Black Ops 7 and Warzone’s mid-season update goes live on June 25 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM BST, and it is one of the busiest Reloaded drops in a while. You are getting a brand new Zombies map, two new multiplayer maps, a new Warzone season on Rebirth Island, fresh weapons, and one of the more unexpected operator crossovers Call of Duty has ever done.

System LayerSeason 4 Reloaded Patch Nicolas Cage Crossover

* Introduced via the Nick Cage Event Pass running from June 25 to July 23, 2026.

* Operating as an XP-based progress system across all core game modes (requires ~1 million total XP).

* Free Track: Unlocks 10 rewards including the Opportunist Samuels and Hired Muscle Grimm operator skins.

* Premium Track (1,100 COD Points): Instantly grants the Nick Cage playable operator base skin, finishing moves, blueprints, and the final tier Unlimited mastery skin.

New Weapon Inventory

* AN-94 Assault Rifle: Returns with its signature hyperspeed 2-round hyperburst initial firing frame cycle before settling into full-auto. Unlocks via the free Event Pass mastery tier.

* Executioner’s Duet: High-damage, dual-wielded throwing hatchets offering exceptionally rapid melee animations with 30 independent weapon camo completion challenges.

* Aftermarket Attachments: Weekly challenge unlocks include the XR3 Ion Vulcan Underbarrel Minigun, Mirage Dual Fire Kit (high-powered hipfire slugs), and the V-Locks 5.7 Carbine SMG Chassis.

Multiplayer Additions

* Zenith (6v6 / 2v2): A medium-sized luxury cliffside manor compound explicitly designed for vertical skirmish lanes.

* Launch (6v6 Remaster): Returns from the classic Black Ops era, retaining the dynamic mid-map rocket assembly event.

* Black Ops Classic: Permanently added to playlist tabs with Launch, Fringe, Hacienda, and Gridlock in rotation.

* LTM Core Playlists: Team Blueprint Sharpshooter and Knife Fight return for streamlined melee progression.

Zombies: Kowakujō

* Round-based survival map set inside a traditional feudal Japanese castle flanked by active volcanic flows.

* Enemies: Introduces a localized, heavy threat variant called the Oni alongside Hellhounds and Scorched archetypes.

* Mechanics: Main Easter Egg quest unlocks immediately at 9 AM PT. Features a classified Wonder Weapon, Ghostly Rifleman Trap, Curse Mode, and the Hellping Hound Rare GobbleGum (summons a friendly companion for 5 minutes).

Endgame: King Killer

* Act IV Story Progress: Launches Operation King Killer, requiring squads to map out and infiltrate the Guild’s Central Command Node inside high-tier regions of Avalon.

* Unlocks ten escalating tier challenges, a Prime Target Glitch boss event, and unique weapon mastery skins.

Guardian Skill Track

* Specialized front-line durability progression tree natively added to active Endgame loadouts:

* Payback: Reflects a percentage of incoming attacker damage back onto aggressive targets.

* Battle Cache / Power Tap: Boosts armor/ammo resupply drops; collecting packs fully replenishes equipment slots.

* Fortified: Scale down incoming damage profiles linearly per active armor plate equipped.

* Rescue Pulse: Emits a passive proximity aura that automatically revives downed squadmates without manual interactions.

* Fission (Exotic): Cleared elite targets have a designated chance to detonate a large area-of-effect explosion.

* Sleeper Agent (Nightmare): Weapon hits carry a small chance to briefly convert base enemies into friendly units.

Warzone Rebirth

* Rebirth Island Summer: Complete environmental lighting pass completely deletes winter assets, replacing them with a high-visibility, sunny warm-weather layout.

* Squad Gun Game: 30-player Resurgence variant where squads cycle through weapon ladders in tandem.

* Champions Quest: Requirements settle at 5 consecutive Battle Royale wins or 30 total seasonal wins to build the extraction tracker. Multi-clears stack rewards up to an animated camo at 10 completions.

Whether you play Zombies, grind ranked, run Warzone squads, or just log on to collect free cosmetics, this update has something that touches your game mode. Read on for the full breakdown, mode by mode.

Nicolas Cage Is Now a Call of Duty Operator

Yes, really. Nicolas Cage joins Black Ops 7 and Warzone as a playable Operator on June 25, available across Multiplayer, Zombies, Warzone, and Endgame. He shows up in military tactical gear rather than a movie-themed costume, which honestly makes him fit into the game better than you might expect.

Cage arrives through a new Nick Cage Event Pass running from June 25 to July 23. The pass has two tracks. The free track hands out ten rewards including operator skins, a Double Weapon XP token, a Battle Pass Tier Skip, and both the Executioner’s Duet melee weapon and the AN-94 assault rifle as mastery unlocks. You do not need to spend a single COD Point to earn those two weapons.

The premium track costs 1,100 COD Points and unlocks Nicolas Cage himself immediately on purchase, plus a stack of weapon blueprints, emotes, animated cosmetics, and the “Unlimited” Cage skin as the final mastery reward.

Two New Multiplayer Maps Are Joining on Day One

Zenith is the headline new map: a medium-sized 6v6 and 2v2 arena set inside a luxury cliffside manor. It is a brand new design, not a remaster. The 2v2 variant gives it some life in the Gunfight playlist for players who prefer smaller, faster rounds.

Launch also returns as a full 6v6 remaster from Black Ops 1. If you have been running the original for years, the layout translates cleanly to the current game. Expect the center building to stay as contested as ever.

Black Ops Classic Is Now a Permanent Mode

Black Ops Classic, the throwback playlist that has been live in Season 4, becomes a permanent addition with the Reloaded update. Four maps from older Black Ops titles join its rotation at launch: Launch, Fringe, Hacienda, and Gridlock. If you have been putting off trying it, that grind is now yours to do on your own schedule.

Team Blueprint Sharpshooter and Knife Fight also arrive as returning limited-time modes. Knife Fight in particular is useful if you are working through melee camo challenges, since every lobby runs melee only and you are not fighting against rifles and shotguns.

New Weapons: Dual Hatchets and the AN-94 Return

The two new global weapons added in Season 4 Reloaded are confirmed.x+2

Executioner’s Duet is a new melee weapon. Think dual hatchets with high damage output, short range, and a fast attack speed. It comes with 30 mastery camo levels and no attachments. It unlocks free through the Nick Cage Event Pass mastery track.

AN-94 returns from Black Ops 2 as a full-auto assault rifle. Its signature mechanic is a faster two-round burst at the start of each trigger pull, meaning the first two bullets fire noticeably quicker before settling into standard full-auto. This makes it strong for short bursts and controllable at range. The AN-94 is also a free Event Pass mastery unlock.

Three new weapon attachments roll out as weekly challenge rewards throughout the season:

  • XR3 Ion Vulcan Minigun Underbarrel: Converts the Ion into a minigun configuration. Optic attachments cannot be used when this is equipped.

  • Mirage Dual Fire Kit: Replaces ADS with high-powered slug rounds. Hipfire accuracy improves, but mobility takes a hit and you lose standard ADS.

  • V-Locks 5.7 Carbine Chassis: Turns the V-Locks pistol into a compact SMG-style build.

Zombies: Kowakujō Is the Biggest Addition This Update

The new round-based Zombies map is Kowakujō, set in a feudal Japanese castle near active volcanoes. Lava rivers run through the map as environmental hazards. A new enemy type called the Oni is introduced as the map’s signature threat.instagram+1

The main quest unlocks at 9 AM PT on June 25, so day-one players can jump straight into it at launch. Completing it earns the new Dragon Scales Pack-a-Punch camos and dedicated main quest rewards.

Other confirmed Zombies additions for this map:

  • A new classified Wonder Weapon that has not been publicly revealed yet

  • The Ghostly Rifleman Trap, a new map trap option

  • Curse Mode, a new gameplay modifier for the map

  • New GobbleGum: Hellping Hound, a Rare GobbleGum that summons a friendly Hellhound for 5 minutes

  • The PPSH-41 returns as an Ultra Rarity Mystery Box weapon on Kowakujō

A separate Kowakujō event also runs alongside the map launch and rewards players with weapon camos and GobbleGums for completing challenges.

Endgame: Operation King Killer and the Guardian Skill Track

Endgame’s seasonal story continues with Act IV: Operation King Killer. The Guild’s central command node has been located inside Avalon. Players collect command data across the map to pinpoint it and destroy it. Completing Act IV rewards a new blueprint, calling card, and bonus XP. Weapon camos are also available for finishing the act.

The Guardian Skill Track is the big mechanical addition for Endgame players. It is built around taking more damage, supporting teammates, and making attackers regret pushing you. Its full confirmed ability list:

  • Payback: Enemies that damage you get a portion of that damage reflected back.

  • Battle Cache: Higher chance to spawn Ammo or Armor Resupply packs.

  • Power Tap: Picking up resupply packs also refills your Equipment.

  • Fortified: Damage reduction for every armor plate currently equipped.

  • Iron Grip: Reduces hipfire bullet spread and flinch when hit.

  • Rescue Pulse: Lets downed players be revived by nearby allies through proximity alone.

Two additional skills join the pool:

  • Fission (Exotic): Killing an elite has a chance to trigger a large explosion damaging nearby enemies.

  • Sleeper Agent (Nightmare): Chance on hit to convert base enemies into temporary allies fighting for you.

A new Minor Ability, the Psych Grenade, explodes on impact.

Endgame stays free to play through the end of Season 5.

Warzone: Rebirth Gets a Summer Look, Champions Quest Comes Back

Rebirth Island gets a full lighting and visual overhaul for summer. The snow and winter atmosphere are gone, replaced with a warm-weather aesthetic. Same map, same callouts, different mood.

New Warzone modes confirmed for Season 4 Reloaded:

  • Squad Gun Game: Warzone’s first Gun Game mode, played on Resurgence maps with 30 players total. Your squad cycles through the weapon rotation together.

  • Buyback Quads LTM: Returns July 9 through July 13.

Champions Quest is back for competitive Warzone players. To unlock it, you need either 5 Battle Royale wins in a row or 30 total wins in a single season. Once unlocked, you go through the in-match extraction sequence to complete it. Completing multiple Champions Quests stacks rewards over time. Hitting 10 completions earns an animated weapon camo, something most players will not have.

Events, Free Trials, and What to Prioritize First

A cross-mode Summer of Action event runs across all modes and rewards Tier Skips and Double XP tokens. The rewards are on the lighter side compared to past events, but it stacks well with the Nick Cage Event Pass grind and the Kowakujō event running at the same time.

A free trial for Season 4 Reloaded is also confirmed, giving non-owners access to Multiplayer and Zombies at no cost. An exact start date has not been announced yet, so keep an eye on official Call of Duty channels.

If you are only logging on for a limited time tomorrow, here is where to start based on what you play:

  • Zombies players: Kowakujō main quest unlocks at 9 AM PT. Get in early before spoilers spread.

  • Multiplayer grinders: Launch and Zenith are both live at update time. Black Ops Classic now has Fringe, Hacienda, and Gridlock if you want the retro rotation.

  • Warzone squads: Try Squad Gun Game on Rebirth first, then check Champions Quest requirements if you are going for the animated camo long term.

  • Free track grinders: Start earning Nick Cage Event Pass XP immediately across any mode. The AN-94 and Executioner’s Duet are both on the free track mastery.

The ranked series events for Multiplayer and Warzone are expected in the final week of Season 4, bringing extra camos and leaderboard placement for your division.