Following Black Ops III's DLC season and the unexpected release of Zombies Chronicles, hopes were high regarding Treyarch's Black Ops 4. Apparently poised to be the ultimate experience for fans of Call of Duty's longtime staple horde mode, Black Ops 4 zombies deviated drastically from the established formula to the disappointment of many dedicated fans.
One of the most controversial changes was the removal of the Jugger-Nog perk, which had been a mainstay of the mode since World At War. In fact, the perk system was considerably overhauled, and, while some new perks fell completely flat, others turned out to be surprisingly useful.
Updated on September 7th, 2021 by Tanner Fox: While Black Ops 4 attempted to take zombies in a bold new direction, many players found the new maps to be too big, the new systems to be too complicated, and the over-the-top Easter eggs to be needlessly complex. Cold War reversed this trend, making the mode much more approachable for new players.
That said, Black Ops 4 hasn't been entirely forgotten by CoD fans, and, with perks from the fourth installment of Call of Duty's Black Ops subseries recently appearing in Cold War, it may be worth brushing up on some of the 2018 game's best additions.
Death Perception
Added to Cold War midway through the game's lifecycle, Death Perception was first made available after the 2018 launch of Black Ops 4. Discredited by many fans, it's by no means a vital perk, but it can provide a small boost for newer players unfamiliar with Call of Duty's maps.
Death Perception allows players to see the outlines of zombies through walls and will provide HUD indicators of approaching enemies. It's a helpful—if not somewhat superfluous—perk, but most Black Ops 4 players wouldn't sacrifice one of their four perk slots for it.
Blaze Phase
Released alongside Tag Der Toten, the final DLC offering developed for Black Ops 4, Blaze Phase is something of a combination between PhD Flopper and Trail Blazers from Infinite Warfare's zombies mode. After crouching for a period with the perk active, the player will be catapulted forward after standing up, knocking over anything in their way.
The modifier extends the distance covered when the perk is used, and, while it can be useful in desperate situations, in the eyes of many zombies fans, Blaze Phase just doesn't cut it.
PhD Slider
Touted as a return of sorts of the fan-favorite perk PhD Flopper perk which initially debuted in the original Black Ops, PhD Slider is a reworked perk meant to act similarly to the original while accommodating the game's new style of movement.
Players with PhD Slider can build an explosive charge by sliding several times and then detonate it by sliding into a zombie. When in the modifier slot, the perk increases slide distance, explosive power, and provides immunity to traps while sliding. Though somewhat useful, the fact that it must be charged up before use makes it a relatively underwhelming take on the original.
Victorious Tortise
At a glance, Black Ops 4's Victorious Tortise perk doesn't seem all that useful; it causes a player's shield to absorb all damage when wielded and to explode when broken. Though it can come in handy when cornered, it isn't all that useful most of the time.
However, the modifier allows players to knock down boss zombies with the shield, and this can be indispensable in tough situations. Though it doesn't happen all that often, and, of course, it requires a shield, Victorious Tortise's modifier can allow players to escape from otherwise inescapable situations.
Blood Wolf Bite
Perhaps one of the most creative perks ever introduced to the zombies mode, when players do a significant amount of damage to a pack of zombies, a wolf familiar will spawn and attack enemies for a period of 45 seconds. It's an interesting concept, and it certainly looks cool, but it's not quite as practical as some of Black Ops 4's other perk offerings.
When placed in the modifier slot, zombies killed by the player's wolf will drop unique power-ups. Yet, those looking to make impromptu allies are better off applying the Brain Rot weapon modifier to a pack-a-punched gun.
Mule Kick
First introduced on Moon, the original Black Ops' final all-new DLC map, Mule Kick was something of a controversial inclusion as, helpful though it could be, it asked players to risk quite a bit, allowing them to purchase and upgrade weapons they could potentially permanently lose. Plus, swapping through three separate guns could be a bit cumbersome.
However, while it still isn't perfect, Mule Kick's modifier in Black Ops 4 makes it much more useful, as downed players with this perk in their modifier slot receive their lost weapon when they re-buy the perk. That said, it's far from Black Ops 4's most conventional perk offering.
Electric Burst
Essentially a modified version of Electric Cherry which was introduced in Black Ops II's fan-favorite Mob of the Dead DLC map, Electric burst sends out a shockwave when players reload, stunning zombies and inflecting varying levels of damage based on how empty the weapon's magazine was.
The modifier applies this effect to the player's melee weapon; energy is stored with each reload and can be unleashed with a melee attack which can chain to other zombies. Though a nice passive effect, Electric Burst isn't quite as beloved as the perk on which it was based.
Ethereal Razor
Introduced after the game's launch, Ethereal Razor is another situational perk. It allows players to use melee attacks to gain health, though this is a fairly risky prospect. However, this perk is doubly useful when used in the modifier slot, as it causes all melee attacks to be lethal to standard zombies, and it increases the damage of melee attacks against larger targets.
For savvy players, Ethereal Razor can be a get-out-of-jail-free card, but, without the modifier applied, it isn't nearly as useful as most of the game's other perks.
Timeslip
One of the many all-new perks introduced to Black Ops 4, Timeslip reduced the cooldown rate of equipment and made the box and pack-a-punch machines operate more quickly. When paired with Wraithfire, Black Ops 4's most prominent piece of extraneous weaponry, timeslip can be undoubtedly effective.
Plus, when used in the modifier slot, Timeslip increases the rate at which special weapons charge, which can, in some scenarios, be lifesaving. Of course, useful as it can be, more traditional zombie players who dislike relying on things like special weapons and overpowered equipment may not be inclined to add it to their perk repertoire.
Stone Cold Stronghold
A camper's dream, this would have been an amazing perk for those who cut their teeth huddled at the end of Der Riese's infamous catwalk in the World at War days. While most Black Ops 4 zombies maps aren't as conducive to that playstyle, Stone Cold Stronghold is still undeniably useful.
When standing still, players with this perk active generate a small circle around them and will receive a damage boost for as long as they remain inside of it. A group of four players using this perk together could be nigh on unstoppable save for the issues presented by ever-depleting ammunition reserves.
Quick Revive
One of the four core zombies perks first introduced in Zombie Verruckt, the first-ever zombies DLC map in Call of Duty: World At War, Quick Revive initially hastened the process of reviving a downed teammate and was completely useless while playing solo.
The perk was buffed considerably for Black Ops 4, shortening the time it took to revive downed players, but also shortening the time it took to regenerate health after losing it. When the perk's modifier is applied, reviving a downed player grants both players full health and increased movement speed for a short time, which is often vital in near-death situations.
Winter's Wail
A re-work of Widow's Wine from Black Ops III, Winter's Wail causes players to unleash a defensive frost aura when hit, freezing and slowing nearby zombies for a short amount of time. When used in the modifier slot, players can carry an additional charge—up to three total—and will be able to discharge frost for several seconds, often providing an easy escape from potentially sticky situations.
Winter's Wail may not be as revered as the perk on which it was based, but it's still an incredibly useful buff, particularly on close-quarters maps like Alpha Omega or Voyage of Despair.
Bandolier Bandit
According to the Call of Duty Wiki, Bandolier Bandit is actually a version of Amm-o-Matic, a cut perk that was originally slated to debut in World At War's Der Riese map. On its own, Bandolier Bandit simply increases the amount of ammo players can carry in each weapon. However, when used in the modifier slot, players can actually slowly regenerate ammo in weapons that aren't currently in use.
Though the effects of this perk aren't immediately obvious, it can be incredibly useful for players opting to use weapons that don't offer much ammunition in reserve, and it can make some unconventional loadouts much more viable.
Stamin-Up
When Stamin-Up first debuted in Ascension, the first DLC zombies map attached to the original Black Ops, it was a bit underrated; though an increased movement speed and a longer sprint duration helped, it wasn't quite as helpful as all-time favorites like Juggernog, Speed Cola, or PhD Flopper. However, as Call of Duty zombies maps grew to be larger, Stamin-Up's usefulness became more apparent.
In Black Ops 4, Stamin-Up is almost essential on some of the title's sprawling maps, and the perk modifier, which allows players to sprint indefinitely, is invaluable when making a quick escape from some of the mode's many boss zombies.
Dying Wish
The defacto replacement for the essential Jugger-Nog perk in Call of Duty Black Ops 4, Dying Wish allows players to survive a fatal hit and enter a berserk mode for a few seconds, allowing them an opportunity to escape an otherwise deadly situation. When placed in the modifier slot, players will recover all of their health after leaving the berserk state, an added boon to an already essential perk.
Dying Wish is beyond helpful and affords the player a safety net that was once provided by the mode's flagship perk. That said, it takes quite a bit of time to recharge after use, which drastically handicaps its usefulness.