Survivors of Ash in Black Ops 7 Zombies

Season 3 of Black Ops 7 began with a Zombies-focused event called Survivors of Ash. It is a fairly small affair, which is probably merciful for anyone who was not hoping to turn the whole week into a second job.

The event revolves around playing Survival on the Ashwood map, the central area of Ashes of the Damned. In total, there are seven free rewards to earn, including a shotgun blueprint and a universal animated mastery camo.

All Survivors of Ash rewards

Here is the full reward list for the event:

  • Corpse Wrangler emblem: Get 15 kills with a single trap 10 times.
  • Soda Fountain Gobblegum: Get 150 critical kills in a single match of Ashwood Survival.
  • Tattered weapon charm: Kill 25 zombies without taking damage five times on Ashwood Survival.
  • Barrers camo: Get 1,000 kills on Ashwood Survival.
  • Deadender Echo 12 blueprint: Complete 10 special rounds on Ashwood Survival.
  • Hidden Power Gobblegum: Reach round 20 without going down.
  • Ethereal Barriers mastery camo: Complete every Survivors of Ash challenge.

How to earn the rewards faster

Most of the event progress happens naturally if you simply keep playing Ashwood Survival. Kills, critical kills, and special round completions all count as you move through matches, so the basic strategy is to survive and not do anything heroic for the sake of it.

That means the usual Zombies basics apply:

  • Buy armor early.
  • Pick up perks.
  • Stay mobile and avoid getting pinned against a wall.
  • Use Klaus, who is locked in a cage on the northeast side of the map, to help you push toward round 20.

The easiest challenges are the passive ones. Getting 1,000 kills, completing special rounds during the Ravager waves when the screen turns yellow, and racking up critical kills should all happen as you play, especially if you aim for headshots instead of letting zombies admire your aim.

The one challenge that needs actual setup is the trap objective.

How to complete the trap challenge

There is a trap in Ashwood’s starting area. Look for a wall lever that costs 2,000 points and activate it. That starts a spinning trap inside the building and plays music to lure zombies in.

The trick is that the music does not do all the work for you. You should also stand near the trap so zombies keep targeting you instead of wandering off. One activation only counts once toward the challenge, so you will need to use the trap 10 times to finish that reward.

It is not the fastest way to farm points, since trap kills pay less, but it is an easy, low-risk way to clear the objective while thinning out the horde.

Bottom line

If you are already planning to spend time in Ashwood Survival, Survivors of Ash is a straightforward way to pick up a few free cosmetics and Gobblegums. The event is small, but the rewards are solid enough to justify a run or two, assuming zombies remain committed to the usual business of ruining your evening.