Classified — Black Ops 4 Zombies Easter Egg Guide

In this guide: full main-quest walkthrough, recommended loadout, elixirs & talismans, side Easter eggs & songs, boss strategy · Medium, ~35–60 min.

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CLASSIFIED
Black Ops 4 · 2018

Classified

Black Ops 4’s Aether reimagining of “Five” — the Pentagon with the Ultimis crew (Dempsey, Nikolai, Richtofen, Takeo). Turn on power in the labs, cycle the DEFCON switches to ride the teleporters, build the Teleporter Signal Amplifier to open Groom Lake / Area 51 and Pack-a-Punch, then run the Cold War Remedy quest to pull the free Winter’s Howl (Project Skadi). Fully solo-capable; co-op only eases crowd control.

Released 12 Oct 2018 Wonder Weapon: Winter’s Howl (free) / Ray GunTraversal: DEFCON teleporters + Signal AmplifierSpecial Enemy: Nova 6 Crawlers (no Pentagon Thief)
MediumEst. time35–60 minPlayers1–4 (solo-capable)Updated8 Sep 2026
Documented here7 walkthrough steps · 5 side Easter eggs (incl. 1 song) · 3 weapon builds · 7 named areas · 3 sources cross-checkedCounted from this page, not estimated. We publish what is documented rather than a percentage of what might exist — nobody can honestly claim to know the full list.

Quick answers

How do you complete the Classified Easter egg?

It is rated Medium and takes about 35–60 min. The run breaks down like this:
  1. Turn on power in South Laboratories
  2. Cycle DEFCON switches → ride the Server Room teleporter to the Panic Room
  3. Collect the amplifier parts and build the Teleporter Signal Amplifier
  4. Install it on the War Room small teleporter
  5. Set DEFCON 5 → centre teleporter opens Groom Lake + Pack-a-Punch
  6. Build the Riot Shield at Weapon Testing
  7. Cold War Remedy: charge the Skadi window ×5
  8. Collect the four aerial-photo codes (Shi No Numa, Der Riese, Shangri-La, Kino)
Each stage is written out in full — with the exact locations, the order things must be done in and what to do when a step refuses to trigger — in the walkthrough below.

What is the Wonder Weapon on Classified?

Winter’s Howl (free) / Ray Gun. How you get hold of it — the parts, the crafting steps and the upgrade if it has one — is covered step by step in the walkthrough, along with whether it is required for the main quest or simply worth the detour.

How long does the Classified Easter egg take?

About 35–60 min for a run that already knows the steps, and we rate it Medium. A first attempt takes considerably longer — almost all of the time goes on setup rather than the finale, so knowing the order in advance is what shortens a run.

Can you do the Classified Easter egg solo?

Players: 1–4 (solo-capable). It is solo-capable. Co-op mainly helps with the timed steps, where a second player can hold a zombie or cover a second position, and it makes the ending far more forgiving.

What are the main areas on Classified?

7 are documented: Main Offices (spawn), War Room (Upper & Lower), Server Room, South / North Laboratories, Weapon Testing / Central Filing, Deserted Hallway / Morgue and Groom Lake / Area 51. Knowing the names matters more than it sounds — most guides, including this one, describe locations by area name rather than by direction.

How many side Easter eggs are on Classified?

5 are documented here — song, free weapon, point farm, utility and extras. Each one has its own steps rather than a one-line mention, so they can be followed mid-game.

When was Classified released?

12 Oct 2018.

Key areas

Main Offices (spawn)

First wall-buys (Escargot, Brew), the Skadi window between them, the central desk drawer that hides the Der Riese photo, and the teleporter desk.

War Room (Upper & Lower)

The nerve centre — two Upper DEFCON switches, the Lower DEFCON switch, the large centre teleporter to Groom Lake, the small amplifier teleporter pad, and the Cold War Remedy keypad.

Server Room

One DEFCON switch and the rear teleporter that reaches the Panic Room; the Panic Room holds the amplifier part and the flickering-TV (Kino) photo.

South / North Laboratories

The power switch (behind the Soda perk area), a Riot Shield part, and the barrier near Weapon Testing that reveals the Shangri-La photo.

Weapon Testing / Central Filing

The Riot Shield bench and high-round corner (Weapon Testing); a Riot Shield part and the buildable/amplifier bench (Central Filing).

Deserted Hallway / Morgue

The four presidential nameplates (Shi No Numa photo) and the Morgue amplifier wires.

Groom Lake / Area 51

Reached by the War Room centre teleporter after the amplifier is installed — Pack-a-Punch and the blue Project Skadi case that holds Winter’s Howl.

Steps at a glance

  1. Turn on power in South Laboratories
  2. Cycle DEFCON switches → ride the Server Room teleporter to the Panic Room
  3. Collect the amplifier parts and build the Teleporter Signal Amplifier
  4. Install it on the War Room small teleporter
  5. Set DEFCON 5 → centre teleporter opens Groom Lake + Pack-a-Punch
  6. Build the Riot Shield at Weapon Testing
  7. Cold War Remedy: charge the Skadi window ×5
  8. Collect the four aerial-photo codes (Shi No Numa, Der Riese, Shangri-La, Kino)
  9. Enter all four at the War Room keypad in fixed order
  10. Survive 3 rounds at Groom Lake → take Winter’s Howl
  11. Endurance finish: reach round 150 for the ending cutscene
Classified has no numbered boss-fight main quest — its “ending” is a cutscene that triggers when you clear round 149 (the round-150 endurance run). The signature quest players chase is Cold War Remedy, the free Winter’s Howl. The classic Pentagon Thief from “Five” does not appear here — his role is taken by Nova 6 gas Crawlers and Hellhounds. Learn the DEFCON switch anchors: they double as teleporter power and as the Kino code input.

Before you start

What to have in hand before step 1 — from the loadout notes, from the walkthrough itself, and from the map's own quest documentation where the gate is never stated in a step.

Items to bring / craft first
  • Throw the power switch behind the Soda perk area in South Laboratories first — nothing else (teleporters, amplifier, Pack-a-Punch, Cold War Remedy) responds until it is on. — step 1
  • Build the Riot Shield specifically at the Weapon Testing bench — that corner is the map's high-round endurance anchor for the round-150 finish. — step 5
Round and timing gates
  • Cycle the DEFCON switches back to 5 before the centre War Room teleporter will send you to Groom Lake instead of the Panic Room. — step 4
  • Enter the four aerial-photo codes at the War Room keypad in the fixed order Shi No Numa → Der Riese → Shangri-La → Kino der Toten — collection order does not matter, input order does. — step 6
Solo vs co-op
  • Any one player can carry and install the Teleporter Signal Amplifier — co-op just splits the part-collection legwork. — step 3
  • In co-op only the player who picks up Winter's Howl from the Groom Lake case gets the weapon — everyone else needs their own on a later run. — step 6

Set aside 35–60 min · 1–4 (solo-capable) · the full loadout is further down this page

Where your run will differ

Gathered here so you meet them before they cost you a run rather than after — quoted word for word from the guide below, or researched from the map's own quest documentation.

Solo or co-op

What changes with your player count. The rest of the guide is the same either way.

  • “In co-op only the player who picks up Winter’s Howl from the case gets the weapon (and the trophy)…” step 6

Full walkthrough

0% complete

The quest in the order this guide runs it — tap any step to jump to it, and it fills in as you tick steps off.

1
South Laboratories

Turn on the power

+

Buy down from Main Offices to South Laboratories and throw the power switch behind the Soda perk area. This activates the elevators, teleporters, perk machines and every buildable/quest trigger on the map.

Tip: nothing else on this list — teleporters, amplifier, Pack-a-Punch, Cold War Remedy — will respond until power is on.

2
War Room ×3 · Server Room

Cycle DEFCON and reach the Panic Room

+

Four DEFCON switches raise the alert level (DEFCON 5 → 1) and power the teleporter network. Press all four in any order to charge the network, then step into the Server Room rear teleporter — with the switches set it drops you in the hidden Panic Room, where the amplifier component sits on a desk.

  • DEFCON switch — Server Room, left side of the room
  • DEFCON switch — War Room Lower, left of the elevator to the Labs
  • DEFCON switch — War Room Upper, right of the elevator to the Offices
  • DEFCON switch — War Room Upper, right of the Spitfire wall-buy
3
Main Offices · Morgue · Panic Room → bench

Build the Teleporter Signal Amplifier

+

Gather three parts, build at the Central Filing (or Weapon Testing) bench, then carry the finished Signal Amplifier to the small teleporter in War Room Lower Level and install it on the pad.

Solo vs co-op: any one player can carry and install the amplifier; co-op just splits the part-collection legwork.

  • Teleporter pad — Main Offices: beneath the teleporter desk, on the fallen desk, or left of the Brew machine (one of three random spawns)
  • Wires — Morgue: on the chair right of the box location, on the corner countertop, or on a body chamber (one of three random spawns)
  • Amplifier core — Panic Room: on the desk after you arrive via the Server Room teleporter
4
War Room centre teleporter

Open Groom Lake and Pack-a-Punch

+

With the amplifier installed, set the alert back to DEFCON 5 (cycle the four switches until the board reads 5), then step into the large centre teleporter in the War Room. Instead of the Panic Room it now sends the team to Groom Lake / Area 51, where Pack-a-Punch lives (standard 5,000 per weapon). The Server Room teleporter still reaches the Panic Room after the amplifier is in.

Tip: if the centre teleporter still dumps you in the Panic Room, the amplifier isn’t installed or the board isn’t at DEFCON 5 — recheck both, then re-enter.

5
Weapon Testing bench

Build the Riot Shield

+

Collect three shield parts and build specifically at the Weapon Testing bench — that corner is the map’s high-round anchor. The Riot Shield both blocks the lane and doubles as a melee/point tool.

  • Gun assembly — Central Filing part pool
  • Base — War Room Lower part pool
  • Window — South / North Laboratories part pool
6
Main Offices window → four codes → War Room keypad

Cold War Remedy — free Winter’s Howl

+

This is the free Winter’s Howl (Project Skadi) quest. First, charge the window between the Escargot wall-buy and the Brew machine in Main Offices: hold the interact five separate times (a voice speaks for ~20–40s each time and Nova 6 gas Crawlers spawn in). Then collect four aerial-photo codes — each shows four randomised digits unique to your match — and enter them at the flashing-picture keypad in War Room Lower in the fixed order below. A green light per code and the “Project Skadi Retrieved” line confirm success. Finally, teleport to Groom Lake and stay for three full rounds; the barriers left of Pack-a-Punch open and the blue case holds Winter’s Howl.

Per-match codes (no solver): the four numbers are randomised every game and map directly to keypad digits — there is no cipher or arithmetic. Read what your match shows and type it; never reuse a number from a video.

Solo vs co-op: the quest is fully solo. In co-op only the player who picks up Winter’s Howl from the case gets the weapon (and the trophy) — everyone else must grab their own on a later run.

Enter the codes in this fixed order: 1) Shi No Numa, 2) Der Riese, 3) Shangri-La, 4) Kino der Toten. The collection order doesn’t matter; the input order does.

  • Der Riese photo — take the key from the box opposite Cola in War Room Lower, use it on the central Main Offices desk drawer, and read the digits behind the Der Riese picture
  • Shangri-La photo — with power on, throw a Frag (or fire a Pack-a-Punched explosive) behind the metal container with the yellow ‘Attention’ sign at the South Laboratories barrier near Weapon Testing; the photo teleports beside the window
  • Kino der Toten photo — in the Panic Room, interact with the flickering bottom-row TV (some guides say move the TV) to reveal the code
  • Shi No Numa photo — with a Pack-a-Punched weapon, shoot the Deserted Hallway nameplates in order George Washington → Benjamin Franklin → Alexander Hamilton → Abraham Lincoln; Washington’s plate lifts to reveal the digits
7
Weapon Testing corner

Endurance finish — reach round 150

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Classified’s “main quest” has no final interaction: finish round 149 and the round-150 cutscene plays automatically. Set up the Weapon Testing bench corner with the Riot Shield facing the single approach, keep a large point reserve for shield replacements, and cycle your equipment/specialist behind cover.

Core rule: replace the Riot Shield before it breaks — a fresh shield costs points, a broken one costs the run. Buy while the old shield still protects the interaction.

Loadout: Ragnarok DG-5 specialist, Wraith Fire, Equip Mint, and perks/modifiers such as Victorious Tortoise, Stonecold Stronghold and Timeslip. Winter’s Howl or a PhD-Slider Hellion is a strong secondary control tool between cycles.

Uncertain: exact per-round timings and enemy counts vary with player count and patch — trust the round-150 cutscene cue, not a stopwatch.

Side Easter Eggs & extras

Everything beyond the main quest. Tap any entry to open the full how-and-where breakdown.

Song

“Shockwave” (Kevin Sherwood)

+

Hold interact on three hidden vodka bottles (no on-screen prompt — hold facing each; a glasses-clink confirms). (1) War Room Lower — down the steps, back-right corner, under the terminal; (2) Central Filing — from the Side Passage door, all the way back, on top of the last row of filing cabinets; (3) Porcine Research (the lab below the War Rooms) — back-left corner, inside an open cabinet. All three plays the track map-wide. (Vocalist credit varies by source — Gameranx lists Elena Siegman.)

Free weapon

Project Skadi / Winter’s Howl

+

The Cold War Remedy quest (Step 6) awards a free Winter’s Howl — the map wonder weapon — that freezes and shatters groups. Excellent for the endurance corner and for thinning Nova 6 Crawler waves.

Point farm

Nova Crawler door

+

An optional round-one melee farm: the Nova 6 Crawlers can be milked at a door choke for cheap early points before you commit to the box or corner.

Utility

Electric traps

+

Powered wall traps around the labs and War Room work as emergency route tools to clear a lane during a bad revive or a shield swap — they are not part of the steady corner cycle.

Extras

Paintings, audio logs & jump scares

+

Classified hides secret paintings, audio logs and scripted jump scares around the Pentagon (Ultimis flavour), plus the classic hidden mini power-ups; all are optional lore/collectible finds separate from the required run.

Elixir reference (Black Ops 4)

All 51 Black Ops 4 Elixirs — you equip 4 per class. Classic and Whimsical are unlimited; Common → Epic are consumable, brewed with Nebulium Plasma. These are Elixirs, not GobbleGums. Filter by tier.

Always Done Swiftly

Classic

Faster ADS walk/aim for 5 min.

Anywhere But Here

Classic

Random teleport with a blast.

Burned Out

Classic

Attackers ignite nearby zombies (3 hits).

Equip Mint

Classic

Refresh your equipment cooldowns.

Head Scan

Classic

Headshot instakill chance for 2 min.

Temporal Gift

Classic

Longer power-ups for 5 min.

Aftertaste

Classic

Keep perks on revive (5 min / 1 down).

Point Drops

Classic

Drop 500 of your points as a power-up.

Anti-Entrapment

Classic

Trap-damage immunity for 30s.

Nowhere But There

Classic

Teleport to a downed player.

Now You See Me

Classic

All zombies chase you for 15s.

Arsenal Accelerator

Classic

Faster special-weapon charge for 2 min.

Pop Shocks

Classic

Melee electrostatic discharge (5).

Stock Option

Classic

Ammo drawn from your stockpile for 2 min.

Bullet Boost

Common

Apply or re-roll an Alternate Ammo Type.

Ctrl-Z

Common

Turn up to 2 nearby zombies into allies (30s).

Dead of Nuclear Winter

Common

Drops a Nuke.

In Plain Sight

Common

Zombies ignore you for 10s.

Licensed Contractor

Common

Drops a Carpenter.

Phantom Reload

Common

30% chance of a free-magazine reload for 4 min.

Sword Flay

Common

Melee instakills basics / 5× for 1 min.

Who's Keeping Score?

Common

Drops Double Points.

Alchemical Antithesis

Rare

Every 10 points becomes 1 reserve ammo (1 min).

Blood Debt

Rare

Lose points instead of health for 1 min.

Extra Credit

Rare

A personal 1,250-point drop.

Immolation Liquidation

Rare

Drops a Fire Sale.

Kill Joy

Rare

Drops an Insta-Kill.

Shields Up

Rare

Grants a new shield.

Talkin' Bout Regeneration

Rare

Constant health regen while moving for 4 min.

Shopping Free

Epic

Free purchases for 1 min.

Head Drama

Epic

Body shots register as head shots for 5 min.

Secret Shopper

Epic

Any wall-buy discounts ammo for any gun (10 min).

Reign Drops

Epic

One of each of the 9 core power-ups.

Power Vacuum

Epic

More drops with the cap ignored for 5 min.

Near Death Experience

Epic

Proximity revive (10 min / 5).

Phoenix Up

Epic

Revive all downed players, loadout perks kept.

Conflagration Liquidation

Epic

Drops a Bonfire Sale.

Join the Party

Epic

Spectators spawn in and downed players are revived.

Perkaholic

Epic

All loadout perks plus 6 random ones.

Refresh Mint

Epic

Refresh equipment, special and perk cooldowns for all.

Suit Up

Epic

Full armor for you and nearby players.

Wall Power

Epic

Your next wall-buy comes Pack-a-Punched.

Cache Back

Legendary

Drops a Max Ammo.

Dividend Yield

Legendary

Bonus shared points for 5 min.

Free Fire

Legendary

No ammo consumed for 30s.

Perk Up

Legendary

+4 random non-loadout perks.

Power Keg

Legendary

Drops a Full Power power-up.

Wall to Wall Clearance

Legendary

A wall-buy Fire Sale for 30s.

Undead Man Walking

Legendary

Zombies move at shambling speed for 1 min.

Newtonian Negation · Quacknarok

Whimsical

2 cosmetic-only elixirs.

Dark Ops & mastery cards (Black Ops 4)

Black Ops 4's Zombies ‘Dark Ops’ challenge cards (the full set is a known community gap). Filter by category.

Put to the Quest

Dark Ops

Complete the main Easter eggs on all three launch maps (IX, Voyage of Despair, Blood of the Dead).

Dodgy Devil calling card

Dodgy Devil

Dark Ops

Reach Round 20 on classic Zombies without taking a hit.

Perk Maestro calling card

Perk Maestro

Dark Ops

Activate every perk modifier.

Zombie Dark Ops Master

Mastery

Complete all Zombies Dark Ops challenges.

When it isn't working

The stalls that actually cost people runs on this map, and what to do about each.

TroubleshootingEach of these is quoted from the step it belongs to, derived from a gate the guide already states, or researched from the map's own quest documentation — nothing here is guesswork about what might be going wrong.

Copied an answer from another guide and it did not work?

Some of this map is randomised per match — the answer you were given was correct for somebody else's game and cannot be correct for yours. Read the value your own game is showing you. There is no fixed answer to look up.

Common Classified questions

Direct answers to the specific things players look up mid-game — part locations, puzzle steps and more.

Does Classified have a main Easter egg?

Not a numbered boss quest. Its ending is a cutscene that triggers when you clear round 149 — the round-150 endurance run. The quest people actually chase is Cold War Remedy, which awards a free Winter's Howl.

Is the Pentagon Thief in Classified?

No, he does not appear at all. His role is taken by Nova 6 gas Crawlers and Hellhounds, which is one of the biggest differences between this and “Five”.

How do I get the free Winter's Howl?

Complete Cold War Remedy — its sixth step awards the Winter's Howl from the blue Project Skadi case at Groom Lake. It freezes and shatters groups, which is exactly what the endurance corner and the Nova 6 waves need.

Where is the power switch on Classified?

In the laboratories, behind the Soda perk area.

How do I get to Groom Lake?

The large centre teleporter in the War Room, once the Signal Amplifier is installed. Pack-a-Punch is over there too.

Where are the DEFCON switches?

Two on the Upper War Room, one on the Lower War Room and one in the Server Room. The Server Room's rear teleporter is the one that reaches the Panic Room, where the amplifier part and the flickering-TV photo are.

What are the hidden photos?

Ultimis flavour, one per classic map: the Der Riese photo in the central desk drawer in the Main Offices, the Kino photo on the flickering TV in the Panic Room, the Shangri-La photo behind the barrier near Weapon Testing, and the Shi No Numa photo at the four presidential nameplates in the Deserted Hallway.

Where is the Riot Shield?

Parts in the North and South Laboratories and in Central Filing, with benches in Weapon Testing and Central Filing. Weapon Testing doubles as the map's high-round corner.

Where are the three song bottles?

Hold interact facing each one — there is no on-screen prompt, and a clink of glasses is the confirmation. Lower War Room, down the steps in the back-right corner under the terminal; Central Filing, from the Side Passage door all the way back, on top of the last row of filing cabinets; and Porcine Research, the lab below the War Rooms.

Visual guides & sources

Screenshots and exact part locations live in these — open one on a second screen.

Map discussion

A shared community board for Classified — posts are public, saved on the server and visible to everyone across devices. Handy for strategies, spawn variations you've noticed, or steps to double-check. Please keep it civil and on-topic.

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Part of the Zombies Easter Egg Codex — step-by-step Call of Duty Zombies Easter egg guides for every map. Open Classified in the interactive codex for the solvers and map discussion.