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- How Black Ops 7 Zombies augment research works
- Which Black Ops 7 Zombies augments to unlock first
- Every Perk-a-Cola augment in research order
- Every Ammo Mod augment in research order
- Every Field Upgrade augment in research order
- Augments added to BO7 Zombies after launch
- Black Ops 7 Zombies and progression boosting services
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources and update history
Black Ops 7 Zombies augments open at Player Level 11, and only three trees can be researched at first: Stamin-Up, Dead Wire and Energy Mine. Three researched augments open Quick Revive, Napalm Burst and Frenzied Guard. Each tree follows a fixed path, so Probiotic (2nd), Equivalent Exchange (4th) and Urticant (2nd) come early within their own trees, though Jugger-Nog opens after 6 researched augments and Toxic Growth after 12 plus Level 29.
Augments are optional upgrades you attach to a Perk-a-Cola, an Ammo Mod or a Field Upgrade. They carried over from Black Ops 6, got two new entries per returning item, and can be swapped freely between matches. If you are new to BO7 round-based Zombies, our Season 6 Zombies guide covers the current maps and modes, and the Super Easter Egg guide covers the Main Quests; this page is only about the augment research grind.
How Black Ops 7 Zombies augment research works
Treyarch’s launch Zombies briefing lays out the rules. Research opens once you reach Player Level 11, and it stays open if you Prestige. You pick one Perk, Ammo Mod or Field Upgrade to research, then play Zombies matches to fill it. You can switch the active research to another item at any time.
- Eight augments per item. Four are Major and four are Minor. In a match you run one Major and one Minor.
- Extra Slot. Research all eight and a ninth node, Extra Slot, lets you equip a second Minor. A finished item runs three augments at once: one Major, two Minor.
- Black Ops 6 progress carries over. Augments you finished in BO6 for a returning item are already unlocked in BO7.
- Swapping is free. You choose which unlocked augments to equip in the Equip Augments menu before a match.
Treyarch has not published how much XP each augment costs in Black Ops 7, so we do not list numbers here. Game Rant’s walkthrough says research XP comes from killing zombies and is tied to normal in-game XP.
Research unlock gates: which tree opens when
Most trees stay locked until you have researched a set number of augments in total. The launch briefing lists each threshold. Game Rant’s research guide reports that the count is shared across Perks, Ammo Mods and Field Upgrades, so augments from any tree move every gate forward. Treyarch’s own text does not spell that out.
| Total augments researched | Perk-a-Cola trees that open | Ammo Mod trees | Field Upgrade trees |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 (from Level 11) | Stamin-Up | Dead Wire | Energy Mine |
| 3 | Quick Revive | Napalm Burst | Frenzied Guard |
| 6 | Jugger-Nog | Cryo Freeze | – |
| 9 | Melee Macchiato | Fire Works | Dark Flare |
| 12 | Speed Cola, Vulture Aid | Brain Rot | Toxic Growth |
| 15 | PhD Flopper, Death Perception | – | Healing Aura |
| 18 | Double Tap, Deadshot Daiquiri | Shadow Rift | – |
| 21 | Wisp Tea, Elemental Pop | – | Aether Shroud |
There is a second, separate gate. Some items themselves only become usable at a Player Level: Frenzied Guard at 8, Cryo Freeze at 12, Healing Aura at 17, Fire Works at 18, Toxic Growth at 29, Napalm Burst at 35, Shadow Rift at 44, Aether Shroud at 48 and Brain Rot at 51. Whether you can research an item before you reach its level is not confirmed.
Which Black Ops 7 Zombies augments to unlock first
There is no official priority list. The advice in this section combines two outside rankings with the official research paths, and the order at the end is our reading of them, not Treyarch’s. The first outside source is WZStats’ BO7 Zombies tier lists, a community stats site whose Season 6 lists were updated on September 28, 2026. It ranks the Perks, Ammo Mods and Field Upgrades, not individual augments, and does not publish its method. The second is Game Rant’s best-augment picks, an editor’s choice per item from November 2025 (the Perk page was updated in December 2025).
The rule that decides everything: research follows a fixed path
You do not pick which augment to research next. Treyarch’s research diagrams draw every tree as one path: left to right across the top row, back across the middle row, then along the bottom row to Extra Slot. Minors and Majors alternate, starting with a Minor. The community wiki’s Black Ops 6 research tables list the six returning augments in this same order, which is why we read the path as the research order.
Two things follow from that. A Major in 2nd place costs you two augments; a Major in 8th place costs you the whole tree. And in every one of the 21 returning items’ diagrams, the two augments added in Black Ops 7 sit 7th and 8th, just before Extra Slot.
How far into each tree the recommended picks sit
The table puts Game Rant’s Major picks next to their place in the research path. The step count is ours, read from Treyarch’s diagrams. The tier column is WZStats’ ranking of the item itself.
| Item | Game Rant’s Major pick | Place in the path | WZStats tier (Sep 28, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jugger-Nog | Probiotic | 2nd | Meta |
| Quick Revive | Equivalent Exchange | 4th | Meta |
| Speed Cola | Classic Formula | 4th | Meta |
| Stamin-Up | Guns Up | 8th | Meta |
| Vulture Aid | Armor-matic | 8th | Meta |
| Double Tap | Double Dealer | 8th | Meta |
| Deadshot Daiquiri | Dead Point | 8th | Meta |
| Napalm Burst | Big Game | 2nd | Meta |
| Cryo Freeze | Ice Cloud | 4th | Meta |
| Fire Works | Starburst | 4th | Meta |
| Dead Wire | Ball Lightning | 8th | A |
| Toxic Growth | Urticant | 2nd | Meta |
| Frenzied Guard | Frenzy Fire | 6th | Meta |
| Aether Shroud | Group Shroud or Burst Dash | 2nd / 4th | Meta |
| Energy Mine | Smart Mine | 8th | A |
| Healing Aura | Necromancer | 8th | A |
One mismatch to know about: Game Rant’s table describes Probiotic with Iron Core’s text. Treyarch’s augment blog says Probiotic raises Jugger-Nog’s maximum health from 250 to 300, and Iron Core is the one that raises health when all your plates are broken.
A research order that opens the most for the least
Putting the gates and the paths together, this is the order we would follow on a fresh account. It is our suggestion built from the sources above, not an official route.
- Stamin-Up, 3 augments (Hard Target, Free Faller, Quarterback). WZStats rates Stamin-Up Meta, and three augments anywhere open Quick Revive, Napalm Burst and Frenzied Guard. Running total: 3.
- Quick Revive, 4 augments, stopping at Equivalent Exchange. Running total: 7, which also opens Jugger-Nog and Cryo Freeze.
- Jugger-Nog, 2 augments, stopping at Probiotic. Running total: 9, which opens Melee Macchiato, Fire Works and Dark Flare.
- Napalm Burst, 2 augments, stopping at Big Game. Running total: 11.
- One more augment anywhere to reach 12, which opens Speed Cola, Vulture Aid, Brain Rot and Toxic Growth. Running total: 12.
- Toxic Growth, 2 augments, stopping at Urticant. Running total: 14.
After that, go back and finish the trees whose best pick sits 8th, starting with the items you actually buy every match. Napalm Burst only becomes usable at Player Level 35 and Toxic Growth at 29, so a very new account may want Cryo Freeze (Ice Cloud, 4th) or Frenzied Guard (Frenzy Fire, 6th) in their place.
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Names come from Treyarch’s Augments Intel blog; the order is read from its research diagrams. Minors fill places 1, 3, 5 and 7, Majors fill 2, 4, 6 and 8, and Extra Slot always comes last.
| Perk | Minor augments (places 1, 3, 5, 7) | Major augments (places 2, 4, 6, 8) |
|---|---|---|
| Stamin-Up | Hard Target, Quarterback, Hot Foot, Footwork | Free Faller, Dasher, Stalker, Guns Up |
| Quick Revive | Swift Recovery, Karmic Return, Slow Death, Emergency Medical Kit | EMT, Equivalent Exchange, Dying Wish, Adrenaline Rush |
| Jugger-Nog | Retaliation, Hardened Plates, Durable Plates, Shake It Off | Probiotic, Turtle Shell, Reactive Armor, Iron Core |
| Melee Macchiato | Stick ‘n Move, Strength Training, Mugging, Barista Brawl | Expresso, Vampiric Extraction, Triple Shot, Mocha Maul |
| Speed Cola | Speedy Roulette, Quick Swap, Fast Pitcher, Prestidigitation | Supercharged, Classic Formula, Phantom Reload, Ammo Surge |
| Vulture Aid | Condor’s Reach, Carrion Luggage, Picky Eater, Extra Serving | Fetid Upgr-aid, Smell of Death, Parting Gift, Armor-matic |
| Death Perception | Bird’s Eye View, Extra Change, Further Insight, Hidden Gems | Treasure Hunter, Death Stare, Critical Eye, Sixth Sense |
| PhD Flopper | Environmentalist, EOD Technician, Tribologist, Stuntman | Gravity MD, DR RAM, PhD Slider, Double Whammy |
| Deadshot Daiquiri | Dead Break, Dead Draw, Dead Set, Dead Heat | Dead Head, Dead First, Dead Again, Dead Point |
| Double Tap | Double Time, Double or Nothing, Double Play, Double Down | Double Jeopardy, Double Standard, Double Impact, Double Dealer |
| Elemental Pop | Vulnera Bean, Pineapple Blast, Chill Berry, Refresh Mint | Citrus Focus, Imperil Peach, Electric Cherry, Rainbow Pop |
| Wisp Tea (new in BO7) | Extension, Haste, Zombie Sitter, Fetcher | Mask of Wrath, Mask of Salvation, Mask of Distraction, Mask of Benevolence |
Treyarch’s Death Perception diagram labels the third node “Extra Charge”, while the blog text lists that Minor as Extra Change (find extra Essence). We use the text’s name.
Every Ammo Mod augment in research order
For Black Ops 7, Treyarch buffed every Ammo Mod “Big Game” augment, the ones that let a mod work on Elite enemies, in either damage or how often it triggers.
| Ammo Mod | Minor augments (places 1, 3, 5, 7) | Major augments (places 2, 4, 6, 8) |
|---|---|---|
| Dead Wire | High Voltage, Haste, Extension, Aftershock | Chain Lightning, Big Game, Lightning Strike, Ball Lightning |
| Napalm Burst | Extension, Incendiary, Contact Burn, Backdraft | Big Game, Thermite, Firebomb, Petroleum |
| Cryo Freeze | Extension, Freezer Burn, Liquid Nitrogen, Thermal Shock | Big Game, Ice Cloud, Frozen Stiff, Cold Company |
| Fire Works (new in BO7) | Starlight, Big Bang, High Yield, Short Fuse | Big Game, Starburst, Weeping Willow, Fire Wheel |
| Brain Rot | Extension, Haste, Explosive, Super Serum | Plague, Pheromone, Big Game, Caustic Fumes |
| Shadow Rift | Haste, Targeted, Supermassive, Ammo Theorem | Big Game, Topple Danger, Explosive Rain, Gravity Well |
Every Field Upgrade augment in research order
| Field Upgrade | Minor augments (places 1, 3, 5, 7) | Major augments (places 2, 4, 6, 8) |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Mine | Frequency Boost, Extra Charge, Siren, Recycle | Scatter, Turret, Carousel, Smart Mine |
| Frenzied Guard | Repair Boost, Extension, Rally, Dual Layer | Phalanx, Retribution, Frenzy Fire, Fists of Frenzy |
| Dark Flare | Broad Beam, Heavy Gloom, Extra Charge, Dusk Flame | Extension, Supernova, Dark Pact, Muzzle Blast |
| Toxic Growth (new in BO7) | Ankle Shredder, Green Thumb, Extra Charge, Plant Food | Urticant, Cordyception, Pollination, Zoochory |
| Healing Aura | Inner Strength, Protection, Stoic Presence, Cornucopia | Resilience, Enduring Radiance, Persistence, Necromancer |
| Aether Shroud | Instant Reload, Extra Charge, Extension, Impulse | Group Shroud, Burst Dash, Void Sheath, Afterimage |
The Aether Shroud diagram labels the 6th node “Void Shield”; the blog text calls it Void Sheath, which swaps you to your melee weapon imbued with Dark Aether energy. We use the text’s name.
Augments added to BO7 Zombies after launch
Eight more items arrived in later seasons, each with eight augments and an Extra Slot. The seasons and augment names below come from the community-run Call of Duty Wiki, not from a Treyarch table. Their research unlock thresholds and research order are not confirmed, so they are not in the plan above.
| Item | Type · season | Major augments | Minor augments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mule Kick | Perk · Season 1 | Pack Mule, Free Throw, Ol’ Reliable, Multi Pack | Fully Equipped, Plate Hunter, BOGO, Kick Back |
| Widow’s Wine | Perk · Season 5 | Widow’s Bite, Web Spinner, Hatchling, Tangled Web | Haste, The Wide Web, Golden Orb Silk, Sticky Grenade |
| Light Mend | Ammo Mod · Season 1 | Antibiotic, Big Game, Dual Action, Booster Shot | Longer Life, Extra Strength, Express Remedy, Mitosis |
| Shatter Blast | Ammo Mod · Season 1 | Big Game, Blast Chain, Blast Repair, Blast Shield | Blast Zone, Blast Boost, Blast Wave, Blast Through |
| Tesla Storm | Field Upgrade · Season 1 | Transformer, Shockwave, Static Discharge, Haywire | Power Grid, Overclocked, Lithium Charged, Amped |
| Frost Blast | Field Upgrade · Season 1 | Ice Slick, Flash Freeze, Frost Cast, Stone Cold Stronghold | Extension, Frostbite, Extra Charge, Deep Chill |
| Mister Peeks | Field Upgrade · Season 1 | Dance Party, Arcane Fury, Apex Hunter, Peek Health | Social Butterfly, Peeks’ Favor, Party Animal, V.I.B. Discount |
| Wild Fire | Field Upgrade · Season 3 | Fireball!, Free Radical, Firestorm, Flashover | Oxidizer, Backdraft, Molten Core, Heat Surge |
That brings the count to 14 Perks, 8 Ammo Mods and 10 Field Upgrades, 32 items in all. WZStats ranks four of the newcomers in its top tier: Widow’s Wine, Shatter Blast, Wild Fire and Mister Peeks.
Black Ops 7 Zombies and progression boosting services
If the Zombies grind is the part you do not have time for, these services cover the camo and level side of it. Details and delivery options are on the Black Ops 7 boosting page.
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BO7 Military Rank BoostRaises your Black Ops 7 Military Rank.From $13.60View offerFrequently asked questions
What level do you unlock augments in Black Ops 7 Zombies?
Augment Research unlocks at Player Level 11. Treyarch says it stays unlocked after you Prestige.
Do Black Ops 6 augments carry over to Black Ops 7?
Yes. Research you completed in Black Ops 6 carries over for every returning Perk, Ammo Mod and Field Upgrade. The two augments added in BO7 still have to be researched.
Can you choose which augment to research next?
No. You choose which item to research, but inside a tree the augments follow a fixed path from 1st to 8th, then Extra Slot.
How much XP does each augment cost in Black Ops 7?
Not confirmed. Treyarch has not published per-augment XP costs for Black Ops 7.
How many augments can you equip at once?
One Major and one Minor per item. Finish all eight augments in a tree and the Extra Slot lets you add a second Minor.
What is the best augment to research first?
There is no official answer. Based on the outside rankings above, Jugger-Nog’s Probiotic, Quick Revive’s Equivalent Exchange and Toxic Growth’s Urticant are strong picks that sit early in their paths.
Sources and update history
- Activision / Treyarch, “Black Ops 7 Zombies: Augments: All You Need to Know!”, Call of Duty blog, September 24, 2025: callofduty.com (augment names and effects, eight-per-item rule, Extra Slot, BO6 carry-over, Big Game buff, research diagrams)
- Activision / Treyarch, “Ready for Launch: Zombies”, Call of Duty blog, November 2025: callofduty.com (Level 11 unlock, no relock on Prestige, research unlock thresholds, item Player Level unlocks)
- Call of Duty Wiki (community), Augments, Mule Kick, Widow’s Wine, Light Mend, Shatter Blast, Tesla Storm, Frost Blast, Mister Peeks (Field Upgrade), Wild Fire (Field Upgrade), and Season One / Three / Five (Black Ops 7) pages, checked September 28, 2026: callofduty.fandom.com (post-launch items and their augments; BO6 research order)
- Game Rant, “How to Unlock All Augments and Research in Black Ops 7 Zombies”, checked September 28, 2026: gamerant.com (shared research count, XP from zombie kills)
- Game Rant, best augment picks for Perks (updated December 12, 2025), Field Upgrades and Ammo Mods (November 13, 2025): Perks, Field Upgrades, Ammo Mods
- WZStats (community stats site), BO7 Zombies tier lists for Perks, Ammo Mods and Field Upgrades, updated September 28, 2026 (Season 6): Field Upgrades, Ammo Mods
Update history: Published September 28, 2026. Facts last checked September 28, 2026 against the sources above.
