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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Cursed Mode is a challenge-focused variant of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies. It changes a run’s starting conditions and points system, then lets players activate discovered Relics to add further difficulty. It is not a separate map or a separately sold game mode.
How Cursed Mode changes a Zombies run
Treyarch’s September 24, 2025 Zombies overview describes Cursed as a legacy-inspired challenge experience. Its documented rules include:
- You start with a pistol and no Loadout weapons.
- The minimap is removed.
- Points use a system inspired by Black Ops 3.
- Side quests can reveal Relics, which add optional difficulty modifiers.
The result is a more demanding kind of Zombies run, with Relics providing an additional challenge layer rather than a new map by themselves.
How Relics work
Relics are themed around totems from Zombies history, and each has its own discovery condition. Once found, a Relic can be activated in later matches to impose a debuff. Treyarch’s examples include limiting players to four Perk-a-Colas or removing Ammo Caches.
#1 Best Overall
- STANDARD DIGITAL EDITION – Includes Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows devices.
- CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 7 – Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the most mind-bending Black Ops ever.
- CAMPAIGN MODE – Squad up or go solo in an innovative Co-Op Campaign that redefines the Black Ops experience. Take on high-stakes challenges across a wide spectrum of environments, from the neon-lit rooftops of Japan to the Mediterranean coast, and even into the deepest corners of the human psyche.
- MULTIPLAYER MODE – Multiplayer explodes out of the gate with 16 electrifying 6v6 maps and two 20v20 maps at launch. From futuristic Tokyo vistas to the frozen, unforgiving wilds of Alaska, every environment is brimming with danger and opportunity. Master a cutting-edge arsenal and outmaneuver your enemies with an evolved Omnimovement system.
- ROUND-BASED ZOMBIES MODE – The nightmare begins where reality ends. Trapped in the heart of the Dark Aether, the crew is thrust into a vast, ever-shifting hellscape. This isn’t just survival. It’s a descent into madness.
Relics vary in cursed power. Treyarch says private Cursed matches can use the host’s Relic collection, and frames activating modifiers as a way to pursue stronger Relics and unique rewards. The launch overview does not specify every reward or benefit.
How to unlock Cursed Mode
Treyarch’s launch overview says players must fulfill certain criteria before entering Cursed Mode, but that passage does not list the criteria or give a step-by-step unlock path. The exact requirements therefore cannot be stated from that official description.
Rank #2
- Upgrade to the Vault Edition and receive the following bonus content: Operator Collection, Mastercraft Weapon Collection, BlackCell (1 Season), Ultra GobbleGum Pack, Permanent Unlock Token, and Guild Override Weapon Camo.*
- In Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the biggest Black Ops ever.
- Squad up or go solo in an innovative Co-Op Campaign that redefines the Black Ops experience. Take on high-stakes challenges across a wide spectrum of environments, from the neon-lit rooftops of Japan to the Mediterranean coast, and even into the deepest corners of the human psyche.
- Multiplayer explodes out of the gate with 16 electrifying 6v6 maps and two 20v20 maps at launch. From futuristic Tokyo vistas to the frozen, unforgiving wilds of Alaska, every environment is brimming with danger and opportunity. Master a cutting-edge arsenal and outmaneuver your enemies with a next level Omnimovement system.
- In Treyarch’s legendary Round-Based Zombies mode, the nightmare begins where reality ends. Trapped in the heart of the Dark Aether, the crew is thrust into a vast, ever-shifting hellscape. This isn’t just survival. It’s a descent into madness.
Cursed Mode vs. Standard and Survival
Black Ops 7’s launch lineup included Standard, Survival, Cursed, and Dead Ops Arcade 4. Standard and Survival are useful reference points for understanding what Cursed adds:
| Mode | Starting setup and HUD | Run focus | Relics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Zombies | The cited Cursed description does not state Standard’s starting equipment or HUD. | Not specified in the cited comparison. | Cursed’s Relic modifiers are the distinctive challenge layer described by Treyarch. |
| Survival | The launch overview describes Survival as a smaller part of a map; it does not specify its starting equipment or HUD. | Survive, with no quests beyond survival. | The launch overview describes Relics as part of Cursed, not the base Survival format. |
| Cursed | Pistol start, no Loadout weapons, and no minimap; points inspired by Black Ops 3. | A challenge-focused run with side quests that reveal Relics. | Discovered Relics can be activated to add difficulty modifiers. |
If you want the Relic-driven challenge and a more restrictive start, Cursed is the option designed for that. Survival is the more focused format when you want to concentrate on lasting as long as possible without quests beyond surviving.
Rank #3
- VAULT DIGITAL EDITION – Includes Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, Operator Collection, Mastercraft Weapon Collection, BlackCell (1 Season)**, Ultra GobbleGum Pack, and Permanent Unlock Token.
- CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 7 – Treyarch and Raven Software are bringing players the most mind-bending Black Ops ever.
- CAMPAIGN MODE – Squad up or go solo in an innovative Co-Op Campaign that redefines the Black Ops experience. Take on high-stakes challenges across a wide spectrum of environments, from the neon-lit rooftops of Japan to the Mediterranean coast, and even into the deepest corners of the human psyche.
- MULTIPLAYER MODE – Multiplayer explodes out of the gate with 16 electrifying 6v6 maps and two 20v20 maps at launch. From futuristic Tokyo vistas to the frozen, unforgiving wilds of Alaska, every environment is brimming with danger and opportunity. Master a cutting-edge arsenal and outmaneuver your enemies with an evolved Omnimovement system.
- ROUND-BASED ZOMBIES MODE – The nightmare begins where reality ends. Trapped in the heart of the Dark Aether, the crew is thrust into a vast, ever-shifting hellscape. This isn’t just survival. It’s a descent into madness.
What is Cursed Survival?
On January 15, 2026, Treyarch announced Cursed Survival as a permanent addition for existing and future Survival maps. It brings Cursed-style rules to Survival: a Black Ops 3-inspired points system, a pistol start, limited HUD, and the ability to use discovered Relics to raise difficulty and unlock more powerful gameplay options.
The announcement named four maps for the mode’s Season 02 launch:
Rank #4
- Bakker & Elkhuizen
- Mouse
- Colour: Black
- Package Dimensions: 14.8 L x 9.2 H x 10.2 W (cm)
- Model number: BNEEVR4S
- Vandorn Farm
- Exit 115
- Zarya Cosmodrome
- Mars
That is the announcement’s launch roster, not confirmation of the complete map list as of October 2026. Treyarch also said future Survival maps would be supported as they were released.
Round 100 rewards
Treyarch’s January 15, 2026 announcement said reaching Round 100 on a given map would award XP bonuses, more GobbleGums, and a Relic-based cosmetic item. Those are the rewards named in that announcement; it does not establish whether later updates changed or expanded them.
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Best Value
- An all-new Call of Duty - Black Ops storyline featuring new characters and returning characters
- Unique single-player campaign that contains two time periods linked by characters and their actions
- Special Strike Force missions, in which the players action affect the outcome of gameplay and the overall campaign
- Variety of multiplayer modes and play options
Do you need to buy Cursed Mode separately?
No separate Cursed Mode purchase is identified in the official product information. Cursed is a mode within Black Ops 7 Zombies, so the relevant product is the full game. Xbox’s Black Ops 7 product page identifies Activision as publisher, Treyarch and Raven as developers, and November 14, 2025 as the game’s release date. Availability and editions can vary by platform and region.
How many players have tried it?
In its January 15, 2026 115 Day update, Treyarch reported that 33% of Zombies players had tried Cursed at least once. That is the developer’s participation figure at the time of publication, not an independent survey or a current player-share estimate.
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