In the mid-season update for Call of Duty®: Black Ops 6, the French Syndicate continue their operation to overthrow the Luttazzi Crime Family with assistance from Sevati “Sev” Dumas and other Rogue Black Ops Operators seeking to expel the group from Avalon. If the mission is successful, the French Syndicate can next turn their muscle against Pantheon.

Now’s the time to complete the heist, getting rid of the Luttazzis for good. Do it all with a smile as the mid-season also celebrates the holiday season with the return of CODMAS, featuring Nuketown Holiday and limited time modes (LTMs) like Ran-Snack, Infectious Holiday, Slay Ride Resurgence, and more.

Meanwhile, you’ll encounter old allies and investigate new haunts in Zombies, uncovering powerful new weapons and heretical adversaries in Citadelle des Morts!

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 01 Reloaded arrives imminently, on Thursday, December 5 at 9AM PT.

One of Avalon’s oldest landmarks, the Citadel is shunned by locals both for its sinister history and because it is a base of operations for the crime family known as the French Syndicate. The castle was established in the 1100s on the site of a leper colony, and construction was completed a century later. In the 1300s, the renegade knight Guy de Saint Michel and his four enforcers took over the fortress and instituted a criminal reign of terror that birthed the Syndicate.

Having withstood medieval sieges and two world wars, the castle’s prominence waned as modern-day Avalon grew and prospered. Now it is closed to the public, housing a Syndicate crew led by a man named Franco whose dealings with Project Janus have brought a dark disaster upon a place already soaked in blood.

Welcome to Citadelle des Morts.

After the events of Terminus, Weaver, Maya, Carver, and Grey—along with Peck, Raptor One, and Strauss—embark on an expedition to the European principality of Avalon, hoping to rendezvous and ally with a luminary named Gabriel Krafft. There the Operators hope to learn more about an ancient relic known as the “Sentinel Artifact,” which in turn, when its power is harnessed, may be able to save Samantha Maxis from her aethereal imprisonment.

It is an overcast Avalon dawn. A light mist rises from the wet ground, as the crew arrives at the site of the derelict castle. A reunion with an old colleague provides confirmation that S.A.M.'s intel was sound, and that Franco—a local French Syndicate Crime Boss and the focus of Maya's revenge—is on site, with Krafft as his hostage.

Unfortunately, there’s very little time for catching up. Dimensional breaches start to form around the citadel, and a major zombie outbreak threatens to overwhelm and devour the entire team.

This brand-new Zombies map experience launches at the start of Season 01 Reloaded, on Thursday, December 5, at 9AM PT.
“It is good to see you, my friend. You remind me of the purpose I once had.” – Ravenov

Away from the carnage are your Handlers; expect radio contact with Peck, the newest member of the team (Sergei Ravenov), and S.A.M. Raptor One and Oskar Strauss stand ready to provide Exfil services, just so long as Strauss’s incessant fiddling with the helicopter’s instrumentation panels doesn’t kill them both.
Before learning of the new ways you can defeat the zombie hordes, it is worth gaining some perspective regarding the history of this place. The Citadel has had many names and roles over many lifetimes:

750 A.D. Abbaye des Oubliés

Earliest records show construction of “The Abbey of the Forgotten.” Serving as a leprosarium—or leper colony—with those afflicted by the horrific disease being cared for by a Benedictine monastic order.

1137 – 1220 A.D. Citadelle de la Reine

Adelaide of Murienne (1092–1154), Queen of France and widow of the recently-deceased Louis VI, begins construction of a keep on the site of the Abbey, which had suffered its first abandonment—after the infamous “leper revolt”—in the preceding decades. At the base of the rock outcropping that the keep sits on, a village to house the hundreds of artisans working on the project begins to take shape. Most of the building materials are scavenged from the structure of the old Abbey. Construction concludes in 1220.

1314 A.D. Relique des Templiers

Jacques du Molay, the last Grandmaster of the Knights Templar, is burned at the stake for heresy in Paris. Surviving members of the order scramble to hide relics gathered during the Crusades. A lone knight rides south, carrying [[REDACTED]], once owned by Abdul [[REDACTED]], said to be able to [[REDACTED]] and even capable of [[REDACTED]] itself! Once at the keep, using a ritual learned from [[REDACTED]] [[REDACTED]], he [[REDACTED]], and Guy de Saint Michel along with his four enforcers ruled [[REDACTED]], the descendants now [[REDACTED]] [[REDACTED]].

Obviously, such [[REDACTED]] is considered apocryphal.

1533 A.D. Nouveau Propriétaire

After Avalon is declared a free state by Papal order, the entire principality is granted to a powerful family now known as the French Syndicate.

1939-1945 A.D. Tombeau des Templiers

Though Avalon stayed neutral during World War II, the Citadelle itself suffered several hits by off-target bombers over the course of the conflict, inflicting major damage to many internal chambers.

Current Day. Citadelle des Morts

Nowadays, the abandoned Citadelle is mostly used by the French Syndicate. A convenient location to make inconvenient problems disappear, and enough off the beaten track to serve as a depot for their illicit smuggling and narcotic manufacturing activities.
A recent initial survey of the fortification and its vicinity reveals the first details regarding possible exploration choices. What additional secrets could this castle contain?
The central hub of the fortified village sitting below the main castle parapets, this square—which appears to have suffered recent damage centered around a vehicle fire—is dominated by a fountain with a large and imposing stone statue. To the southeast is an impressive example of a medieval bell tower, and a portcullis gate on opposing walls offer two ways to explore further. Directly across is access to the Tavern.
From casks of ale to expensive bottles of rouge and blanc wines, Le Maison de Macon (Mason’s House) used to offer a tranquil and authentic pub experience. Inside, the L-shaped ground floor features a banquet table, impressively large wooden bar, plenty of booth and table seating, and a mezzanine games room with a pool table. The restrooms are most definitely out of order.
Shafts of sunlight are beginning to pierce the fog-filled alleyways of the village, casting light on the vile aftermath of a zombie incursion. Blood seeps into the cobblestone streets, and the main path ascends from the lower gate to a small forecourt and well (it may be pointless wishing for good luck).
Open the western gate, and an alternate path to the ramparts can be ascended, though there’s nothing natural about the inhabitants encroaching on this farmyard trail. Pass the ruins of a tower, and a stone barn and stables, the animals long-since bolted. Climb past the tiered stone buttress walls to the Hilltop, offering once-idyllic, now horrific views of the castle, surrounding fields, and encroaching shamblers.
Ivy snakes around the grand entrance edifices, and the interior of the keep seems firmly sealed. Explore either of the ramparts before venturing onto the outer battlements of the castle. It’s here you’ll discover an ornate and fearsome cannon, sculpted into the head of a roaring lion.
Entering the citadel, an imposing, cathedral-like entrance vestibule beckons, once resplendent with tapestries and torches, now only crumbling walls and graffiti-daubed alcoves remain. A central stone staircase leads to a carved dragon bust, under what was once the castle’s coat of arms. Both petroleum lamps and construction floodlights bathe the hall in an eerie glow and hint at the horrors ahead.
Another impressively sized room within the citadel, the interior walls are seemingly unstable and held together by scaffold poles and luck. Past the perimeter torches, the chamber shows evidence of recent activity with bunk beds and desks sitting next to an ancient wood-carved fireplace.
Ideally any feasting going on in this derelict chamber won’t feature your own entrails as the main course, though there are many nooks, balconies, and entrances to be caught unawares during an undead ambush. The Main Hall remains an imposing chamber to explore, despite the complete collapse of its ceiling – likely caused by the unexploded WW2 bomb – that now protrudes from the pile of rubble at its center.
In the deepest, darkest levels of this fortress is a place of torture, and the surgical blades, thick chains, car batteries, lump hammers, and chairs with restraint harnesses suggest this despicable practice has continued into modern times. The French Syndicate have a rudimentary communications set up here along with generators and a basic bookkeeping desk. Perhaps they’re logging the prisoners kept in the filthy jail cells that span the outer walls of this disturbing place.
A vaulted ceiling in the subterranean cellars of the castle is leaking what you hope is just rainwater, partially flooding the lowest levels of the place, and this crypt is perhaps a location one doesn’t linger at for long. Old paintings, strange statuary, stacked gravestones, and an impromptu game of chess, now fully concluded if the state of the players is anything to go by.

Deeper still within the Dungeon lie secrets better left forgotten. A lower dungeon—or Oubliette—provides damp and damning discoveries, and the earthen-floored chamber contains shelves of chemicals, barrels of hazardous materials, and a table where illicit drug manufacturing appears to be under way.
Roughly translated as double horror from the original German and old English respectively, these tormented ghouls are pale imitations of something that looks human but most certainly isn’t, not least because the entity sports two screaming skulls, rotting flesh stretched across each of them, seared into a sinewy and pockmarked torso of pallid gray skin, tendrils and protruding entrails.

Serving as the next stage in the evolutionary chain of Dark Aether metamorphosis, Doppelghasts are violent and display erratic and unsettling movement, as if each head is independently fighting for control of its body. It lurches, randomly knots itself up to perform fast and unexpected maneuvers and tends to outrun its lesser brethren using its powerful, elongated feet.

Though hunched and twisted, Doppelghasts are still one-and-a-half times as tall as most humans. They prefer to launch from the shadows or emerge from a horde of lesser undead. It is wise not to underestimate the creature’s abilities when cornered. Aside from rapid melee strikes, where it lashes out with its many tendrils and appendages, it can burst forth an array of sharp, bloody needles to disrupt incoming attacks. If they pierce flesh, the needles cause not only lacerating damage but attack the target’s nervous system, leading to hallucinations.

Should a weak point be discovered and a Doppelghast finally succumbs, you may want to stand back as the final explosion of blood and gore is as revolting as it is spectacular.
The packs of lesser undead roaming the environment are mainly comprised of local townsfolk, farmers, and laborers, now in various stages of decomposition, with tougher enemies occasionally sporting French Syndicate insignia on their blood-soaked attire.

Additional entities observed within the vicinity of the castle include scuttling Vermin, airborne Parasites, and grotesque appendage-flailing behemoths known as Amalgams.
While its exact nature is shrouded in mystery, it appears that four powerful elemental weapons may be forged from a claymore known as The Bastard Sword through unknown means.

The Bastard Sword itself is a formidable melee weapon, splitting the filth-filled undead into cleaved chunks with a devastating slash, along with a defensive parry, particularly useful when blocking incoming projectiles. However, this claymore can be transformed into one of four elemental Wonder Weapons, each with a unique and devastating special attack, as well as a passive effect that is powered up over time:

Create a fiery maelstrom of burning undead flesh, setting zombies alight and summoning an immense fireball.
Summon thunderous power from the skies, discharging voltaic power to stun and stagger, before an electrical beam serves up a severe searing.
Cast your rotting foes into the Aetherial abyss, warping nearby enemies with a focused liminal tear.
The warmth of Light courses through you as you send foes screaming into darkness.
Main Quest Active and Quest Rewards: The Main Quest for Citadelle des Morts will be live at the same time as the map launches, on December 5. Complete the Main Quest successfully, and your rewards include the “Jackknife” Operator Skin for Weaver, 5,000 XP, and a unique Calling Card only available by completing the Quest before Directed Mode is released for Citadelle des Morts!

Oil Trap: A medieval method of dissuading attackers storming the outer parapets, overturning huge vats of boiling oil atop a battlement onto a horde of advancing zombies has the exact same end results, made even more potent if a Molotov Cocktail is thrown into the mix…

The Lion Cannon: A giant, ornate bronze lion cannon on a large rotating cog platform dominates the outer battlements of the fortress and provides a spectacular means to enter the keep. What would happen if you climbed inside it?

Syndicate Loot Crates: Evidence of the presence of this group can be seen as you explore the citadel, as they’ve marked some specific crates for their own uses. Those of an inquisitive nature may wish to investigate.

Points of Power: Strange, metallic manhole covers have been discovered in various locations across the map, but none of them seem to lead to any kind of sewer system. Instead, they appear to have another, perhaps otherworldly use…

Additional: Expect a fresh selection of Calling Card Challenges, including Dark Ops Challenges, as well as Intel in the form of Audio Logs, Documents, and Artifacts to discover, throughout your exploration of the Citadelle des Morts.
The following items are also available during the Citadelle des Morts mission, as well as on Terminus and Liberty Falls.
Available: In-Game at Perk Machine

Available for the first time since Black Ops II, consume a can of Vulture Aid Elixir once you find the monstrous avian sculpture of a Perk-A-Cola machine, and you’ll discover an increase in the variety of loot dropped from enemies. Additional loot takes the form of Essence Vials and small Ammo drops. This is only available (and visible) to the player with Vulture Aid active. Then unlock the full power of the Perk by ensuring Augments are added!

• Vulture Aid is available on Citadelle des Morts, along with the eight previously accessible Zombies Perks. Note that some of these eight Perks are only available via a Der Wunderfizz machine.
• Vulture Aid is available on Liberty Falls and Terminus maps via the Der Wunderfizz machine.

The following Augments for Vulture Aid are available, once researched.

Fetid Upgr-aid

On death, zombies have a chance to create a gas cloud that charges your Field Upgrade.

Smell of Death

On death, zombies have a chance to create a gas cloud that conceals you while standing in it.

Parting Gift

Vulture Aid ammo drops give more ammo to Wonder Weapons.
Condor’s Reach

Auto-pickup loot from farther away.

Carrion Luggage

Critical kills have a chance to drop extra Salvage.

Picky Eater

On death, zombies have a higher chance of dropping your current equipment.
Available: Unlocked reward as part of the Merry Mayhem Event

Bullets deal Light (i.e. elemental) damage. Each bullet has a chance to transform a normal or Special enemy’s health into a healing glyph that moves to nearby injured allies.

• This Ammo Mod can be used in all three Zombies maps along with the previously accessible Ammo Mods, assuming it is chosen at an Arsenal Machine.

Antibiotic

The healing glyph now damages enemies that touch it, but its lifetime is reduced.

Big Game

Light Mend can activate on Elite enemies, dropping three more healing glyphs.

Dual Action

Consuming a healing glyph will temporarily allow you to heal faster.
Longer Life

The healing glyph’s lifetime is increased.

Extra Strength

The healing glyph replenishes more health when consumed.

Express Remedy

Increase the range that the glyph will move to an ally.
Available: Unlocked reward as part of the Merry Mayhem Event

For ten seconds, lightning connects to other players, stunning and damaging normal enemies.

• This Field Upgrade can be used in all three Zombies maps along with the previously accessible Field Upgrades, assuming it is chosen as part of your Loadout, or swapped via the menu during a game.

Transformer

The field’s damage is increased by the number of allies that are connected.

Shockwave

On activation, stun and damage all nearby enemies.

Static Discharge

On activation, create a lethal surge of electricity around you.
Power Grid

Increase the range the electric tether can connect to allies.

Overclocked

Your movement speed is increased during Tesla Storm.

Lithium Charged

Increase Tesla Storm duration.
Available: See below

Three new GobbleGums are available across all maps, and available (once acquired) to be swapped into your GobbleGum Loadout Pack:

• Power Keg (Rare): Spawns a Full Power Power-up.
• Time Out (Ultra): Lasts three minutes. Clear all Normal and Special enemies and end the Round. Normal spawning will not resume during this time.
• Holiday Cheer (Whimsical): Zombies have festive decorations.

Here’s how to unlock the GobbleGums:

• Power Keg: Unlocked reward as part of the GobbleGum Mania Event.
• Time Out: Unlocked reward as part of the GobbleGum Mania Event.
• Holiday Cheer: Primarily unlocked in the Jingle Hells Limited Time Event, potentially whenever you earn GobbleGums by playing. Also unlocked randomly from a successful Exfil. Once acquired, Holiday Cheer GobbleGums can be kept (they do not expire) and used in any of the three available maps. Expect these to be earned even after the Holiday Season.

See the Events section of this blog (below) for full details.
Salvage: 1250

Available during The Hit List Event in Season 01 (and in the Armory starting with Season 01 Reloaded for those who missed out), this is a powerful large caliber handgun with high bullet damage and penetration.
With a host of Weapon Camos, Badges, Calling Cards, and other rewards to earn, it’s well worth jumping into Round-Based Zombies if you haven’t already!

Coming in Season 01 at Reloaded Launch, the Zombies Training Course allows you to learn the basics if you’re a new or casual player or refresh your knowledge if you’re a more seasoned player.

Polish your favorite armament and drop into Liberty Falls where the gruff Arsenal Machine Drill Sergeant gives you tough love as you maneuver to a sequence of different “Station” flags dotted around the map. If you’re unsure how to play this game mode, visit the following stations and learn (and perform) a different aspect about the game.

• Killing Zombies: Learn how to kill zombies and replenish resources.
• Map Progression: Learn how to navigate the world and progress rounds.
• Powering Up Players: Buff your strength and survivability with Perks and Armor.
• Powering Up Weapons: Increase your lethality with weapon upgrades.
• Getting New Weapons: Discover methods to acquire new weapons.
• GobbleGums: Learn how to use GobbleGums for unique power-ups.
• Exfil: Learn how to exit a match.

Once the map has been thoroughly explored by players and the Zombies community, expect to complete the Citadelle des Morts Main Quest with added guidance in Directed Mode prior to the start of Season 02.
Zombies players should be ready to drop into a number of Events, one specifically related to Zombies, between Mid-Season launch and the start of January:

• Event: GobbleGum Mania (ZM only, December 5 – 19).
• Event: Merry Mayhem (MP, ZM, WZ, December 5 – 19).
• Event: Archie’s Festival Frenzy (MP, ZM, WZ, December 19 – January 3).

Check out the Events section of this blog (below) for full details.
Deck the Falls with boughs of holly, as the Jingle Hells festive Limited Time Mode returns! Last seen in Black Ops Cold War, Jingle Hells drops you in what could optimistically be called a winter wonderland, as the entirety of the Liberty Falls map is festooned with wreaths, ribbons, twinkling lights, Christmas trees, garlands of fir tree bunting, and a thin blanket of snow. Although, something feels a bit off… not least the melting piles of slush stained with bloody entrails…

The nearby river has frozen over, all the Mystery Boxes, Crafting Tables, and Arsenal Machines have gone missing, and the locals are just as unfriendly as ever. Don’t fret, as you’ll be making your own holiday cheer thanks to some special features found in this game mode:

• Main Quest is Active! The Main Quest is available to complete this time around, with some added challenge now that the Arsenal and Crafting Tables aren’t around. Note: you’ll earn the standard Main Quest completion rewards if you finish the quest in Jingle Hells.
• Hear that Jingling? Expect bespoke audio to bring the festive flavor. You might want to look to the skies, too…
• GobbleGum Gifts: This is the best way to earn the “Holiday Cheer” GobbleGum!
• Snowball Piles: Gather up to five snowballs from various piles scattered about the map, then use them as potent projectiles!
• Naughty or Nice Power-Up: This large, floating stocking dishes out presents or spawns Vermin, depending on whether you’ve been naughty or nice.
• Snowmen: Undeniably jolly, but also fiendishly unfriendly, Liberty Falls has snowmen dotted around the map, and these can hide zombies or loot if left intact. It’s wise to make these your primary targets, especially as they drop handy loot when dispatched.
• Present Boxes: Under certain circumstances, zombies may drop a small present box, which can be opened for a gift that keeps on giving.
• S.A.M.T.A. Trials: The Trial computers that appear around the map now have a much more festive appearance. S.A.M.T.A. also has a few present boxes spawning nearby the machine when entering the map, so it’s worth seeking out!
• Frozen Rounds: There’s strange fog in the air, and during certain rounds you’ll be chilled to the bone, slowing your reactions considerably. Perhaps it’s time to head indoors…

Treyarch is also implementing several additional gameplay updates with Season 01 Reloaded for high Rounds and Special Rounds. These include:

• Reducing the number of Mangler spawns at mid-to-high Rounds.
• Implementing a maximum cap on active Manglers in the game, ramping up until the cap is released at Round 100.
• Reducing the Mangler’s arm cannon health.
• Significantly reducing the length of Special Rounds by reducing the number of spawns and adjusting the spawn delay rate for Special Rounds.
• Scaling Parasite damage between Rounds 31-91.
• Slightly increasing damage scaling for base zombies at Round 150-400.

SQUID GAME ™/© Netflix. Used with Permission.

© 2024 Activision Publishing, Inc. ACTIVISION, CALL OF DUTY, CALL OF DUTY WARZONE, and CALL OF DUTY BLACK OPS are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners.

For more information, please visit http://www.callofduty.com/ and http://www.youtube.com/callofduty , and follow @Activision and @CallofDuty on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook. For Call of Duty Updates, follow @CODUpdates on X (formerly Twitter).