The new Zombies storyline in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War has a lot of moving pieces for players to keep track of, from the malevolent Omega Group to returning character Samantha Maxis. While Die Maschine’s easter egg quest served as an introduction to the Dark Aether storyline and the key players within it, Firebase Z is expanding on that story, introducing new characters while simultaneously developing old ones.

As such, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players can expect a quest that is heavy on story, with large bits of dialogue coming from Revenov and Dr. Peck. With the former being Samantha’s contact inside Omega Group and the latter being one of the storyline’s new antagonists, completing tasks for both makes for a unique scenario where players are seeing both sides of the main conflict. With the ultimate goal being to rescue Samantha from the Dark Aether, though, players have the perfect motivation to complete all of the wacky and awesome tasks seen in Firebase Z’s easter egg.

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Step 1: Setup And Serum

cold war firebase z zombies gameplay

First and foremost, players need to follow the instructions given to them for as long as they can. With one of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s most game-changing Zombies features being the HUD directions and mini-map that guide players through the process of activating power, casual players should get through the first step as easy as veteran Zombie slayers. Once power is on and pack-a-punch is available, players need to interact with Dr. Peck, with the villain being found inside Mission Control.

After speaking with Peck, players need to head back to the Village where they spawned into the map. Talking to Ravenov will lead to the character giving players a keycard, which can be used to open three lockers around the map. Inside each locker will be some serum that must be gathered for the next step, with the locker locations being as follows:

  • The first locker is directly across from Ravenov’s area, with players entering the location marked Equipment Storage. The lights on the front of the white object help it stand out from the rest of the items in the area.
  • The second locker can be seen on the bottom floor of the Engineering area of the map, which can be accessed by taking the left path after teleporting into Firebase Z.
  • The third and final locker is found inside the Colonel’s Office area above Juggernog, and it is hard to miss given the fact that the room is so small.

Players then need to take their three vials of serum to the Field Hospital area, which can be found in the same section of the map as the Barracks. Placing the three vials into a small machine near some Zombies intel will see it start to spin, spawning in several Hellhound enemies in the process. Players will need to fight off the Hellhounds for a few moments until the machine stops moving, with the serum device then able to be taken from the machine.

From there, players need to head to the roof above Engineering. To the left of the large spherical structure called the OPC is an AC unit, which players should interact with to place the Serum device. From there, they should return to Dr. Peck to begin the next step.

Step 2: Mimic Collecting And Head Hunting

close up of black ops cold war mimic

After talking to Peck for a while, players will be sent to the Data Center. On the top floor, they can grab an Essence Trapper, with the device used to trap the souls of certain enemy types. Once players have their Trappers equipped, they need to catch three mimic mini bosses. To do this, the mimics need to be weakened until they only have a sliver of health. Once their health is low enough, players need to toss a Trapper on the ground in front of them. The mimics should be stuck in the trapper, and if players double tap the interact button as if they were using C4, they will disappear — signifying that the capture was successful. Each Mimic needs to be brought back to where the Essence Traps were first picked up and inserted into the machine.

Players are trying to capture the memories of Sokolov, Brahms, and Zabim. If the machine reads off a different name, players need to try again with a different Mimic. After these three are caught, Peck will talk to players and they can begin on the next step. Sergei’s head will need to be tracked down, with the item being found in Firebase Z’s Assault Round locations. Randomly spawning in one of these three areas near the spawn points of Zombies, players should search the outskirts as opposed to the trenches when looking for the head. Glowing yellow, it should be easy enough to find, though players can use MrRoflWaffles’ excellent guide as a visual reference if needed.

Once players have the head, they need to bring it back to the Field Hospital. A separate machine from the one used for the Serum can hold the head, with players then needing to secure a Zombie in an Essence Trap. By placing the zombie-filled trap in the machine next to Sergei’s head, it will come to life and charge at the player — shouting a code for a safe in the process (NOTE: this code does not need to be memorized). This safe can be found in the Colonel’s Office that players visited for the serum and will open automatically when interacted with.

After the safe has been opened, players can return to the Essence Trap machine to be given a floppy disk. Players should then head to the Planning Offices location and interact with a machine that holds three green screens, with one displaying a brain. This will unlock the door to the OPC and reveal the anomaly that Samantha Maxis is trapped inside.

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Step 3: R.A.I. K-84 Acquisition And Digging For Cannisters

firebase z wonder weapon cold war zombies

Before players progress any further, now would be a great time to have at least one player acquire Firebase Z’s Wonder Weapon. The R.A.I. K-84 can be built, obtained from trials, dropped from the map’s reward crate easter egg, or obtained from the Mystery Box. With so many methods for getting the powerful Ray Rifle, players should have no trouble securing one, which is good news because it is required for the next step. To begin the digging portion of the quest, players should talk to Peck and Revenov, with the two characters providing the code for the locker right outside Peck’s room.

After opening the locker, players will be able to pick up a new device off the floor in front of it. They will then need to grab a shovel from the Scorched Defense huts outside Peck’s area, and with both items secured, players can collect Aetherium canisters. While players initially thought these would be for elemental R.A.I. K-84 upgrade, they are instead used as an integral part of the easter egg’s finale, and can be found in the following locations:

  • Jungle Defense Canister: Players will be able to hear beeping near the Zombie spawns of the Jungle Defense Assault Round area, and when it gets louder, they should dig up the dirt with a shovel. The first canister will then be revealed, with players needing to fight off waves of Mimics and Manglers while it charges. Once the tough fight is finished, players can pick up the first canister.
  • Open Lot Canister: The next canister can be found in the Open Lot in front of Engineering. After once again listening for the beep, players will be able to dig up a blue canister — that instantly disappears. Several more canisters will appear, with players needing to find and interact with the canister that does not have black smoke on it. Only white smoke is seen on the correct canister, and if the wrong one is selected, players will need to wait until the next wrong to try again. If players choose right, though, they can move on to the final step.
  • Barracks Canister: Right outside the Field Hospital and below the Data Center stairs, Call of Duty Zombies fans will find the last canister to dig up. After following the beeping and revealing a final canister, it will begin teleporting away. Whenever players approach, it will change position, meaning that players need to slow it down to collect it. To do this, shoot the canister with the alternate fire of the R.A.I. K-84. It can then be collected.

With all three canisters collected, players can insert them in the reactors used to activate power (found in Military Command, Mission Control, and Data Center). From there, players can head to the OPC to see the anomaly changing, with Peck revealing that he has the upper hand. After heading to his area and seeing the blinds shut, Requiem leader Weaver guides players to the Planning Offices. Inside the Offices, players can interact with a large flat screen on the wall. Use the D-pad to find a question mark, ignoring the Russian and American flags on the way. Select the question mark to watch the satellites link, with a cool moment playing out as Requiem foils Peck’s plan.

Once the satellite sequence is done, players can interact with the right-hand computer in the OPC room to start the easter egg’s finale.

Step 4: Sam’s Return And The Final Boss

firebase z samantha maxis ending cod zombies

After pressing the OPC computer, Sam returns from the portal, with the Zombies character boasting outfit pieces from the mode’s legendary Primis crew. Sam can be seen wearing the goggles of former protagonist Nikolai Belinski, the watch of Tank Dempsey, and the katana of Takeo Masaki. An awesome callback to the characters that many Zombies fans miss dearly, Sam’s new look is sure to bring about some exciting story discussions in the next map. However, the moment does not last, as the OPC quickly explodes as Sam and Requiem leave the area.

While the cutscene continues as players return to the Village area of the map, the giant Elder God teased in Die Maschine appears in an attempt to stop the characters’ escape. Revealing that the first cutscene was a fakeout ending, players enter a boss fight with Orda, the Elder God fought in the Assault Rounds. Giving the monster some unique, more close-range attacks and throwing hordes of Zombies and mini-bosses at the player, the fight is another challenging one — though it is straightforward. Players need to fill Orda with bullets until it dies, with monkey bombs and decoys being a solid way to keep the regular hordes distracted.

Once Orda’s health is depleted, the boss will fade away and die, allowing Sam and Requiem to escape for real. After a brief bit of dialogue with Revenov, confirming that the character is fully on Sam’s side, Sam gets into a helicopter to fill Weaver in on what she has learned while trapped in the Dark Aether. An epilogue scene shows Kravchenko from the Call of Duty: Black Ops storyline punishing Dr. Peck for his failure, removing his eye in an entertaining moment that gives closure to the map’s story.

With the cutscene finished, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies fans have successfully completed another main quest easter egg.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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