- For other uses, see Astra Malorum (disambiguation).
- "In the cold depths of space, a century-old observatory guards a gateway to a dead world. Awaken the astronomer, defeat the mechanical guard, and liberate the celestial Shadowsmith!"
- — Mission Briefing
Astra Malorum (Latin: Stars of Evil) is a Zombies map featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The map was released on December 4th, 2025 as part of the Season One update.
Overview[]
Astra Malorum is set within and around the grounds of the Thurston Planetarium, which has been transported into the Dark Aether and resides within a skull shaped asteroid floating amongst the Rings of Saturn. Arriving in the Dark Aether sometime in the 1920's from "Tank" Dempsey's universe, the planetarium was once a beacon of human curiosity and discovery.
Plot[]
Setting[]
"Tank" Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, Takeo Masaki, Edward Richtofen, Grigori Weaver, Elizabeth Grey, Mackenzie Carver, Maya Aguinaldo continue their perilous journey in search of another Shadowsmith, with their path leading them to a mysterious observatory, a relic ripped from the early 20th century now drifting silently within the shimmering rings of Saturn.
Synopsis[]
Following a brief respite after freeing the Shadowsmith Veytharion, The Entity sends the combined crew to outer space within the Dark Aether, where they crash-land on a skull-shaped asteroid, housing a mysterious 20th century-era observatory, in search of Caltheris, the second Shadowsmith and Veytharion's sister.
They navigate the observatory and eventually uncover the body of Dr. Thurston, the astronomer who once oversaw the observatory, carve out his brain, and use a device to secure it and allow him to speak to them. With Thurston's assistance, the group rebuilds a portal to a temple on Mars, where they confront Caltheris, revealed to be taking the form of the asteroid itself. After defeating Caltheris' multiple forms, she restores Nikolai's and Grey's essence and memories. However, the group is discovered by the Warden, who sends Ravagers to pull them underground to an unknown location and captures the Entity, while Caltheris escapes.
Features[]
LGM-1[]
- Main article: Little Green Menace-1
O.S.C.A.R[]
O.S.C.A.R is a unique Elite enemy that roams the map freely after activating the Pack-a-Punch Machine. He fills a role similar to that of George A. Romero in the Call of Duty: Black Ops map Call of the Dead in that he has particularly high health and is ever present on the map once he spawns in. Visually, he is based on B-Movie Sci-Fi robots from the 1950's and 60's.
He will passively patrol various areas around the map, moving around at his own accord, unless he is attacked or sees players near him. Once this has happened, he will engage players, attempting to get closer to them to hit them and target them with his UFO drones. He can target other players using his drone causing all Zombies in the area to become enraged. They will move significantly faster and will only target the affected player. These drones also protect O.S.C.A.R. from all damage unless destroyed.
Despite all this, O.S.C.A.R. is particularly susceptible to all the Traps around the map. Killing and interacting with O.S.C.A.R. multiple times is integral to the maps Main Quest.
Weapons[]
| Off-Walls Weapons |
|---|
| Mystery Box / Trials |
|---|
Perks[]
Traps & Utilities[]
Easter Eggs[]
Main Quest[]
- Main article: Astra Malorum/Main Quest
Weaponry Easter Egg[]
- The Little Green Menace-1 can be obtained for free and is required for Main Quest.
Musical Easter Eggs[]
- The song Magic by Avenged Sevenfold can be activated by interacting with three Mister Peeks themed headphones scattered around the map.
- On the bottom shelf, left of the exit door in Luminarium
- Within a display case in Machina Astralis
- On the ground on the left side of Mars, right up against a wall.
- The Game Over music from the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 map Alpha Omega can be heard by finding three record and bringing them to the Gramophone in the Luminarium.
- Inside a wooden box in Machina Astralis in a box on the middle floor
- At the top of a bookshelf in the Luminarium
- On a wooden sil above a zombie spawner in the Museum
- A remixed version of the song Pareidolia, the easter egg song of the Call of Duty: Black Ops map Shangri-La can be heard by wall jumping off the left side of the floating rock next to Wisp Tea. This will send the player drifting into Space, and the song will begin as they drift and continue after landing.
- This song can be repeated every time the player takes the ride around space.
- The first time through this ride, players can also collect the DG-2 Turret.
- The Remix also plays, albeit briefly, when the players first arrive on Mars.
Cursed Relics[]
- Main article: Relic#Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
When playing in a game of Cursed, players can find and complete multiple side quests and trials to unlock six Relics, which provide additional gameplay modifiers for Cursed runs.
- Seed
- Spider Fang
- "Mystery Box is diabled"
- Relic Description
The Seed disables the regularly spawning Mystery Box, limiting players to Wall Buys. Fire Sale Power-Ups and the Immolation Liquidation GobbleGum will still spawn Mystery Boxes for players to utilize.
- Reach Round 20 in a Cursed game on Astra Malorum with at least one other Relic activated, though the Tier of the game does not need to be increased.
- A Common Rarity Jäger 45 will spawn in the area under the Pack-a-Punch Machine.
- Players must survive a full round using only this pistol. The only utility they may use is the Ammo Cache to refill it's ammo. It is easiest to do this on the first Ravager round after acquiring the pistol.
- They may not cause damage from any other source, even their melees or the effects of Elemental Pop, PhD Flopper, or Wisp Tea.
- They may not use any Traps, Power-Ups, or GobbleGums to complete the round.
- They may not Pack-a-Punch or increase the Rarity of the Jäger 45 at an arsenal.
- Other players, if present, cannot perform any damage at all.
- If successful, the Relic Portal will appear at the back of the Pack-a-Punch room, to the left of the Ammo Cache.
- Relic Trial - Survive waves of enemies using on a Tier 1 Pack-a-Punched Pistol. Round 1 and 3 will be regular Zombies and Mimics. Rounds 2 and 4 will be HVT Mimics.
- The Pistols Pack-a-Punch level cannot be raised, but it's rarity can be increased at an Arsenal.
- "Perk costs at machines never decrease."
— Relic description
The Spider Fang prevents the cost of new perks at Perk Machines from ever decreasing, meaning if players go down and lose their perks it will become more and more expensive to replace them over time.
- Play until Round 40 in a Tier I or higher Cursed Game on Astra Malorum.
- Kill O.S.C.A.R. with a melee weapon while he is being targeted by the Wisp from Wisp Tea. Successfully doing so will play a laugh from Mister Peeks.
- O.S.C.A.R.'s health can be brought down by other weapons, but the killing blow must be made by the players knife.
- It is best to leave the first O.S.C.A.R. that spawns in the game alive until this point, as it will have far less health than an O.S.C.A.R. that spawns later.
- The Mask of Benevolence Augment for Wisp Tea cannot be equipped as this Wisp will not attack O.S.C.A.R. The Wisp must be doing so in order for the trial to activate.
- Travel to the Library and interact with the Relic Portal directly across the room from Stamin-Up.
- Relic Trial - Survive five waves of enemies with no perks. All other utilities are available.
- Mimics will spawn with regular zombies, O.S.C.A.R. will still be roaming the map, and Uber Klaus Cores will spawn periodically in later waves along with regular zombies.
- Wave two will involve killing an HVT Uber Klaus and Wave five will involve killing an HHT O.S.C.A.R.
- The Apogee Annihilator is particularly effective for dealing with both.
Miscellaneous Easter Eggs[]
Free Power-Up Easter Eggs[]
Round Theme[]
- Main article: Round Transition Themes
Cutscenes[]
| Opening Cutscene Transcript |
|---|
| Ending Cutscene Transcript |
|---|
Intel[]
- Main article: Astra Malorum/Intel
Artifact Exhibit[]
- Main article: Astra Malorum/Artifact Exhibit
Gallery[]
Promotional[]
Intro Cinematic[]
Ending Cutscene[]
[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- The version of the Pack-a-Punch Machine that is seen in the map is identical to its Aether Saga counterpart.
- The Rocket players fire from the Zarya Cosmodrome in Ashes of the Damned can be seen flying through the rings of Saturn occasionally when players are floating through space to retrieve the DG-2 Turret.
- The Mars area has architecture visually similar to Shangri-La in many respects and the opening of the Pareidolia remix plays when first arriving to it. Both these elements are nods to the fan theory that Shangri-La is set on Mars, a concept previously alluded to in an easter on Tag der Toten as well.
- The Zombies that spawn on Mars bear visual similarity to the Crusader variant of The Ancients that spawn in The Crazy Place on the map Origins.
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