Black Ops Cold War's Outbreak Mode Explained


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More information about the long-rumoured Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Zombies mode Outbreak has been revealed by Treyarch ahead of Season Two.

In an effort to live up to their claim of it being the "Biggest Year" in Call of Duty's History, Treyarch is pushing the boat out and bringing a whole new game mode to the COD Zombies experience.

Outbreak promises to be a game-changing addition to the otherwise, fairly predictable mode. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the February 25th Season Two update.

LATEST - Objectives in Outbreak

As a Zombies experience, Outbreak is objective-driven and does not have a "Round Counter" like standard Call of Duty Zombies maps.

" No matter how a squad gets to the main experiment site, their survival hinges on successfully completing this primary objective. Fail an objective, and your mission is over."

With this in mind, Treyarch has provided us with more information regarding what objectives you'll need to complete in Outbreak.

Unlike Die Maschine and Firebase Z, Outbreak does not appear to have one main series of objectives or an overarching Easter Egg narrative.

Instead, you will have to do one of the following:

  • Defend: Claim a full sample, then protect a machine as it uploads data about the Dark Aether to Reqiuem Base.
  • Escort: Protect a mobile Rover as it searches for a dimensional portal into the Dark Aether, then go through it and survive.
  • Retrieve: Extract Aetherium Crystal Canisters and load them onto ICBM-type missiles scattered around the map.
  • Eliminate: Use GPS tracking to locate an out-of-phase High-Value Target and eliminate them.
  • Holdout: Survive the Dark Aether while timed explosives are set to destroy an unstable Aether Crystal.
Black Ops Cold War Zombies Outbreak Mode Holdout Maxis
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HOLDOUT - Surviving the Dark Aether isn't going to be easy in Outbreak

Whenever you complete one of these five primary objectives in Outbreak, you will be faced with a choice: Exfil or "Infil".

If you choose Exfil, this will play out in a similar way to how Exfil works on Die Maschine or Firebase Z. You will need too get to the Exfil Zone and clear the area for the helicopter.

If you choose "Infil", your squad will travel through an Aether Portal to a new area of the Ural Mountains for a tougher mission than the last.

Each time you move between Outbreak Regions in the Ural Mountains, the reward potential is increased, but so is the lethality of the undead.

No matter which decision your squad makes, however, rewards are saved for every objective completed.

Black Ops Cold War Zombies' Outbreak mode is a risk-reward experience that should keep killing the undead fun for the foreseeable future.

Outbreak In Black Ops

Outbreak is the next chapter in the Dark Aether storyline, following on from Requiem's actions during Firebase Z and the start of it all in Die Maschine.

This mode will take players into the heart of Russia, more-specifically the Ural Mountains, and bring a new wave of challenges and COD Zombies mayhem, unlike any other experience before it!

READ MORE: A New Field Upgrade Is Coming To Black Ops Cold War Zombies In Season Two

Below, we have an excerpt of what to expect from the new mode straight from Call of Duty:

As Requiem continues to fall behind in the arms race against Omega Group, various regions in the Ural Mountains have recently become Dark Aether outbreak sites. With new opportunities to research the Dark Aether and advance Requiem’s agenda, it’s up to you and three fellow agents to complete the deadly experiments that few have survived.
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SURVIVE - You'll need to work with your Squad if you want to succeed n Outbreak

Outbreak takes place across massive open areas throughout the Ural Mountains and features new enemies, team-based objectives, player rewards and a whole load more intel to discover.

"Whether its hunting down elite enemies using a satellite tracker, escorting a Rover that detects dimensional portals, or holding out against zombies in a confined Dark Aether zone, agents of Requiem will need to complete these investigations before they can Exfil… or risk entering a Dark Aether portal to a new region for even more rewards."

More information is due to be dropped in the build-up to the February 25th update.

Outbreak Event In Warzone

We know that Outbreak is coming permanently to Black Ops Cold War, but what about the Outbreak Event that's coming to Warzone at the start of Season Two?

Sadly, we don't know a whole lot about this just yet. As Warzone is being run by Raven Software, not Treyarch, we're expecting a separate announcement nearer the time.

READ MORE: A New Ammo Mod Is Coming To Black Ops Cold War Zombies In Season Two

For now, all we know is what we get from the rumours and leaks. The Call of Duty Blog post detailing all of the above is surprisingly quiet about the Outbreak Event.

Black Ops Cold War Outbreak Warzone Event Ship Port
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VODIANOY - Something's coming to Verdansk in Season Two...

So, for now, the mystery continues. All we know is that there's something "rumbling deep" under Verdansk and the Soviet Ship Vodianoy is landing at the Port.

For more information in the lead up to Season Two, be sure to check out the Call of Duty Blog and Treyarch's social media channels here.

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