By EVOLET Max Level 30 – Black Ops 7 | Prestige Master 1000 – Black Ops 6 | Level 1250 – Modern Warfare III
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is almost here, and thanks to Early Access from October 2–5, I got to dive into its Beta before the masses. As a day-one CoD veteran, I’ve seen the franchise evolve through triumphs and missteps—but this installment feels like a leaner, sharper return to form. Here’s what stood out, what surprised me, and how to survive the chaos of Vandorn Farm in Zombies mode.
Multiplayer: Familiar Frenzy, Cleaner Combat
The Multiplayer Beta offered 6v6 Core and Hardcore Moshpit playlists. Predictably, the lobbies were packed with “sweats”—hyper-competitive players who treat every match like a championship final. But this time, I kept pace. Why? Because cheating was virtually nonexistent.
Thanks to Ricochet’s BIOS-level anti-cheat enforcement using Secure Boot and TPM 2.0, players without compliant systems couldn’t even launch the game. It’s intrusive, sure—but effective. For seasoned players like me, it’s a breath of fresh air.
“Multiplayer is still the same old new stuff,” I’ll admit. But the thrill of testing new weapons on nostalgic maps never gets old.
Zombies: Vandorn Farm and the Rise of Zursa
The real star of the Beta? Zombies mode. Set on Vandorn Farm—a corrupted relic from Black Ops 2—this map is drenched in Dark Aether, the franchise’s signature chaos agent. It’s compact, eerie, and packed with surprises, including a new boss: Zursa, the zombie bear.
Here’s a modular guide to surviving Vandorn Farm:
Step 0: Prep Like a Pro
- Weapon Choice: Precision is key. Skip shotguns and slow rifles. Opt for Assault Rifles, SMGs, or LMGs (once familiar with the map).
- Field Upgrade: Use Toxic Growth, a thorny trap that slows and damages zombies. It’s new to BO7 and perfect for farming choke points such as shown in the screenshot below, right next to the Perk Machine on the second floor. This chokehold provides you protection from zombies rear attack since they all have to come at you from your front field of view.
Step 1: Power Pump & Pack-A-Punch
- Cleanse the Power Pump by shooting cysts—timed challenge.
- Flip the barn’s electricity lever to activate PaP Machine.
- Pricing mirrors BO6:
- PaP I: 5,000 essences
- PaP II: 15,000
- PaP III: 30,000
- Armor upgrades: 4,000 (2 plates), 10,000 (3 plates)
💡 Tip: Use the Fire Works ammo mod—it launches fireworks that damage nearby zombies.
Step 2: Infestation Surge
Every 5–7 rounds, the sky turns blood red. Enter the Wraith Seeds—fast, vicious crawlers that can down you in seconds.
- Strategy: Get to high ground. Use precision weapons to snipe them before they swarm.
Step 3: Perks & Wisp Tea
- Find the Perk Machine in the Dark Aether-infested house.
- New perk: Wisp Tea—summons a ghostly blue spirit that damages nearby enemies.
💡 Tip: Interact with the trash can near the barn for random loot—essence, aether tools, even scorestreaks.
Step 4: The Shed & Mystery Box
- Ammo Box and armor upgrades inside.
- Mystery Box: 950 essences for a random weapon.
- Combine with Wonderbar for guaranteed Wonder Weapon (Ray Gun in Beta).
- Use Crate Power to get PaP I instantly.
Step 5: Exfil via Aether Phone Booth
After Round 10, a phone booth rings. Answer to trigger exfil. Expect a brutal battle—Zursa returns, and zombies swarm the booth’s energy field.
- Team Play: You can choose to stay while others exfil—unlike BO6’s forced exit.
⚠️ Known Bug: Occasionally, exfil triggers but no zombies spawn. This is not a bug per se, it turned out that during a special round, there will be one Wraith Seed zombie that will not chase you but instead it will be dormant at its spawn location. Until you find and neutralize the beast, the game will not progress so you gotta search for it across the map.
Final Thoughts
Black Ops 7 runs smoother than its predecessor, with improved rendering and performance. The BIOS-level anti-cheat raises ethical questions, but its effectiveness is undeniable. The only downside? Older systems may need BIOS updates to meet TPM 2.0 requirements.
One thing I notice which is very refreshing is the AI algorithm for the zombies which now seems to be able to anticipate your movement and hurdle zombies towards your most likely direction. So they don’t just come after you this time, they move in anticipation towards how you carry yourself in the game. As a gamer, I consider that quite a next level challenge where I have to not only avoid hordes of zombies but also plan my route as unpredictable as I can.
If you missed Early Access, don’t worry—the Open Beta runs October 5–8. And trust me, Vandorn Farm is worth the wait.
About the Author Gamertag: EVOLET Currently active on: CoD Warzone, Black Ops 7, Black Ops 6, Modern Warfare III, Modern Warfare II
