BO7 Rogue Run Guide: All Playlists and Rewards (2026)

Rogue Run is the new permanent Zombies mode in Black Ops 7 Season 04, and it is a roguelite twist on round-based Zombies set on Ashes of the Damned. You start with nothing but a random pistol, no knife, no augments, and no Pack-a-Punch machine. Everything you need has to come from the pedestal rewards 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. The community reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with creators like ZoneX and MrDalekJD already grinding all five playlists on day one.

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 with three pedestals. 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).

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:

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 with three pedestals. Each pedestal draws from a different pool of rewards:

• Utility upgrades
• Weapons (including Wonder Weapons once unlocked)
• Perks
• Field Upgrades
• Ammo Mods

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.

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) spawns in some arenas and sells a random item for 30,000 Essence. It is expensive, but late in a run when you have Essence to spare, it can give you a Wonder Weapon or a rare Ammo Mod that did not show up on the pedestals.

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 4th pedestal slot (Target: Mal). The more permanent upgrades you have, the better your pedestal options become across all playlists.

All Five Playlists

Rogue Run offers five distinct playlists, each with its own objective and rewards. 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, which fits the roguelite theme perfectly.

All Targets

All three bosses in a single run. Luci appears at round 20, Mal at round 30, and Mo at round 40. This is the ultimate test. 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.

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

One of the most important features of Rogue Run is the permanent upgrade system. These upgrades persist across all matches and all playlists, meaning 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)
• A permanent 4th reward pedestal (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)

Recommended Playlist Order

The order you play the playlists matters. Each permanent unlock makes every other playlist easier, so starting with the right one saves you a lot of frustration.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Target: Mal third. The permanent 4th pedestal means one more reward choice per round. That extra option adds up fast over a 20+ round run.
4. 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.
5. 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.

All Rewards by Playlist

Target: Luci

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Target: Mal

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Target: Mo

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All Targets

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Endurance

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Restricted GobbleGums

Rogue Run restricts several GobbleGums to keep the roguelite experience balanced. You cannot use:

• Wall Power
• Wall to Wall Clearance
• Crate Power
• Wonderbar
• Flavor Hex
• Exit Strategy
• Respin Cycle
• Soda Fountain
• Time Out
• Immolation Liquidation
• Anywhere But Here
• Nowhere But There
• Mule Kick
• Fire Sale

Most of the restricted GobbleGums are ones that would let you skip the pedestal reward system entirely, like instantly Pack-a-Punching via Wall Power or rerolling the Mystery Box with Fire Sale. Notably, Rampage Inducer is NOT restricted, so you can still use it to speed through rounds if your build is strong enough. For a full breakdown of how the relic and reward systems work in other Zombies modes, see our Cursed mode guide.

Tips and Strategy

General Tips

• Follow the recommended playlist order above. Endurance first, then Luci, Mal, Mo, and All Targets last. Each unlock stacks and makes the next playlist significantly easier.
• Expect your first few runs to fail. That is normal roguelite design. The permanent upgrades are what make later runs viable, so do not get frustrated early on.
• Grab Ammo Mods early from the pedestals. They are essential for the Mal boss fight and give you elemental damage against regular zombies too.
• The Loadout Refill pedestal reward refills your Wonder Weapon ammo and Field Acquisition charge. Early on when you only have a primary weapon (which already has infinite ammo), skip it. Once you have a Wonder Weapon, all Perks, and a good Field Upgrade, Loadout Refill becomes a solid pick when you are running low on WW ammo.
• Always keep a backup weapon option in mind. Mo adapts to whatever you are using, and even in other playlists, having weapon variety keeps you flexible.
• Double up on key Perks. If you pick the same Perk twice from different pedestals, it becomes permanent for that run. Prioritize doubling Juggernog and Quick Revive so you keep them even if you go down.
• The Freefire GobbleGum combined with a Pack-a-Punched 1911 melts every boss in seconds. If you have Freefire in your loadout, save it for the boss round.
• Instakill GobbleGums also boost damage against bosses, not just regular zombies. Keep one ready for boss rounds if you are struggling.
• Reign Drops (red rarity) can spawn a Nuke power-up that skips the current round entirely. Extremely rare, but if you have one, it can bail you out of a tough situation.
• Pop a Double XP token before starting a run. Rogue Run XP rewards are generous (up to 30,000 XP for beating All Targets), and Double XP stacks with them.

Solo Tips

• Solo is absolutely viable. The zombie count scales to player count, so you are not fighting a 4-player horde alone.
• Prioritize Perks from pedestals in the first few rounds. Quick Revive and Juggernog make early survival much more consistent.
• Without a squad to cover you, Ammo Mods with crowd control (like Dead Wire or Brain Rot) become even more important.
• Endurance solo is the safest starting point. No boss pressure means you can learn the pedestal system and arena rotations at your own pace.

Squad Tips

• Each player gets different pedestal rewards, so you naturally end up with different builds. Use that to your advantage: one player focuses on crowd control, another on boss damage.
• Squad play can be harder than solo if someone does not carry their weight. One weak player makes it a carry for the rest, and zombie counts scale to the full squad size regardless. Make sure everyone knows the mode before jumping into All Targets together.
• For All Targets, make sure at least one squad member has strong elemental damage for Mal and another has weapon variety for Mo.
• Rampage Inducer still works in Rogue Run. If your whole squad is confident, use it to speed through early rounds and get to the boss fights faster.

Our team has been grinding all five playlists since launch. Endurance is the standout for pure fun. The no-boss survival format feels like the best roguelite experience in the mode, and unlocking permanent upgrades there first made every other playlist feel manageable. Target: Mo was the most frustrating because his weapon adaptation mechanic punishes you for finding a gun you like. Mal is the hardest boss overall thanks to his massive HP pool and double-grab move. Once you have all permanent upgrades though, even the toughest playlists become more about strategy than luck.

Want to discuss Rogue Run strategies, share your best runs, or find a squad? Join 50,000+ players in our Discord where our team is already grinding all five playlists and sharing their permanent unlock progress.

Frequently Asked Questions