CoD: Black Ops 7 Store

CoD Black Ops 7 Season 4 Reloaded goes live on June 25, and the official team has already released a detailed roadmap for the update, with substantial additions coming to both Zombies and Warzone modes.

Beyond that, this mid-season patch features a particularly unusual crossover event, as Nicolas Cage joins the roster as an operator. Call of Duty series usually ties its collaborations to a specific franchise, so Cage’s inclusion stands out as something genuinely different.

All in all, a flood of activities is heading our way, and since you probably have no desire to wade through lengthy patch notes, let us break down the most important highlights of Season 4 Reloaded.

Endgame: Act IV – Operation King Killer (Launch)

Endgame enters its fourth chapter, Operation King Killer, which also marks the final operation for this mode. As Endgame storyline reaches its conclusion, this update brings the last batch of Glitch content. That does not mean, however, that Season 5 will offer nothing for the mode, though the official channels have not yet clarified what comes after.

On the narrative front, Act III saw Guild successfully counter JSOC’s attempt to deploy a virus into Guild network, but that counterattack exposed Guild itself. Now players must collect Command Data across the entire Avalon region, locate its source, and destroy it.

The first mission of Chapter IV requires players to enter Tier 3 or higher zones, similar to the setup in Chapter II. Completing various objectives unlocks new rewards, while additional CR bonuses further enhance operator capabilities. These rewards include weapon blueprints, XP tokens, and cosmetic items.

To cope with the new challenges, Endgame also adds Guardian skill tree, along with the new Nightmare Skill and a throwable called Psych Grenade.

Endgame mode will remain free to access until the end of Season 5. Season 5 may still deliver some extra content, but the free-to-play period will likely end around the start of Season 6.

Multiplayer Updates

New Maps

Two new maps join the rotation: Zenith and Launch. Zenith is a brand-new 6v6 map set in a cliffside luxury estate.

Launch is a remastered classic from the original Black Ops, and although Black Ops 4 previously offered a nighttime variant, this version returns to the daytime setting of Black Ops 1 original.

New Modes

Season 4 Reloaded introduces two fresh modes. Team Blueprint Sharpshooter is a party-style 6v6 mode with enhanced scorestreak rewards, where players’ weapon blueprints rotate on a regular schedule. Knife Fight, on the other hand, is a 2v2 mode restricted to melee weapons only.

On a positive note, Black Ops Classic mode has proven so popular that it is becoming a permanent fixture, and four additional classic maps are being added to its rotation:

• Launch (Black Ops)
• Fringe (Black Ops 3)
• Hacienda (Black Ops 4)
• Gridlock (Black Ops 4)

Zombies: Kowakujō

As the squad members discover and make contact with Dark Ether, the catastrophic consequences for the real world begin to unfold. In this update, the team must rescue the last Shado Smith and retrieve the mysterious World Seed.

The new map, Kowakujō, is set in a burning castle. The squad escapes in time and lands in Outer World, where they must explore the flaming fortress, fend off hordes of zombies within, and free both Takeo’s soul and a Shadowsmith.

Players will face a new enemy type on this map: Oni. Although the official Twitter account previously teased it, it is still unclear whether Oni is classified as a Special or an Elite enemy.

Hell Hounds and Scorch Zombies - both fire-based foes - make a return. They are not especially troublesome, but you will want to keep your distance from them. Maintain space and use your weapons to tear apart their bodies.

Map-Specific Mechanics

Weapons are not the only answer to the swarming horde. Once the power is turned on, you can activate Ghostly Rifleman Trap, which summons the undead spirits of long-departed riflemen from the castle to provide covering fire.

Rivers of Fire in Kowakujō are not mere decoration; they deal damage to anything that touches them. You will need to carefully avoid these hazardous areas, but you can also use them strategically against your enemies.

Wonder Weapon

The identity of this update’s Wonder Weapon has not been disclosed. The official blog post completely blacked out that section, a move that is extremely rare in Black Ops history - at least, neither Black Ops 6 nor Black Ops 7 has ever done so before. Players will have to discover its true form for themselves after the mid-season patch goes live.

This update also introduces tier-three Pack-a-Punch camos, all of which feature animated effects. After completing the corresponding kill challenges, they can be unlocked for general use across other round-based Zombies maps.

GobbleGum and Mystery Box Weapons

Hellping Hound GobbleGum lets you summon a Hellping Hound to tear into enemies in standard Zombies mode, whereas in Dead Ops Arcade (the top-down arcade mini-game) you can call in three of them.

PPSh-41 SMG has been confirmed as a new Ultra Rarity Mystery Box weapon in Black Ops 7, with stats approaching Wonder Weapon level. It is not yet known whether this weapon is exclusive to the new map.

Warzone

Rebirth Island receives a summer-themed makeover, and several new modes as well as classic ones become available.

Squad Gun Game

Squad Gun Game rotates across Rebirth Island, Haven’s Hollow, and Fortune’s Keep. Thirty players are split into ten squads, battling across the map. Eliminate enemies to upgrade your weapon.

The first squad to complete all weapon rotations wins. Players have unlimited ammunition, and eliminated players respawn after ten seconds. The gas circle does not shrink but instead moves around the map. This mode is designed to encourage aggressive, kill-oriented play.

Buy Back Quads Mode

This is a limited-time mode running from July 9 through July 13. A total of 152 players drop into the same map, so competition is extremely intense.

Champion’s Quest

Champion’s Quest returns with a more generous reward structure, going beyond the standard contract rewards for five consecutive victories. This update offers top-tier players additional unlockable content.

Season 4 Reloaded Events

Nicolas Cage Pass

Season 4 Reloaded event pass comes with both a Free and a Premium Track. Free-track rewards include "Opportunist" Samuels Operator Skin, "Hired Muscle" Grimm Operator Skin, and two new weapons: Executioner’s Duet (melee) and AN-94 assault rifle.

"Unlimited" Nick Cage Operator Skin appears as the final reward on Premium Track, which costs 1,100 COD Points.

The event pass is experience-driven, so it is advisable to activate XP tokens and join longer objective-based matches to level up quickly. Players who own Black Cell variant receive an additional XP bonus.

If you complete the free track early and later unlock Premium Track, all corresponding rewards will be unlocked retroactively.

You can buy CoD Black Ops 7 bot lobbies at IGGM to complete Season 4 Reloaded challenges faster and accelerate your Battle Pass progression.

Summer of Action Daily Login Rewards

Logging in for a set number of consecutive days grants Tier Skips, XP Tokens, and "Catharsis" X9 Maverick Assault Rifle Weapon Blueprint, among other rewards. This event lasts for roughly a week or more.

Kowakujō Leaderboard Event

Kowakujō Leaderboard Event offers camos and candy as rewards. Based on player feedback, the leaderboard system has been reworked.

Leaderboards reset every three hours, allowing players to participate multiple times during the week-long event. Once a player achieves first place, they will no longer be eligible for subsequent leaderboard rounds. As long as you improve on your previous performance, you can earn higher-tier rewards.

In addition, Ranked Multiplayer and Ranked Warzone will each host their own leaderboard events, with rewards distributed according to division rankings.

That wraps up all the major content coming in Black Ops 7 and Warzone with Season 4 Reloaded update. The download size is roughly 35 GB, so if you want to jump in as soon as possible, you can pre-load the patch ahead of time.

Among the wealth of new content added in CoD BO7 Season 4 are four new weapons. While KRS-7.62 and CBRS-3 are unlocked via the battle pass and Grimhawk is a weekly challenge reward, VX Compact requires you to complete a specific event: Illicit Cargo.

This event began on June 11 and runs until June 25. Since the event is already halfway through, VX Compact should be your priority among the four new weapons, especially if you lack a weapon that excels at medium range.

Here, we'll briefly cover how to obtain VX Compact, its unique advantages at medium range, and the best attachment setup for it.

How to unlock VX Compact?

Limited-time event Illicit Cargo associated with this assault rifle assigns nine tasks across four major game modes, respectively. Completing all tasks in any single mode unlocks both a standard and an animated camo.

If you complete all 36 tasks, you'll also unlock the remastered Cherry Fizz animated camo. However, if your goal is simply to acquire VX Compact, you only need to complete the nine weapon class challenges found within the event.

To save time and clear these tasks efficiently, the best approach is to buy Black Ops 7 Bot Lobbies on IGGM. Bot movement patterns are predictable, allowing you to hit various kill objectives much faster.

Alternatively, if your budget allows, you can unlock the weapon by unlocking VX Compact blueprint from the in-game store. Note that once Season 4 ends, VX Compact will probably only be obtainable via the armory challenges.

VX compact: basic stats and performance

This weapon boasts the fastest fire rate of any BO7 assault rifle, clocking in at 1,034 rounds per minute, with a typical time-to-kill (TTK) requiring 6 to 8 shots.

This results in a close-range TTK of 290 milliseconds, a figure that falls below the average for assault rifles. However, it is not the slowest-killing assault rifle in the game.

Most importantly, the gun retains its 6-shot kill capability even within the second damage range bracket. At longer ranges, provided your aim is precise, its TTK actually outperforms the average assault rifle.

In other words, it only falls slightly short at close range, precisely where other assault rifles excel. Consequently, you can confidently use VX Compact for mid-range engagements and switch to a different weapon when moving into close-quarters combat.

Unfortunately, however, VX Compact offers lackluster rewards for headshots. You need to land 3 to 4 headshots, combined with body shots, to reduce the total number of rounds required for a kill.

Even with a damage-boosting barrel equipped, it still takes 2 to 3 headshots to achieve the same result. Therefore, unless you are grinding for a specific camo challenge, aiming for the torso is generally more effective when using VX Compact.

Regarding range performance, the weapon retains its 6-shot kill capability well into the second damage drop-off zone; it maintains a 290ms TTK out to 36 meters, a performance that compares favorably to most other assault rifles.

In short, the gun's true strength lies in mid-to-long-range engagements. That said, it isn't useless at close range, it simply suffers a slight disadvantage in raw firepower compared to other assault rifles.

Best VX Compact attachment setup

The weapon features nine attachment slots, including optic, muzzle, barrel, underbarrel, and more, though not all of them significantly boost VX Compact's performance.

Starting with the barrel: equipping Long Barrel increases the damage range by 45%. This extends the 6-shot kill range (with its 290ms TTK) to 52 meters, further bolstering its potency at medium-to-long ranges.

Other options include Hybrid Barrel, which boosts both range and muzzle velocity by 20%, and Damage Barrel, which extends the one-shot-headshot range into the second damage zone.

In terms of hip-fire performance, VX Compact sits at an average level for the assault rifle class. In fact, given its extremely high fire rate, its hip-fire performance actually surpasses that of many other assault rifles, as the rapid fire helps mitigate the impact of missed shots.

Furthermore, thanks to its fire rate, VX Compact boasts excellent recoil characteristics: minimal kick and easy control. This makes it a highly accurate weapon, further highlighting its advantages in medium-to-long-range combat.

However, a major drawback of VX Compact is its default magazine capacity of just 25 rounds; given its high fire rate, ammunition is depleted very quickly.

Consequently, equipping a magazine attachment is essential. A standard Fast Mag reduces reload times without sacrificing capacity, though various extended magazine options are also worth trying.

It is also worth noting that if you max out the weapon's level and prestige it twice, you can enter Weapon Prestige Master level and equip exclusive prestige attachments.

For VX Compact, Black Ops 7 Prestige Magazine offers increased capacity and faster reload speeds. Additionally, it reportedly improves bullet spread and enhances recoil stability.

To round out your VX Compact build, you can equip Gunfighter Wildcard, FANG HoverPoint ELO, Redwell Shade-X Suppressor, and VAS Convergence Foregrip.

Compared to the base configuration, VX Compact now offers significantly improved accuracy. While its handling stats aren't exceptional, this setup isn't designed for hyper-aggressive playstyles; instead, it aims to leverage VX Compact's strengths at longer engagement ranges.

If VX Compact's performance appeals to you, jump into the event to unlock it and upgrade it using our recommended build! It's sure to be a reliable asset in your CoD Black Ops 7 experience!