Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Call of Duty: Warzone Season 06 launches on September 17, 2026, at 9AM PT, with The Haunting as its central theme. The update combines rethemed maps, limited-time modes, new Multiplayer, Zombies, and Endgame content, plus weapons and rewards split across free tiers, events, Weekly Challenges, and premium options. The key distinction for anyone deciding what to play first is between “seasonal content” and “free content”: Warzone remains free-to-play, while Multiplayer, Zombies, and Endgame are part of Black Ops 7 and require access to the game.
What arrives at launch and what comes later
| Area | Feature | Timing | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warzone | Haunted Hollow, a haunted version of Haven’s Hollow, with the Ghost Train, risk/reward pumpkins, and environmental changes | Launch | Warzone is free-to-play |
| Warzone | 64-player Giant Infected, with Survivors trying to build a DNA Bomb against the Infected | Launch | Warzone is free-to-play; limited-time mode |
| Multiplayer | Quantum, a new 6v6 map, and Bloodstead, a 6v6 seasonal retheme | Launch | Requires Black Ops 7 |
| Multiplayer | T.E.D.D. Trials on Roadkill, Inferno, and Lost, bringing Zombies locations into 6v6 matches | Launch | Requires Black Ops 7; limited-time playlist |
| Multiplayer | Hordepoint and Freeze Tag | In-season | Requires Black Ops 7; limited-time modes |
| Zombies | New Tenshu Survival map; Directed Mode and Starting Room for Rex Infernus | Launch | Requires Black Ops 7 |
| Zombies | Expanded Rogue Run, new pedestal rewards, Casual/Hardcore playlists, and a Halloween update | Launch | Requires Black Ops 7 |
| Endgame | Avalon at night and the Forbidden Summoning world event | Launch | Requires Black Ops 7 |
| General | VMP and TR51 Para | Launch | Base Weapons on free Battle Pass unlocks |
| General | Roc 20mm | Launch | Reward on the free DOOM Event Pass track |
| General | Arcblade | In-season | Camo Costume Party event reward |
What is actually free in Season 06
The official announcement uses several unlock routes, and they do not all have the same cost. It helps to separate mode access, free rewards, and premium content.
- Warzone: remains the free-to-play part of the ecosystem. That means Haunted Hollow, Giant Infected, and Warzone winstreak challenges sit inside the free game, although optional cosmetics and passes can still be paid.
- VMP and TR51 Para: are two free Base Weapons inside the Battle Pass. VMP is the free completion reward on Page 3; TR51 Para is the free completion reward on Page 6. Buying the premium Battle Pass is not required to unlock either weapon.
- Roc 20mm: the Special Weapon is on the free DOOM Event Pass track and is earned by reaching XP milestones. The same event also has a premium track with themed Operators, cosmetics, and Blueprints, but that premium track is not required for the Roc 20mm.
- Arcblade: the Melee Weapon is a reward from the Camo Costume Party, which asks players to complete Weapon Class Camo Challenges across Multiplayer, Zombies, Endgame, and Warzone.
- Weekly Challenges: unlock Attachments, XP, an FG42 Blueprint, and animated camos as players collect weekly rewards.
There is an important nuance: a reward can be “free” without making every mode free. A Warzone-only player can progress through routes available in the free-to-play game, but access to Quantum, Tenshu, Avalon, and the rest of Black Ops 7 content depends on owning the game.
What costs extra: Battle Pass, BlackCell, and the premium event track
The Season 06 Battle Pass costs 1,100 COD Points; the bundle with 20 Tokens costs 2,400 COD Points. Buying it grants access to premium rewards such as Operator Skins, Weapon Blueprints, Finishing Moves, Emotes, and more. BlackCell is an additional premium layer with an Operator, a Mastercraft Weapon Blueprint, and exclusive rewards.
The DOOM Event Pass also has two tracks. Its free track includes the Roc 20mm and other XP-based rewards; the premium track adds the Doom Slayer Operator, a Doom Guy Operator Skin, and other themed cosmetics and Blueprints. The announcement section reviewed here does not list a COD Points price for the premium event track, so a specific price should not be treated as confirmed.
Store Bundles are also separate premium content. They should not be confused with maps, modes, and Base Weapons that arrive through the seasonal update or free unlock routes.
Maps and modes: where The Haunting changes the experience most
Warzone: Haunted Hollow and Giant Infected
Haven’s Hollow is transformed into Haunted Hollow. The map gains supernatural changes, a Ghost Train that players must phase back into reality to access resources, pumpkins that can provide valuable loot or trigger a trick, and altered points of interest across the town. Giant Infected puts 64 players into one match: eight begin as Infected while Survivors gather DNA to build and detonate a bomb before the outbreak takes over.
The season also adds winstreak challenges across Battle Royale, Resurgence, and Black Ops Royale, with six Weapon Camos as rewards. Activision also says Season 06 is the final chance to play Black Ops Royale, making it a priority for players who still have mode-specific objectives to complete.
Multiplayer: Quantum, Bloodstead, and Halloween playlists
Quantum is the new launch map, a medium-sized 6v6 battlefield inside an Arctic computing facility. Bloodstead is a horror-themed retheme of Homestead. T.E.D.D. Trials also arrives at launch, bringing three Zombies locations — Roadkill, Inferno, and Lost — into a task-based 6v6 competition.
Hordepoint and Freeze Tag arrive later in the season. Hordepoint mixes objective control with zombie hordes that switch allegiance depending on which team controls the Hardpoint. Freeze Tag revolves around freezing opponents and freeing teammates trapped in ice.
Zombies and Endgame: content for Black Ops 7 owners
Tenshu is the new Zombies Survival map and uses a confined section of Kowakujō. Rex Infernus gets Directed Mode and Starting Room. Rogue Run receives new pedestal upgrades, including Pack-a-Punch IV, an Ultra-Rarity weapon upgrade, and Golden Armor, plus new playlists in Paradox Junction and Kowakujō. The seasonal update also adds pumpkin-headed zombies across Rogue Run playlists.
In Endgame, the main change is Avalon at night, paired with the Forbidden Summoning world event. These features are part of Black Ops 7 rather than the free Warzone offering.
Limited-time activities versus unlockable rewards
The Haunting combines seasonal activities with items earned through progression. Giant Infected, T.E.D.D. Trials, Hordepoint, and Freeze Tag are explicitly presented as limited-time modes. The DOOM Event Pass is also limited-time, while the Camo Costume Party depends on its event window.
VMP, TR51 Para, Roc 20mm, and Arcblade, by contrast, are described as Base Weapons or unlockable event rewards. The official announcement does not publish an individual end date for every in-season event in the same article. Players who want to avoid missing rewards should therefore watch the in-game calendar and prioritize activities labeled as events or LTMs.
What to do first on September 17
- If you only play Warzone: enter Haunted Hollow, try Giant Infected, and start progressing the free Battle Pass and DOOM Event Pass unlocks.
- If you own Black Ops 7 and prefer Multiplayer: learn Quantum and Bloodstead, then move to T.E.D.D. Trials because it is a limited-time playlist.
- If Zombies is your priority: start with Tenshu, then check the new Rex Infernus options and Rogue Run changes.
- If you collect weapons: target VMP and TR51 Para on the free Battle Pass pages, progress the free DOOM event track for the Roc 20mm, and watch for Camo Costume Party to unlock Arcblade.
- If you chase seasonal rewards: check Weekly Challenges, Ranked Play, and winstreak challenges; some rewards are exclusive to Season 06.
Bottom line: what changes and where the cost is
Season 06 expands nearly every part of Black Ops 7 and Warzone, but the “free” portion is concentrated in three areas: Warzone as a free-to-play game, free progression tiers, and rewards earned through challenges or events. The premium Battle Pass, BlackCell, the premium DOOM Event Pass track, and Store Bundles sit outside that free layer. For Multiplayer, Zombies, and Endgame, the main requirement remains ownership of Black Ops 7.
Primary source: Activision’s official Black Ops 7 and Warzone Season 06 announcement published September 8, 2026.
