooter (Launch)
- Adapt and slay in this 6v6 playlist featuring cycling Loadouts with Weapon Blueprints like the Heart-Stopper NX Ravager, Search Party MPC-25 SMG, the dual-wield Deadend Coda 9 Pistols, and other incredible Blueprints across the Primary, Secondary, and Melee Weapon slots.
- Push the attack and earn power-ups for kill streaks, speeding up your combat movements and unlocking a double score multiplier at a five-streak. The exact Operator bonuses are as follows:
- 1 - Streak: Faster movement speed.
- 2 - Streak: Faster reload speed.
- 3 - Streak: Faster sprint recovery.
- 4 - Streak: Faster aim down sights speed.
- 5 - Streak: Double score.
Knife Fight (In-Season)
- Engage in 2v2 hand-to-hand combat in this close-quarters variant of Gunfight. From the H311-SAW to the Flatline MK.II and, naturally, the Knife and Ballistic Knife, Knife Fight challenges Operators to engage in an epic melee brawl.
New Round-Based Zombies Map: Kowakujō
“This place looks like my home, but it is... off. Like a painting created from memory. — Takeo Masaki
As the crew discovered in Totenreich, the Dark Aether is unraveling, the consequences of which would spell catastrophe for the material world. The crew must now free the final Shadowsmith and recover the mysterious World Seed.
Their quest takes them to the fractured slopes of a volcanic landscape where a crumbling castle harbors a smoldering mystery. Their mission? Face Nyxara’s undead army, liberate the Shadowsmith, and expose the curse that grips Takeo’s soul.
New Kowakujō Enemy: Oni
Steel your nerves and prepare to fight for your life when the Oni fixes on you with its glowing gaze. The yōkai embodies wrath and malice, and its pursuit of its foes is relentless, striking targets with a massive spiked kanabō while shrugging off blows with its heavy armor.
New Zombies Wonder Weapon: [CLASSIFIED]
Send the flaming undead back to their graves with a mystical new Wonder Weapon. What form will it take? Discover for yourself when Season 04 Reloaded begins...
New GobbleGum: Hellping Hound
Bring the fire to your side with the new Hellping Hound Legendary GobbleGum. When the horde gets thick, this relentless canine is the perfect companion to thin out their ranks.
- Zombies: Summon a friendly Hellhound to be your best friend. Lasts 5 minutes.
- Dead Ops Arcade: Summons three Hellhounds to do your bidding. They will last a round or until they die.
New Ultra-Rarity Mystery Box Weapon: PPSh-41
Face the burning horrors of Kowakujō with a new Ultra-Rarity Legacy Weapon arriving in the Mystery Box! Wield the infamous PPSh-41 SMG with stats rivaling a Wonder Weapon, including full Pack-a-Punch progression and Ammo Mod capabilities. Unleash hell on enemies with the weapon’s signature large magazine and rapid fire rate, perfect for keeping the heat at bay in the lava fields of Kowakujō.
New Endgame Operation: King Killer
In Act III, The Guild struck back against JSOC’s attempts to deploy a virus against their network, but through the efforts of Operators on the ground, the location of the Central Command Node was finally revealed. With the Guild network now fully exposed, it’s the perfect time to strike.
But it won’t be easy. From Step 1, Operation King Killer kicks things off with missions in Zone III or higher, starting with vehicular combat as Operators scour Avalon for anomalous data and other intel sources to help track down the location of the physical terminal housing the Command Node.
Earn new rewards as you complete the various Operation objectives, all while further empowering your Operator through additional CR gains.
In the final step, acquire access to the new Prime Target Glitch and face the Glitch Boss. Operation rewards include a new Weapon Blueprint, Emblem, Double XP Token, Restore Token, Loading Screen, and more, detailed below.
Defeat the Prime Target Glitch Boss in the final step with Samuels, Wei Lin, or Emma Kagan to earn the unique “Data Freeze” Operator Skin.
Act IV Completion Rewards:
- Earn 1 “Data Freeze” Operator Skin to unlock the “End of Daze” Weapon Camo.
- Earn all 3 “Data Freeze” Operator Skins to access the “End of Dayz” Animated Weapon Camo.
Operation King Killer Rewards
- “Decompression” Weapon Charm and 1,000 XP
- Restore Token and 1,000 XP
- 1 Hour Double Player XP Token and 1,000 XP
- “Last Breath” Emblem and 2,500 XP
- 1 Hour Double Battle Pass XP Token and 2,500 XP
- “Upper Limit” Large Decal and 2,500 XP
- 1 Hour Double Weapon XP Token and 5,000 XP
- “Dutybound” Loading Screen and 5,000 XP
- “Hot Hands” Emote and 5,000 XP
- “Coolant Leak” Weapon Blueprint, “To the Grave” Animated Calling Card, and 7,500 XP
New Exotic Weapons
- Defrag - Full-auto assault rifle augmented for extreme accuracy.
- Affinity for Mortar Rounds.
- Cryoshear - Melee weapon cold-forged into an unstoppable force.
- Affinity for Frost Rounds.
New Endgame Skill Track: Guardian
Stand your ground and turn pressure into power. The Guardian skill track makes you a frontline anchor, shrugging off damage, punishing attackers, and sustaining both yourself and your squad. With stronger defenses, better resource drops, and proximity-based revives, Guardians do not just survive the fight; they control it.
- Payback: Enemies that damage the player receive damage themselves.
- Battle Cache: Increased chance to spawn an Ammo/Armor Resupply pack when eliminating an enemy.
- Power Tap: Picking up Ammo/Armor Resupply packs also grants Equipment recharge.
- Fortified: Reduce incoming damage for every currently equipped plate. The more plates equipped, the bigger the damage reduction.
- Iron Grip: Reduce hip-fire bullet spread and reduce flinch when getting hit.
- Rescue Pulse: If allies are downed, the player can revive them just by being near them. If the player goes down, other players can revive them just by being nearby.
New Endgame Abilities and Skills
New Minor Ability: Psych Grenade
Explodes on impact, releasing a lingering cloud of hallucinogenic gas that brain-rots enemies.
New Exotic Skill: Fission
Killing an elite has the chance to trigger a large explosion, dealing massive damage to nearby enemies.
Upgrade this new Exotic Skill for increased damage and radius of your explosions and deploy a final upgrade to spawn friendly Toxic Fears from those explosions.
New Nightmare Skill: Sleeper Agent
Chance on hit to turn base enemies into allies that rush nearby hostiles and detonate on impact.
Upgrade the newest Nightmare Skill to attract enemies to the Sleeper Agent, and with a final upgrade, the Sleeper Agent will drop cluster munitions to expand the damage radius.
New Events
Nick Cage Event Pass
- Nick Cage brings the heat this summer in an action-packed Event Pass. Get the new Nick Cage Operator and Operator Skin, along with the season’s new AN-94 Assault Rifle, Executioner’s Duet Melee Weapon, and more.
Summer of Action
- Dive into the Summer of Action with a new Daily Login Event, earning rewards each day just for logging in, including Tier Skips, Double XP Tokens, the “Catharsis” X9 Maverick Assault Rifle Weapon Blueprint, and more. For leveling up and blasting through the remainder of the Season 04 Battle Pass, this is the place to be.
- “Catharsis” X9 Maverick Assault Rifle Weapon Blueprint, Calling Card, Emblem, Sticker
- 1-Hour Double Player XP Token, Tier Skip
- “Loaded and Locked” Emblem, Tier Skip
- 1-Hour Double Weapon XP Token, Tier Skip
- “Air Time” Sticker, Tier Skip
- 1-Hour Double XP Token, Tier Skip
- “Against the Odds” Calling Card, Tier Skip
- “Catharsis” X9 Maverick Assault Rifle Weapon Blueprint, Tier Skip
Kowakujō Event
- Compete to earn new rewards including the “Ironclad” Weapon Camo and “Embers of War” Animated Weapon Camo, alongside the “Magma Chamber” EGRT-17 Assault Rifle Weapon Blueprint, GobbleGums, and more!
Based on player feedback from previous seasons, Leaderboard Events have been reworked to provide all players with multiple opportunities to earn rewards across new 3-Hour Leaderboards. Now you can take on the competition as many times as you'd like throughout the week-long course of the Event, and any players who finish in first place will be taken out of the running for remaining leaderboards during the Event. Finish higher than your last attempt to win that higher placement's rewards!
Event: Multiplayer Ranked Series
- Win Ranked Play matches to climb a 50-player ladder against competitors within your same rank, from Gold Rank up to the Top 250 Rank. Get top placements to earn Season 04-themed Emblems and Weapon Camos, including a new Weapon Charm awarded for winning 10 Ranked Play matches.
Full Season 04 Reloaded Breakdown
For a full breakdown of content arriving throughout Season 04 Reloaded, check out the Call of Duty Blog. Look below for our Season 04 Reloaded Patch Notes and stay tuned for further updates right here.
MULTIPLAYER
Modes
- Black Ops Classic
- Four more classic maps have been added to the map pool:
- Launch
- Fringe
- Hacienda
- Gridlock
- Four more classic maps have been added to the map pool:
- Team Blueprint Sharpshooter
- Team-based 6v6 Sharpshooter with loadouts comprised of Blueprint weapons.
Weapon Tuning
As we get deeper into the Black Ops 7 seasons, our Multiplayer weapon tuning will focus less on larger rebalancing passes and more on addressing outliers at the top and low ends of the meta. The later we go, the more cautious we are about disrupting the design space and personality a weapon has carved out for itself.
This update mostly has adjustments to post-launch weapons and attachments, although there are a few exceptions. The Voyak KT-3, Kogot-7, and Warden 308 have been hovering around the top of the meta for a while now, so they are receiving light nerfs to knock them down just a bit. Some weapons like the Maddox RFB and X9 Maverick saw adjustments early on due to being very strong, but we feel can now get some power back. More details for those changes and the many others can be found below.
Thanks for all of your feedback.
Assault Rifles
Assault Rifle Adjustments
Voyak KT-3
The Voyak KT-3 has maintained very high usage and strong performance for multiple seasons. Its Max Damage Range and recoil were generous given that it also excels at handling and mobility, so those have received a slight correction.
Voyak KT-3 Damage Adjustments
Maximum Damage Range
— Damage —
29
— Range —
0 - 25.5m
— Damage —
29
— Range —
0 - 22.9m ⇩
Medium Damage Range
— Damage —
23
— Range —
25.6 - 40.6m
— Damage —
23
— Range —
23 - 40.6m
Minimum Damage Range
— Damage —
19
— Range —
>40.6m
— Damage —
19
— Range —
>40.6m
Additional Voyak KT-3 Adjustments
- Slightly increased Gun Kick and View Kick.
Maddox RFB
We hit the Maddox RFB with significant recoil and damage range nerfs back in Season 01 Reloaded and Season 02. Since then, it has slowly fallen in favor as further updates improved other ARs and new weapons entered the meta, so we are partially reversing some of the original adjustments.
Maddox RFB Damage Adjustments
Maximum Damage Range
— Damage —
28
— Range —
0 - 12.7m
— Damage —
28
— Range —
0 - 12.7m
Medium Damage Range
— Damage —
22
— Range —
12.8 - 27.9m
— Damage —
23 ⇧
— Range —
12.7 - 32.4m ⇧
Minimum Damage Range
— Damage —
19
— Range —
>27.9m
— Damage —
19
— Range —
>32.4m
Additional Maddox RFB Adjustments
- Slightly decreased View Kick Strength and Deviation.
Maddox RFB - Echo Fire Barrel Damage Adjustments
Maximum Damage Range
— Damage —
23
— Range —
0 - 20.3m
— Damage —
23
— Range —
0 - 20.3m
Medium Damage Range
— Damage —
19
— Range —
20.3 - 34.3m
— Damage —
19
— Range —
20.3 - 37.5m ⇧
Minimum Damage Range
— Damage —
16
— Range —
>34.3m
— Damage —
16
— Range —
>37.5m
AK-27
The AK-27 is solid but hasn’t quite broken out of mid-pack in usage or performance. It will now have a new Max Damage profile that makes headshots more powerful up close by default and with the Damage Barrel.
AK-27 Damage Adjustments
Maximum Damage Range
— Damage —
26
— Range —
0 - 22.9m
— Damage —
28 ⇧
— Range —
0 - 16.5m ⇩
Medium Damage Range 1
— Damage —
22
— Range —
23 - 50.8m
— Damage —
26 ⇧
— Range —
16.6 - 22.9m ⇩
Medium Damage Range 2
— Damage —
-
— Range —
-
— Damage —
22
— Range —
23 - 50.8m
Minimum Damage Range
— Damage —
18
— Range —
>50.8m
— Damage —
18
— Range —
>50.8m
MXR-17
The ANVL Conversion for the MXR-17 received buffs after launching on the weak side. We feel there is still room for it to be stronger, so we have another improvement to its Rate of Fire end point (when fully slowed down) and it will now improve recoil control to counteract the initial, high Rate of Fire.
MXR-17 ANVL Conversion
- Final Rate of Fire increased from 400RPM to 500RPM.
- Now also improves Horizontal and Vertical Recoil Control.
X9 Maverick
The X9 Maverick was another weapon that was very strong early on and received a series of adjustments to bring it in check, but has slowly kept creeping downwards since. It’s one that could easily jump back to being too strong, so for now we just have some notable range improvements and a very slight Burst Fire Cooldown buff.
X9 Maverick Damage Adjustments
Maximum Damage Range
— Damage —
33
— Range —
0 - 16.51m
— Damage —
33
— Range —
0 - 20.3m ⇧
Medium Damage Range 1
— Damage —
31
— Range —
16.52 - 28.6m
— Damage —
31
— Range —
20.4 - 33m ⇧
Medium Damage Range 2
— Damage —
29
— Range —
28.7 - 42.5m
— Damage —
29
— Range —
33.1 - 45.7m ⇧
Minimum Damage Range
— Damage —
22
— Range —
>42.5m
— Damage —
22
— Range —
>45.7m
Additional X9 Maverick Adjustments
- Burst Fire Cooldown reduced from 150ms to 142ms.
SMGs
Submachine Gun Adjustments
VST
The VST is receiving a small adjustment to its recoil to improve ease of use. We don’t want to go overboard with this one since the weapon still has the best baseline full-auto TTK in the game.
VST Adjustments
- Slightly decreased Gun Kick and View Kick.
REV-46
The REV-46 is getting a small range adjustment, and more notably, a minimum damage adjustment that makes headshots much more valuable at long range.
REV-46 Damage Adjustments
Maximum Damage Range
— Damage —
17
— Range —
0 - 13m
— Damage —
17
— Range —
0 - 14m ⇧
Medium Damage Range 1
— Damage —
15
— Range —
13.1 - 22.9m
— Damage —
21
— Range —
14.1 - 24.8m ⇧
Medium Damage Range 2
— Damage —
12
— Range —
23 - 33m
— Damage —
15
— Range —
24.9 - 34m ⇧
Minimum Damage Range
— Damage —
10
— Range —
>33m
— Damage —
11 ⇧
— Range —
>34m
Additional REV-46 Adjustments
- Adjusted weapon position in ADS.
Kogot-7
The Kogot-7 has consistently remained the top SMG since it launched (aside from Ranked Play weapons). We aren’t touching its exceptional mobility and handling, but we’re making some changes primarily aimed at reducing its power at range. We’ve rebalanced the base damage and headshot multiplier require an additional shot to kill in the Minimum Damage Range and two headshots to improve it. While the other damage values also changed to compensate, the TTKs at those ranges remain the same.
RK-9 Damage Adjustments
Maximum Damage Range
— Damage —
23
— Range —
0 - 12.7m
— Damage —
21 ⇩
— Range —
0 - 11.7m ⇩
Medium Damage Range 1
— Damage —
19
— Range —
12.8 - 20.3m
— Damage —
18 ⇩
— Range —
11.8 - 19.3m ⇩
Medium Damage Range 2
— Damage —
16
— Range —
20.4 - 25.4m
— Damage —
15 ⇩
— Range —
20.4 - 25.4m
Minimum Damage Range
— Damage —
13
— Range —
>25.4m
— Damage —
12 ⇩
— Range —
>25.4m
Kogot-7 Additional Adjustments
- Headshot multiplier increased from 1.12x to 1.2x.
CBRS-3
The CBRS-3 launched with an issue that could result in needing to rechamber the weapon sooner than intended after a reload. The issue is tied to interrupting the reload animation shortly after ammo is added, such as when performing a YY cancel. While we work on a permanent fix we will be temporarily postponing the ammo add for reloads until the point when the weapon is ready to fire. This will prevent players from accidentally entering the bugged rechamber state. We will revert this temporary workaround in a future update.
CBRS-3 Adjustments
- Reload Ammo Add Time has been temporarily increased to match Reload Interrupt Time.
- This change addresses an issue where the shots between rechambering could be fewer than intended.
LMGs
We have added new ADS Spread improvements to various attachments across all LMGs in order to support more targeted Crossbar builds.
General
- Mobility Spread Muzzle
- Now also improves ADS Spread by 7%.
- Tactical Spread Stock
- Now also improves ADS Spread by 10%.
- Steady Aim Laser
- Now also improves ADS Spread by 7%.
LMG Adjustments
XM325
The XM325 is receiving some recoil improvements to help with usability. Much like the VST, this weapon has a very good baseline TTK and excellent range, so we are mindful of making too large a recoil reduction.
XM325 Adjustments
- Slightly reduced View Kick Strength and Deviation.
- Slightly reduced Horizontal Recoil.
Sokol 545 Attachment Adjustments
- MFS Motion Strike Laser
- Now also improves ADS Spread by 5%.
Marksman Rifles
Marksman Rifle Adjustments
Warden 308
We see a lot of feedback and discussion about the Warden 308 and whether it’s too strong. From the data perspective, it hasn’t broken into the highest tiers of usage that usually result in a poor community experience, but it has been one of the best performers in the hands of those who use it. We are being measured with changes here because it would be very easy to completely knock the Warden 308 out of contention. We’re reworking the damage ranges and some of the damage multipliers so that one-shot kills to the Upper Torso are much more limited and a new Mid Damage Range step exists where the Neck is not a one-shot kill either.
Warden 308 Damage Adjustments
Maximum Damage Range
— Damage —
75
— Range —
0 - 41.9m
— Damage —
75
— Range —
0 - 32.4m ⇩
Medium Damage Range 1
— Damage —
72
— Range —
42 - 57.2m
— Damage —
72
— Range —
32.5 - 41.9m ⇩
Medium Damage Range 2
— Damage —
-
— Range —
-
— Damage —
71
— Range —
42m - 57.2m
Minimum Damage Range
— Damage —
45
— Range —
>57.2m
— Damage —
45
— Range —
>57.2m
Additional Warden 308 Adjustments
- Headshot multiplier increased from 1.4x to 1.45x.
- Neck multiplier decreased from 1.4x to 1.39x.
Sniper Rifles
Sniper Rifle Adjustments
XR-3 Ion
A few of the XR-3 Ion attachments now improve ADS Spread to support the brand-new Vulcan Minigun conversion.
XR-3 Ion Attachment Adjustments
- MFS 3x3 Compensator
- Now also improves ADS Spread by 6%.
- Exposed-73 Stock
- Now also improves ADS Spread by 13%.
- Convergence Box Laser
- Now also improves ADS Spread by 10%.
Special Weapons
Special Weapon Adjustments
Grimhawk
The Special Weapon class gives us an opportunity to explore unique, and sometimes risky, weapon concepts alongside our traditional seasonal offering. Of course, the riskier the design, the more challenging it is to find that sweet spot where a weapon is fun and viable but not disruptive to the core gameplay experience. The Grimhawk definitely fell into this camp, and we very deliberately erred on the side of caution with its power. Now that it’s had some time out in the wild, we feel comfortable bumping the power up slightly. We considered changing the lock-on characteristics but instead opted to improve its damage across the board and pull back on the range a bit to keep the change measured. We’ll keep an eye on things and revisit if needed, but again the goal with this one isn’t to make it meta.
As an additional note, in case there was any confusion based on the Season 04 blog, the Grimhawk’s lock-on is strictly based on aiming close enough to the target, not whether or not an enemy is firing at you.
Grimhawk Damage Adjustments
Maximum Damage Range
— Damage —
19
— Range —
0 - 25.4m
— Damage —
20 ⇧
— Range —
0 - 17.8m ⇩
Medium Damage Range 1
— Damage —
16
— Range —
25.5 - 38.1m
— Damage —
18 ⇧
— Range —
17.9 - 33m ⇩
Medium Damage Range 2
— Damage —
14
— Range —
38.2 - 50.8m
— Damage —
15 ⇧
— Range —
33.1 - 50.8m
Minimum Damage Range
— Damage —
12
— Range —
>50.8m
— Damage —
14 ⇧
— Range —
>50.8m
Grimhawk - MFS Circuital Barrel Damage Adjustments
Maximum Damage Range
— Damage —
16
— Range —
0 - 20.3m
— Damage —
18 ⇧
— Range —
0 - 20.3m
Minimum Damage Range
— Damage —
16
— Range —
>20.3m
— Damage —
18 ⇧
— Range —
>20.3m
General Attachment Tuning
LTI Stentorian Brake
We saw feedback that the LTI Stentorian Brake’s penalties felt too punishing compared to its benefits on most weapons. We are removing the additional recoil penalty, as well as bumping the bonus Rate of Fire a touch. The minimap penalty and the opportunity cost incurred from picking this in an already stacked muzzle node feel sufficient to make it an interesting choice.
- Removed Vertical Recoil penalty.
- Slightly increased Rate of Fire improvement on most weapons.
Scorestreaks
- Addressed an issue where the Lockshot crosshair could disappear after looking away from a targeted enemy without leaving ADS.
- Addressed an issue where Iron Rain wasn't doing intended damage to the Ion Core.
UI
- Addressed various text overlap/alignment issues.
- Addressed an issue where the options prompt could lose functionality when entering the Change Loadout screen in the Firing Range using keyboard and mouse.
- Addressed cases where a splitscreen player joining could result in a soft-lock.
Stability
- Addressed various stability issues.
ZOMBIES
Maps
- Totenreich
- Addressed an issue where the cell door in the Group 935 Genetic Lab would not open after reloading a save.
- Addressed an issue where zombies may not appear during the death scene at the end of Richtofen’s Quest.
- Addressed an issue where the Flammenfalle Trap could be pinged through objects.
- Addressed multiple collision issues.
- Addressed numerous minor visual issues.
- Paradox Junction
- Addressed an issue where parts of the Blundergat could be seen through the Workbench while it was closed.
- Addressed multiple collision issues.
- Addressed numerous minor visual issues.
- Astra Malorum
- Addressed multiple collision issues.
- Addressed numerous minor visual issues.
- Ashes of the Damned
- Prevented players from entering Ol’ Tessie immediately after triggering the ARC-XD race remote.
- Addressed multiple collision issues.
- Addressed numerous minor visual issues.
Modes
- Rogue Run
- Addressed an issue where reward pillars spawned at Exit 115 near trees had incorrect collision.
- Cursed
- Addressed an issue where spores in Ashes of the Damned could not be destroyed while the Music Box Relic was equipped.
- Addressed an issue where players could lose Wonder Weapons obtained naturally while using Samantha’s Drawing Relic.
- Addressed an issue where players could not acquire a weapon from the Mystery Box during round transitions while using Samantha’s Drawing Relic.
- Addressed an issue where the cost to purchase Perk-a-Colas increased by 1000 instead of 500 when using the Dancing Arnie Relic.
- Added a subtitle to indicate when the Relic Portal has been unlocked for accessibility.
- Updated the Agarthan Device description to improve clarity.
- Directed
- Totenreich
- Addressed an issue where the Chilly Chunk objective would reappear after being completed when loading a save, preventing progression.
- Survival
- Nuked
- Sundergat has been added to the Mystery Box.
- Closed an exploit that allowed players to exit the playable area near the Exfil Booth while using the Aether Shroud Field Upgrade with the Burst Dash Major Augment.
- Addressed an issue where zombies would not appear during the failed Exfil death scene.
- Cursed
- Mars
- Addressed an issue where certain weapons were unable to damage Mister Peeks.
- Mars
- Nuked
Weapons
- Addressed an issue where performing an empty reload on a Pack-a-Punched KRS 7.62 caused the player to reload twice before obtaining a full magazine when the Extended Mag attachment was equipped.
- Addressed an issue that allowed players to continuously purchase ammo when clip-only weapons were already at max ammo.
Support
- Addressed an issue where the Lockshot could return with an incorrect ammo count after a Mangler Cannon T.E.D.D. Tasks.
- Addressed an issue where the Sentry Turret could be deployed on top of the ARC-XD.
- Addressed an issue where players could not see their marked ping while Disciple Injection was active.
GobbleGums
- Addressed an issue where a temporary save file was created after using Exit Strategy.
Vehicles
- Addressed an issue where engine sounds persist after Ol’ Tessie was destroyed.
UI
- Addressed some alignment issues with HUD notifications on ultrawide displays.
Audio
- Addressed an issue where audio would not play during the Twin Sisters quests in Ashes of the Damned and Astra Malorum on last-gen versions.
- Addressed issues with various voiceover lines not playing.
- Addressed various subtitle issues.
Stability
- Addressed various stability issues.
ENDGAME
Gameplay
- Addressed various issues with Zursa pathing and behavior.
- Addressed an issue with Chaos Rounds and Frost Vortex unintentionally activating in some cases.
- Addressed an issue where a Skill will be chosen without prompting if the player Exfils with an open Skill choice.
- Addressed an issue where loading into a Glitch Fracture would reduce the amount of ammo held for an Exotic weapon.
- Addressed an issue where Gear Drops would spawn Fears too infrequently, slowing down progression in Operation Broken Mirror.
- Addressed a rare issue with Dr. Falkner getting stuck below the map.
- Addressed some rare cases where the Surveillance control drone could not be interacted with.
UI
- Addressed an issue where “&&1” would appear when a squad member escaped.
- Addressed multiple display issues with the Operations tab on the pause menu.
Stability
- Addressed various stability issues.
MULTIPLAYER
Maps
- Hacienda
- Addressed additional collision in some locations that could allow players to reach unintended areas.
- Raid
- Addressed an issue where there was an invisible vehicle collision on Domination B Point when controlling equipment and scorestreaks.
ZOMBIES
Modes
- Rogue Run
- Addressed an issue where more zombies than intended were spawning on higher rounds.
- Addressed an issue where the screen flash at the end of a round could ignore the Inverted Flash setting.
- Addressed an issue where the weapon firing mode indicator could lose track of the current mode after teleporting.
ENDGAME
Gameplay
- Addressed an issue where a Mega Abomination could spawn as the Cradle Champion during Exfill.
GLOBAL
Gunsmith
- Addressed an issue where the Redwell Shade-X Suppressor would appear locked on some weapons. (Released on Jun 4)
MULTIPLAYER
Maps
- Hacienda
- Addressed collision in some areas that could allow players to reach unintended areas.
Scorestreaks
- Addressed an issue where the Care Package interaction prompt could disappear when an enemy interacts with it.
- Addressed an issue where being eliminated while using the Iron Rain Scorestreak could cause players to lose HUD elements.
Stability
- Added various stability fixes.
ZOMBIES
Maps
- Paradox Junction
- Addressed an issue in Directed Mode where the Death Perception machine marker could point to an area outside the playable space.
- Addressed an issue in Nuked Survival where the cul-de-sac could damage the player as if it were out of bounds after loading a save.
Modes
- Dead Ops Arcade 4
- Addressed an issue where loading a save could reset the round to the first round of the current Arena, resulting in progression issues for subsequent rounds and levels.
Field Upgrades
- Aether Shroud
- Addressed an issue with the Extra Charge Augment where picking up a Full Power while Aether Shroud is active could replenish beyond the maximum of 2 charges.
UI
- Addressed an issue where the featured widget could be difficult to read when the player is not the Party host.
- Addressed an issue where some pop-up messages could be difficult to read.
Stability
- Added various stability fixes.
ENDGAME
Gameplay
- Addressed an issue where resetting a Skill Track and leaving a match on an Operator could prevent the player from leveling up further.
Challenges
- Addressed an issue that prevented the Sentinel Protocol ability from being unlocked when completing the O.S.C.A.R Guild Strike.
The Story So Far
After David Mason is captured by The Guild and Specter Two goes on the offense with their own man on the inside, Karma's Guild-killing virus is finally ready to deploy... but Dorne has one last card to play. A collision of forces at JSOC's secret jungle hideout will determine the shape of the future.
New and Returning Maps
Liminal (6v6, 2v2)
- Descend into a live Guild procedure mid-test, where the patient’s response to the experiment actively rewrites the center of the map. When the subject is calm, a red pillar stands intact on a raised platform; when agitation spikes, it fractures and slams into a crater, throwing up fresh cover and new angles around the impact zone.
Primetime (6v6)
- Let no obstacle stand in your way on Primetime, a new 6v6 Multiplayer map themed around a Japanese game show obstacle course. Battle over speed tracks, Wall Jump across bound pads, and rack up points on the board as Operators weave between supersized crates.
Vertigo (6v6)
- First introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Vertigo returns fully remastered and ready for action in Black Ops 7. The map features a new Japanese setting, though the layout will be familiar to veterans of the original.
New Weapons
KRS-7.62 (Marksman Rifle, Battle Pass)
- Semi-auto marksman rifle. High damage and great mobility, limited by significant first shot recoil.
- Strong and steady, the KRS-7.62 offers a reliable two-hit elimination against unarmored enemies up to 25 meters out, an easy double tap when fighting up close, with a third shot required for more distant targets.
CBRS-3 (SMG, Battle Pass)
- Full-auto submachine gun with a high-capacity, rechambering magazine. Well-rounded with excellent range and recoil.
- With 60 rounds in the base model, the CBRS-3 features the largest magazine in its weapon class, capable of reaching 75 rounds with the Redwell Sprocket Mag.
Grimhawk (Special, Weekly Challenge Reward)
- Full-auto specialized rifle. Fires low-velocity homing rounds that lock onto targets.
- Make the enemy pay for opening fire on your position with this Special Weapon that fires rounds with light homing capabilities against targets shooting their weapons.
VX Compact (Assault Rifle, Event Reward)
- Full-auto assault rifle. Best-in-class rate of fire and excellent handling, offset by lower range and ammo capacity.
- What the VX Compact lacks in damage per shot, it makes up for with a blistering fire rate. At 25 rounds in the base magazine, this weapon chews through its supply fast, though its manageable recoil and minimal muzzle flare make tracking targets seamless.
New Attachments
LTI Stentorian Brake (Most Weapons, Battle Pass)
- Heavy muzzle device to improve Horizontal Recoil and Bullet Deviation with a slight fire rate improvement. Firing with this attachment reveals your position and direction on the mini-map in real time.
M10 Breacher Argus Lever (M10 Breacher, Weekly Challenge Reward)
- Lever-action conversion for the M10 Breacher. Faster fire rate with an improved starting pellet spread that becomes deadly accurate while ADS. Removes weapon charging.
New Scorestreak
Iron Rain (In-Season, Weekly Challenge Reward)
- A high-altitude, player-controlled aircraft that provides a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield, allowing tracking and eliminating enemies from above.
- Enjoy a bird’s-eye view of the action below while using this new medium-cost Scorestreak designed to pummel enemy forces from above. When called in by the enemy, reach for your Launcher or run for cover.
- Overclock Abilities
- Active Camo: Keeps aircraft hidden. Attacking or taking damage temporarily breaks camouflage.
- Tactical Radar: Reveals and pings nearby enemies to allies. Grants bonus Score when marked enemies are eliminated.
New and Returning Multiplayer Modes
Black Ops Classic (Launch)
- Wind back the clock in Black Ops Classic, a new throwback mode inspired by classic Black Ops gameplay. With simplified movement and streamlined Loadouts, this mode focuses on tactical positioning and classic multiplayer fundamentals built on the modern foundation of Black Ops 7. Jump into iconic throwback maps and core modes including Team Deathmatch, Domination, Hardpoint and Kill Confirmed.
- Restrictions: No Overclock Abilities. No Perk Combat Specialty bonus.
- Limited Selection: Scorestreaks, Perks, Lethal, Tactical, Wildcards, Melee Weapon, Field Upgrades.
Blueprint Gun Game (In-Season)
- Every plan needs a good outline. Blueprint Gun Game returns for its Black Ops 7 debut, challenging players to advance through a lineup of Weapon Blueprints. There are no Scorestreaks or Loadouts involved here, just plain old gun skill. Eliminate players with your weapons to advance to the next weapon.
6v6 Gunfight (In-Season)
- Get ready to up the ante as Gunfight returns with a 6v6 spin. Players begin each round with the same predetermined Loadout that changes every two rounds. Health regeneration and respawns are disabled, so make your shots count. If neither team is wiped out in the specified time, the Overtime Flag will spawn; capture it to secure the round win.
Multiplayer Ranked Play: Ranking System Update
Black Ops 7 Ranked Play is getting clearer in Season 04. The SR (Skill Rating) System has been completely overhauled to remove hidden MMR and instead provide full transparency over every single point of earned or lost SR. In Season 04, your SR gains and losses are driven entirely by your visible Rank and your performance relative to the Rank and performance of other players in the match. Outperform players in your Rank or above you and you’ll continue to climb, but struggle to beat players at your Rank or below you, and big SR gains will be harder to come by.
SR Gains after Wins
The following can be awarded after a Ranked Play win:
- Base Win: Earn a flat +20 SR for every win, regardless of your current Rank.
- Scoreboard Bonus: Finish among the top 4 players of the match to earn an SR bonus. The higher your Scoreboard position, the bigger the bonus.
- Opponent Rank Adjustment: Receive an SR Adjustment based on the relative Rank of Opponents beaten compared with your current Rank:
- Outperform opponents that are higher Rank than you, and you’ll receive additional SR bonuses for beating better players.
- However, get beaten by lower-Ranked opponents, and your SR total for the match will be reduced because you were outperformed by weaker opponents.
- Additionally, outperforming lower-Ranked opponents will reduce your SR total for the match because you were expected to perform better than the weaker opponents you beat.
- To maximize your Opponent Rank adjustment and receive big SR gains: prove you belong to a higher Rank by outperforming opponents that are currently in your Rank or are higher Rank than you.
- Opponent Rank Adjustment: Receive an SR Adjustment based on the relative Rank of Opponents beaten compared with your current Rank:
- Underdog Team Bonus: Awarded if you beat a significantly higher-Ranked team, while a Favored Team Penalty is subtracted if the team you beat was lower Rank.
SR Deductions after Losses:
The following SR deductions and adjustments occur after a Ranked Play loss:
- Base Loss: -20 SR is deducted when losing a match in Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Diamond Ranks. This Base Loss amount increases for Crimson Rank and above, so that players are required to consistently exceed expectations of their current Rank to continue to climb into the highest Ranks and the Top 250:
- Crimson Rank: -30 SR per Loss
- 10,000 SR+: -40 SR per Loss
- 12,500 SR+: -50 SR per Loss
- 15,000 SR+: -55 SR per Loss
- 17,500 SR+: -60 SR per Loss
- 20,000 SR+: -65 SR per Loss
- Underdog Team Bonus: Your SR loss for the match is reduced if you lost to a significantly higher-Ranked team. Lose to a lower-Ranked team, and you’ll receive a bigger SR loss via the Favored Team Penalty.
Party Size Restriction Update
Back in Season 02, Black Ops 7 Ranked Play introduced Party Size Restrictions that limited players in Crimson and above to two-player parties. This was done to ensure that parties did not give players in the highest Ranks a competitive advantage. However, we’ve seen consistent feedback from players who feel like the current party rules are too restrictive and have impacted their ability to party up with friends in Ranked.
Season 04 changes the Ranked Play Party Size Restrictions. Crimson players will now be free to form up to four-player parties without size restrictions. Iridescent and Top 250 players will continue to be restricted to two-player parties to ensure that parties do not give players competing for the top Rank a competitive advantage.
Season 04 Ranked Play Rewards
Each season comes with its own seasonal rewards that can only be earned throughout the duration of that season, including the following Weapon Blueprint, Large Decal, Calling Cards, and Weapon Camos:
- Get 10 Wins: Pro Issue MPC-25 SMG Blueprint
- Get 100 Wins: “Ranked Season 04 – 100 Wins” Large Decal
- Reach Silver Rank: “Ranked Season 04 – Silver” Calling Card
- Reach Gold Rank: “Ranked Season 04 – Gold” Calling Card and Weapon Camo
- Reach Platinum Rank: “Ranked Season 04 – Platinum” Calling Card and Weapon Camo
- Reach Diamond Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Diamond” Calling Card and Weapon Camo
- Reach Crimson Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Crimson” Calling Card and Weapon Camo
- Reach Iridescent Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Iridescent” Animated Calling Card and Weapon Camo
- Finish Season 04 at the Top 250 Rank: “Ranked Season 04 — Top 250” Animated Calling Card and Animated Weapon Camo
- Finish Season 04 at the Top 250 #1 Overall: “Ranked Season 04 — Top 250 Champion” Animated Calling Card
New Permanent Zombies Mode: Rogue Run
Drop into a whole new Zombies experience with Rogue Run! This fast-moving roguelite twist on Round-Based Zombies features randomized reward paths, permanent in-mode upgrades, and increasing levels of challenge through five different playlist selections, each with its own rewards.
At the start, begin with a randomly selected Common Rarity Pistol and infinite ammo. The zombies come fast and hard in this mode, so be prepared for a fight. Make it to the end of the round and choose your reward.
Build Your Loadout: After clearing each round, teleport to an area with three different rewards, each presented on a pedestal. Each pedestal draws from a different pool — utility upgrades, weapons, Perks, Field Upgrades, Ammo Mods, and more. Primary Weapons have infinite ammo, but Wonder Weapons and Underbarrels do not.
Claim your reward within the allotted time or it will be chosen for you, then off to the next arena.
Earn Permanent Upgrades: Complete playlist challenges to gain permanent in-match benefits and stronger pedestal reward choices to aid you in future runs. These challenges often require hunting down powerful HVTs.
Included in the possible rewards are permanent Rogue Run upgrades, such as starting with a higher-rarity Pistol, or getting access to Wonder Weapons. These upgrades affect subsequent matches in every playlist within Rogue Run, making it worthwhile to progress in each one.
The Rogue Run playlists are as follows:
- Target: Luci
- Summons volatile attackers that disrupt the fight. Stay mobile or get overwhelmed.
- Rewards:
- “Who’s Keeping Score?” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (complete Round 5)
- Wonder Weapons Rogue Run Reward Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 15)
- Aether Tools Rogue Run Reward Feature and 5,000 XP (defeat Luci)
- Target: Mal
- Drains nearby zombies and resists standard damage. Use elemental damage to turn the horde against it.
- Rewards:
- “Arsenal Accelerator” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (complete Round 5)
- Permanent 4th Rogue Run Reward Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 15)
- “Hidden Power” GobbleGum and 5,000 XP (defeat Mal)
- Target: Mo
- Adapts to your weapons over time. Scavenge new ones to stay effective.
- Rewards:
- “Profit Sharing” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (complete Round 5)
- Pack-a-Punch Crystals Rogue Run Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 15)
- Augments Rogue Run Reward Feature and 5,000 XP (defeat Mo)
- Target: All Targets
- Luci, Mal, and Mo. One run. Good luck. They appear in rounds 20, 30, and 40.
- Rewards:
- “Modified Chaos” GobbleGum and 10,000 XP (defeat 1 HVT in a single run)
- “Perkaholic” GobbleGum and 20,000 XP (defeat 2 HVTs in a single run)
- “Ray to Play” Calling Card and 30,000 XP (defeat all HVTs in a single run)
- Target: Endurance
- Push as far as you can. Every round gets harder, so build smart and survive for as long as possible.
- Rewards:
- Uncommon Starting Pistol Rogue Run Reward Feature and 1,000 XP (complete Round 10)
- Armor Upgrades Rogue Run Reward Feature and 2,500 XP (complete Round 20)
- Rare Starting Pistol Rogue Run Reward Feature and 5,000 XP (complete Round 30)
Adapt on the fly, chase the best rewards, and see how long your squad can outlast the undead.
Zombies Survival Map: Nuked
Take on the undead horde in Hell’s coziest cul-de-sac as the Nuked Survival map arrives in Season 04.
Battle enemies in the street between the iconic Yellow House and Green House. Far from their idyllic presentation in other forms of Nuketown, this neighborhood is tainted with corruption, and the denizens and their Rad-Hounds are anything but friendly.
Survive as long as you can to earn the following rewards:
- “Population: Just You” Animated Emblem and 1,000 XP (complete Round 10).
- “Dead End” Weapon Charm and 2,500 XP (complete Round 25)
- “Time Out” GobbleGum and 5,000 XP (complete Round 50)
Zombies Directed Mode: Totenreich
Get extra guidance for the Main Quest on Totenreich as Season 04 brings Directed Mode to the map, delivering on-screen quest steps and a max round cap of 15.
Explore the ancient fishing village’s dark past under the shadow of giants while battling new enemies, including the undead Viking warrior spirit known as the Necropincer, a trident-wielding adversary with a giant crab claw in place of its left arm. Seek out the Jotunn Star Melee Wonder Weapon to meet the challenge head-on; attack enemies with the mythical lantern to steal their souls, generating power to cast death-dealing fireballs between strikes with the barbed iron chain.
Players who complete Totenreich on Directed Mode will earn the “Dead Man’s Drip” Operator Skin for Weaver, “Totenreich Directed Mode Completion” Calling Card, and 5,000 XP.
New Zombies Mode: Totenreich Starting Room
Make your stand in Eidskallen Landing as Starting Room: Totenreich arrives in Season 04. In Starting Room, all pathways out of the starting area are locked, forcing you to make the most out of the space and resources available to you. With no way out of this old fishing village, it’s time to set the bait and take down as many as you can before a cold death overtakes you. Use the following map items to aid in your pursuit:
Totenreich: Mystery Box, Wallbuy (Coda 9), Ammo Cache, Quick Revive, Rampage Inducer, GobbleGum Machine
Survive as long as you can to earn the following rewards:
- “Flavor Hex” GobbleGum and 1,000 XP (reach Round 10)
- “Cold Reel” Calling Card and 2,500 XP (reach Round 25)
- “Aether Fisher” Calling Card and 5,000 XP (reach Round 50)
Mid-Season Zombies Map: Kowakujō
The Guild strikes back in the final chapter of the story: a Command Node is preventing Karma’s virus from attacking their network. Scour Avalon for enough Mapping Data to locate the Node and take it down.
The push to infiltrate The Guild’s network has hit a snag, and unless Karma and her allies can find their way past the company firewall, their plans will have been in vain.
In Season 04, players must return to Avalon to find the weak link in Guild security, starting with the search for the region’s hidden network hub. Find it, breach the firewall, and gain the permissions needed to successfully access the command center node.
Once you’ve breached the command node, it’s time to crack The Guild’s operations wide open. Enter the ensuing Command Killer Glitch Fracture and complete the mission.
New Endgame Feature: Operator Prestige
Starting with Season 04, Endgame Operators with a maxed-out Combat Rating (CR) will gain the option to enter Operator Prestige 1, starting a whole new leveling journey in exchange for greater power. Entering Prestige discards all equipped Skills, resets the Operator’s CR, discards equipped Field Acquisitions, and resets Loadout weapons to their base rarity.
From this fresh state, redeploy to Avalon and start upping your CR again. With each Prestige, your Operator will earn access to additional skillsets, including:
- Prestige 1: Extra Exotic Skill Slot
- Prestige 2: Extra Nightmare Skill Slot
- Prestige 3: Equip a 4th Skill Track
New Season 04 Endgame Abilities and Skills
New Major Ability: Death Machine
- Deadly machine gun. High damage per shot and large magazine capacity.
Endgame's free-to-play period will extend to the end of Season 05, so bring your friends and jump into all the new content waiting for you in Avalon! If you haven't tried Endgame yet, now's the perfect time to start earning all the Weapon Camos, Operator Skins, and additional rewards the mode has to offer.
New Weekly Challenges
Complete challenges every week of the season to unlock new Loadout items, Camo rewards, and XP. Check the Weekly Challenge menu at the start of Season 04 to see the available rewards and the challenges required to unlock them. Complete any six challenges across any or all of the four supported modes to unlock the weekly reward, including new Attachments plus the devastating Iron Rain Scorestreak, the Grimhawk Special Weapon, the “Unescapable Deep” M8A1 Marksman Rifle Weapon Blueprint, and more.
New Season 04 Events
- Nuked Challenge Event (Zombies-Only, Launch)
- Complete challenges within the new Nuked Survival map in Zombies to earn themed rewards including two new Weapon Camos, a Weapon Charm, and the “Crack in Space” REV-46 SMG Weapon Blueprint.
- Illicit Cargo Camo event (Multiplayer + Zombies + Endgame, In-Season)
- A mercenary will do anything for the right price. Unlock the new VX Compact Assault Rifle and contraband remastered Weapon Camos smuggled in from Black Ops III titles by completing Weapon Class Challenges in Multiplayer, Zombies, and Endgame. And yes, there’s a Mastery Camo for unlocking all eight Camos in the Event across all four modes.
Full Season 04 Breakdown
For a full breakdown of content arriving throughout the season and at Season 04 Reloaded, including Kowakujō, a new Round-Based Zombies map, be sure to check out the Call of Duty Blog. Look below for our Season 04 Patch Notes and stay tuned for further updates right here.
GLOBAL
RICOCHET ANTI-CHEAT
With Season 04 now live, we’re building on our anti-cheat systems to better protect players and ensure fair matches across all platforms. The following security measures are now enabled and actively enforced in-game.
Players who fail Microsoft Azure Attestation (MAA) checks will be placed into a separate matchmaking pool. To access all playlists, players must successfully complete the MAA process. Because the pool of players who haven't passed our attestation checks is small, access is limited to a select set of playlists to help maintain healthy matchmaking.
Players who do not complete attestation will be limited to Nuketown 24/7 in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Battle Royale Casual in Call of Duty: Warzone. This requirement helps protect the integrity of the game and the experience of the broader community.
How it works:
If your PC isn’t compliant, you will receive a notification that your system failed attestation, and matchmaking access will be adjusted accordingly.
If you attempt to play with party members whose PCs aren’t compliant, you will also receive a message that you’ve failed attestation because at least one party member did not meet secure attestation requirements.
To be fully compliant, your system will need:
- TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) enabled
- Secure Boot enabled
For AMD users, versions of AMD’s TPM software in the 3.x.0.x range can return an error during the attestation process, and the fix is to update the system BIOS or firmware.
If you don’t have these features enabled, you will be placed into a separate matchmaking pool. You also won’t be able to match with players whose systems meet our security requirements or with console players.
If you need help updating your settings, visit our Player Support page.
MULTIPLAYER
Modes
Black Ops Classic (New Mode)
Revisit the roots of Black Ops experience with Black Ops Classic, a curated Multiplayer mode focused on the core fundamentals.
- Simplified Gameplay: Movement is streamlined to focus on classic combat, removing advanced mechanics such as sliding, Wall Jumping, and Omnimovement, for a more grounded feel.
- Classic Loadout: Players fight using carefully selected default loadouts and custom loadouts with restrictions, emphasizing essential weapon mastery.
- Old-School Pacing: The mode is designed to deliver a slower and tactical flow.
- Iconic Maps: Battle across throwback maps including Firing Range, Raid, Nuketown, Summit, and more, bringing classic matchups into rotation.
Black Ops Classic is built to capture the nostalgia and the identity of the Black Ops series while offering a distinct way to play within Black Ops 7.
General Playlist Updates
- Blueprint Gun Game - In-Season
- Replaces Gun Game in Party Games tab
- 6v6 Gunfight - In-Season
- Replaces Gunfight in Party Games tab
Weapons
Shotguns
Shotgun Adjustments
SG-12
We are tuning down Dragon’s Breath on the SG-12, as it’s been overperforming and quickly spiking in usage. It will still be an option for stretching the range and improving base damage consistency of the weapon, but its power will be more in line with the default ammo configuration.
12 Gauge Dragon's Breath Adjustment
SG-12: 12 Gauge Dragon's Breath Damage Adjustments
Maximum Damage Range
— Damage —
Base: 40
Pellet: 12
— Range —
0 - 3.8m
— Damage —
Base: 30 ⇩
Pellet: 12
— Range —
0 - 3.8m
Medium Damage Range 1
— Damage —
Base: 32
Pellet: 9
— Range —
3.9 - 17.8m
— Damage —
Base: 19 ⇩
Pellet: 6 ⇩
— Range —
3.9 - 15.2m ⇩
Medium Damage Range 2
— Damage —
Base: 26
Pellet: 4
— Range —
17.9 - 26.7m
— Damage —
Base: 13 ⇩
Pellet: 3 ⇩
— Range —
15.3 - 24.1m ⇩
Minimum Damage Range
— Damage —
Base: 22
Pellet: 3
— Range —
26.8 - 33m
— Damage —
Base: 10 ⇩
Pellet: 3
— Range —
24.2 - 31.1m ⇩
Equipment
Needle Drone
Needle Drone has a low overall pick rate compared to our other Lethals. We’ve increased its agility in manual pilot mode to make it more appealing, and have also increased the boost speed of its boost Overclock.
- Manual pilot mode duration increased from 6 to 7 seconds
- Manual pilot mode pitch speed increased 50 to 60 degrees/sec
- Manual pilot mode yaw speed increased 50 to 60 degrees/sec
- Boost Overclock boost speed increased from 23 to 27 mph
Field Upgrades
Black Hat
Black Hat's pick rate is low despite the frequency of Scorestreaks in our matches. To help incentivize its use as a go-to Scorestreak counter, we've made some targeted improvements to its charge and use time requirements.
- Number of charges to destroy UAV reduced from 2 to 1
- Number of charges to destroy CUAV reduced from 2 to 1
- Black Hat use time to steal Sentry Turret reduced from 1.5 to 0.75 seconds
- Black Hat use time to steal SAM Turret reduced from 1.5 to 0.75 seconds
Scrambler
While Scrambler is intended as an intel-masking device, it is currently also very strong at Score generation. To address this, we've reduced its area of effect radius to be on par with Squad Link and have also reduced its Score bonuses.
- Assist Score event decreased from +15 to +5 score
- Scrambled score event decreased from +15 to +5 score
- Scrambler radius reduced from 650 to 500 inches
Scorestreaks
- Iron Rain (New Scorestreak)
- Take to the skies with Iron Rain, a versatile mid-cost drone that gives you a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield while you drop ordnance onto your enemies. Overclocks conceal the drone with active camo tech or add a sonar pulse to help out your team, depending on which you choose. Get in the remote pilot seat at 825 Score.
Ranks + Prestige
- Players can now see their active 2XP Tokens as well as activate 2XP Tokens on the loading screen while loading into a match.
Stability
- Addressed various stability issues.
ZOMBIES
Maps
- Totenreich
- Gameplay
- Closed an exploit that allowed players to access unintended areas in the Lighthouse.
- Closed an exploit that prevented zombies from attacking players in the Dry Docks area near the Speed Cola machine.
- Added a hidden Random Perk Power-Up.
- Addressed an issue that allowed players to melee with Melee Macchiato while holding the Glocke Drop remote.
- Addressed an issue that allowed multiple players to interact with the medal and simultaneously start the Richtofen quest.
- Addressed an issue where the Flammenfalle trap had extended bullet and equipment collision.
- Addressed an issue where the Dark Flare Field Upgrade could not damage the ice on frozen machines.
- Addressed multiple collision issues.
- Main Quest
- Players will now be removed from the Richtofen Quest if a holdout event is started during the Main Quest.
- Addressed an issue that prevented players from completing the Pack‑a‑Punch Quest if a save was created during the Glocke Drop step.
- Addressed an issue where weapons could clip into the Claw Machine during the Main Quest.
- Addressed an issue where the Siren and NX Ravager could not open the vent for the ARC‑XD during the Main Quest.
- Addressed an issue where the Siren did not display damage numbers when hitting Gjallarfrost.
- Addressed an issue where one of Dravakar’s weak points would not take critical damage.
- Addressed an issue where one of Dravakar’s weak points could appear during the player’s death scene.
- Addressed an issue where High Contrast Mode remained active during the end cutscene after defeating Dravakar.
- Addressed an issue where players could hear the Out‑of‑Bounds warning after selecting Continue following the boss fight.
- Wonder Weapon
- Addressed an issue where using the Jotunn Star to break the ice on the Pack‑a‑Punch machine would disable Pack‑a‑Punch camo.
- Addressed an issue where the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon would sometimes swing at normal speed when using Melee Macchiato with the Expresso Major Augment equipped.
- Addressed an issue where the Jotunn Star’s flame effects became mistimed with its attack when using Melee Macchiato alongside the Expresso Major Augment.
- Addressed an issue that allowed players to use the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon while in Gnome form.
- Addressed an issue where Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon effects could be applied to other weapons after exiting Tyr.
- Addressed an issue where the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon control UI would not appear correctly after reloading a save.
- Addressed an issue where Stamin‑Up equipped with Guns Up prevented players from completing the Jotunn Star Chain Blast attack.
- UI
- Added a mini‑map icon for the Atomkraft Core when dropped on the ground.
- Added a HUD icon to indicate when the player is carrying the Atomkraft Core.
- General
- Addressed an issue where players could become stuck on a white screen when being teleported to Richtofen’s quest after triggering Dark Flare Field Upgrade immediately beforehand.
- Addressed an issue where the boot zombie spawned from fishing would not properly clean up if players used a zipline to a new zone.
- Addressed numerous minor visual issues.
- Gameplay
- Paradox Junction
- Addressed an issue that caused the shells to appear floating while crafting the Sundergat Wonder Weapon.
- Addressed multiple collision issues.
- Addressed numerous minor visual issues.
- Astra Malorum
- Addressed a rare issue where O.S.C.A.R. could become stuck inside the environment in Stargazer’s Courtyard.
- Addressed multiple collision issues.
- Addressed numerous minor visual issues.
- Ashes of the Damned
- Addressed an issue where the Zursa could sometimes get stuck when descending a staircase in Ashwood Bridge.
- Addressed an issue where Ol’ Tessie was not removed from the course track if left there when triggering the ARC‑XD Race remote.
- Addressed a rare issue where one of Klaus’s lines appeared in the subtitles at the start of the match.
- Addressed multiple collision issues.
- Addressed numerous minor visual issues.
Modes
- Survival
- Ashwood
- Closed an exploit spot where zombies could not target the player in Ashwood Bridge.
- Closed an exploit spot near the ascender in Market Square when using Toxic Growth.
- Ashwood
- Directed
- Paradox Junction
- Addressed an issue where the objective marked the incorrect zombie if the Piano Teacher was killed before traveling to the past during the Obtain the Sheet Music step.
- Addressed an issue that caused the prompt to fill the flask to appear even when the flask was already full of acid.
- Paradox Junction
- Cursed
- Updated Relic‑selection logic to prioritize the largest party in the lobby when loading into a level.
- Updated the pause‑screen UI to correctly display the Relics selected during matchmaking for all players.
- Addressed an issue where weapons obtained from Mister Peeks’s Egg Item did not spawn with full ammo.
Weapons
- Addressed an issue where the Siren was not appearing as the Deadliest Weapon in the After Action Report.
- Addressed an issue where the Shadow SK with the 12‑Gauge Masterkey Comb Attachment did not receive the correct ammo from a Wall Buy.
- Addressed an issue where the Sokol 545 LMG with the Samarskiy Overdrive Belt Magazine lost its overheat functionality after Pack‑A‑Punching.
- Addressed an issue where Akimbo weapons did not appear correctly after using a zipline while holding a Support Item.
Perk-a-Colas
- Melee Macchiato
- Addressed an issue where the Barista Brawl Minor Augment did not function correctly in Cursed.
- Stamin-Up
- Addressed an issue where the Hard Target Minor Augment did not function correctly against the Necropincer’s Trident throw.
- Speed Cola
- Increased the speed boost gained from Ammo Surge Major Augment.
- Addressed an issue where the Prestidigitation Minor Augment could trigger on each round loaded into single‑round‑reload weapons.
Support
- War Machine
- Addressed an issue that caused the War Machine to have reserve ammo.
- Ion Core
- Increased direct and max‑health‑based damage and updated radiation blast timing to improve sustained DPS.
- Disciple Injection
- Added a cap to damage dealt by Normal Zombies to ensure consistent duration at higher rounds.
- D.A.W.G.
- Addressed an issue where the resupply prompt appeared at the destroyed D.A.W.G.’s location.
Power-Ups
- Addressed an issue where Power‑Ups sometimes failed to spawn correctly.
Enemies
- Addressed an issue that allowed certain enemy types to shove players too far.
- Addressed an issue where Necropincer’s death displayed incorrect color effects when killed with Surtr’s Ember.
- Addressed an issue where HVT AIs did not display the correct Elite icon.
Challenges
- Addressed an issue where Elite enemy trap kills did not progress challenges.
- Addressed an issue where more Peek Performance Medals could be earned than intended.
- Addressed an issue where certain challenges were not progressing in Cursed.
- Added the Heat Wave Medal: Kill 10+ Zombies rapidly with Wild Fire.
UI
- Addressed an issue where the health bar showed remaining health after the enemy was eliminated.
- Addressed a rare issue where players would see the Robot Controller UI after dying.
Audio
- Addressed issues with various voiceover lines not playing.
- Addressed various subtitle issues.
Stability
- Addressed various stability issues.
ENDGAME
Operations
- Operation Wallbreaker and the Command Killer Glitch Fracture added to Endgame.
- Complete Operation Wallbreaker to unlock the Command Killer Glitch Fracture. Prepare to bear what comes at you.
Gameplay Features
- Operator Prestige: Starting with Season 04, Endgame Operators with a maxed-out Combat Rating will gain the option to enter Operator Prestige 1. Entering Prestige discards all equipped Skills, resets the Operator’s CR, discards equipped Field Acquisitions, and resets Loadout weapons to their base rarity. You can Prestige your Operator a total of 3 times, and each Prestige will let your Operator earn access to more skill slots.
- Prestige 1 : Extra Exotic Skill Slot
- Prestige 2 : Extra Nightmare Skill Slot
- Prestige 3 : Equip a 4th Skill Track.
- Restore Tokens: Starting in Season 04, Restore tokens might appear in loot when playing Endgame.
- Possessed Convoy: A new activity has been added to Endgame. Destroy the Possessed Guild Convoy and eliminate the Zursa.
Skills and Abilities
- Death Machine
- Get your hands on a powerful minigun with high damage, fast fire rate, and a large ammo pool.
- Ability Tuning
- Crash Cart
- Feedback added for allies that receive a buff
- Black Hat
- Some targets will now explode after a successful hack
- Blood Burner
- Slight increase to the active time for the ability
- Supply Link
- Now adds extra ammo to weapon abilities when activated
- Crash Cart
- Skill Tuning
- Nova Strike
- Enemies struck will be shocked at the base level of the skill.
- Dive Bomber
- Increased area of effect, increased damage, and increased stun duration at all levels.
- Shocking Reload
- Improved radius and increased minimum damage. Maximum damage lowered slightly.
- Shattered Shield
- Cooldown added to how often invincibility is triggered.
- Nova Strike
New Exotic Weapons
- Kilonova: Full-auto submachine gun enhanced for mobility and close-quarters power. Affinity for Graviton Rounds.
- Infraradiance: Semi-auto shotgun altered for non-stop assault and aggression. Affinity for Photon Rounds.
Weapon Tuning
With the launch of Season 04 we are making several adjustments to weapons in Endgame. Among the changes are buffs to some of the more specialized and challenging weapons to use, a partial rework to snipers and some of their Exotic Mods, and some launcher class rebalancing.
We have generally avoided nerfing weapon content in Endgame, and we will continue to follow that philosophy. That said, there are a few “meta” weapon strategies that have emerged over the past months and are negatively impacting our ability to introduce new challenges to the mode. While we could tune new content to these outlier weapons, that quickly hurts the viability of dozens of other weapons and builds. And buffing everything else to match the meta would be a monumental task that risks disrupting the rest of the Endgame experience.
For those reasons, the AAROW 109 and XR-3 Ion have been targeted for tuning with this update. More details can be found below. While it wasn’t an easy decision, we feel that they have had ample time to shine and look forward to seeing what new builds take their place. As always, we will be monitoring your feedback and making follow-up adjustments to these and other weapons as needed.
Shotguns
- Dragon’s Breath Ammo
- Addressed an issue that prevented Dragon’s Breath from doing burn damage over time.
Marksman Rifles
Marksman Rifle Adjustments
SWORDFISH A1
Swordfish A1 Endgame Adjustments
- Addressed an issue resulting in higher-than-intended headshot damage prior to Combat Rating 10.
M34 Novaline
The M34 Novaline is receiving an overall damage boost to help it feel more powerful as a slower, precision weapon.
M34 Novaline Endgame Adjustments
- Damage increased by 50%.
SNIPER RIFLES
A few discoveries came up as we investigated adjustments to the XR-3 Ion. The first was that the Sharpshooter Exotic Mod was unintentionally boosting headshot damage in addition to its intended function. The second was that the Explosive Bullet Exotic Mod was disproportionately increasing damage for the XR-3 Ion, given that it fires a three-round burst. We decided to take a more holistic look at snipers as we addressed the XR-3 Ion.
For the Sharpshooter issue, we opted to remove the extra headshot bonus and just bake it into the base power for the three bolt-action rifles. The Shadow SK, with its faster rate of fire, received a partial refund.
We think the Explosive Bullet Mod is fair in its current tuning for the bolt-action snipers, so those weren’t touched. The Shadow SK received a damage cut but remained mostly the same. The XR-3 Ion, of course, took a large damage reduction.
Finally, we made further adjustments to hit location modifiers on the Shadow SK and XR-3 Ion to make them more effective at body shots.
All
- Sharpshooter Mod
- Removed an unintended headshot damage modifier that resulted in an additional 33% damage.
Sniper Rifle Adjustments
Strider 300
Strider 300 Endgame Adjustments
- Headshot damage increased by 33%.
Hawker HX
Haker HX Endgame Adjustments
- Headshot damage increased by 33%.
VS Recon
VS Recon Endgame Adjustments
- Headshot damage increased by 33%.
Shadow SK
Shadow SK Endgame Adjustments
- General Adjustments
- Headshot damage increased by 13%.
- Upper Torso damage increased by 85%.
- Lower Torso damage increased by 97%.
- Explosive Bullets Mod
- Reduced base bullet damage by 36%.
XR-3 Ion
XR-3 Ion Endgame Adjustments
- General Adjustments
- Headshot damage reduced by 36%.
- Neck damage reduced by 25%.
- Upper Torso damage increased by 27%.
- Lower Torso damage increased by 40%.
- Explosive Bullets Mod
- Inner Explosion Damage reduced by 48%.
- Outer Explosion Damage reduced by 45%.
- No longer increases base bullet damage.
- No longer reduces damage range.
PISTOLS
The distinction between primary and secondary weapon is less prevalent in Endgame than in other modes, so we are making some general damage and range improvements to pistols to bring them closer to other classes.
Pistol Adjustments
1911
1911 Endgame Adjustments
- Damage increased by 20% after Combat Rating 10 (does not affect the Grenade Bullets Exotic Mod).
- Damage Range increased by 25% after Combat Rating 10.
- Default Mag Size increased from 18 to 20 after Combat Rating 10.
Jager 45
Jager 45 Endgame Adjustments
- Damage increased by 20% after Combat Rating 10.
- Damage Range increased by 25% after Combat Rating 10.
- Default Mag Size increased from 20 to 30 after Combat Rating 10.
Velox 5.7
Velox 5.7 Endgame Adjustments
- Damage increased by 20% after Combat Rating 10.
- Damage Range increased by 25% after Combat Rating 10.
CODA 9
CODA 9 Endgame Adjustments
- Damage increased by 20% after Combat Rating 10.
- Damage Range increased by 25% after Combat Rating 10.
LAUNCHERS
The AAROW 109 is the O.G. meta weapon in Endgame. For now, we are only going to hit its damage, with the impact damage taking most of the reduction. This should preserve the playstyle that players have come to love, but limit its power.
We decided to improve the damage on the A.R.C. M1 at the same time, so that the two launchers have more distinct roles as AOE vs. direct damage weapons. A small Charge Time improvement will help the A.R.C. M1 feel more responsive, while still preventing it from becoming the same menace that the AAROW 109 was.
Launcher Adjustments
AAROW 109
AAROW 109 Endgame Adjustments
- Direct Impact Damage reduced by 32%.
- Inner Explosion Damage reduced by 12.5% after Combat Rating 10.
A.R.C. M1
A.R.C. M1 Endgame Adjustments
- Direct Impact Damage increased by 36%.
- Charge Time reduced by 25% after Combat Rating 10.
SPECIAL WEAPONS
We’ve taken a first pass at beefing up damage on some of the Special weapons. This is a category that we will continue to keep an eye on for further improvements to power or quality of life.
Special Weapon Adjustments
Siren
Siren Endgame Adjustments
- Damage increased by 50%.
GDL Havoc
GDL Havoc Endgame Adjustments
- Addressed an issue resulting in lower than intended impact damage when hitting an enemy with a grenade after Combat Rating 10.
NX Ravager
NX Ravager Endgame Adjustments
- Damage increased by 26%.
- Reserve ammunition increased by 50% after Combat Rating 10.
- Reload Speed improved by 20% after Combat Rating 10.
MELEE
Knife
- Heavy melee damage increased by 12.5% to better align with other melee weapons.
Bug Fixes
- Fixed an issue where entering the Glitch did not count towards challenges that required players to Escape from Avalon.
- Fixed an issue where players could accidentally spend a Restore token when they did not mean to.
- Addressed rare cases of the Exotic Fabricator spawning on top of players and downing them.
- Addressed an issue where certain skills that could damage enemies would directly reduce the health of armored enemies instead of breaking their armor.
- Fixed an issue where Conductive Shot was not doing the expected damage in some cases.
- Fixed an issue where Conductive Shot was not granting the appropriate Score.
- Fixed an issue where the Aether Blade wouldn’t attack Toxic Growths in the Glitches.
- Fixed an issue where the Hellwing and Nova Strike would not properly apply damage in Glitches.
- Fixed an issue where players sometime take fall damage and enter Last Stand after being ejected from the Blood Burner
Stability
- Various fixes to improve stability.
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*Game features described above are based on current in-development features that are subject to change based on final development changes and/or game tuning or updates that may remove or modify some or all of the above features.