- "No guidance. Limited HUD and loadout. Classic points system. Search for Relics to further increase difficulty (Discoverable after completing map story quest)."
- — In-game description
Cursed is a Zombies game mode featured in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. It is one of four game modes in Zombies, along with Standard Mode, Directed Mode, and Survival.
Cursed is a challenge mode that places various limits on players, but at the benefit of earning exclusive rewards. Some of the modifiers are based on mechanics from Black Ops Zombies games prior to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
Cursed is unlocked for all Black Ops 7 players alongside the other game modes. It was briefly locked on launch before the world's first completion of Ashes of the Damned's main quest.
Overview[]
Cursed is aimed at hardcore players who are familiar with the mechanics of both modern and pre-Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombie Mode. The mode starts players with a variety of limitations aimed at increasing the games challenge:
- Players start the match with a Jäger 45, and loadout weapons are not available.
- The Minimap is disabled.
- Objective Markers are disabled
- Progress bars and other Quest Hints will not appear in the players HUD.
- All tiers of Pack-A-Punch have had their costs increased in essence costs.
- Tier I: 10,000 Essence (Previously 5000)
- Tier II: 25,000 Essence (Previously 15,000)
- Tier III: 50,000 Essence (Previously 30,000)
- Black Ops III-style point system. Some major differences:
- Kills are re-scaled, with melee kills providing more points than precision or standard kills.
- 10 points are rewarded for any non-lethal damage to a zombie.
- Ammo costs are modified.
- Relic Trials are available.
- More difficult Boss Fight Mechanics
Cursed otherwise plays the same as a standard match, with all features and quests available on the map. Cursed itself can be played with no pre-requisites, and Relics can be unlocked as soon as players activate and complete their quests. However, Relics can only be applied to a run if players have completed the Ashes of the Damned's main quest, continued playing after completion, and interacted with the Mysterious Object at Blackwater Lake.
Relics[]
- Main article: Relics#Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
In Cursed games, players are able to find Quests that reveal Relic Trials, which when completed unlock modifiers that can be applied to future runs of Cursed. Relics increase the difficulty of the game in specific ways - known as debuffs - and when enough Relics are activated at once they increase the difficulty "tier" of Cursed, up to tier III. The tier of a run is determined by how much of a "tier bar" is filled while choosing Relics in the pre-game lobby. Relics fill the Tier Bar in different amounts depending on how impactful their effect is to the difficulty of a run.
The Relics feature some substantial gameplay changes, many of which are reminiscent of gameplay mechanics from older Zombies modes. For example, one relic enforces a four Perk-a-Cola purchasing limit on players while another removes all Ammo Caches from the map.
Which relics are active can be customized as part of Private Match settings based on whatever Relics the host has unlocked. There are nine relics to collect in Ashes of the Damned. Each Relic involves a short quest in order to unlock it.
Additional Relics are planned to be added to post-launch maps for players to uncover.[1]
Cursed Tiers[]
The more Relics that the player equips for a subsequent play through in Cursed, the higher the difficulty tier that they achieve. Relics are divided into three categories based on severity; Grim, Sinister, and Wicked. Grim Relics fill up a third of a tier bar, Sinister Relics fill two thirds, and Wicked Relics fill an entire Tier.
- In Tier I, Golden Armor becomes available to buy after Tier III Armor, for 45,000 Essence.
- In Tier II, the player is able to upgrade weapons to Ultra Rarity for 8000 additional Salvage after Legendary, 17,500 Salvage from common.
- In Tier III, the player is able to upgrade weapons to Pack-a-Punch Level IV for 100,000 Essence.
As an example, Tier I can be achieved with three Grim relics, 1 Sinister and 1 Grim Relic, or a single Wicked Relic. Tier III can be achieved by mixing and matching Relics together, not requiring all be activated at once.
Available Relics[]
- For detailed instructions on how to unlock each Relic, see Relic#Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.
Relics are exclusively unlocked in Cursed mode on every map. Players must first complete certain criteria to unlock a Relic Trial, and must then complete the Trial to unlock the Relic itself.
Ashes of the Damned[]
In Ashes of the Damned, Grim Relic trials take place at the Vandorn Farm, Sinister trials take place at the Zarya Cosmodrome, and Wicked trials take place at Blackwater Lake.
| Relic | Effect | Unlock Criteria | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
 Lawyer's Pen |
Mimics props have infiltrated the map | On or after round 20, take the Jump Pad from Vandorm Farm to Janus Towers Plaza and shoot the three purple symbols in the air on the buildings in that area. Then, interact with the Relic Portal on the side of the Farmhouse. | Grim |
 Dragon Wings |
Normal Power-Ups spawns are disabled | On or after round 20, red candles can be found in a Cabin between Ashwood and Blackwater lake, next to Juggernog in Ashwood, and in the bedroom of the Farmhouse. Shoot all three with a weapon equipped with the Napalm Ammo Mod or a Molotov Cocktail. After doing so, interact with the Relic Portal on the side of the barn. | Grim |
 Teddy Bear |
Round start delay is cut down by 75% | Find 10 Mister Peeks stuffed animals hidden around the map and shoot them with the Necrofluid Gauntlet while in Aether Shroud. A full list of locations can be found here. Then, interact with the Relic Portal on the side of the Shed. | Grim |
 Vril Sphere |
Players can only carry 4 Perk-a-Colas Acquiring a fifth replaces a players "oldest" perk. |
On or after round 40 in a Tier I game, kill a Doppelghast by launching it from a Jump Pad. Then, interact with the Relic Portal at the Cosmodromes Ramp. | Sinister |
Samantha's Drawing |
Every Weapon a player has will swap to a different weapon every round, but will maintain it's Pack-a-Punch and Rarity level. | This Relic has not yet been found. | Sinister |
 Focusing Stone |
No Self Revive kits | On or after round 40 in a Tier I game, Kill a Zursa with a melee attack. Then interact with the Relic Portal at the Zarya Cosmodrome. | Sinister |
 Bus |
Enemy health regenerates | On or after round 60 in a Tier II game, complete a full round without taking any damage. Then, interact with the Relic Portal at Blackwater Lake. | Wicked |
 Dragon |
All Ammo Caches are disabled | On or after round 60 in a Tier II game, complete the Ashes of the Damned main quest; Dust to Dust. Then, interact with the Relic Portal at Blackwater Lake. | Wicked |
 Blood Vials |
All Augments are turned off | Reach Round 20 in a Tier II game and find a ringing red phone around the map. Repeatedly interact with it until it disappears and Mr. Peeks' laugh is heard. Then, interact with the Relic Portal inside the cabin at Blackwater Lake. | Wicked |
Astra Malorum[]
| Relic | Effect | Unlock Criteria | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
Gong |
Players start a match with a fully charged Field Upgrade, but it can only be charged by Full Power. | his Relic has not yet been found. | Grim |
 Seed |
The Mystery Box is disabled | On or after round 20, find a Common Jäger 45 underneath the Pack-a-Punch Machine and survive a full round using only it to kill Zombies. | Grim |
 Spider Fang |
Perk-a-Cola Machine costs never decrease. | Kill O.S.C.A.R. with a melee attack while a Wisp Tea Wisp attacks him on or after Round 40 in a Tier I or higher game. | Sinister |
Matryoshka Doll |
Salvage drop rates are cut in half. | This Relic has not yet been found. | Sinister |
Golden Spork |
Enemies deal double damage. | This Relic has not yet been found. | Wicked |
 Civil Protector Head |
Every 100 kills, players lose a Perk-a-Cola. | This Relic has not yet been found. | Wicked |
Trivia[]
- Cursed was originally planned to be unlocked player by player as a reward for some kind of in-game criteria[2], but this was changed to a universal unlock for all following player feedback.
- Prior to Cursed unlocking for all players, Treyarch put a safeguard in place to prevent the mode from being played and spoiled early. While a player could utilize exploits or hacks to enter a game of Cursed, it would end immediately after starting, preventing any playtime at all.[3]
References[]
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