We finally have confirmation about Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s first post-launch Zombies map – here’s everything you need to know about Citadelle des Morts.
By now, many COD Zombies fans will have had their fill of Terminus and Liberty Falls, Black Ops 6’s day-one offering.
The reception to Black Ops 6 Zombies so far has been overwhelmingly positive, and Treyarch means to keep the ball rolling with a new map releasing before the year is out!
Citadelle des Morts Release Date
The new Black Ops 6 Zombies map, Citadelle des Morts, will release on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM GMT as part of Season 1 Reloaded.
And there’s more good news. Treyarch has already confirmed that the Main Quest Easter Egg will go live alongside the map – so we won’t have to wait to get started with the hunt!
Of course, Directed Mode won’t be arriving until a later date, potentially even until Season 2’s launch, in order to give players a chance to discover the map’s secrets without spoilers.
Story
Citadelle des Morts (which translates to Citadel of the Dead) is set in a spectacular castle in the Principality of Avalon, on the Mediterranean Coast.
The map is a direct follow-up to the events of Terminus, in which the newly liberated Requiem strike team sets out to locate the Sentinel Artifact.
Series antagonist Eddie Richtofen believes that the artifact can manipulate Prima Materia. He has hired the French Syndicate (who in turn, hired Sergei Ravenov) to abduct demonologist Gabriel Krafft and interrogate him to find the artifact’s location.
Believing the Sentinel Artifact to be capable of bringing back Samantha Maxis, Requiem decides to try to find it before Richtofen can.
In the Citadelle des Morts cinematic trailer, our new Zombies Crew arrives in Avalon and encounters Sergei Ravenov, who is in charge of interrogating Krafft.
He reveals that the French Syndicate is being paid millions to make Krafft talk, but that even he hasn’t been able to beat the artifact’s location out of the demonologist.
The Zombies Crew sets out to kill Ravenov’s boss and rescue Krafft, all with the hope that his knowledge will guide the team to rescuing Samantha Maxis once again.
Since the events of Terminus and Liberty Falls take place simultaneously, this is also technically a follow-up to the West Virginia-based map. In the conclusion of Liberty Falls, Head of the Project Janos Energy Research Division, Dr. Pericles Panos, is freed from the Dark Aether.
We don’t know what his motives are just yet, but they appear sinister in nature, so Requiem may find him to be a new threat if he turns up in Avalon.
New Enemy
Treyarch has already confirmed that a new enemy known as the Doppelghast will be found stalking the dark halls of the Citadelle des Morts keep.
With a name meaning ‘double horror,’ it should come as no shock that this undead is comprised of two tormented souls who have been fused together.
Because of this, their movement is highly erratic as each head fights for control of the body. These zombies are fast, with the ability to jerk quickly towards the player, or launch themselves from the shadows.
Up close, they can lash out with rapid and deadly attacks, meaning that you’ll want to dispatch them from range.
Unfortunately, by firing an array of sharp needles, this foe can also protect itself from harm and inflict hallucinations on those hit by the attack!
New Wonder Weapons
Black Ops 6 already has a variety of exciting Wonder Weapons for players to get their hands on, but Citadelle des Morts will have four new Wonder Weapon variants to discover!
The map introduces the Bastard Sword, a Claymore that can harness the power of four elemental beasts.
Caliburn: Dragon’s Fire
Create a fiery maelstrom that sets zombies alight and summons an immense fireball.
Durendal: Stag of the Storms
Summon thunderous power discharging lightning that to stun and staggers enemies, before firing an electrical beam.
Balmung: Raven’s Shadow
Casts enemies into the Aetherial abyss, warping nearby zombies with ‘a focused liminal tear.’
Solais: Lion of Light
The warmth of Light courses through the blade, sending undead screaming into darkness.
The Bastard Sword is a powerful weapon in its own right, and replaces your Dedicated Melee Weapon, meaning it can be carried with two guns at all times.
However, when the Claymore is imbued with one of the energies above, it gains a unique special attack as well as a passive effect that powers up over time.
Tired of incoming projectiles like the Mangler Cannon getting in your way? The Bastard Sword will let you party the attack and render it useless!
It’s worth noting that the Wunderwaffe DG-2 already featured in the Liberty Falls intro cinematic, where it appeared to break during the cutscenes climax.
If Richtofen returns in Citadelle des Morts, it wouldn’t be too unlikely for him to rebuild his favorite gun! However, for now, it seems that this Wonder Weapon’s inclusion was just a teaser.
And on top of the Wonder Weapons, the new Hand Cannon Scorestreak will also be available in Zombies, craftable at Crafting Tables for those with Salvage to spare.
Perks, GobbleGums, Ammo Mods & More
Citadelle des Morts is bringing with it a variety of new features that aren’t exclusive to Avalon, upgrading round-based survival for every Black Ops 6 Zombies map.
New Perk: Vulture Aid
For example, the Vulture Aid Perk-a-Cola returns from Black Ops 2, complete with six new unlockable Augments. On Terminus and Liberty Falls, you’ll be able to get hold of the new Perk via the Wunderfizz machine that appears at Round 25.
Drinking this Perk Can will boost the variety of loot that gets dropped from defeated enemies, with Essence Vials and small Ammo drops joining the loot pool.
Players can upgrade the Perk’s Augments to cause it to drop a gas cloud, capable of charging your Field Upgrade, or hiding you from sight – or focus on gaining extra loot!
New Ammo Mod: Light Mend
In addition, the Armory will start stocking a new Light Mend Ammo Mod, which allow you to start dishing out Light damage.
Each bullet fired with Light Mend has the chance to transform enemy health into a healing glyph that moves to injured allies.
With its six available Augments, players can upgrade these glyph’s healing potential, or cause them to damage enemies on the way to you.
New Field Upgrade: Tesla Storm
Finally, the Tesla Storm Field Upgrade returns from Black Ops Cold War, connecting lightning between players that stuns and damages undead.
Players can choose to bridge the lightning with their allies to boost its effectiveness, or simply create an enemy surge on their location, using Augments.
New GobbleGums
There are also three new GobbleGums joining the fun, which players can unlock via an upcoming event or through standard gameplay.
The new additions are as follows:
| GobbleGum | Rarity | Effect |
| Power Keg | Rare | Spawns a Full Power Power-Up. |
| Time Out | Ultra | Clear all Normal and Special enemies and end the Round. Normal spawning will not resume during this time. |
| Holiday Cheer | Whimsical | Zombies have festive decorations. |
All three GobbleGums are unlockable during the Holiday Cheer event in Season 1 Reloaded, but we’re certain that they won’t be restricted forever.
Are New Black Ops 6 Zombies Maps Free?
Yes, all future Black Ops 6 Zombies maps will be free, beginning with Citadelle des Morts in Season 1 Reloaded.
Although Activision used to lock round-based Zombies content behind DLC packs, its current live service model instead prefers to offer all post-launch content free of charge.
Instead, the company makes its revenue through cosmetic Store Bundles and sales of the Battle Pass.
And now, Pay to Win GobbleGum Store Bundles are also available, to help Zombies fans part with more of their cash.