Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Story in Cold War
How Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War fits the wider Zombies story — the storylines it belongs to and the maps that carry them.
Storyline
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.
- Die MaschineThe Dark Aether saga begins beneath a familiar bunker.2020
- Firebase ZA Vietnam-era base and the RAI K-84 wonder weapon.2021
- OutbreakCold War’s objective-driven Zombies mode across eight large Ural regions.2021
- Mauer der TotenCold-War Berlin, the CRBR-S, and Klaus.2021
- ForsakenA Soviet test site with a fake American town, and the Chrysalax.2021
The Dark Aether story begins (Die Maschine)
1980s
Requiem investigates a Dark Aether breach at the Morasko facility, launching the modern continuity.
The Forsaken is contained — and the Director is unmasked
1984–1985
Requiem lures the Forsaken — the entity that was once Zykov — into containment, ending the Dark Aether crisis it spent the whole war chasing. The reward: the senior staff are arrested on the orders of Requiem’s own unseen Director, revealed as Edward Richtofen.