Dark Aether Easter Egg Guide: How to Get All Keys

This is a Dark Aether Easter Egg guide on how to get all keys in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (MW3) Zombies. Learn how to get all Season 3, 2, and 1 Dark Aether Easter Eggs, how to use and upgrade all the keys to gold, and more.

How to Get All Dark Aether Easter Eggs

3rd Dark Aether Rift Keys (Season 3)

Pedestal Keys	How to Get
Giraffe Toy	In Reward Rift after completing the Union story mission.
Science Journal	Head to the Aether Storm and kill around 50 Zombies until Reward Rift appears.
Laptop With Stickers	Head to a Mercenary Camp and kill a Sergeant with a pet dog (Hellhound) until Reward Rift appears.
Imaginary Friend Drawing	Head to the main building of Zohoor Ranch with Death Perception active and interact with an object under the bed on the top floor.

How to Get Giraffe Toy

After defeating Taoxia at the end of the Union mission, a Reward Rift will appear containing the very first key to opening the 2nd Dark Aether Rift, the Drum. Exit the Anomaly with this in your inventory to exfil with it.

What to Do With the Giraffe Toy

How to Get Science Journal

Kill around 50 zombies inside the Aether Storm to obtain the science journal. A reward rift will show up after killing these zombies and the Science Journal is inside it.

Be sure to upgrade your weapons with Aether Tools and Pack-A-Punch as zombies in the Aether Storm are tougher than normal ones. Also keep in mind that there's no need to defeat the Stormcaller.

How to Get Science Journal

How to Get Laptop With Stickers

The Laptop With Stickers appears in a Reward Rift if you kill the Sergeant of a Mercenary Camp with a pet dog (Hellhound) that was summoned by you or your squadmates.

Pet Hellhounds can be summoned via Doghouses or via the Dog Bone.

How to Get Laptop With Stickers

How to Get Imaginary Friend Drawing

The Imaginary Friend Drawing can be obtained by interacting with the object under the bed inside the main building of Zohoor Ranch (located at tile I7 of the main Zombies Map).

Keep in mind that you need the Death Perception perk and follow the footprints from the main entrance of the building to successfully interact with the object.

How to Get Imaginary Friend Drawing

2nd Dark Aether Rift Keys (Season 2)

Pedestal Keys	How to Get
Drum	In Reward Rift after completing the Countermeasures story mission.
Tattered MMA Gloves	Head to the obelisk on the ship in the Countermeasures Story Mission map. Activate the obelisk and perform melee kills on zombies until Reward Rift appears.
Perforated Target	Head to the obelisk at tile E3 of Countermeasures Story Mission map. Activate the obelisk and perform headshot kills on zombies until Reward Rift appears.
Pristine Mirror	Head to the obelisk at tile I8 of the Countermeasures Story Mission map. Activate the obelisk and kill zombies with the corresponding Ammo Mod denoted by the color of the ring and obelisk. Note that the ring and obelisk will change colors until Reward Rift appears.

How to Get Drum

After defeating Krawvir at the end of the Countermeasures mission, a Reward Rift will appear containing the very first key to opening the 2nd Dark Aether Rift, the Drum. Exit the Anomaly with this in your inventory to exfil with it.

What to Do With the Drum

How to Get Tattered MMA Gloves

The Tattered MMA Gloves can be obtained by interacting with the Obelisk sitting on the deck of a Ship accessible during the Countermeasures mission and clearing the challenge that it will provide.

The challenge would require you to kill a handful of zombies using only your first. Make sure to take the Insta-kill buff that spawns to easily get through the task.

How to Get Tattered MMA Gloves

How to Get Perforated Target

The Perforated Target can be acquired by clearing the challenge that will begin after interacting with the Obelisk found at tile E3 during the Countermeasures mission. The challenge is to kill zombies with a headshot while staying within the radius of a small circle.

We recommend getting the Deadshot Daquiri perk since this will automatically aim your scope at enemies' heads for an easy headshot.

How to Get Perforated Target

How to Get Pristine Mirror

The Pristine Mirror can be obtained by completing the challenge given by Obelisk found in tile I8 during the Countermeasures mission. For this one, you'd have to kill zombies with Ammo Mods depending on the corresponding element that the Obelisk and the circle around you are showing.

The indications for which Ammo Mods to use are as follows:

Ammo Mod to Use	Indication
Napalm Burst	Ring and Obelisk is on fire
Cryo Freeze	Ring is frozen by ice and Obelisk is emitting a blue aura
Dead Wire	Ring and Obelisk is discharging lightning
Brain Rot	Ring and Obelisk is producing a green smoke

How to Get Pristine Mirror

1st Dark Aether Rift Keys (Season 1)

Pedestal Keys	How to Get
Locked Diary	Complete the Bad Signal Act 4 Mission.
Pill Bottle	Shoot a Cyst inside an Aether Nest or Infested Stronghold with Brain Rot ammo until it turns green, and open it to get the key.
Surveillance Camera	Destroy a Harvester Orb with Dead Wire ammo.
Dog Collar	Spawn a hostile Hellhound at any Doghouse and kill it.

Click on any of the keys above to jump to its section!

How to Get Locked Diary Key

The Locked Diary key can be obtained by completing the Zombies Act 4 mission, Bad Signal. Collect the Locked Diary from the Reward Rift that spawns after you beat the mission boss - Gorm'gant.

Bad Signal Act 4 Mission Walkthrough

How to Get Pill Bottle Key

To get the Pill Bottle key, equip the Brain Rot Ammo Mod and head over to the nearest Aether Nest or Infested Stronghold on your map.

Shoot any Cyst inside the location using Brain Rot ammo until it turns green. Once the Cyst is green, interact with it to open and collect the Pill Bottle from its remains.

How to Get Pill Bottle Key

How to Get Surveillance Camera Key

To get the Surveillance Camera key, equip the Dead Wire Ammo Mod and look for any Harvester Orb during your match. Destroy it using Dead Wire ammo and collect the Surveillance Camera from its remains.

How to Get Surveillance Camera Key

How to Get Dog Collar Key

To get the Dog Collar key, you will first need to obtain a Molotov as well as a Chunk of Flesh. Take both of these items to any Doghouse on the map and place them inside to spawn a hostile Hellhound. Kill the Hellhound and pick up the Dog Collar from its remains.

How to Get Dog Collar Key

Keys Can be Collected in Separate Matches

Do note that you do not need to collect all keys in a single match. Each key can be collected and extracted, allowing you to regroup and keep the key safe when things get hairy. However, if your squad gets wiped out during a Zombies match while a key is in your inventory, you will lose it.

How to Use All Dark Aether Easter Eggs

Dark Aether Easter Egg Walkthrough
Upgrade the Keys to Gold Rarity Place Gold Keys on the Rift Pedestals

Upgrade the Keys to Gold Rarity

Pedestal Key	How to Upgrade
Season 3 Keys
Imaginary Friend Drawing	Head to the purple triangle at Tile F5. Shoot the 3 runes that appear on side of the buildings. Start the summon on the bridge-like structure in Tile F5. Kill the zombies within the radius until an elite enemy appears, then claim the upgraded key in the Reward Rift.
Science Journal	Head to the purple triangle at Tile E4. Shoot the 3 runes that appear on side of the buildings. Start the summon on top of the archway in Tile F4. Kill the zombies within the radius until an elite enemy appears, then claim the upgraded key in the Reward Rift.
Laptop With Stickers	Head to the purple triangle at Tile F5. Shoot the 3 runes that appear on side of the buildings. Start the summon on top of the building in Tile F4. Kill the zombies within the radius until an elite enemy appears, then claim the upgraded key in the Reward Rift.
Season 2 Keys
Tattered MMA Gloves	Proceed to the Gym found on tile F7 in the Zaravan Suburbs and offer the gloves in the middle of the boxing ring inside. After that, three punching bags will spawn on the right side of the gym. Punch them only once from left to right to set them all on fire.
Perforated Target	Proceed to the Shooting Range found on tile H8 in Shahin Manor. Offer the key to the target in the middle to spawn another set of glowing targets. Shoot those to spawn a unique zombie that you'll have to headshot.
Pristine Mirror	Go to the Graveyard found on tile I3. Offer the mirror in one of the graves, and it will spawn 3 zombies that you need to kill with different Ammo Mods. You'll find all three Ammo Mods in a lit up tower nearby.
Season 1 Keys
Pill Bottle	Enter an Aether Rift with the item in your inventory. Parachute towards a Gold Rift that spawns in the Low Threat Zone and complete the unique Contract found there.
Surveillance Camera	Enter an Aether Rift with the item in your inventory. Parachute towards a Gold Rift that spawns in the Medium Threat Zone and complete the unique Contract found there.
Dog Collar	Enter an Aether Rift with the item in your inventory. Parachute towards a Gold Rift that spawns in the High Threat Zone and complete the unique Contract found there.

Before you can use any of the keys, you will first need to upgrade them to Gold rarity. You can upgrade them by completing hidden sets of tasks scattered across Urzikstan.

Place Gold Keys on the Rift Pedestals

Once you have all the keys at Gold rarity, head over to their respective Aether Rift locations. There, you would find Pedastals where you can place specific keys to activate the Aether Rift.

After activating the Rift once, you won't need to go through the process of obtaining keys again, and you can now enter the Dark Aether anytime you want.

How to Enter Dark Aether Rift

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

All Zombies Map Locations

Dark Aether Map Locations
Dark Aether Rift Locations	Dark Aether Easter Eggs: How to Get All Keys
Dark Aether Map	Dark Aether Contract Locations
Dark Aether Exfil Locations	-
Zombies Map Locations
Legacy Fortress	Portals and Codes
Mystery Boxes	Perk Machines
Locked Vault	Pawn Transmission
Strongholds	Buy Station
Merc Camps	Deadbolt Turrets
Aether Tear	Redeploy Drones
Der Wunderfizz	Red Zone
Exfil	Gas Station
Bunkers	Audio Logs
Bosses	Hidden Caches
Doghouses	-