Call of Duty Zombies Outbreak tips: How to survive and thrive in newest Black Ops mode

Call of Duty Season Two is now live for Black Ops Cold War and Battle Royale spinoff Warzone.

The huge new content update adds a brand new Zombies experience titled Outbreak, which is an objective-based mode where squads of up to four Operators aid Requiem in Operation Threshold.

Set across multiple regions in the Ural Mountains of Russia, Outbreak encourages exploration and risk-taking to maximise the spoils of these zombie-infested territories, with teamwork and coordination being essential to completing your missions and living to tell the tale.

A typical Outbreak mission begins with a Requiem strike team entering via helicopter, armed with a custom starting weapon and Field Upgrade.

A waypoint in the overworld, which also appears on the main map and mini-map, marks the location of Requiem’s primary objective with a star.

So how can brave squads of Operators taking on Operation Threshold complete their objectives and emerge victorious against the undead?

Activision has provided Express Online with some brand new tips and tricks for completing objectives and learning how to come out on top in Outbreak.

Defend…

As part of Requiem’s research on the Dark Aether, they are curious about the genetic code on the infected. With numerous tests failing due to teams being killed or… incomplete samples from the agents who submitted them, your task is to claim a fully intact sample, place it in a device to study, and defend the machine while it uploads data.

Depending on the location of this device, numerous strategies for keeping the device online can be effective, like using vehicles in outdoor locations or mid-range weapons for busier locales.

No matter where the device is, the usually scattered hordes of the undead will undoubtedly funnel in toward the scanning machine, making close-quarters weapons and placeable equipment or Support items solid choices for defending it.

Escort…

Requiem recently developed a fleet of highly advanced, yet highly vulnerable, rovers to help them detect dimensional portals into the Dark Aether.

Your mission is to ensure this rover (with its captured specimen) finds this dimensional portal somewhere in the Outbreak zone and gets through it in one piece. For this experiment, it’s wise to remember back to your security detail training: keep the principal (the rover) at center, move as one unit, and shift to deal with threats as they come.

Retrieve…

Somewhere in the Outbreak zone, there are two Aether harvesting units that have been gathering raw Aetherium from the atmosphere and growing Aetherium Crystals inside its containment canisters. These Aetherium Canisters need to be extracted to a safe location quickly. Fortunately, a nearby set of rockets can carry them away from harm.

For this experiment, agents will need to carry these canisters to the rockets manually for extraction.

Due to their size, they will be unable to use any of their weapons or equipment, and will be slower than usual. However, while carrying the Aetherium Canister, your normal Field Upgrade is replaced with a very powerful one, which can emit a small burst of Aether energy that knocks down nearby zombies – helpful in a pinch if other Operators cannot pick them off.

Eliminate…

Using a GPS satellite tracker, Requiem can pinpoint the exact location of HVTs (high value targets) across dimensions. For this experiment, this tracker is used to find elite enemies, who will phase into existence after their position is compromised.

Here, agents will have to make a strategic decision: dodge the HVT long enough to clear the ensuing wave of enemies, or deal enough damage to the HVT to force it to move to the next wave of the fight, which will wipe out the remaining wave.

Holdout…

A massive, unstable Aether Crystal is emitting alarming amounts of Dark Aether energy, to a point where some researchers reported hearing voices as they approached it. Due to its chaotic nature, destruction is the only option on the table, although attempting to do so will send agents into the Dark Aether itself, where they must hold out against any undead threats until the explosives are triggered.

This experiment will be the most familiar to veteran Requiem agents, as zombies will flow into the confined space where windows can be boarded up for temporary protection. Use your training to survive for as long as the timer states, and use power-ups and boarding up windows to maximise your chances of holding out.

The new Season Two content update is now live in Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.