Fan-favorite Aether storyline characters – Takeo, Richtofen, Nikolai and Dempsey – have now appeared in the Pentagon, hoping to complete their tough mission toward a better world. But the dangers they will encounter on the Classified map could very well halt their progress, as they discover that the Pentagon holds more secrets than just the existence of zombies. 

So, Be Prepared
The Zombies Create-a-Class screen has seen quite a few upgrades since the days of “Five.” Before you play a match in Classified, familiarize yourself with the new Talisman modifier, which provides a boost that lasts the entire match with plenty of variants to choose from. Or, explore Elixirs, the temporary consumables that replace the GobbleGums of Black Ops 3.

You can save up to five loadouts for the Aether storyline on the Create-a-Class screen. Select your perks, Elixirs, Talismans, starter weapon and Special Weapon before each match, and experiment to discover which loadout suits you best!

As you play Classified matches, you’ll earn Nebulium Plasma – the mystical substance of which Elixirs, Talismans and dreams are made. Take your Nebulium Plasma to the Laboratory and craft your own consumables for further experimentation.

Then, Get Slaying
The Pentagon’s invading zombies may be familiar to fans of "Five" -- expect to meet returning enemies like Nova 6 Crawlers. These space-age Crawlers go right for the Achilles, so you’ll need to be quick on your feet. Try packing an extra frag grenade with the help of the “Dimensional Pocket: Frag” Talisman, for a helping hand in disrupting ground-level zombie clusters.

Luckily, the map is peppered with futuristic teleporters if you need to make a quick escape. Use these teleporters to travel throughout the map … you may discover that they serve more purposes than mere travel.

Pro tip: Elixirs like “Anywhere But Here!” can also change your location in an instant, with the added benefit of knocking back any zombies near your landing spot.

Special Weapons
Visit our Zombies Hub to explore the Special Weapons of the Aether story: Ragnarok DG-5, Hellfire, Path of Sorrows and Overkill. Each Special Weapon has 3 levels of power, granting bonus advantages to the player over time. Start with a level 1 Special Weapon, try to activate it every time it's charged, and if you rack up enough zombie kills, you'll raise your Special Weapon to levels 2 and 3. Each successive Special Weapon level grants excellent combat boosts to the user (and, sometimes, their team). Experiment with all Special Weapons to see which one works best for your playstyle!

Once you have enough Nebulium Plasma, you can craft Talismans like “Supercharged Crystal," which lets the user start the match with a Special Weapon at Level 3. Use this Talisman to spawn with a Special Weapon at full power and you'll gain a massive advantage in the early rounds.