Every RPG fan is guilty of sinking countless Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War's latest undead expansion, Outbreak Zombies. Each map features its single main objective. However, there is the chance four different side missions will appear as players warp between levels.
Outbreak Zombies is groundbreaking. It's the zombie experience players have been waiting for since Call of Duty: World at War. Spread across the Cold War Fireteam maps, Alpine, Ruka, and Golova, Outbreak Zombies will have players searching for high-powered weapons and gear around every corner. They'll get the money they need to upgrade by completing each map's primary objective, but the rewards from completing side missions are unparalleled (in the early stages). This guide will walk players through all four of Outbreak Zombie's side missions. We'll go over how to find them, beat them, and what their rewards are.
Before diving in, it's crucial for players to note that these side missions are not guaranteed to spawn on the map. Players may get lucky early on and find all three. They could also get nothing. It's all up to the RNGs of the game. Once they've got the gear they need (usually after wave 7), players should focus primarily on the main objective as they won't be receiving anything from side missions better than what they already have. They'll ultimately be wasting valuable armor and ammo.
COD Outbreak Zombies: The Golden Loot Chest
The first side mission we'll talk about here is the Golden Loot Chest. The overview map is the worst part of Outbreak Zombies as it's hard to navigate. Players can not mark waypoints on the map itself, so knowing all the symbols and map markers is vital. The Golden Loot Chest is marked by what looks like a bolt of lighting at a glance. Some players have referred to it as a tree. When players approach the loot chest, a massive blue light will shoot down from the sky, like a bolt of lighting. It's for this reason that we'll be sticking with a lighting bolt being the symbol.
Once at the chest, players will be prompted to 'confront the Dark Aether' by interacting with the chest. Doing so will spawn in multiple zombies and elite enemies. Players must eliminate every enemy spawned in by the box to unlock it. The zombies will spawn in a circle around the players, so there's no way of knowing which zombies will spawn where. The best thing players can do is kill all the smaller enemies, like dogs and regular zombies, and then focus their attention on Elites that spawn. On high rounds, players will have Megatons, Krasneies, and powerful Manglers to deal with when attempting the Golden Loot Box.
Upon completing, players will get upgraded tier weapons, a perk can, equipment and salvage. Be fair when it comes to who gets the loot. Don't just charge in and take everything. The same goes for all other challenges as well. The Golden Loot Box is a great way to get free perks early and Wonder Weapons in the late game.
COD Outbreak Zombies: Feed the Dragon
Players will be harnessing their inner Targarion to feed the dragon machine in Outbreak Zombies. The dragon side mission is marked by an encircled dragon head on the map. On approach, players will see a tall machine with two large canisters on each side. A computer on the front will have a dragon head icon on it. Players are prompted to 'start feeding time.' Doing so will spawn a Ring of Fire-like circle around the dragon machine, and an aether dragon head will jut out the top.
The key to the dragon head is to kill zombies when they enter the circle or glow purple. Doing so will cause the bodies to float up to the dragon head, where they'll be devoured. The more zombies the dragon eats, the more the canisters fill. Players will know they've filled the canisters when the horizontal bar at the top is full of pink/purple zombie goop. The dragon machine will lift off into space and leave a loot chest behind, correlating to how full the machine was. Maxing out the machine will reward players with a large or silver loot box. Inside will be high-powered weapons, equipment, salvage, and the occasional perk.
The most important part about the dragon side mission is killing zombies when they're in the circle. Once players have equipped ammo upgrades like Electro-bolt and Brain Rot, killing zombies in the circle will prove difficult. The dragon head is best completed on earlier rounds before players get such upgrades. The loot they'll get from late rounds isn't worth the armor and ammo. They'll also have a hard time maxing out the dragon machine.
COD Outbreak Zombies: Eliminate the HVT
The HVT is the most challenging of the Outbreak Zombies side missions, but it's also the most rewarding. Marked by a cluster of skulls on the map (what some players refer to as 'skull and bones'), this side mission will spawn multiple elites and mini-boss enemies. Players must interact with a radio on the corpse of a fallen Requiem operative to spawn in the HVT nearby. Players will see beams of blue light shooting down from the sky. The HVT will also be marked by the same Skull and Bones marker on the map.
Artillery Strikes will be the team's best friend when taking down the HVTs. They travel in packs and will stay clustered together, long enough for the bombs to drop and deal some serious damage. It won't kill any outright on late rounds, but it'll sure give players a leg up. Players will want to use every tool in their arsenal to take down the HVT. Don't horde killstreaks or lethal equipment because they, 'might need it later.' They need it now.
HVTs will often consist of Megatons which provide the get a Random Perk upgrade along with plenty of salvage, equipment, and points.
Outbreak Zombies: The Screaming Aether Orb
The final side mission is not marked on the map. The Screaming Aether Orb will only appear on the minimap as a rigged circle when players are close by. Shoot the orb to extract vials of essence from it. After enough shots, the orb will start moving in a straight line to a new location. Follow it. It's imperative that players don't lose track of the orb. Repeat this process three times to destroy the orb and gather its loot. The pool often consists of killstreaks and upgraded weapons.
Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Last-Gen
