With Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the shooter series brings back a turn-based zombie mode. What you need to know about the mode can be found on MeinMMO.
To ensure that you are perfectly prepared to start the zombie mode on October 25, when the release of CoD Black Ops 6 takes place, we provide you with an overview of the contents in this article.
You will get an overview of:
- the main quest and the new Directed Mode
- the currencies: Essence & Salvage
- gum, field equipment, equipment, ammunition mods, augmentations, and the equipment
The Zombie Mode in Brief
How does the mode work? The zombie mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a classic, turn-based horde mode where you must eliminate waves of zombies and survive. The goal is to survive as many waves as possible.
At launch, you can play the mode on 2 different maps, Liberty Falls and Terminus. A third map is expected to be released by the end of the year. Each map features a main quest that you can complete while playing the mode, and completing it rewards you.
To avoid facing zombies empty-handed, you can equip yourself with firearms and melee weapons. Additionally, you have access to lethal and non-lethal equipment as well as various field equipment in the fight. You can also strengthen yourself with 28 different gums, 5 ammunition mods, 8 perk-a-colas, and 5 field equipment.
Main Quest, Easter Eggs, and Directed Mode
Main Quest: Each map has a main quest that spans several hours. When you complete the main quest of a map, you receive unique rewards that correspond to that specific map. However, your run does not end after completing the main quest. You can fight zombie waves as long as you survive – or until you extract.
Directed Mode: The “Directed Mode” is a new mode for players who are diving into the zombie experience for the first time. This mode is set to be released later in the season. Within the mode, all side quests and Easter eggs are disabled. It primarily serves to guide new players through the main quest under simplified conditions. For example, in Directed Mode, the quest objectives are listed on the side of the screen.
Easter Eggs: Black Ops 6 will allow you to find various Easter eggs and present you with the solutions to different side quests.
Currencies: Essence & Salvage
In the zombie mode of Black Ops 6, you collect 2 currencies while playing: Essence and Salvage. Each currency serves a different purpose and is earned in different ways.
Essence: You receive it in the form of points that you collect by eliminating zombies or find it as vials with Dark Aether Essence. The vials are sometimes dropped by stronger enemies.
Essence is used, for example, to:
- acquire perk-a-colas, weapon upgrades, random weapons, or ammunition during a round
- access target-related devices or open doors
Salvage: You collect it as small, green-bordered scrap piles that are randomly dropped by defeated enemies. In Black Ops 6, there is only one type of salvage. Also, the currency is only collected on a player basis – so you don’t have to worry that your teammates will steal the scrap that belongs to you.
Salvage is used, for example, to:
- access ammunition mods
- increase the rarity of a weapon
- specifically equip tactical, lethal, or support equipment
Loadouts, Perks, and Gums
When assembling your loadouts in the zombie mode, you can carry the following equipment, which you will have with you from the start of your run:
- Primary weapon (assault rifles, etc.)
- Melee weapon
- Field equipment
- Tactical equipment (stun grenades, etc.)
- Lethal equipment (fragmentation grenades, etc.)
- Gum package (contains 5 gums)
During the run, you can use your collected currencies to switch or upgrade your weapons, craft new equipment, or buy perk-a-colas and ammunition mods. Additionally, you can craft support equipment like armor plates or a Hellstorm.
What are Gums? In the zombie mode of Black Ops 6, you have a package with 5 different gums in your loadout that you can consume. Consuming them uses up the gums. Each gum grants you a special effect, such as a weapon upgrade, improved armor, or reviving your teammates. There are a total of 28 different gums in varying rarity levels.
What is Perk-a-Cola? These cola cans are obtained from special vending machines. When you consume such a cola, it grants you a perk like increased health, immunity to status effects, or increased movement or reload speed. At the launch of Black Ops 6, there are 8 different types of perk-colas available.
What are Ammunition Mods? During a run, you can purchase ammunition mods with salvage. These ammunition mods cause your weapons to have a specific effect when you hit an enemy. At launch, there will be 5 different ammunition mods that cause effects such as poison, ice, or fire damage.
If you want to know which gums, perk-a-colas, and ammunition mods are available, you can find a complete list here: CoD Black Ops 6 Zombies: All Gums, Perks, and Ammunition Mods in Overview
Augmentations to Enhance Equipment
What are Augmentations? These are unlockable enhancements that you can assign to your perk-colas, ammunition mods, and field equipment before starting a run. At launch, a total of 108 augmentations will be available to you.
From level 11, you unlock augmentation research and can then select items for which you want to start research. You will then need to collect experience points to unlock the augmentation.
Additional Challenges
To prevent you from getting bored in the zombie mode and to allow you to achieve special goals, Black Ops 6 offers you a variety of challenges.
- Weapon Camos: In zombie mode, you can unlock 4 separate mastery camos.
- Dark Ops: A set of mysterious challenges
- Crosshair Challenges: In Black Ops 6, you can customize your crosshair, and with these challenges, you unlock zombie-specific crosshairs
- Prestige: Black Ops 6 returns to the classic prestige system, allowing you to unlock cosmetic content like operator skins and weapon blueprints.
You can read on MeinMMO how exactly the prestige system of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 works, how you unlock new camos, and other rewards through prestige, and what you generally need to know about the prestige system: CoD Black Ops 6: Prestige System explained – How the multiplayer changes
