Treyarch and Activision laid out the Black Ops 7 Season 3 roadmap and scheduled the new season to go live on April 2, 2026 at 11 a.m. CT / 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. BST. The plan spans Multiplayer, Zombies, and Endgame and mixes remastered classics, fresh maps, new weapons, scorestreaks, and a mid‑season Reloaded update that will reintroduce Free Run.
Multiplayer: nine maps, a parkour mode, and new scorestreak
Multiplayer receives nine maps in total: four remasters and five originals. Returning maps include Summit (remastered, mid‑season), Plaza (remastered, available at launch), Gridlock (remastered, available at launch), and Hacienda (returning mid‑season). New maps are Beacon (launch, 6v6), Abyss (launch, 6v6/2v2), Mission: Trident (launch Skirmish, 20v20), Onsen (mid‑season, 6v6/2v2), and Ascent (a special map designed for Free Run arriving mid‑season).
Free Run will return to the franchise for the first time since Black Ops 3 as part of the Reloaded update. That mode will task players with racing through obstacle courses that emphasize movement and accuracy on the Ascent special map.
Classic and limited modes are also scheduled: Demolition at launch, with Aim High and Snipers Only arriving later. Two time‑limited modes, Heat Wave Havoc and Freeze Tag, will appear mid‑season.
A new Multiplayer scorestreak named Ion Core will be available as a weekly challenge reward. The Ion Core creates an area denial effect that pulses damaging radiation across a mid‑sized radius, able to damage enemies through cover. Overclock upgrades for the device are Plutonium Core (adds an extra pulse) and Chemical Catalyst (reduces downtime between pulses).
New guns and attachments
Season 3 introduces six weapons and seven attachments that will appear across Battle Pass unlocks, weekly challenges, and mid‑season events:
- MK35 ISR assault rifle (Battle Pass)
- VST SMG (Battle Pass)
- Strider 300 sniper rifle (reward from The Lost Outpost event)
- 1911 pistol (weekly challenges)
- Siren (special weapon, mid‑season event reward)
- Katana (melee, mid‑season event reward)
- VAS Convergence Foregrip (multi‑gun Battle Pass attachment)
- Shadow SK 12‑Gauge Masterkey (weekly challenge)
- X9 Maverick Javelin Assembly (weekly challenge)
- MK.78 Lightframe PDW Conversion (weekly, mid‑season)
- Warden 308 Badlands Pistol Kit (weekly, mid‑season)
- Carbon 57 Fabricator Mag (weekly, mid‑season)
- Ryden 45K Apex Sweeper Rig (weekly, mid‑season)
Ranked Play continues into its second season with Call of Duty League‑style settings and seasonal rewards such as weapon camos, blueprints, and calling cards.
Zombies: new round map, Survival map, and PvPvE mode
On the Zombies side, Season 3 brings a new round‑based map called Totenreich, described as a remote Norwegian fishing town altered by Group 935 experiments; it will arrive during the Reloaded update. A new Survival map named Ashwood goes live at launch and sits inside the Ashes of the Damned central grounds. Players who reach rounds 10, 25, and 50 on Ashwood will earn an animated emblem, a weapon charm, and the Hidden Power GobbleGum in addition to XP.
Paradox Junction gains a Directed Mode that provides on‑screen quest steps and limits the main quest to a 15‑round cap. The map will also be added to Starting Room Mode, which restricts resources at the start in exchange for rewards. Cursed Mode will include the Ashwood Survival map, offering a pistol start and a reduced HUD.
A new PvPvE option called Zombie Battle launches at season start. Four players face each other while contending with waves of zombies and unlocking powerful skills to survive and outlast opponents. The Ion Core will appear in Zombies as a support item, and the 1911 pistol returns with explosive Pack‑a‑Punch functionality. Mid‑season, an Ultra‑Rarity Legacy Weapon will be added to the Mystery Box pool outside of Cursed Mode.
Treyarch previously highlighted a Season 1 Zombies map, Astra Malorum, which illustrates the studio’s ongoing Zombies roadmap and design direction.
Endgame and systems changes
Endgame will be offered free‑to‑play for a limited time so more players can try the mode. Loadouts become Operator‑specific, allowing each character to carry unique weapons, gear, and builds. Progression receives a tune‑up: players will be able to reset Combat Rating and Skill Tracks to experiment with builds, and loss penalties from failed runs will be capped to reduce punitive setbacks.
Season 3 also introduces Operations, a cross‑match objective system. The first Operation, Operation Poison Pill, will reward cosmetics, XP boosts, and items for completing structured challenges. New abilities include the Warband Skill Track to summon allies, a Thermal Spike Major Ability that incinerates enemies, and an Aether Blade Minor Ability that fires a ricocheting projectile.
Events and live content
Planned events include Survivors of Ash (Zombies), The Lost Outpost (across Multiplayer, Zombies, Endgame, and Warzone), the Call of Duty Endowment Navigator Challenge, a dedicated Free Run Event, Ranked Series events, and more additions as the season progresses. Weekly challenges, a refreshed Battle Pass, new operators, and store bundles will roll out over the season.
For the full official rundown, see the BO7 and Warzone Season 3 blog on Call of Duty’s site.
Please share your thoughts in the comments and tell us which map or weapon you’re most looking forward to. Follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
Developed by Treyarch, Raven Software
Embrace the madness.
In Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the most mind-bending Black Ops ever. The year is 2035 and the world is on the brink of chaos, ravaged by violent conflict and psychological warfare following the events of the fan-favorite titles Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 6. Wielding cutting-edge technology, the Black Ops team led by David Mason must fight back against a manipulative enemy who weaponizes fear above all else.
- Genre: Shooter
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One
- Modes: Single player, Multiplayer, Co-operative
- Release: 2025-11-14
- Publisher: Activision
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Age Rating:
ACB MA 15+ / ESRB M
- IGDB Rating: 31.0/100
