Black Ops 7 Zombies drops you into a fractured Dark Aether where timelines collapse and reality breaks apart. You need to know which maps exist, how they connect, and what makes each one unique before you spawn in.
This guide covers every Zombies map in Black Ops 7, from the massive launch experience Ashes of the Damned to the upcoming Season 1 map Astra Malorum. You will learn map layouts, wonder weapon locations, quest steps, and survival strategies for each location.
All Black Ops 7 Zombies Maps
Launch maps, survival variants, and Season 1 content for the Dark Aether saga’s next chapter. Every location where you will fight the undead in 2025.
Complete Map List for Black Ops 7 Zombies
Black Ops 7 launches with three distinct Zombies experiences on November 14, 2025. The main round based map Ashes of the Damned serves as the centerpiece, with Vandorn Farm offering a condensed survival variant and Dead Ops Arcade 4 returning as the arcade mode. Season 1 adds three more maps including the new round based experience Astra Malorum.
Content Release Timeline
Ashes of the Damned – The Launch Mega Map
Ashes of the Damned is the flagship round based Zombies experience for Black Ops 7. This massive map combines multiple time periods and locations bleeding into each other through the fractured Dark Aether. Think Tranzit scale but with modern asset density and none of the technical limitations that plagued the 2012 original.
The map centers around Ol’ Tessie, a mobile fortress vehicle driven by the returning AI character T.E.D.D. This bus successor lets you install Pack-a-Punch directly onto the vehicle and upgrade it with defensive turrets. You navigate between seven distinct zones separated by dangerous Fog areas that punish players who try to travel on foot.
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Necrofluid Gauntlet Quest – Wonder Weapon Guide
The Necrofluid Gauntlet is Ashes of the Damned’s signature Wonder Weapon. This glowing equipment piece fires spike projectiles and uses telekinesis to pull items from a distance. The multi stage quest requires visiting every major zone on the map.
Gauntlet Acquisition Steps
Survival Maps – Condensed High Intensity Variants
Survival maps are standalone versions of Ashes of the Damned’s zones. These smaller experiences strip away complex Easter egg quests and focus purely on endurance. Perfect for quick sessions or practicing specific areas before tackling the main map.
Vandorn Farm
Available at launch. Two farmhouses, one shed, and tight open fields. Turn on power to access Der Wunderfizz upstairs in the main house. Small footprint forces constant movement and precise training patterns.
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⚡Power Switch Required for Perks
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🏠Deadly Indoor Corridors
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🎯Skill Check Map for Movement
Exit 115
Season 1 release. Reba’s Diner and surrounding roadside area. Defensible interior with counter and roof access. Neon aesthetic provides excellent visibility. Music Easter egg retained from main map version.
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🍔Diner Interior Holdout
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💡High Visibility Combat
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🎵Turn to Ashes Song Easter Egg
Zarya Cosmodrome
Season 1 Reloaded. Soviet launch facility with extreme vertical gameplay. Ascenders connect multiple tower levels. Control room offers defendable position. King of the Hill style combat where height advantage is everything.
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🚀Vertical Platform Combat
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📡Control Room Defense Point
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⬆️Ascender Movement Required
Dead Ops Arcade 4 – First Person Arcade Mode
Dead Ops Arcade returns with the biggest change in the mode’s history: a toggleable first person view. You can switch between classic top down and FPV on the fly during matches. This is not just a gimmick. First person excels for boss fights where you need to target specific weak points, while top down remains superior for crowd control and awareness during massive horde waves.
80 Plus Levels: The mode spans over 80 levels across 20 plus dynamic arenas. Each arena introduces unique environmental hazards and enemy patterns.
Core Zombies Systems: Full integration of Ammo Mods, GobbleGums, and Field Upgrades from the main Zombies mode. No longer feels like a disconnected mini game.
New Boss Fight: Papaback boss encounter with multiple phases. Secret treasure rooms with Gold Chests offer loot multipliers if you find them.
Secret Portals: Hidden portals lead to power-up rooms or deadly traps. Map knowledge separates good runs from great ones.
Astra Malorum – Season 1 Round Based Map
Astra Malorum is the first post launch round based map arriving in Season 1. Early leaks and teasers point to a steampunk observatory or Dark Aether space station setting. The name translates to Stars of Evil or Stars of Misfortune, suggesting cosmic horror themes similar to Revelations and Moon from previous games.
One leak describes the map as taking place on top of a floating skull in outer space with observation domes looking out at Jupiter. This extreme setting shift from Ashes of the Damned’s grounded reality collapse suggests the story moves from terrestrial problems to the cosmic source of Dark Aether corruption. Expect low gravity zones, space walk sections, and complex observatory equipment puzzles.
Playable Characters – The Converging Crews
Black Ops 7 Zombies features eight playable characters split between two crews. The Requiem agents from Cold War and Black Ops 6 join forces with the legendary Primis Ultimis crew from the original Aether storyline. This crossover happens because both groups are trapped in the fractured Dark Aether where timelines collapse.
All Playable Characters
Two crews, one mission: escape the Dark Aether
The two crews have tension. Tank Dempsey is described as unpredictable and distrusting of the Requiem agents. His reliable soldier persona erodes in the unfamiliar Dark Aether environment. Dr. Grey’s scientific rationality clashes with Richtofen’s multiverse hardened cynicism.
This friction drives the narrative. Dialogue between crews reveals key information about Project Janus and The Guild antagonist organization. The alliance is necessary but uncomfortable for both sides.
Wonder Weapons and Equipment
Black Ops 7 Zombies includes signature wonder weapons alongside the new Necrofluid Gauntlet. Classic weapons return through the Mystery Box system, while the vehicle Ol’ Tessie functions as mobile equipment you can upgrade throughout matches.
Wonder Weapons Arsenal
Living glowing gauntlet that fires spike projectiles. Telekinesis pulls items from distance and destroys green orbs. Essential for Easter egg progression.
Wonder Vehicle with turrets and defensive systems. Install Pack-a-Punch at Ashwood Blacksmith. Upgrade with Abomination Beam for heavy damage output. T.E.D.D. AI provides tasks for rewards.
Classic splash damage weapon returns. Excellent crowd control with energy projectiles. Self damage risk at close range but unmatched for clearing tight spaces.
Burst fire precision variant of Ray Gun. Higher damage per shot with better accuracy. Penetration allows multi target hits. Less self damage than original.
Enemy Types and Combat Strategies
Ashes of the Damned introduces enemies that disrupt standard Zombies combat patterns. You cannot rely on headshot training and open kiting for every situation. Each enemy type requires specific responses.
Progression and The Endgame Mode
Black Ops 7 uses unified progression across Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies. Experience points earned in any mode contribute to your global rank, weapon levels, and Battle Pass progress. This removes the isolated progression that frustrated players in previous games.
The Endgame mode unlocks after completing all 11 co-op campaign missions. This PVE experience supports 1 to 32 players and fuses Zombies mechanics with DMZ extraction shooter gameplay. You deal with exposure zones, toxin management, and Guild stronghold objectives instead of traditional round survival. Weapon camos unlock across both modes.
Early reports show technical instability with server message overflow issues causing progress loss. The complexity of synchronizing inventory and match data across 32 players and AI creates networking strain. Expect patches to address these problems post launch.
GobbleGums and Customization
GobbleGums return as consumable power-ups that alter match difficulty and provide strategic advantages. The Ultra GobbleGum Pack in the Digital Edition confirms the system. These RNG-based items can drastically change how you approach objectives.
Wonderbar GobbleGum guarantees a Wonder Weapon from the Mystery Box. This lets you skip the complex Necrofluid Gauntlet quest if you prefer to burn a consumable instead. Other GobbleGums likely offer perks like increased damage, free Pack-a-Punch, or temporary invulnerability.
Permanent Unlock Tokens suggest a prestige system where you must re-earn gear after ranking up unless you spend tokens. This creates long term grind for dedicated players chasing max rank and all unlocks.
Music Easter Eggs and Secrets
Exit 115 contains the Turn to Ashes music Easter egg. To activate it, find the black Jeep parked outside Reba’s Diner. Get close to the windshield and interact with the headphones visible in the passenger seat. The song plays for your entire squad once triggered. This interaction often exposes you to zombie attacks so clear the area first.
Other maps likely hide similar musical secrets and intel documents. Haystack interactions at Vandorn Farm drop the Playmates intel after enough searches. These collectibles reward exploration and add narrative depth without blocking main quest progression.
Technical Requirements and Cross-Play
The PC version requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot enabled to combat cheating in cross-play environments. This matters for Zombies because leaderboard integrity depends on preventing exploits. World First Easter egg completions drive massive community engagement and any cheating undermines that prestige.
Console players can switch regions to New Zealand to access the game before their local midnight launch. This region trick emphasizes the global simultaneous nature of the Zombies community. Main Quest steps often go live at specific times like 10:00 AM PT to create unified Easter egg hunts across time zones.
Conclusion
Black Ops 7 Zombies launches with Ashes of the Damned as the centerpiece mega map, Vandorn Farm for quick survival sessions, and Dead Ops Arcade 4 with first person perspective toggle. Season 1 adds the cosmic horror themed Astra Malorum round based map plus Exit 115 and Zarya Cosmodrome survival variants.
The eight character roster merges Requiem and Primis Ultimis crews for the first time. Ol’ Tessie vehicle mechanics and the Necrofluid Gauntlet Wonder Weapon define the new gameplay loop. With unified progression and the experimental Endgame mode, this is the most ambitious Zombies offering at launch in franchise history.
FAQ
How many Zombies maps are in Black Ops 7 at launch
Black Ops 7 launches with three Zombies experiences on November 14, 2025. Ashes of the Damned is the main round based map, Vandorn Farm is the survival variant, and Dead Ops Arcade 4 returns as the arcade mode. Season 1 adds three more maps.
What is the biggest map in BO7 Zombies
Ashes of the Damned is the largest map in Black Ops 7 Zombies. It rivals Tranzit and Terminus in scale with seven distinct zones connected by the Ol’ Tessie vehicle. The Fog areas between zones add to the massive playable space.
How do you get the Necrofluid Gauntlet in Ashes of the Damned
Restore power at Ashwood, Blackwater Lake, and Vandorn Farm. Free Klaus from the Sheriff’s Office then defeat Uber Klaus at Janus Towers. Collect the Aether Barrel from Zarya Cosmodrome. Finally solve the Cellar Box puzzle at the farm using symbols found around the map.
What characters can you play in Black Ops 7 Zombies
Eight characters are playable. The Requiem crew includes Weaver, Dr. Grey, Carver, and Maya. The legacy Primis Ultimis crew brings Tank Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, Takeo Masaki, and Edward Richtofen. Both groups are trapped in the Dark Aether together.
When does Astra Malorum release for BO7 Zombies
Astra Malorum releases during Season 1 in early 2026. This is the first post launch round based map. The steampunk observatory or space station setting shifts from Ashes of the Damned’s terrestrial themes to cosmic horror.
What is Ol’ Tessie in Black Ops 7 Zombies
Ol’ Tessie is the Wonder Vehicle in Ashes of the Damned. The T.E.D.D. AI drives this mobile fortress between zones. You can install Pack-a-Punch on it at Ashwood Blacksmith and upgrade it with turrets and an Abomination Beam for heavy firepower.
Can you play Dead Ops Arcade 4 in first person
Yes, Dead Ops Arcade 4 adds a toggleable first person view. You can switch between classic top down and FPV during matches. First person works better for boss fights while top down remains superior for crowd control and situational awareness.
What are the survival maps in BO7 Zombies
Three survival maps release across launch and Season 1. Vandorn Farm is available at launch. Exit 115 releases with Season 1 start. Zarya Cosmodrome comes in Season 1 Reloaded. All three are condensed versions of Ashes of the Damned zones without complex Easter eggs.
Does Black Ops 7 Zombies have cross-progression
Yes, Black Ops 7 uses unified progression. Experience earned in Zombies contributes to your global rank, weapon levels, and Battle Pass across Campaign, Multiplayer, and Zombies. Weapon camos unlock in all modes once earned.
How do you trigger the music Easter egg in Exit 115
Find the black Jeep parked outside Reba’s Diner at Exit 115. Get close to the windshield and interact with the headphones in the passenger seat. The Turn to Ashes song plays for your entire squad. Clear zombies first as the interaction exposes you to attacks.

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