However, the team’s success came at a heavy price. Agent Samantha Maxis sacrificed herself to essentially seal this twisted dimension from the inside. Worse was to follow, as Requiem’s senior staff members were unceremoniously arrested on the orders of the Project Director—finally revealed to be none other than Edward Richtofen.

Taking place over half a decade later, Black Ops 6 Zombies continues the Dark Aether storyline, exploring the fortunes of key characters while also delving further into Richtofen’s motivations and goals.

During the intervening years, former Requiem staff—Grigori Weaver, Mackenzie “Mac” Carver, Elizabeth Grey, Oskar Strauss, and Stoney Maddox (better known by his callsign, Raptor One)—have been incarcerated at an outpost known as Terminus, a mysterious garrison located in the Philippine Sea.

After being imprisoned for over five years, these characters have undergone significant mental and physical changes.

Operators and Handlers: Meet the Terminus Team

As a longstanding veteran of the broader Call of Duty: Black Ops storyline, Grigori Weaver is no stranger to the ever-evolving nature of war and conflict—and the gray area it frequently inhabits. Despite the guilt he feels for his perceived “failure” as the team’s commander, he is more than determined to confront and expose his former Director’s duplicity and agendas—whatever they may be. He's done playing politics and is willing to burn the whole house down to expose the corruption that has led them to their current situation.

Elizabeth Grey is no longer the meek and somewhat naive scientist who was so thrilled to be invited to work with Requiem that she was somewhat blind to the realities of the Dark Aether threat... and the dubious ethics of those who sought to control its power. These qualities had already changed with the loss of Samatha Maxis, but the injustice of her imprisonment brought out a tougher side she never even knew existed within her. Thanks to Carver’s mentorship and training, her transformation has made her more than capable of facing any threat head on.

For Carver, his lifelong belief in the military—not to mention his own distinguished career—has been shattered. He is understandably aggrieved, but not bitter. On the surface, it may seem that he has “run out of [[REDACTED]] to give,” but instead he is more dedicated to his friends and colleagues than ever, and believes that with determination, they will right this terrible injustice.

As for Strauss, not only has he not fared well under the strain of incarceration and intense interrogation, his age and increasingly eccentric personality mean he is deeply reliant on his colleagues—not just for his own physical wellbeing, but also his sanity.

Events take an explosive turn when Maya Aguinaldo, a young Filipina smuggler, arrives on the island in pursuit of her own (and very personal) agenda related to the disappearance of her own brother. More significantly for our team, she is accompanied by a familiar, but far from welcome face…

There are many profanities that could be used to describe Dr. William Peck, but even the most offensive ones would fail to adequately do justice to just how detestable he is in the eyes of our heroes.

Aetheric Incursions: An Outpost Overrun

Even though Aguinaldo and Peck are primarily here to set our heroes free, their arrival coincides with Terminus Island suddenly becoming the epicenter of yet another outbreak. Consequently, suspicions are high.

Not only that, but it soon becomes clear that the chaos on Terminus is not the only incursion from the Dark Aether. On the other side of the globe, the West Virginian town of Liberty Falls is also facing its own zombie onslaught.

Personal grievances and suspicions aside, their dire circumstances mean that this disparate group of battle-hardened heroes has little choice but to fight together if they are to have any chance of survival…

GET READY: EXTENSIVE ZOMBIES INTEL COMMS INCOMING!

August 8. 8AM PT.

Return to the Call of Duty Blog at the time indicated to secure everything you need to know about Black Ops 6 Zombies.