Cold War · Zombies · 2020
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Cold War rebooted the storyline with the Dark Aether, cross-gen progression, rarity-based weapons, field upgrades, and the large-scale Outbreak mode.
- Released
- Nov 13, 2020
- Developer
- Treyarch
- Mode
- Zombies
- Platforms
- PC, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Black Ops Cold War restarted the story from scratch. Die Maschine reopened Nacht der Untoten’s bunker as the first chapter of the Dark Aether saga — Requiem versus Omega Group — and the round-based line ran through Firebase Z, Mauer der Toten and the Forsaken finale, while Outbreak stretched Zombies across open Ural regions with objectives instead of rounds.
Mechanically it is the modern baseline: custom loadouts, weapon rarity and salvage crafting, armour plates, Field Upgrades and Ammo Mods, permanent Aetherium skill tiers, and the exfil ending that lets a run finish as a win. Nearly everything Black Ops 6 plays like was established here.
Modes
Every way this game lets you play, in the order they became available.
OnslaughtNov 13, 2020
Two players, a multiplayer map, and a Dark Aether Orb that has to be kept fed.
OutbreakFeb 25, 2021
Large-scale objective Zombies across open regions, with vehicles and no round counter.
Quests in order
Main Quests, in the order the maps released.
Story
Dark Aether Story
The rebooted timeline starting with Black Ops Cold War, following the Requiem strike team and the Omega Group as they investigate breaches to the Dark Aether. It continues through Vanguard, MWZ, and Black Ops 6.
Official video
Answers
Frequently asked questions
Which Cold War maps have a Main Quest?
Outbreak, Firebase Z, Forsaken, Outbreak, Die Maschine, Mauer der Toten.
References
- 1.Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War — Call of Duty Wiki — Call of Duty Wiki (Fandom). callofduty.fandom.com · accessed Jul 15, 2026Community-verifiedcorroborate
Last reviewed Jul 15, 2026. Spotted an error? Suggest a correction.