Treyarch has finally lifted the curtain on its latest Zombies map for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, "Shattered Veil," and fans are in for a pleasant surprise with an earlier than expected launch.
Initially, the Season 3 content release for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 was pushed back from late March to April 3. However, Activision has now decided to bring the goodies to players a day sooner, on April 2. Those eagerly awaiting the comeback of Verdansk in Call of Duty: Warzone will still have to hold out until April 3, though.
The latest map pushes forward the gripping Dark Aether saga that has captivated players in Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode. The team, having secured the Sentinel Artifact, finds themselves now navigating the eerie confines of a mansion nestled in the secluded woods of West Virginia, not far from Liberty Falls.
Rumor has it, this is the same mansion glimpsed in the initial Liberty Falls cinematic. Within its walls, players will discover new tools like microwave traps to obliterate zombies and the formidable Dark Aether Field Generator, capable of vaporizing the undead using concentrated dark aether energy. Just be cautious not to fall victim to your own creations.
The mansion, complete with a grand display of a full T-Rex skeleton, is merely a slice of what Season 3 has to offer for Zombies fans.
New adversaries such as the Elder Disciple hover menacingly around the expansive estate, enhancing and empowering the nearby zombie horde. These spectral beings can summon additional zombies to strengthen their ranks and mutate ordinary zombies into vicious Doppelghasts or other formidable foes.
Adding to the lethal mix is a new breed of toxic zombies. Players will find the mansion grounds enveloped in a noxious fog, spawning skeletal, green-hue sprinters that explode into harmful acid upon defeat.
On top of this, veterans will welcome back the Double Tap perk-a-cola. This fan-favorite boost from Black Ops 3 makes its return on Shattered Veil and other Zombies maps through the Der Wunderfizz machine.
Here’s what you can expect from Double Tap’s enhancements:
Major Augments:
- Double Jeopardy: Weak zombies may fall instantly when struck.
- Double Impact: Rapid hits to a single target increase damage.
- Double Standard: Non-critical hits deal double damage using regular bullets.
Minor Augments:
- Double Time: Increases rate of fire.
- Double or Nothing: Weapons might deal double damage or none at all.
- Double Play: Quickly dispatching two foes can replenish two bullets, applying to standard bullet weapons.
For firearms enthusiasts, Season 3 introduces two fresh wonder weapons with variants to experiment with. The Ray Gun Mark II, featuring a unique three-round burst, brings new patterns akin to SMGs, potential incendiary effects, melee-style attachments, shotgun-like blast patterns offering temporary invincibility, and a marksman-like pattern for area damage.
The Wunderwaffe DG-2 also returns, delivering chain-lightning assaults that can stun multiple zombies, inflicting extra damage.
Players can gear up with three new Gobblegums, usable across all game maps, each providing advantageous perks for those heat-of-the-moment zombie clashes:
- Tactical Diffusion (Rare): Transforms your next Nuke Power-Up into 2,000 Essence for all.
- Support Group (Legendary): Grants powerful support items like the ARC-XD, Mangler Cannon, Sentry Gun, and Mutant Injection.
- Die Pitched (Whimsical): A comedic touch, giving zombies squeaky voices for a brief period.
The Death Machine scorestreak is also craftable in Zombies, making a comeback for 1750 salvage.
If you’re eager to dive deeper into the Dark Aether narrative but find it challenging, hold tight for the MidSeason refresh, which will introduce the Directed Mode for Shattered Veil. With it, players can expect limited-time specials like Team Cranked mode and the new Frost Blast field upgrade, offering more engaging ways to navigate through the season.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is available on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC via platforms like Steam, Battle.net, the Microsoft Store, and Xbox app. An open invitation awaits players, with a free trial kicking off for Black Ops 6, inclusive of Zombies content, at 9 AM PT on April 2 across all platforms. For those unwilling to wait, Xbox Game Pass offers the opportunity to jump into the action today on PC or Xbox.
