Forsaken — Black Ops Cold War Zombies Easter Egg Guide

In this guide: full main-quest walkthrough, map layout, recommended loadout, interactive solvers, side Easter eggs & songs, boss strategy · Medium, ~40–65 min.

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Black Ops Cold War · 2020

Forsaken

Forsaken is the last round-based map of Black Ops Cold War and the finale of the Dark Aether saga. Requiem storms the Sanatorium to confront The Forsaken (an Elder God wearing Omega's escaped scientists), fighting through the Anytown simulation to build the Chrysalax and an Aetherium Neutralizer. The main quest, Nowhere but Forwards, ends the storyline that began at Die Maschine.

Released 14 Oct 2021 Wonder Weapon: ChrysalaxBoss: The ForsakenDark Aether finale
MediumEst. time40–65 minPlayers1–4 (solo-capable)Updated15 Jul 2026

Map & Key areas

The map layout first, then the areas worth knowing by name. Map imagery © Activision, self-hosted.

Forsaken — Layout 1
Layout 1
Forsaken — Layout 2
Layout 2

Staging Area

Accelerated opening arena; rounds tick up fast until you charge and use the teleporter. Holds one large Aetherium crystal.

Anytown / Main Street

The simulated town and central hub: the Neutralizer workbench, travel teleporters, shops, and most side quests.

Observation Tower & Bunker

Story button and the route to Pack-a-Punch. Pressing the tower button opposite the bunker teleporter unlocks the Chrysalax and quest events.

Particle Accelerator

Chrysalax assembly bay; the tub takes the three build parts and the ten melee-kill charge.

Fuel Processing

Lockdown room for the Fuel Tank objective.

Containment Zone

Escort endpoint and the arena for the Forsaken boss fight.

Steps at a glance

  1. Final Cold War round-based map; 1-4 players and fully solo-capable.
  2. Main quest is 'Nowhere but Forwards' (in-game objective chain 'Pyrrhic Victory').
  3. Opens with accelerated rounds in the Staging Area until the teleporter is charged.
  4. Wonder Weapon is the Chrysalax, switching between Savager (axe) and Storm (rifle) forms.
  5. Pack-a-Punch upgrades the Chrysalax into the Tenebris.
  6. Build parts: Tempered Crystal Heart, Energetic Geode, Polymorphic Crystal Core.
  7. Finale device is the Aetherium Neutralizer, built from a Fuel Tank, Monitoring Device and Housing Unit.
  8. Neutralizer is escorted down Main Street, refuelled by breaking orange Dark Aether crystals.
  9. The Forsaken has four armour points: both shoulders, lower torso, and head.
  10. Samantha's laser cannons break the armour; charge them by killing inside a glowing ring.
  11. Hidden song is 'Samantha's Ballad', triggered via the Aether Bunny and Bubby.
  12. Activating the Neutralizer is the point of no return — finish everything first.
Don't farm the Staging Area. The opening rounds accelerate on purpose, so charge the teleporter and leave promptly to restore normal pacing before an equipment gap opens up.

Full walkthrough

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1
Spawn / Staging Area

Charge the Staging Area teleporter

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Kill continuously as the rounds accelerate. Once the teleporter is charged, use it to stop the rapid opening pace and drop into the simulation.

  • Rounds ramp up fast — keep killing
  • Teleporter charge fills from kills
  • Use it as soon as it is ready
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Anytown / Main Street

Reach Anytown and repair the Main Street teleporter

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Follow the route out to the Observation Tower exterior and into Anytown. On Main Street, collect the scattered teleporter parts from the immediate storefronts and install them.

  • Parts spawn around the Main Street storefronts
  • Install all parts to repair the teleporter
  • Opens the route toward the tower and bunker
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Observation Tower

Press the Observation Tower button

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Open the route to the tower and Pack-a-Punch, then press the button opposite the bunker teleporter. This unlocks the Chrysalax build and later quest events.

  • Pack-a-Punch is up in the Observation Tower
  • Button sits opposite the bunker teleporter
  • Enables Chrysalax components
4
Around Anytown

Collect the three Chrysalax parts

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Gather all three in any practical order. Burn a Tormentor with the Flamethrower and finish it while alight for the Tempered Crystal Heart; bait an Abomination lightning attack (or Tormentor explosion) into a large crystal for the Energetic Geode; and defend the crystal at Jim's Donuts to earn the Polymorphic Crystal Core.

  • Tempered Crystal Heart — burnt Tormentor kill
  • Energetic Geode — explosion into a large crystal
  • Polymorphic Crystal Core — defend at Jim's Donuts (5 Plaguehounds, 3 Tempests, 2 Mimics)
5
Particle Accelerator

Build the Chrysalax

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Install the Heart, Geode and Core in the accelerator tub, then earn ten melee kills nearby to charge it. Collect the Chrysalax and switch between the Savager axe and Storm firearm forms as needed.

  • Place all three parts in the tub
  • Get 10 melee kills close to the tub
  • Take the Chrysalax (Trials / Mystery Box can also grant it)
6
Fuel Processing

Get the Fuel Tank (Fuel Processing lockdown)

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Activate the console(s) — every player at once, or the single solo interaction — to start the lockdown. Survive until the Fuel Tank can be collected.

  • All players activate a console together
  • Survive the lockdown
  • Collect the Fuel Tank
7
Storage Zone 5, The Amplifier, Staging Area

Gather three Catalyzed Crystal Shards

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At each large crystal, shoot the three orbiting orbs then melee the exposed core with the Chrysalax to drop a Crystal Shard into your tactical slot. Feed the shard into an open Abomination mouth mid-attack (its tail glows red on success), kill that target, and take the Catalyzed Shard. Repeat for all three.

  • Crystal sites: Storage Zone 5 Rooftops, The Amplifier, Staging Area
  • Shoot 3 orbs, then melee the core with the Chrysalax
  • Throw the shard only while a mouth is open — tail glows red
  • Recover all three Catalyzed Shards
8
Grand Prix to TV Store

Get the Monitoring Device (ARC-XD route)

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Equip Dead Wire and get a kill with it beside the Grand Prix arcade cabinet to power it. Use an Arcade Token to drive the ARC-XD to the TV Store; let its pulse open the vent, drive in, wedge between the shelf and wall, and detonate to expose the Monitoring Device.

  • Apply Dead Wire; get a kill by the Grand Prix cabinet
  • Need an Arcade Token to launch the ARC-XD
  • Drive to the TV Store; the pulse opens the vent
  • Detonate at the shelf gap, then collect the Monitoring Device
9
Board Room / Wunderfizz area

Get the Housing Unit (Abomination charge)

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Position an Abomination so its charge line faces the marked wall below the unit. Stand in line, dodge at the last moment, and let it smash the wall to drop the Housing Unit.

  • Find the marked wall by the Board Room / Der Wunderfizz
  • Line up the Abomination charge and dodge late
  • Pick up the fallen Housing Unit
10
Main Street bench (by Tombstone)

Craft and escort the Aetherium Neutralizer

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Assemble the Aetherium Neutralizer from the Fuel Tank, Monitoring Device, Housing Unit and crystal components. Finish all prep first — armour, perks, Pack-a-Punch, ammo, self-revive — then activate it. Stay inside its protective field, and break orange Dark Aether crystals to refuel whenever it stalls, until you reach the Containment Door.

  • Build at the Main Street workbench near Tombstone
  • Activation is the point of no return
  • Stay in the protective field during the escort
  • Break orange crystals to refuel; clear enemies blocking it
  • Use the final buy area at the Containment entrance
11
Containment Zone arena

Defeat The Forsaken

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The boss has four armour points — both shoulders, lower torso, and head. Kill zombies inside the glowing ring beneath Samantha to charge a laser cannon, mount it when she activates it, and hold the beam on the highlighted armour until it shatters. Break either shoulder first, then the other, then the lower torso, then the head (the Chrysalax Storm form also chips them); one charged cannon is worth about a quarter of its health. At zero health a scripted sequence downs the team and rolls the ending — this is the successful finish.

Watch its attacks: the eye beam is a sustained laser — break line of sight; tracking orbs home in — strafe to shake them; electric bolts leave a shock field — move off it; and don't stand in a slow field or next to its ground slam. Armour order & cannon reference.

  • Charge cannons by killing inside the marked circle
  • Order: both shoulders, lower torso, head
  • Dodge the lightning slam; leave frost / blizzard zones
  • Strafe the tracking orbs; break line of sight from the eye laser
  • The scripted team down at zero HP is the ending, not a wipe

The Forsaken — armour order & cannons

Containment Zone boss fight

It only takes health damage once its armour is stripped. Kill zombies in Samantha's glowing ring to charge her; she lights a side laser cannon — mount it and hold the beam on the flashing armour (about a quarter of its health per charge). Break the armour in this order: either shoulder, the other shoulder, the lower torso, then the head.

1234
Break armour in order
1Either shoulder
2The other shoulder
3Lower torso
4Head, then burn its health
Cannon
Charge Sam's ring → mount the lit cannon → hold the beam on the flashing armour.
Attacks → counter
Ground slam: Critical hit at melee range — don't stand next to it.
Eye beam: Sustained laser (damage over time) — break line of sight.
Slow field: A zone that slows you — don't get caught in it.
Tracking orbs: Homing projectiles — strafe and juke to shake them.
Electric bolts: Leave a shock field on impact — move off it.

Side Easter Eggs & extras

Everything beyond the main quest. Tap any entry to open the full how-and-where breakdown.

Song

“Samantha's Ballad”

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With PhD Slider Tier V, long-slide off the Bar, Video Store and Anytown rooftops into the three scorched-asphalt patches to drop the Aether Bunny. Place it in Bubby at Burger Town, survive the ~3-minute defence, then take the cassette.

Reward run

Pizza Delivery

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Use Aether Shroud (Tier III) to slip into Beach Pizza without killing Ronald Raygun, then deliver to the Video Store, Cinema, Bar and Burger Town for rewards — possibly a Ray Gun.

Utility

Free Arcade Token

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Melee the token dispenser in Anytown to bank a token for the Grand Prix and the ARC-XD.

Minigames

Grand Prix

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Spend tokens on the arcade cabinet minigames; secure the area before you commit to a run.

Upgrades

Free rarity challenges

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Weapon-class target challenges can award pistol, sniper or SMG rarity upgrades.

Perks

Perkaholic puzzle

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An advanced Tombstone / spectral ‘Simon Says’ sequence can award all perks — complete it before activating the Neutralizer.

Interactive solvers

Every solver for Forsaken, in the order you meet them. Each also appears inside its step in the walkthrough above — use whichever is handier. Browse every Zombies solver →

The Forsaken — armour order & cannons

Containment Zone boss fight

It only takes health damage once its armour is stripped. Kill zombies in Samantha's glowing ring to charge her; she lights a side laser cannon — mount it and hold the beam on the flashing armour (about a quarter of its health per charge). Break the armour in this order: either shoulder, the other shoulder, the lower torso, then the head.

Field Upgrade reference (Cold War)

Black Ops Cold War introduced Field Upgrades — the tactical ability you charge with kills. Cold War upgraded them through Aetherium Crystal skill tiers (I–V), not the Major/Minor augment system that arrived in Black Ops 6.

Energy Mine

A proximity energy explosion.

Frost Blast

A frost AoE that slows enemies.

Healing Aura

Instant heal beams (also revives teammates in BO6/BO7).

Ring of Fire

A damage-boost ring that also burns enemies (15s).

Aether Shroud

Phase out of enemy detection.

Tesla Storm

Lightning links players, stunning and damaging enemies.

Frenzied Guard

Repair armour and taunt enemies; kills repair your armour.

Toxic Growth

Thorn vines that slow and damage.

Dark Ops & mastery cards (Cold War)

Black Ops Cold War introduced the Zombies ‘Dark Ops’ card system — hidden challenges earnable on any map (plus Dead Ops Arcade). Filter by category.

Another Round? calling card

Another Round?

Dark Ops

Reach Round 100.

Reaper of the Undead calling card

Reaper of the Undead

Dark Ops

Kill 1,000,000 zombies.

Invincible calling card

Invincible

Dark Ops

Reach Round 30 without going down.

Social Distancing calling card

Social Distancing

Dark Ops

Reach Round 20 without taking a hit.

Good Enough calling card

Good Enough

Dark Ops

Reach Round 20 with your starting loadout.

Armed to the Teeth calling card

Armed to the Teeth

Dark Ops

Hold 2 fully-upgraded weapons with ammo mods and 6 active perks.

Box Addict calling card

Box Addict

Dark Ops

Buy every Mystery Box weapon in one game.

Harbinger of Doom calling card

Harbinger of Doom

Dark Ops

Kill 50 enemies with a single Support.

The Anvil calling card

The Anvil

Dark Ops

Exfil a game using only melee attacks.

Evil Unleashed calling card

Evil Unleashed

Dark Ops

Complete any main Easter-egg quest.

King of Silverbacks calling card

King of Silverbacks

Dead Ops Arcade

Reach a cumulative Dead Ops Arcade score of 999,999,999.

Pristine Pelt calling card

Pristine Pelt

Dead Ops Arcade

Beat Mamaback (the DOA final round) without dying.

Dark Ops Master calling card

Dark Ops Master

Mastery

Complete the Dark Ops set.

Animated

Intel

36 pieces — Requiem 15, Omega 13, Maxis 4, Dark Aether 4 — as 11 Audio Logs, 16 Documents and 9 Artifacts. Forsaken has no radio transmissions. Only the audio logs are found in the map (three appear only after a quest step); documents drop from elite enemies and artifacts come from the main quest and the free Chrysalax build. Story/lore only, no gameplay reward.

Audio Logs

Audio Logs 11

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The Zakarpatska Oblast (Requiem)

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Staging Area / spawn — on the white crate against the truck.

For Health (Requiem)

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Anytown — on the bar counter, across from Burger Town.

Russian to Russian (Requiem)

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Bunker — on the floor by the desks in the office past the boardroom, near the Amplifier.

Symbiotic Relationship (Requiem)

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Storage Zone rooftops — on the crates; only spawns after you destroy the purple crystals up there with the Chrysalax.

Deja Vu (Omega)

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Checkpoint — by the security cabin, just after teleporting from the Staging Area.

The Magnificent Two (Omega)

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Fuel Processing — on the ground left of the broken teleporter, under the red overhang.

Fully Operational (Omega)

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Bunker — on the raised platform overlooking the teleporter to the Observation Tower.

The Agreement (Omega)

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TV / Video Store counter; only spawns after you get the Monitoring Device (destroy the ARC-XD car — a main-quest step).

My Control (Maxis)

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Video Store — on the horror-section shelf by a mannequin.

My Orders (Maxis)

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Beach Pizza — on the beam above the counter (above Stamin-Up); shoot it down.

My Choice (Maxis)

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Bunker Particle Accelerator — by the tub of Aether; only spawns after building the free Chrysalax.

Documents

Documents 16

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16 documents — elite drops

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Random drops from elite/mini-boss enemies (Tempests, Manglers, Mimics, Disciples, Krasny Soldat and the Abomination), with some also from the Observation Tower Trial computer. RNG, roughly one or two a game (Requiem ~6, Omega 9, Maxis 1).

Artifacts

Artifacts 9

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9 artifacts — main quest & Chrysalax

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Requiem's five come from main-quest steps (the Chrysalax itself, the Monitoring Device, the Fuel Tank, the Housing Unit and the built Aetherium Neutralizer); the four Dark Aether crystals come from building the free Chrysalax Wonder Weapon.

Visual guides & sources

Screenshots and exact part locations live in these — open one on a second screen.

Part of the Zombies Easter Egg Codex — step-by-step Call of Duty Zombies Easter egg guides for every map. Open Forsaken in the interactive codex for the solvers and map discussion.