BO7 Rogue Run Guide: Maps, Playlists, Rewards (2026)

Rogue Run is the permanent roguelite Zombies mode in Black Ops 7, played across four maps: Ashes of the Damned, Kowakujō, Paradox Junction, and Astra Malorum. You start every run with nothing but a random pistol, no knife, no augments, and no Pack-a-Punch machine, and everything has to come from the reward pedestals between rounds.

The mode launched on June 4, 2026, as part of the Season 04 update, and sits alongside Standard, Survival, Directed, Cursed, and Dead Ops Arcade 4 in the Zombies menu. Unlike limited-time events, Rogue Run is here to stay. Creators like ZoneX and MrDalekJD were already grinding the playlists on day one.

Rogue Run has grown well beyond its launch shape since then. Three dedicated maps joined the mode, Kowakujō, Paradox Junction, and Astra Malorum, each with its own difficulty tiers, an optional Relic Tier system, and a fresh reward track. The original Target and Endurance playlists still run on Ashes of the Damned, so this guide covers both the launch content and everything the new maps added.

TL;DR

Roguelite Zombies mode. Target and Endurance playlists on Ashes of the Damned, plus three standalone maps
Standalone maps: Kowakujō, Paradox Junction, and Astra Malorum, each with Casual, Normal, or Hardcore difficulty and optional Relic Tiers
Start with a random Common Pistol and infinite ammo. No knife, no augments, no PaP machine
Pick a reward from the pedestals after each round (weapons, Perks, Ammo Mods, Field Upgrades). 60 seconds to choose
3 HVT bosses: Luci (Doppelghast), Mal (Amalgam), Mo (Abomination)
Permanent upgrades carry across all playlists. Best order: Endurance, Luci, Mal, Mo, then All Targets

BO7 Rogue Run mode in the Zombies lobby selection screen

How Rogue Run Works

Rogue Run drops the normal Zombies loadout system entirely. You load in with a Common Rarity Pistol and infinite ammo. No knife, no augments, no salvage, no Pack-a-Punch machine. Your starting pistol does keep your equipped blueprint variant, so it is not completely random.

The core loop works like this: survive a round of zombies, then teleport to an area where the round’s rewards are laid out on pedestals and you pick one. Each pedestal offers a reward from a different pool. You get 60 seconds to pick one, or the game auto-selects for you. Then you teleport to the next arena and do it again. Each round puts you in a different arena on Ashes of the Damned (Blackwater Lake, Ashwood Bridge, Zarya Cosmodrome, Janus Towers Plaza, Vettharion’s Sepulcher, and others), so you are constantly moving through the map.

Primary weapons have infinite ammo throughout the entire mode, but Wonder Weapons and Underbarrels do not. This means you never run out of bullets on your main gun, but powerful special weapons still require resource management. If you want to know which weapons perform best in Zombies, check our BO7 Zombies loadout guide.

One thing that catches players off guard: zombies hit harder and spawn in larger numbers from round 1 compared to normal Zombies. Rounds also last noticeably longer, with more total zombies per wave. This is not a relaxed warm-up. ZoneX and his squad confirmed that even the first round feels noticeably more aggressive than standard round-based Zombies.

There is no save-and-quit option. If you leave a Rogue Run match, your progress in that run is gone. Plan your sessions accordingly: individual boss playlists take 30 to 40 minutes to complete, while All Targets runs last over an hour (our squad’s round 40 exfil clocked in at 1 hour and 8 minutes).

BO7 Rogue Run successful exfil after round 40 showing match time of 1 hour 8 minutes and player stats

The Roguelite Element Every run is different. The pedestal rewards are randomized, the arenas change, and your build depends entirely on what shows up. In co-op, each player gets different reward choices from the pedestals, so you cannot coordinate identical builds.

What’s Different from Normal Zombies

Rogue Run strips away almost everything you are used to in standard round-based Zombies. Here is what is gone or changed:

Feature	Normal Zombies	Rogue Run
Starting weapon	Custom loadout	Random Common Pistol only
Melee weapon	Knife available	No starting knife. A melee weapon can come off a pedestal
Augments	Full augment loadout	Disabled until permanently unlocked via Target: Mo
Pack-a-Punch	Machine on map	No machine. PaP Crystals come from pedestal rewards after unlocking
Arsenal machine	Available on map	Turned off
Salvage	Earned from kills	Not earned at all
Ammo	Limited (buy from wall/box)	Infinite for primary weapons. Wonder Weapons and Underbarrels still limited
Zombie difficulty	Scales gradually	Harder from round 1, more spawns, more damage
Map movement	You explore freely	Teleported to different arenas each round
GobbleGums	All available	14 restricted, rest still usable
Nuke Power-Up	Kills the zombies on the map	Ends the round outright, however many are left

The biggest adjustment is that you cannot rely on the Mystery Box, wall buys, or the Arsenal machine. Your entire loadout comes from what the pedestals offer between rounds. That is the core of the roguelite design.

Pedestal Rewards and Build Strategy

After clearing each round, you teleport to a reward area where the round’s rewards wait on pedestals. Each one draws from a different pool, and the full list is longer than you might think:

Weapons, at varying Pack-a-Punch levels and rarities
Wonder Weapons, always stock with no upgrades, once unlocked through Target: Luci
Melee weapons, the only way to get one in this mode
Perks, including Eternal Perks
Field Upgrades
Ammo Mods
Armor upgrades
Augments for Perks, Field Upgrades or Ammo Mods, once unlocked through Target: Mo
Aether Tools, for weapon rarity
Aether Crystals, for Pack-a-Punch levels
Ammo and equipment refills

One rule runs underneath all of it: a pedestal will only ever offer you something you do not already have.

You have 60 seconds to make your choice. Take too long and the game auto-selects for you. This keeps the pace fast and forces quick decisions about your build path. In co-op, each player sees different options on each pedestal, so you cannot plan identical builds with your squad.

BO7 Rogue Run pedestal reward selection showing a Field Upgrade with 27 second auto-choose timer

There is also a hidden Perk mechanic that the game does not explain: if you pick the same Perk twice from different pedestals, it becomes a permanent Perk for that run. If you go down, you keep that Perk instead of losing it. This makes doubling up on key Perks like Juggernog or Quick Revive a top priority once you spot them on a pedestal.

Besides pedestals, Chompy (the mystery trash can) sells a random item for 30,000 Essence, and there is always one within reach whichever area you get dropped into. What comes out is tied to what you are missing rather than pure chance: in our runs the first buy has always been a Self-Revive when we did not have one, and after that we have seen Aether Crystals, Aether Tools, and Perk-a-Cola cans. When there is nothing left to top up, Chompy pays out a Power-Up instead. It is expensive, but late in a run with Essence to spare it is the one way to fill a gap the pedestals never offered.

Early permanent unlocks change what can appear on pedestals. For example, Wonder Weapons only show up after you unlock them through the Target: Luci playlist. The same goes for Pack-a-Punch Crystals (Target: Mo) and the permanent 4th reward (Target: Mal). The more permanent upgrades you have, the better your pedestal options become across all playlists.

BO7 Rogue Run mode selection showing restricted GobbleGums and available maps

Trick or Treat Pumpkins

While The Haunting runs, pumpkin-headed zombies roam every Rogue Run playlist and festive pumpkins take their turn on the reward pedestals. They come in three rarities, and the rarity decides one thing only: how much you get. A Rare pumpkin pays out one reward, an Epic two, and a Legendary three.

What comes out is random every time. Across our runs the pool has thrown up minor and major augments, a Field Upgrade, an armor upgrade, an Ammo Mod, a weapon rarity upgrade, a Perk, and a Pack-a-Punch reward. There is no steering it, so a pumpkin is a straight gamble, and the one worth taking when the normal pedestals are offering you nothing you need.

The pumpkins arrive and leave with The Haunting. Everything else on this page is permanent.

Maps and Difficulties

At launch, every Rogue Run match played out on Ashes of the Damned. Three standalone maps have joined since, each picked straight from the map selection screen and each with its own difficulty tiers.

Map	Playlists
Ashes of the Damned	Target: Luci, Target: Mal, Target: Mo, All Targets, Endurance
Kowakujō	Casual, Hardcore
Paradox Junction	Casual, Hardcore
Astra Malorum	Casual, Normal, Hardcore

The tiers set the expected skill level. Casual is aimed at newer players, Normal at intermediate players, and Hardcore at anyone after a real challenge. Every tier follows the same survival goal: push as far as you can, because each round gets harder.

Relic Tiers

The standalone maps also carry a Relic Tier system, a set of optional modifiers you turn on before a run. Casual maps let you enable Tier I relics, Normal maps Tier II, and Hardcore maps Tier III, and you can stack as many as you like. Relics make the run harder, and that is the trade, because the tier you reach decides which upgrades show up on your pedestals. The reward track leans on them too, with several challenges asking you to complete a set number of rounds with a Relic Tier active. Unlocking a relic is its own hunt with a confirmed trigger for each one, and we have full write-ups for the six on Kowakujō and the three on Astra Malorum.

Relics come in three severities and they fill your tier bar at different rates. A Grim relic fills a third of a bar, a Sinister relic two thirds, and a Wicked relic an entire tier. One Wicked relic therefore puts you at the same tier as three Grim ones, and it is that total that counts, not the difficulty you picked.

If you drop in without enough relics equipped, the Curse Inducer is the way back up. It is a skull shrine standing in the map, and activating it rolls a random Cursed Relic that stays active for the rest of the run.

Every tier you reach adds one more upgrade to the pedestal pool:

Relic Tier	What it adds to your pedestals
Tier I	Golden Armor, sold after Tier III Armor for 45,000 Essence. The plates regenerate on their own
Tier II	Ultra weapon rarity, one step above the usual ceiling
Tier III	Level 4 Aether Crystals, which is Pack-a-Punch IV

You do not have to plan around them. Each one announces itself mid-run the moment your tier crosses, and from there it stays in the pedestal pool for the rest of the game.

This is the update Rogue Run needed. Relics used to be difficulty for its own sake, and tying the pedestal upgrades to them turned that into a reason to stack them. The mode is more chaotic for it, and between the better rewards and the randomness of what lands in front of you, we keep going back for another run.

Which map should you pick? If you are new to Rogue Run, start on a Casual map. Relics are still in play there, and the reward track asks for five rounds with a Tier I relic active, but Tier I is the mildest the mode has. Save Hardcore and stacked relics for when your permanent upgrades from Ashes of the Damned are already rolling.

Ashes of the Damned Playlists

The original Rogue Run playlists all take place on Ashes of the Damned. The first three revolve around hunting a specific HVT boss, while the last two test your overall skill.

Target: Luci

Luci is a Doppelghast that summons volatile attackers to disrupt the fight. The key here is mobility. Stand still and you get overwhelmed by the adds Luci spawns. Reaching Round 15 in this playlist unlocks Wonder Weapons as pedestal rewards across all playlists, making it a strong first pick.

Target: Mal

Mal is an Amalgam that drains nearby zombies and resists standard bullet damage. You need elemental damage (Ammo Mods) to deal with Mal effectively. Prioritize Ammo Mod rewards from the pedestals if you are running this playlist.

Target: Mo

Mo is an Abomination that adapts to your weapons over time. The longer you use the same gun against Mo, the less effective it becomes. You need to scavenge and switch weapons regularly to stay effective.

All Targets

All three bosses in a single run. Luci appears at round 20, Mal at round 30, and Mo at round 40. You need a versatile build that can handle all three boss mechanics, and you need to survive 40+ rounds to see Mo. The rewards here are the best in the mode, including the Perkaholic GobbleGum.

Endurance

No boss, no time limit, just survive. Every round gets harder, so your build decisions matter more than in any other playlist. Endurance is where you unlock starting pistol upgrades (Uncommon and Rare) that improve your early game across all playlists.

The Three HVT Bosses

All boss fights take place in the map’s existing boss fight arena on Ashes of the Damned. In the individual playlists, you reach the boss at round 20. In All Targets, they appear at rounds 20, 30, and 40.

Boss	Type	Mechanic	Counter
Luci	Doppelghast	Summons volatile attackers. Blast attack slows you and causes hallucinations	Stay mobile, clear adds fast, avoid the blast radius
Mal	Amalgam	Drains nearby zombies to heal. Resists standard bullet damage	Use elemental/Ammo Mod damage. Prioritize Ammo Mods from pedestals
Mo	Abomination	Adapts to your weapons over time, reducing their effectiveness	Switch weapons frequently. Keep a backup from pedestal rewards

Luci (Doppelghast) is the gentlest of the three. She summons volatile attackers and lands a blast that slows you and triggers hallucinations, so the fight is about movement rather than raw damage. Clear the adds the moment they spawn, keep circling the arena, and stay out of the blast radius.

Mal (Amalgam) is the hardest fight in the mode. He drains nearby zombies to heal himself and shrugs off standard bullet damage, so plain weapon damage stalls out. Take every Ammo Mod the pedestals offer before round 20, kill the zombies feeding him instead of tunnelling on the boss, and keep your distance from the double-grab that downs you outright.

Mo (Abomination) adapts to whatever you shoot him with, so the weapon that opened the fight is the weakest one by the end. Rotate between two guns rather than committing to a favorite, and hold a pedestal weapon in reserve for the last stretch.

BO7 Rogue Run Mal boss fight at round 30 showing the Amalgam in the arena

In terms of difficulty, our team ranks Luci as the easiest boss, followed by Mo, then Mal. Mal has the largest HP pool of the three and can double-grab you, which instantly downs you if you are not prepared. Having permanent upgrades from Endurance and Luci active before attempting Mal’s playlist makes a real difference.

Each boss has its own playlist where you can learn its mechanics before facing all three together in the All Targets playlist. TheGamingRevolution’s full walkthrough covers each boss fight in detail if you want to see the mechanics in action.

Permanent Upgrades

Permanent upgrades persist across all matches and all playlists. Every run makes future runs easier.

Complete playlist challenges to unlock upgrades like:

Wonder Weapons appearing as pedestal rewards (from Target: Luci)
Aether Tools for weapon upgrades (from Target: Luci)
The Permanent 4th Rogue Run Reward (from Target: Mal)
Pack-a-Punch Crystals (from Target: Mo)
Augments (from Target: Mo)
Uncommon and Rare starting pistols (from Endurance)
Armor Upgrades (from Endurance)

Progression Tip Play each playlist to unlock its permanent upgrades. They stack across all playlists, making the mode progressively easier with each milestone you hit.

Recommended Playlist Order

The order you play the playlists matters. Each permanent unlock makes every other playlist easier, so starting with the right one means your permanent upgrades are rolling when the harder playlists arrive.

Endurance first. The round 10 threshold is the lowest of any playlist, giving you the Uncommon Starting Pistol fast. Push to round 20 for Armor Upgrades and round 30 for the Rare Starting Pistol. No boss fight required.
Target: Luci second. Unlocking Wonder Weapons as pedestal rewards is the single biggest upgrade in the entire mode. Every future run gets better once you can pull a Wonder Weapon from the pedestals.
Target: Mal third, for its permanent reward on top of the Arsenal Accelerator and Hidden Power gums.
Target: Mo fourth. Augments are a huge power boost, but you need decent gear from earlier unlocks to reliably defeat Mo. His weapon adaptation mechanic punishes you if your build is too narrow.
All Targets last. This is the victory lap. With all permanent upgrades active, you have the tools to handle Luci at round 20, Mal at round 30, and Mo at round 40 in a single run.

Solo players will want to follow this order especially. Errl Shatter’s solo run showed that starting with Endurance gives you the smoothest early progression since there is no boss pressure.