Totenreich has a Richtofen-exclusive side Easter egg called Echoes of the Damned. It teleports you into a Gruppe 935 castle, reveals this Richtofen's backstory through documents and audio logs, and rewards you with the Domineering Dark Ops calling card. It is one of the easier side quests on the map, and you can finish the whole thing in a single match without touching the main quest.
- Play as Richtofen, buy Melee Macchiato, reach round 15
- Punch the barrel at Core Foundry to enter a Gruppe 935 castle
- Pick up documents, balance the scale, place the sword, interact with the radio
- Reward: Domineering Dark Ops calling card + Ritterkreuz artifact
We ran through this side Easter egg on day one. Once you know the steps, the entire castle section is straightforward. No puzzles that will leave you guessing, no combat sections until the very end. Just interact with objects in the right order and enjoy the lore. Here is every step with screenshots from our playthrough.
Requirements
You need three things before you can trigger this side Easter egg. Miss any of them and the barrel will not respond.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Richtofen Operator | Select Richtofen from the Operators tab before starting a match. He is listed as a "Dedicated Crew Operator" with enhanced story content. |
| Melee Macchiato Perk | Purchase from the perk machine at Dry Docks. You need this perk's punch ability to open the barrel. |
| Round 15+ | The barrel interaction does not activate before round 15. Getting there takes about 20 minutes in a normal game. |
Richtofen joins Dempsey and Nikolai as the third character with a dedicated side Easter egg in Black Ops 7 Zombies. Each Dedicated Crew Operator has their own quest that reveals backstory about that version of the character.
Step 1: Punch the Barrel at Core Foundry
Head to Core Foundry once you hit round 15. The barrel is outside the main building, sitting in the snow. It is black and yellow, hard to miss once you know where to look.
Walk up to the barrel and use your Melee Macchiato punch. That is clicking the right stick on controller (R3 on PlayStation, RS on Xbox) or the melee key on PC (V by default). If done correctly, the lid pops off and you can see an item inside. Hold the interact button to dig through the contents and pick up Richtofen's medal.
Some guides mention needing to face south when punching the barrel. We did not need to do this. Just make sure you are close enough for the melee to connect and that you are on round 15 or later.
Step 2: The Castle
After picking up the medal, you get teleported to a completely separate area. This is a Gruppe 935 castle with stone walls, arched ceilings, red carpet, and warm lighting. It feels like stepping into a completely different game.
There are no zombies in the castle until the very end. The path is linear, so you cannot get lost. Walk forward through the corridor and pick up the documents on the floor as you go. There are three documents along the main hallway, and you must pick up each one to continue. The door ahead will not open until you collect the document in front of it.
The corridor is lined with knight armor statues and red banners. If you have played Der Eisendrache or any of the classic Gruppe 935 maps, the atmosphere will feel familiar. Stone walls, medieval decor, the whole aesthetic screams Treyarch Zombies history.
Step 3: The Throne Room
At the end of the corridor, you enter a large throne room with tall diamond-pane windows and a grand table in the center. On the table you will find a scale, blue 115 crystals, a skull, candle, stacked books, and goblets. A red velvet throne sits against the far wall.
You need to balance the scale by placing items on both sides. Pick up the 115 crystals and the small soldier figurines from the table and place them on the scale. Alternate between crystals and figurines until the scale is balanced. The solution is fixed every game, so just keep interacting with each glowing object and placing it until the scale levels out.
Once the scale is balanced, Von List's ghost materializes on the throne behind you. A glowing blue apparition seated on the red velvet chair. This is the big lore moment of the side quest.
The cutscene reveals details about this version of Richtofen and his past choices within Gruppe 935. Without spoiling everything, it fills in gaps about why Richtofen ended up in Totenreich and his relationship with Von List. If you care about the BO7 Zombies storyline at all, this is worth seeing.
Step 4: The Sword and the Knight Statue
After Von List's ghost disappears, look to the right side of the throne. There is a sword leaning against the wall. Pick it up.
Carry the sword to the knight armor statue on the right side of the throne room. The statue is standing with its hands open, waiting for a weapon. Place the sword in the statue's hands to proceed.
Once the sword is placed, the path to the radio room opens up.
Step 5: The Radio
After placing the sword, look for a bookshelf in a side room. There is an old-fashioned radio sitting on the shelf next to a bust and surrounded by books. Interact with it and an audio log will play out automatically.
Just let the audio finish. You do not need to enter any codes or solve anything here. The radio plays a recording tied to Element 115 and Gruppe 935, both central to the Zombies franchise going all the way back to World at War. Once the audio ends, the next step triggers on its own.
Step 6: The Finale
After the radio audio finishes, the castle starts burning. Flames engulf the corridor and zombies spawn inside the castle. This is the only part of the side quest where you face enemies.
You cannot fail this part. The outcome is the same whether you survive or go down.
If you fight through the zombies and reach the door, you get the cutscene. If the zombies down you, you get the same cutscene. It is probably easier to just let them down you and skip the fight entirely. Either way, you are teleported back to Totenreich at Core Foundry and a short cutscene plays of Richtofen holding up the Ritterkreuz, the Gruppe 935 medal he recovered from the castle.
Everything you collected inside the castle, including the documents, audio logs, and the Ritterkreuz artifact, is saved to your intel collection permanently.
Rewards
Completing Richtofen's Echoes of the Damned gives you:
| Reward | Type | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Domineering | Dark Ops Calling Card | Permanent unlock. Features Richtofen and other characters in front of Gruppe 935 banners. |
| Ritterkreuz | Artifact (Intel) | Counts toward the 25-piece Totenreich intel collection. Collecting all 25 rewards an additional calling card and 10,000 XP. |
| Audio Logs #6 and #7 | Intel | "Problems" and "Solutions" audio logs unlocked by the radio interaction. |
| Documents | Intel | Three documents (Dossier, Report, Telegram) picked up along the castle corridor. |
The Domineering card is one of the better looking calling cards in BO7. The art style fits the Gruppe 935 aesthetic, and the fact that it is a Dark Ops challenge means most players will never have it. If you are collecting Dark Ops cards, this is an easy one to knock out. Check out our guides for Elusive and Go Fetch if you want more.
Tips for Completing the Richtofen Side Easter Egg
- You do not need Pack-a-Punch, power, or the Jotunn Star to trigger this side quest. Just Richtofen, Melee Macchiato, and round 15.
- Buy Melee Macchiato early. The perk machine is at Dry Docks, which you can reach before round 10.
- The castle has no enemies. Take your time inside, read the documents, listen to the audio logs. There is no rush.
- Interact with everything in order. The game will not let you skip ahead. Follow the path, pick up documents, interact with the table, then the radio.
- You can do this alongside the main Totenreich quest if you want, but it is completely standalone. If you need a solid loadout for surviving the later rounds, check our best BO7 Zombies loadout guide.
- If the barrel does not respond to your punch, double check that you are on round 15 or higher and that Melee Macchiato is active in your perk list.
The whole side quest takes about 30 minutes from match start to completion. If you are speedrunning it, you could probably trigger the barrel by round 15 and be done with the castle in under 5 minutes. It is one of the most accessible side quests Treyarch has put into a Zombies map. If you prefer a video walkthrough, ZoneX has a no-timewasting guide on YouTube that covers it quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you need to start the Richtofen side Easter egg in BO7 Totenreich?
You need to play as the Richtofen operator, purchase Melee Macchiato from Dry Docks, and reach round 15. Select Richtofen from the Operators tab before starting a Totenreich match.
Where is the barrel for Richtofen's side Easter egg on Totenreich?
The barrel is at Core Foundry, outside the main building in the snow. It is a black and yellow barrel. Punch it with Melee Macchiato on round 15 or later to pop the lid off.
What does the radio do in the Richtofen Easter egg on Totenreich?
The radio plays an audio log automatically when you interact with it. You do not need to enter any codes. The recording references Element 115 and Gruppe 935. Once the audio finishes, the escape sequence begins.
What is the Domineering calling card in BO7 Totenreich?
Domineering is the Dark Ops calling card you earn for completing Richtofen's Echoes of the Damned quest. It features Richtofen and other characters in front of red Gruppe 935 banners.
Can you do the Richtofen side Easter egg solo on Totenreich?
Yes. The entire side quest is soloable. The castle section has no zombies until the very end, so you can take your time exploring and interacting with objects without any pressure.
What is Richtofen's Echoes of the Damned quest in Black Ops 7?
Echoes of the Damned is the official name for the Richtofen side Easter egg on Totenreich. It teleports you to a Gruppe 935 castle where you learn about Richtofen's past choices. Completing it rewards the Domineering calling card and the Ritterkreuz artifact.
Do you need the Jotunn Star for the Richtofen side Easter egg?
No. Some guides list it as a requirement, but the barrel opens with Melee Macchiato alone. The Jotunn Star helps with surviving higher rounds but is not needed for this side quest.
How long does the Richtofen side Easter egg take on Totenreich?
The castle section takes 5 to 10 minutes. Getting to round 15 and buying Melee Macchiato adds about 20 minutes. Total time is around 30 minutes from match start.
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