Black Ops 6 Zombies release date, maps, gameplay mechanics, Augments and new Wonder Weapons

Round-based Zombies is back for Black Ops 6, with the fan-favourite mode bringing tons of new content, alongside some epic nostalgia.

Activision is doing away with the open-world Zombie experience for Black Ops 6, and is instead bringing back what players always wanted: round-based Zombies.

Call of Duty players got their first taste of Black Ops 6 last month, with the Black Ops 6 beta periods giving players limited access to the multiplayer mode ahead of the game's launch. But, unfortunately, there will be no such beta period for Black Ops 6 Zombies, which, thanks to the current apathetic sentiment towards Warzone, looks to be one of the most exciting additions to a Call of Duty game in years. After a four-year hiatus, Activision is bringing back round-based Zombies, with brand-new maps, gameplay mechanics, Augments and Wonder Weapons, but with plenty of nostalgia thrown in too, as the mode's story continues the narrative from Black Ops Cold War.

One thing is identical, though, with the aim of the game being to survive increasingly difficult zombie hordes, with new enemies, new weapons and power-ups greeting you as you progress in the mode. It sounds simple, but it's anything but!

Here's everything you need to know about Black Ops 6 Zombies, including the release date.

Black Ops 6 Zombies release date

The Black Ops 6 Zombies release date is Friday, October 25 on all platforms. The mode goes live on the Black Ops 6 release date and will be available to play on day one. Call of Duty players are in for a treat this year, with Black Ops 6 set to release two weeks earlier than last year's entry, MW3.

But unlike last year, Black Ops 6 won't be available in early access, with no editions of the game offering early access as a benefit, so October 25 is the earliest anyone can play the game for the first time.

Black Ops 6 Zombies maps

Two brand-new maps are coming to Black Ops 6 at launch – Liberty Falls and Terminus. The former is a town-based map featuring petrol stations, churches, graveyards, bars and an apartment complex, and is the perfect map for beginners to the mode, as it will take a while to get overwhelmed by hordes of enemies due to the map's more open areas, and offers plenty of ways to temporarily escape including side routes, ascenders, and even zip lines.

Terminus is very different and is heavily inspired by some of the maps we enjoyed in Black Ops Cold War, and there's a good reason for that, because the Black Ops 6 story picks up where Cold War left off! It's an abandoned testing facility which, in the inside sections has a big circular area at its heart with various narrow bridges connecting the elevated areas along the side with the central area. Outside, it's bigger than you think, with beaches and open industrial, car park-like areas.

You can check out the Terminus map in the video linked below!

Black Ops 6 Zombies gameplay mechanics

Following the Call of Duty Next 2024 event, Activision confirmed all the new gameplay mechanics coming to Black Ops 6 Zombies in October in a blog post, with all the info as follows:

• Rampage Inducer: The round accelerant is available if you need your zombies extra-focused on devouring you.
• Ammo Caches: Manage your Essence to ensure you can refill your ammunition at any of the Ammo Caches scattered throughout town.
• Barriers: Mow down a few rotting foes to ensure you’re building up your Essence, as it’s the only way to remove the barriers, allowing further exploration. Be a team player, share the purchase of a “door buy” with a fellow teammate. Initial barriers are laser cordons erected by Project Janus. Later into your exploration, locked doors and debris need clearing.
• Crafting Table: Ensure you find all the Crafting Tables, as they’re a great way to craft Tactical, Lethal, and Support Equipment.
• Mutant Injection (Support Scorestreak): Can you visit one of the Crafting Tables and (with enough Salvage) construct an impressively sized syringe enabling you to temporarily transform into a Mangler, replete with arm cannon, blade, and a lax attitude towards wanton destruction? Yes, you can.

• Mystery Boxes: Feeling lucky? Pay Essence and find a random Weapon or Support Equipment here. Note any Weapon you’ve built and saved as a Zombie Build is a possible reward, with an extra Rarity value imbued into it.

• Wall Buy (Weapon): Grab a specific armament off a wall for a modest Essence spend. This is a guaranteed way to get a rarer (and therefore more powerful) version of a specific weapon, and if you learn the weapon a Wall Buy offers, you can build and save a potent Zombie Build of it prior to a match and purchase it right off the wall!

• Ascenders and Ziplines: Traverse Liberty Falls at more than just ground level, as there are numerous Ascenders (vertical) and Ziplines (horizontal) allowing access across the map. All lines lead to the roof of the Liberty Falls Savings & Loans Bank Building, affectionally known as “The Alamo”.

• The Arsenal: “How about you stop wasting my time and start wasting the enemy?” The new-and-improved Arsenal allows you to spend Salvage collected from fallen foes, upgrading your weapon rarity (and damage), and choosing an Ammo Mod (one equippable at a time per weapon).

• Pack-a-Punch Machine: The Pack-a-Punch machine allows three levels of improvement to your weapon’s damage and ammo capacity. In some cases, it might even change how the weapon functions....

• Exfil: Clear a path and mow down the undead standing between you and an extraction. An exfil pilot is on-hand to rescue you or your team when the situation gets too overwhelming.

Wall Buy (Armour)

The only surefire way to acquire additional Armor Plate Levels is to purchase slots from a Wall Buy.

• Level II Armor Vest (Rare)
• Level III Armor Vest (Epic)

Weapon Rarities

• Uncommon (Green): Tier 2 Damage
• Rare (Blue): Tier 3 Damage
• Epic (Purple): Tier 4 Damage
• Legendary (Orange): Tier 5 Damage

Ammo Mods

• Napalm Burst (Fire)
• Dead Wire (Electric)
• Cryo Freeze (Frost)
• Brain Rot (Toxic)
• Shadow Rift (Shadow)

Black Ops 6 Zombies Augments

Augments are all about customising your experience in Black Ops 6, as they offer permanent gameplay advantages you can apply to every Perk-a-Cola, Ammo Mod, and Field Upgrade, which you can invest in between matches to make your character the ultimate Zombie fighting machine!

There will be over 100 Augments available to unlock and equip at launch, which are split between Perk-a-Colas, Ammo Mods and Field Upgrades, with players able to select a Major Augment and Minor Augment for each! Major Augments offer a significant advantage to the behaviour of the item, with the Minor Augment offering a limited advantage.

Here's the full list of Augments coming for launch:

Perk-a-Colas

• Jugger-Nog: Increase maximum health by 100.
• Quick Revive: Reduce the health regen delay time by 50%. Reduce the time it takes to revive an ally by 50%.
• Speed Cola: Increase reload and armour replating speed bonus by 30%.
• Stamin-Up: Increase movement speed.
• PhD Flopper: Immunity to all self-inflicted damage and status effects. Dive to prone triggers an explosion, which increases the higher you fall. Immunity from fall damage while diving to prone.
• Deadshot Daiquiri: Aiming down sight moves to enemy critical location. Increase enemy critical damage.
• Elemental Pop: Every bullet you fire has a small chance to apply a random Ammo Mod effect.
• Melee Macchiato: Replace weapon gun butt with a deadly punch that sends enemies flying.

Ammo Mods

• Brain Rot: Bullets deal toxic damage. Each bullet has the chance to turn a Normal or Special enemy into an ally.
• Cryo Freeze: Bullets deal frost damage. Each bullet has a chance to slow Normal or Special enemies.
• Dead Wire: Bullets deal electrical damage. Each bullet has a chance to stun any Normal and Special enemy, generating a field that deals electric damage to nearby enemies.
• Napalm Burst: Bullets deal fire damage. Each bullet has a chance to ignite Normal and Special enemies.
• Shadow Rift: Bullets deal shadow damage. Each bullet has a chance to spawn a black hole if striking Normal or Special enemies, warping nearby zombies away and dropping some from the air at high speed.

Field Upgrades

• Aether Shroud: Phase into the Dark Aether, becoming hidden from enemy detection.
• Frenzied Guard: Repair armour and force all enemies in the area to target you. During this time, kills repair a portion of your armour.
• Healing Aura: Summons beams of energy down on yourself and allies to instantly revive and heal to full health.
• Energy Mine: Create a mine of pure energy that detonates in rapid succession, dealing lethal electric damage.
• Dark Flare (new): You generate a massive energy beam that deals lethal shadow damage. The beam penetrates everything in its path.

Black Ops 6 Zombies Wonder Weapons

Wonder Weapons are exactly what you think they are, Incredibly rare and powerful prototype-style weapons that deal exceptional amounts of damage to any enemy you come up against, whether it's a regular zombie or an Abomination. Here's every Wonder Weapon confirmed for Black Ops 6 Zombies, so far anyway.

Ray Gun (all maps)

The legendary Ray Gun returns! It's got a big visual makeover for Black Ops 6 Zombies, but it still packs the same devastating punch as it always has. Firing the weapon will generate a powerful ray of energy that cuts through most enemies with ease.

Thrustodyne Model 23 (Liberty Falls)

Players who remember Black Ops 2 will be very familiar with this Wonder Weapon, but it's been given some big upgrades for Black Ops 6! Unlike the previous version, which tended to break after extended use, this one has an overheating mechanic instead.

For Black Ops 6 Zombies, the Thrustodyne Model 23 sucks any nearby zombies into its rotors before firing them out of the back, ripping them to shreds. And, as a secondary fire, purposefully overheating the weapon will launch a huge energy blast, decimating all zombies in a specific area.

Beamsmasher (Terminus)

Although this weapon is similar in size and shape to a light machine gun, don't get it wrong, this weapon is the business. The Beamsmasher has two firing modes, with its primary mode firing a solid beam of Aetheric energy, which is so powerful that it simply vaporises enemies on contact. But, the longer you fire the weapon, the more ungainly it becomes to wield.

With Warzone becoming more predictable every year, the return of round-based Zombies is a breath of fresh air, and might well be Black Ops 6's most popular mode, particularly for returning players!