Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is bringing the series' largest round-based Zombies arena yet, Activision has announced. Called Ashes of the Damned, the map's scale nods to fan nostalgia while setting up new systems that aim to refresh the classic Zombies gameplay, making Black Ops 7's take on the mode feel distinctive.
The latest iteration of Call of Duty: Next kicked off earlier today, September 30. The event yielded plenty of new information about Black Ops 7, including a deep dive into its Zombies mode.
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Ashes of the Damned Marks New Ground for Call of Duty Zombies
The September 30 showcase served as a detailed introduction to Ashes of the Damned, the first-ever Call of Duty map set entirely inside the Dark Aether dimension. Connecting multiple large zones via lethal roadways, Ashes of the Damned is described as the largest round-based Zombies map in the history of Call of Duty, with Treyarch referring to it as a "Bermuda Triangle"-style mixture of various locations that were pulled in from all over. Black Ops 7 players will get to traverse it in Ol' Tessie, an upgradeable Wonder Vehicle steered by a volatile T.E.D.D. The event also showcased the Necrofluid Gauntlet, a new Wonder Weapon that hardens a mysterious fluid into ranged spikes and can even reel in items.
Black Ops 7 Zombies Features Old Survival Maps and New Story
The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies mode will feature Survival maps, which are returning to the franchise for the first time in over a decade, having last been seen in the 2012 Black Ops 2. As is to be expected from a direct sequel, the upcoming first-person shooter will serve as a direct continuation of the Zombies storyline from Black Ops 6. Activision teased encounters with alternate-dimension versions of the original Zombies crew: Dempsey, Richtofen, Takeo, and Nikolai.
Apart from Survival, the day-one version of Black Ops 7 Zombies will also offer Standard and Cursed modes, alongside Dead Ops Arcade 4. Of those, Cursed promises a particularly challenging experience, forcing players to start with just a pistol, while also omitting the minimap. Its Black Ops 3-inspired points system will tie into unlockable Relics for added constraints and rewards.
Black Ops 7 Zombies Beta Starting Soon
Fans will be able to get a preview of some of the newly teased features as part of the standalone beta for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies, which is scheduled to kick off on October 2, at 10am PT / 1pm ET / 7pm CET. The early access period will only be available to players who pre-order either edition of the upcoming FPS, and will run until October 5. That's the date when the Black Ops 7 Zombies beta is expanding to everyone in a bid to stress-test the game's server infrastructure ahead of release. The open beta period will run for 72 hours, until October 8 at 10am PT. Only the Vandorn Farm Survival map will be available during the test. Black Ops 7 will launch for PC and consoles on November 14.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 66 /100 Critics Rec: 34%
- Released
- November 14, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
