Zombies Season 1 Guide and All Content

Zombies Season 1 focuses on the Dark Aether Rift mechanic and new Schematics in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (MW3). Catch up on the latest Zombies Season 1 patch notes, new schematics and easter eggs, and Zombies S1 walkthrough guides.

All Zombies Season 1 Content

Mid-Season Content

Zombies Season 1 Mid-Season Content
Dokkaebi Warlord

Dokkaebi is a new Warlord in Season 1 Reloaded and can be found at the top of the skycraper in Zaravan City.

Dokkaebi Fortress Location

Season 1 Schematics and Acquisitions

New Schematics
Golden Armor Plate	Dog Bone
Aether Blade Schematic	The Scorcher Weapon Case Schematic
Flawless Aetherium Crystal Schematic	Legendary Aether Tool Schematic

All new Season 1 Schematics can be found in the Dark Aether Rift zone after entering via an Elder Sigil.

How to Get All Classified Schematics

Season 1 Easter Eggs and Guides

How to Enter Dark Aether Rift
How to Get All Keys	How to Beat Gorm'gant
Locked Diary	Pill Bottle
Surveillance Camera	Dog Collar
How to Get Sigils	How to Get Elder Sigils
Greylorm Worm Boss Guides
All Calibration Data USB Locations	All Refractor Locations
How to Beat Greylorm	-
Dark Aether Map and Locations
Dark Aether Interactive Map	Dark Aether Contract Locations
Dark Aether Exfil Locations	Dark Aether Key Locations
Al Bagra Officers Quarters	ABF Antiquities Office
Al Bagra Munitions Storeroom	Al Bagra Barrack
Zombies Prestige Challenges
How to Get 10 Throwing Knives Kills in 30 Seconds	-

The Dark Aether Rift mechanic is the center of Zombies Season 1. The Dark Aether Rift is a new zone unlocked by the 4 keys (Locked Diary, Pill Bottle, Surveillance Camera, and Dog Collar). To enter this zone, you need to spend Sigils to activate the portal.

New Wonder Weapon

The V-R11 is the new support Wonder Weapon introduced in Season 1. It turns opponents into your allies for a temporary period before they die. You can also shoot the V-R11 at your teammates to make them temporarily invisible to zombies.

How to Get V-R11 Wonder Weapon

Prestige Challenges

Calling Card	How to Get
Bursting	Complete all Prestige 1 Zombies Challenges.
Harvesting Season	Get 10 kills in 30 seconds with Throwing Knives.
Lightning Fast	Get 200 kills shortly after reloading with Speed Cola active.
Sunset Asssault	Extract 3 Schematics in a Single Deployment.
Urban Toll	Kill 25 Manglers while using Napalm Burst.
Reaching	Complete all Prestige 2 Zombies Challenges.
Don't Breathe	Get 250 Kills while in Tac Stance.
Don't Look Back	Get 50 Kills with the Sentry Gun Killstreak.
Knock Knock	Complete 10 Big Bountry Contracts while Jugger-Nog is active.
Cave Dweller	Kill 75 Hellhounds with Cryo Freeze.
Scream Out	Complete all Prestige 3 Zombies Challenges.
Torrential Horde	Get 30 Kills while Underwater.
Unknown Voyage	Get 15 Kills with an LMG without releasing the trigger.
No Mercy	Get 150 Kills while in the Low Threat Zone with a Legendary Rarity Weapon.
Crystal Horde	Get 1000 Kills with Akimbo Pistols.
Enhanced	Complete all Prestige 4 Zombies Challenges.
Wonder Shocked	Get 1000 Kills using a weapon with an After Market Part.
Mind the Kindling	Revive 15 Teammates with Quick Revive active.
Fire and Corpses	Use 5 Acquisitions in under 30 Seconds.
So It Begins	Damage an Aether Worm with your Fists.
Screeching Creatures	Complete all Prestige 5 Zombies Challenges.
Kill-O-Watt	Trigger 300 Ammo Mods with Elemental Pop active.
Pale Surfer	Get 250 Kills in a row without taking damage.
Heavy Stuff	Get 100 Kills while Sliding.
Minion	Get 300 Kills with your Fists.
Armed and Ready	Complete all Prestige 6 Zombies Challenges
Dark Aether Containment	Collect 100 Aether Containers
Glorious Sub	Purchase 10 Legendary Weapons at Wall Buys
Inevitable	Get a Quad Kill with Monkey Bomb 20 Times
Tapped	Get 750 Critical Kills with SMGs
Don't Look Back, It's Cooler	Complete all Prestige 7 Zombies Challenges
Turret Trauma	Get 150 Kills with Deadbolt
Raining Vials	Spend 25,000 Essence in a Single Game and Successfully Exfil 5 Times
Surrounded	Get 500 Kills while Frenzied Guard is active
Impending Doom	Activate 25 Nukes Power-Up
Handy Maneuver	Complete all Prestige 8 Zombies Challenges
Brain Drain	Get 10 Critical Kills without Reloading with Pistols 20 Times
Imbued	Use the Pack-A-Punch Machine 25 Times
Glint	Destroy 15 Counter UAVs in Mercenary Camps
Shocked Dead	Get 5 Conductive Medals, Killing 10 Enemies rapidly with Electric Damage
Drink Up	Complete all Prestige 9 Zombie Challenges
Electric Thirst	Get 100 PHD Flopper Explosion Kills
Clearer Vision	Destroy 50 Aether Nest Cyst while Death Perception is Active
In My Hands	Extract 1 Refined Aetherium Crystal
Let 'Em Have It	Earn 75 Jackrabbit Medals, Killing 30 enemies without taking damage

Season 1 allows you to level up past Rank 55 into Prestige Ranks that persist across seasons. Each Prestige Rank comes with 5 Zombies Calling Card challenges that you can complete.

All Prestige Challenges

Zombies Season 1 Update Patch Notes

Below are the official Call of Duty Patch Notes for Season 1. For more information see Season 1 Update Patch Notes.

Zombies: Maps

Urzikstan

• Various visual map fixes.

Zombies: Weapons

Wonder Weapons

• The Scorcher: The Scorcher’s launch ability will automatically fire when a player reaches their maximum charge under low ammo conditions.

Assault

• DG-58: Addressed an issue that prevented camos from applying in the customization tab in loadout menus.

Weapon Cases

• All Weapon Cases: Closed a duplication exploit.

Zombies: Missions

Hostile Takeover

• Addressed an issue that prevented some safes from progressing this Mission.
• Adjusted the description of this Mission in the Mission Select menu to state that Greene wants Players to hit “Terminus” instead of “Deadbolt.”

Hostile Takeover Walkthrough

Merc Cleanup

• Mercenaries killed from long distances inside Merc Camps will now progress this mission.

Merc Cleanup Walkthrough

Shocked

• This Mission now requires players to shock five separate Special zombies instead of shocking the same Special zombie multiple times.

Shocked Walkthrough

Storm the Castle

• The required mission item will always drop when the Warlord is killed.

How to Collect Strauss's Research: Storm the Castle Walkthrough

Zombies: Gameplay

Contracts

Defend Ground Station
・Addressed an issue that prevented the timer for the Defend Ground Station contract from appearing if players previously completed the same contract in a single session. ・Mercenaries will now continue to fight Players after completing the Defend Ground Station contract.
Eliminate the Bounty
・HVTs lured far away from their original spawn location in an attempt to exploit their behavior will now return faster to their spawn and heal more.
Outlast
・Enemies no longer spawn if players are not progressing the contract.
Raid Weapon Stash
・Enemies no longer spawn if players are not progressing the contract.
Spore Control
・Adjusted Spores to prevent them from spawning on a player, resulting in an instant death.

Acquisitions

General
・Addressed an issue where players could store more Acquisitions in the stash than intended.
Aether Tools
・Addressed an issue that prevented Aether Tools from applying if a player was driving a vehicle.
Ammo Mods
・Addressed an issue that prevented Ammo Mods from applying if a player was driving a vehicle.
Perk-A-Colas: Tombstone Soda
・Addressed an issue where Tombstones could spawn under the map. ・Addressed an issue where Tombstones could spawn in the center of the map instead of where a player previously died. ・Addressed an issue where sometimes players would not obtain their essence when interacting with a Tombstone. ・Closed various duplication exploits associated with Tombstone Soda.
Ammo Mods: Brain Rot
・Players will now receive essence when a Brain Rotted Zombie kills other Zombies or dies.

Looting

• Various fixes for locations on the map where players could not loot items.

Exfil

Launch
・More formidable enemies have been added to the Exfil experience in all zones. ・Addressed a rare issue that prevented the Hilltop Exfil helicopter from landing.
In-Season
・All exfils will increase the number of enemies spawned, with the Final Exfil receiving a significant boost to enemy count and enemy types.

General

• Ammo Caches will now always fully refill applicable player ammo reserves.
• Addressed an issue that allowed players to die instantly if they ran and slid into a Dog House.
• Players will no longer be able to hide inside a Dog House.
• Closed an out-of-bounds location that allowed players to stay alive outside the playable space.
• Addressed an issue where Player selected Operator skins would change upon entering a vehicle.

Zombies: Enemies

Zombies

Disciples
・Addressed multiple issues that allowed Disciples to behave erratically, such as becoming stuck high in the air or on objects.
The Stormcaller
・Addressed an issue that allowed The Stormcaller to die instantly from the Blood Burner’s Aether Pulse.
Hell Hounds
・Hellhound flame particles will disappear if a Hell Hound does not spawn.
Zombies
・Adjusted spawns to prevent Zombies from spawning on top of fences. ・Adjusted pathing to address exploits or incorrect pathing. ・Addressed an issue that allowed Light Armored Zombies to receive more headshot damage than intended.

Zombies: Equipment

Lethal Equipment

• Experimental Gas Grenade: Damage against Aether Worms has been reduced.

Tactical Equipment

• Decoy Grenades: Reduced the number of Decoy Grenades that can be stacked or equipped from 3 to 2. Reduced Decoy Grenade duration from 8 seconds to 6.

Zombies: Killstreaks

Juggernaut

• Addressed an issue where players could destroy an Exfil helicopter by calling in a Juggernaut suit crate on top of it.

How to Get Juggernaut

Sentry Turret

• Players can no longer kill themselves or others when placing down a Sentry Turret.

How to Get Sentry Guns

Zombies: Customization

Camos

• Borealis (MW3) and Bioluminescent (MW2): Increased the animation rate of the Borealis and Bioluminescent Completionist Camos

Zombies: UIX

• Player health and stamina are now represented by dynamic bars on the HUD.
• Addressed an issue that prevented pings on looted items in caches from disappearing automatically.
• Addressed an issue where players who attempted to equip a Mission Reward in the Gear tab would sometimes equip the wrong item.
• Addressed an issue where objective titles would occasionally not display while loading into a match.
• Addressed an issue where objective text would occasionally display outside its panel while loading into a match.
• Addressed an issue where players would be returned to the lobby screen when selecting “Activate Armory Unlock” on a locked Tactical or Lethal equipment item.

Zombies: Progression

Achievements

• The First Step: Players can now unlock “The First Step” for reaching level 55 in Modern Warfare Zombies. Previously, players would need to enter the Multiplayer menu to obtain the achievement.

Camos

• Golden Enigma (MW3) & Golden Ivory (MW2): We’ve released a fix that allows Players to complete the Golden Enigma and Golden Ivory Completionist Camos with Blueprint weapons and Custom Mods.

Zombies: Audio

Battle Chatter

• “Friendly Fire” Operator chatter will play less frequently.

Zombies: Stability

• Adjustments have been made to better ensure players keep their loadout and rucksack inventory if they do not successfully deploy into a match.
• Added various crash and stability fixes.

How Many Zombies Season 1 Missions?

Only 1 Mission

Zombies Season 1 only has 1 mission, the Act 4 story mission Bad Signal. There are no follow-up objectives or missions to do after that, but you do get access to a series of complicated secret objectives/easter eggs that will allow you to unlock and explore the Dark Aether Rift afterward.

You can do the Act 4 mission regardless of your Acts 1 to 3 progression.

Bad Signal Act 4 Mission Walkthrough

Zombies Season 1 Battle Pass

Paid Acquisitions

Zombies Battle Pass Items (Season 1)
Cryo Freeze Ammo Mod Sector A1	Refined Aetherium Crystal Sector A4	Shatter Blast Ammo Mod Sector A15
Epic Aether Tool Sector A16	Legendary Aether Tool Sector A19	-

The Season 1 Battle Pass introduces the first pay-to-win aspects for Modern Warfare Zombies. If you progress the Battle Pass, you'll be rewarded with 2 of each of the above Zombies items, which you can use once each at any point when deploying into a Zombies match.

Current Battle Pass End Dates and Rewards

Season 1 Battle Pass Weapons

The XRK Stalker (Sniper Rifle), RAM-7 (Assault Rifle), and Stormender (EMP Launcher) can be used in Zombies loadouts once unlocked via the Season 1 Battle Pass.

These are weapons that you can only obtain throughout the duration of the season.

Zombies Best Guns and Weapons Tier List

Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) Related Guides

Zombies Mode Walkthrough and Guide

All Zombies Guides

Zombies Guides and Lists
Zombies Missions	Zombies Season 2
Zombies Season 1	Zombies Map
Zombies Weapons	Crafting Schematics
Aetherium	Challenges and Enemies
Zombies Perks	Zombies Ammo Mods
Zombies Field Upgrades	Zombies Gear
Contracts	Zombies Power-Ups