How to Unlock All 30 Relics in Black Ops 7 Zombies

To unlock every Relic in Black Ops 7 Zombies, complete the Main Quest gate for the map, perform that Relic’s hidden side objective, enter the green Relic Portal that appears, and finish its dedicated trial in the same sitting. There are 30 Relics across five Round-Based maps: nine on Ashes of the Damned, six on Astra Malorum, six on Kowakujō, three on Paradox Junction and six on Totenreich.

Relics are selectable Cursed-mode debuffs rather than permanent upgrades. Their Grim, Sinister and Wicked classifications build Cursed Tiers that unlock stronger starting options. This guide lists every gate, objective, trial restriction, conflict and the reported reward for completing the full set.

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How the Relic system works

Every Relic uses the same four-part loop:

1. Meet the map and difficulty gate. This can include a Main Quest completion, a minimum round, a Cursed Tier, a character, a weapon, or a specific Field Upgrade.
2. Perform the hidden side objective. The trigger is different for every Relic and usually has to be completed during the qualifying run.
3. Enter the green Relic Portal. Once the objective is accepted, the portal appears and transports you to the dedicated trial.
4. Clear the trial. The first successful clear grants 1,000 XP and one GobbleGum.

Relic progress is not saved between matches. If you leave, fail or exfil before completing the side objective and trial, you must start that Relic’s sequence again. A map’s Relics become equippable only after that map’s Main Quest has been completed. Inside a Relic trial, any Relic effects you equipped for the run are switched off, so the trial’s restriction always applies at its stated strength.

Cursed tiers and what they unlock

Relic classifications contribute to a shared Cursed Tier:

Classification	Tier contribution	What the cumulative tier unlocks
Grim	One third of a tier	Three Grim Relics complete Tier I
Sinister	Two thirds of a tier	One Sinister plus one Grim completes a tier; combinations can also fill later tiers
Wicked	One full tier	A single Wicked Relic advances the total by one tier
Tier I	First completed tier	Golden Armor becomes available for 45,000 Essence
Tier II	Second completed tier	Ultra weapon rarity becomes available
Tier III	Third completed tier	Pack-a-Punch IV becomes available for 100,000 Essence

There is no benefit beyond Tier III. Because these are debuffs selected for Cursed mode, equipping more Relics does not make a trial easier; the tier rewards are the reason to build a collection.

Ashes of the Damned: all nine Relics

Ashes is the best starting map because its three Grim Relics can establish Tier I. The later Sinister and Wicked objectives demand rounds 40 and 60, higher tiers, or a Main Quest clear.

Lawyer’s Pen — Grim

Gate: Complete the Ashes Main Quest, reach round 20 or later, and play on any Cursed tier.

Side objective: Light three candles with Napalm Burst or Molotovs. When the trigger registers, follow the green portal prompt to Vandorn Farm.

Trial: Four Shock Mimic waves are locked to Vandorn Farm. Prepare a reliable way to identify and finish Mimics quickly, because the arena prevents you from simply relocating to a safer section of the map.

Dragon Wings — Grim

Gate: Reach round 20 or later on any tier after the Ashes Main Quest requirement is available.

Side objective: Complete the Farm-side trigger. The exact interaction is performed in the Farm area; finish it before entering the portal rather than assuming the portal will remain after a round transition.

Trial: Four waves make power-ups harmful: collecting a power-up damages you. Do not instinctively run through drops, and leave unwanted drops on the ground until the wave is under control.

Teddy Bear — Grim

Gate and setup: Find nine dolls, then locate the tenth on a round-20-or-later finish. The sequence requires the Necrofluid Gauntlet and Aether Shroud.

Side objective: Complete the doll collection in the required order, using the Gauntlet and Shroud interactions when prompted. Missing the tenth doll’s round-20 condition means the run cannot qualify.

Trial: Every shot costs 100 Essence. Enter with a large Essence reserve and avoid wasteful fire; melee and equipment-based damage are valuable because ammunition is not the limiting resource here.

Vril Sphere — Sinister

Gate: Round 40 or later and Tier I or higher.

Side objective: Use a jump pad and a Doppelghast to activate the sequence. Confirm both interactions before moving to the portal.

Trial: Five waves take place in the Cosmodrome, and nothing can be bought. Spend or carry your resources before teleporting, then rely on the equipment you bring into the arena rather than expecting wall buys or purchases.

Samantha’s Drawing — Sinister

Gate: Tier I or higher, with the Ray Gun, on round 40 or later.

Side objective: Feed Chompy one gun of each rarity. Bring the complete rarity spread before beginning the feeding sequence so that a missing tier does not force a second run.

Trial: Ammo Caches and Max Ammo drops are removed. Preserve ammunition, use critical hits, and carry a weapon plan that can survive the entire trial without resupply.

Focusing Stone — Sinister

Gate: Round 40 or later and Tier I or higher.

Side objective: Perform the Zursa melee kill and complete the Legendary T.E.D.D. reward step. Both parts belong to the same qualifying run.

Trial: Your Essence is held until all five waves end. Treat the starting balance as unavailable during combat: you cannot depend on spending it for emergency purchases or recovery before the final wave.

Bus — Wicked

Gate: Round 60 or later and Tier II or higher.

Side objective: Complete a full round with no shots and no melee kills. Plan a route that lets Brain Rot or environmental effects handle threats without accidentally firing or striking a zombie.

Trial: Six waves allow only Brain Rot zombies to make kills. Build around Brain Rot activation and avoid other damage sources that could invalidate the intended kill condition.

Dragon — Wicked

Gate: Defeat the Ashes Main Quest boss on round 60 or later with Tier II or higher.

Side objective: The qualifying condition is the Main Quest boss clear at the required round and tier. Complete the portal sequence immediately afterward while the run still satisfies the gate.

Trial: Explosives are the only permitted damage. Carry enough lethal equipment and use the arena to group enemies before detonating; conventional gunfire will not progress the waves.

Blood Vials — Wicked

Gate: Tier II or higher and five phone interactions completed on rounds 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60.

Side objective: Answer each phone on its specified round. Missing one of the five round checkpoints breaks the sequence, so track the required rounds rather than trying to answer several phones later.

Trial: Six waves halve player damage. Expect every engagement to take longer and bring armor, healing and crowd-control tools that remain useful when your outgoing damage is reduced.

Astra Malorum: all six Relics

Gong — Grim

Gate and setup: Reach round 20 or later. Bring Tesla Storm and Dead Wire before starting the hidden objective.

Side objective and trial: Complete the map’s Gong trigger, then enter the portal. The trial permits electric damage only, so Tesla Storm and Dead Wire are your damage foundation; ordinary bullets and non-electric equipment will not clear waves.

Seed — Grim

Gate: Round 20 or later.

Side objective: Use the Common pistol and perform the exact required kill count. Do not upgrade the pistol before the count is complete, and verify the counter rather than estimating.

Trial: You may use only a Tier-1-Packed pistol. Pack the qualifying Common pistol to Tier 1 and avoid bringing a second weapon that could tempt you to violate the restriction.

Spider Fang — Sinister

Gate: Tier I or higher and round 40 or later.

Side objective: Preserve the first O.S.C.A.R., use Wisp Tea, perform the required melee kill and activate Aether Shroud. The order matters: keep the first O.S.C.A.R. alive until the sequence calls for the later interactions.

Trial: Perks are disabled. Build your loadout around weapon handling, armor and equipment rather than perk-dependent survivability or movement.

Matryoshka Doll — Sinister

Gate: Tier I or higher, round 40 or later, with Mars open.

Side objective: Use C4 during the Mars sequence, then enter the portal once the trigger confirms.

Trial: Enemies die only while the Field Upgrade is active. Time each activation for a controlled group, and preserve charge so that every wave has a window in which kills are possible.

Golden Spork — Wicked

Gate: Tier II or higher, round 60 or later, with Mars open.

Side objective: Bring a Mangler Cannon and either a Monkey Bomb or Decoy to complete the Mars trigger.

Trial: Hip-fire only. Do not aim down sights, and choose a close-to-medium-range weapon setup that remains accurate without the aiming bonus.

Civil Protector Head — Wicked

Gate: Tier II or higher and round 60 or later.

Side objective: Use Energy Mine and PhD Flopper to complete the hidden interaction.

Trial: Every zombie sprints for six waves. Keep escape lanes open, avoid getting cornered by reloads, and use the map’s vertical space and slowing effects to control the faster movement.

Kowakujō: all six Relics

Gramophone — Grim

Gate and objective: Complete the drumstick memory sequence, then follow the green portal that appears.

Trial: Sniper rifles are the only permitted weapons. Pack a sniper with enough reserve ammunition and position before each wave so that close-range spawns do not remove your sightline.

Druid Stone — Grim

Gate and objective: Reach round 20 without taking damage. Any hit before the trigger invalidates the qualifying attempt, so armor does not substitute for a no-damage run.

Trial: Damage is allowed only while overhealed. Maintain the overheal state before engaging and stop attacking when it expires; ordinary-health damage does not count.

Valkyrie Helmet — Sinister

Gate: Tier I or higher and before round 40.

Side objective: Complete the Nekomancer, upgraded Maneki-Neko and Neko Cafe steps in sequence. Finish this early because the gate closes after the stated round window.

Trial: Every reload hurts. Minimize reloads with high-capacity weapons, reload between waves when safe, and avoid emptying a magazine during a close swarm.

Film Reel — Sinister

Gate: Tier I or higher; there is no round gate.

Side objective: Pack ten different guns. Count distinct weapons, not ten upgrades of one gun, and finish the packing requirement before activating the portal.

Trial: Scorestreaks are the only permitted damage source. Save streak charges for wave control and do not expect firearms, grenades or melee attacks to advance the trial.

Dragon Egg — Wicked

Gate: Tier II or higher.

Side objective: Solve the murder, charge the Path of Sorrows and complete six objectives before the Nyxara fight. Treat the six objectives as a checklist; entering the fight early does not complete the Relic trigger.

Trial: The objective chain leads into the dedicated portal trial after the Nyxara requirement is satisfied. Carry a setup that can survive the additional steps without spending the resources reserved for the trial.

Mannequin Turret — Wicked

Gate: Tier II or higher and round 60 or later.

Side objective: Lose no Assault Wave flag. Defend every flag through the required sequence before entering the portal.

Trial: Regeneration is disabled during the waves. Healing items, armor management and pre-positioning matter more than waiting for health to return.

Conflict warning: Do this in a separate run from Valkyrie Helmet. Their triggers conflict, so attempting both objectives together can invalidate one of them.

Paradox Junction: all three Relics

Rocket — Grim

Gate: Round 20 or later on any tier.

Side objective: Use Brain Rot or a Psych Grenade and a D.A.W.G. to activate the hidden sequence.

Trial: Enemies die only to their elemental weaknesses. Identify each weakness and switch to the matching element instead of trying to overpower targets with generic damage.

Summoning Key — Sinister

Gate: Finish on round 40 or later with Tier I or higher.

Side objective: Use a grenade and a Rad-Hound, then perform a deliberate down. Arrange the down where recovery is safe, because an accidental down before the trigger can cost the run.

Trial: Five timed waves. Prioritize the wave clock and movement route over looting; a slow kill strategy can fail even when you remain alive.

Mangler Helmet — Wicked

Gate: Tier II or higher, round 60 or later, with the knife trigger completed.

Side objective: Use Mister Peeks’ Field Upgrade and two box Peeks to finish the activation.

Trial: Six waves start with no plates and half health. Enter with a plan for immediate damage avoidance, use cover during the first seconds, and treat armor as unavailable rather than waiting for it to appear.

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Totenreich: all six Relics

Power Switch — Grim

Gate: Any round and any tier.

Side objective: Scope four out-of-map deer-head statues, match their pelt positions and throw a Combat Axe from the fewest-positioned pelt to the most-positioned pelt. Complete the throws in that order.

Trial: Three waves allow traps as the only damage source. Set traps before enemies reach you and do not use guns, melee or ordinary equipment damage to finish targets.

Wrestler’s Belt — Grim

Gate: Any round and any tier.

Side objective: Before picking up the Jötunn Star, take the hidden magazine. Then record 50 kills with each of 17 wall-buy weapons plus the Star. The sequence is a long tracking exercise; record every weapon and its 50-kill total so you do not repeat a completed wall buy.

Trial: Four waves change the weapon available after each wave. Adapt to each forced weapon instead of planning around one favorite loadout.

The guide documenting this objective records Wrestler’s Belt as the final Relic solved on 16 October 2026.

Stuffed Elephant — Sinister

Gate: Round 40 and Tier I or higher.

Side objective: Buy no perks until round 40, then complete the four-eggs and four-HVT sequence. Save Essence for the later interactions rather than spending it on early perk purchases.

Trial: Four eggs and four high-value targets must be completed within a three-minute clock. Split the route in advance and avoid detours that consume the timer.

Dancing Arnie — Sinister

Gate: Tier I or higher and the fish trigger on round 40 or later; the qualifying window is reported as 39+/41+ around the round-40 transition.

Side objective: Prepare the pot, beer, Chilly Chunks, lobster, red fish and Jötunn Star in the required order. Verify each ingredient before advancing to the next step.

Trial: Melee only for five waves. Use a melee-capable build, keep enemies grouped and avoid accidental ranged damage from equipment.

Conflict warning: Keep Dancing Arnie separate from the Jötunn Star’s Chilly Chunks order used by another Totenreich objective. The shared item sequence can conflict when both are attempted in one run.

Agarthan Device — Wicked

Gate: Start the quest from round 15 or later with Tier II or higher, and play as Richtofen.

Side objective: Collect three items and complete the castle chain. Character selection is part of the requirement, so changing operators after the run begins will not fix a missed gate.

Trial: Damage works only indoors. Pull enemies into interior spaces before attacking and do not waste ammunition on targets outside the valid damage area.

Music Box — Wicked

Gate: Tier II or higher and round 60 or later.

Side objective: Get five critical kills from Tyr’s Head, then enter the portal.

Trial: Six timed lockdowns. Move immediately when each lockdown starts, keep a route between objectives and avoid spending the clock on unnecessary pickups.

Efficient order for a full collection

1. Build Tier I on Ashes. Start with Lawyer’s Pen, Dragon Wings and Teddy Bear, the three Grim Relics that together provide one full Cursed Tier.
2. Use Tier I for Sinister gates. Pursue Sinister Relics on Astra Malorum, Kowakujō or Totenreich, selecting objectives that fit your preferred equipment and avoiding Valkyrie Helmet’s pre-round-40 deadline if the run is already late.
3. Reach Tier II before the round-60 group. Combine Sinister and Wicked contributions until Tier II is available. This is required for the Wicked Relics that demand round 60 or higher, including Ashes’ Bus, Dragon and Blood Vials.
4. Schedule map-specific Main Quests. A Relic on a map cannot be equipped until that map’s Main Quest is complete, and several Ashes objectives explicitly require its boss or Main Quest.
5. Separate conflicting runs. Run Valkyrie Helmet and Mannequin Turret separately on Kowakujō. Keep Dancing Arnie separate from the Jötunn Star’s Chilly Chunks order on Totenreich.
6. Prepare for the trial, not only the trigger. The portal locks you into a restriction such as no purchases, electric-only damage, no perks, no plates or timed waves. Carry the equipment and reserve resources before activating it.

What you get for all 30 Relics

Current guides report that collecting all 30 Relics unlocks the Best Friends animated camo, five GobbleGums—Perkaholic, Armor Gettin’, Gift Card, Near Death Experience and Wonderbar!—and 30,000 XP.

The cosmetic name is not confirmed in Activision’s official material identified for this challenge. Treat Best Friends as the reported name and verify the in-game challenge tracker before assuming the reward is permanently credited. The tracker is the authoritative place to confirm completion on your account.

How difficult is Cursed mode?

Activision reported in 2026 that 33% of Zombies players had tried Cursed at least once and that 41% of all Cursed matches were being played at Tier III difficulty. Those figures show that the mode has a substantial player base, but they do not change any Relic gate or trial rule listed above.

The official Call of Duty editorial team described the community’s hunt for Relics across the two current Round-Based maps as “awesome.” Relic hunting is therefore an intended long-form progression path, not a one-match checklist: plan separate runs for early triggers, round-60 gates and conflicting objectives.

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