Voyage of Despair — Black Ops 4 Zombies Easter Egg Guide

In this guide: full main-quest walkthrough, recommended loadout, elixirs & talismans, calling cards, side Easter eggs & songs, boss strategy · Hard, ~50–80 min.

Open the interactive guide →
Black Ops 4 · 2018

Voyage of Despair

The Chaos crew’s second stop — the sinking RMS Titanic, 1912, its decks split between icy corridors and flooded holds. Claim the Sentinel Artifact, earn the Kraken from a soul-fed chest, then work the clock dials, four elemental outlets, the poison-flooded Turbine Room, a random planet order and the Sun ice-sprint before facing the five-phase Odin’s Eye in the Abandon Ship main quest. Note: BO4 is CLASSIC-era — traditional perks, Elixirs and Specialist weapons; no armour, rarity, salvage or attachments.

Released 12 Oct 2018 Wonder Weapon: KrakenQuest: Abandon ShipBoss: Odin’s Eye
HardEst. time50–80 minPlayers1–4 (solo-capable)Updated7 Sep 2026
Documented here9 walkthrough steps · 3 side Easter eggs (incl. 1 song) · 3 weapon builds · 6 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 Voyage of Despair Easter egg?

It is rated Hard and takes about 50–80 min. The run breaks down like this:
  1. Activate the Sentinel Artifact → the four Pack-a-Punch pedestals
  2. Earn the free Kraken (Stoker key → soul chest ×3 → drop object)
  3. Pack-a-Punch the Kraken to the Poison variant (Jormungandr’s Fang)
  4. Clock & alchemical-symbol dials — 4 minute + 4 hour values
  5. Four elemental outlets: Poison → Water → Electric → Fire rituals
  6. Poison Kraken → shoot 9 Turbine pipes → flood the room
  7. Insert the Artifact into the flooded Pack-a-Punch
  8. Activate 9 planet symbols → read the Cargo Hold model order
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 Voyage of Despair?

Kraken. 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.

Who is the boss on Voyage of Despair?

Odin’s Eye. The walkthrough covers the whole encounter: how the fight is structured, where the damage goes, what the arena throws at you between phases, and the loadout worth bringing before you commit to it.

How long does the Voyage of Despair Easter egg take?

About 50–80 min for a run that already knows the steps, and we rate it Hard. 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 Voyage of Despair 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.

Is there a song Easter egg on Voyage of Despair?

Yes — “Drowning” — Kevin Sherwood ft. Malukah. Shoot four hidden Medusa coins, any order, once per match, to play the track: (1) Forecastle — on the rear of a wooden crate beneath the stairs, upper-left near the burning cargo; (2) Poop Deck — between a large rope spool and a crate on th Full trigger steps for it are in the side Easter eggs section.

What are the main areas on Voyage of Despair?

6 are documented: Forecastle / Spawn, Grand Staircase, Bridge / Boat Deck, Poop Deck, Cargo Hold / State Rooms and Turbine & Engine Rooms. 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 Voyage of Despair?

3 are documented here — song, side build and loadout note. Each one has its own steps rather than a one-line mention, so they can be followed mid-game.

When was Voyage of Despair released?

12 Oct 2018.

Key areas

Forecastle / Spawn

The bow. Starting room, first wall-buys, a Medusa coin below the stairs, and the bow end of the Sun ice-chase route.

Grand Staircase

The central vertical artery. Upper Staircase clock room, Lower Grand Staircase Pack-a-Punch pedestal (and a hidden song coin overhead).

Bridge / Boat Deck

Navigation. The four minute-dials on the Bridge steering console; the Boat Deck is one possible Kraken drop point.

Poop Deck

The stern. Sentinel Artifact plinth, two hour-dials, a Kraken drop point, and the opening and final phases of the Odin’s Eye fight.

Cargo Hold / State Rooms

Flooded bow interior with a Pack-a-Punch pedestal and the Solar-System model; the State Rooms / Promenade host outlets and boss phases.

Turbine & Engine Rooms

Lowest stern machinery. A Pack-a-Punch pedestal, the Kraken bench, two hour-dials, and the nine leaking pipes that flood for the Artifact upgrade.

Steps at a glance

  1. Activate the Sentinel Artifact → the four Pack-a-Punch pedestals
  2. Earn the free Kraken (Stoker key → soul chest ×3 → drop object)
  3. Pack-a-Punch the Kraken to the Poison variant (Jormungandr’s Fang)
  4. Clock & alchemical-symbol dials — 4 minute + 4 hour values
  5. Four elemental outlets: Poison → Water → Electric → Fire rituals
  6. Poison Kraken → shoot 9 Turbine pipes → flood the room
  7. Insert the Artifact into the flooded Pack-a-Punch
  8. Activate 9 planet symbols → read the Cargo Hold model order
  9. Shoot each planet in the sky, Sun last → collect the orbs
  10. Sun orb → destroy every ice block bow-to-stern before the freeze
  11. Final ritual → recover the underwater Artifact
  12. Beat Odin’s Eye across its five ship phases
The whole quest is anchored to named decks, not left/right calls. The main quest needs Normal difficulty or higher, and it's worth building the Distillation Kit shield before the elemental rituals. Only four of six clock rooms are active each match, outlet elements are match-generated, and the planet order is fully random — so there is no code to memorise, only your own match to read. Push straight to the Poop Deck for the Artifact and light the four pedestals as the route opens, recording active clocks on the same lap.

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.

Stated in the walkthrough
  • “You need the Poison variant, Jormungandr’s Fang, for the pipe stage — an Ice variant is the pick for the boss.” step 3

Set aside 50–80 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.

  • “Solo vs co-op: soloable; co-op only helps clear pressure during each trial.” step 5
  • “Solo vs co-op: soloable but tight — a movement perk (Stamin-Up) and pre-cleared route are what make the sprint safe…” step 8

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
Poop Deck → four pedestal anchors

Activate the Sentinel Artifact & the four pedestals

+

Buy your way from the Forecastle toward the stern and interact with the Sentinel Artifact on the Poop Deck — a burst of energy scatters four glowing spheres and wakes the four Pack-a-Punch pedestals. Activate all four; the Pack-a-Punch machine assembles at the last pedestal you interacted with (so you can choose where it starts by saving your preferred pedestal for last) and then rotates location every few rounds.

Solo vs co-op: identical objective; co-op just opens the ship faster. Do this first — every later stage assumes the Artifact is live.

  • Poop Deck — beside the Sentinel Artifact plinth
  • Turbine Room — lowest stern machinery level
  • Lower Grand Staircase — foot of the central staircase
  • Cargo Hold — flooded bow interior
2
Stoker → soul chest (5 possible rooms) → drop point

Earn the free Kraken

+

From about round 12, a Stoker (coal-armoured mini-boss) appears — shoot away its coal plating, then kill it by hitting the exposed glowing weak point. It drops a key. Open the key chest at its random spawn, then kill zombies beside it to feed it souls until it vanishes and relocates — repeat for three fills total. After the third fill a floating object appears telling you where a tentacle will hurl the Kraken; collect the weapon from the box that drops at that deck.

Solo vs co-op: fully solo-capable — the chest simply fills slower with one player’s kills. The Mystery Box can also give the Kraken, but this route is free and reliable.

  • Chest room (each fill, randomised) — Mail Rooms
  • Chest room — State Rooms
  • Chest room — Galley
  • Chest room — Provisions
  • Chest room — Turbine Room
  • Drop object → telescope = Poop Deck
  • Drop object → compass = Boat Deck
  • Drop object → globe = Mid-Deck (source-listed; web guides most often document telescope/compass)
  • Drop object → binoculars = Forecastle (source-listed)
  • Drop object → pliers = Aft Decks (source-listed)
3
Any active Pack-a-Punch machine

Pack-a-Punch the Kraken to Poison

+

Feed the Kraken into Pack-a-Punch. The base upgrade is the Cirein-Croin Crasher; each subsequent insert (6,000 points, pick up the dropped plasma to refill ammo) lets you pick one of four elemental variants. You need the Poison variant, Jormungandr’s Fang, for the pipe stage — an Ice variant is the pick for the boss.

Variant map: Jormungandr’s Fang → Poison; Grip of Akkorokamui → Ice; Inkanyamba’s Roar → Electric; Breath of Leviathan → Fire.

Alt route: the Poison Kraken can instead be built via the Distillation Kit — one part each in the Galley, Cargo Hold and 1st Class Lounge, assembled at the Engine Room bench, then a Poison Catalyst killed with the Kraken to fit the poison component. Most runners just Pack-a-Punch it.

4
6 clock rooms → Bridge / Poop Deck / Engine Room dials

Clock & alchemical-symbol dials

+

Inspect all six clock rooms; only four have a nearby alchemical symbol. For each active clock, record its symbol + time together. Then set the four minute dials on the Bridge console (each labelled with one symbol; top = 00, five-minute steps) and the four hour dials — two on the Poop Deck (the lined triangles) and two in the Engine Room (plain up/down triangles), assignments fixed by position. When all eight are right a completion sound plays and the dials lock; if any still turns, one symbol/value pairing is wrong.

Per match: which four clocks are active, and their times, change every game — read your own clocks; never copy a video’s values.

  • Clock room — Mail Rooms
  • Clock room — Bridge
  • Clock room — Upper Grand Staircase
  • Clock room — 1st Class Lounge
  • Clock room — Galley
  • Clock room — 3rd Class Berths
5
6 possible outlet rooms → ritual circles

Four elemental outlets & rituals

+

After the clock lock, sweep the outlet rooms — four now show an elemental marking (one each Poison, Water, Electric, Fire). Kill a matching-element Catalyst zombie right beside its outlet to charge it (normally one charge per round; a portal/symbol cue confirms). Then complete the ritual trials in strict order: Poison → Water → Electric → Fire, collecting the Artifact fragment after each completion flash.

Per match: which rooms hold which element is randomised — record room + element as you find them. Possible outlet rooms include the State Rooms, Upper Grand Staircase, 3rd Class stairway, Aft Decks, Dining Hall and 1st Class Lounge.

Solo vs co-op: soloable; co-op only helps clear pressure during each trial. Confirm the charge cue before leaving an outlet.

  • Poison outlet — kill a Poison Catalyst at it → complete first
  • Water outlet — kill a Water Catalyst at it → complete second
  • Electric outlet — kill an Electric Catalyst at it → complete third
  • Fire outlet — kill a Fire Catalyst at it → complete fourth (last)
6
Turbine Room → flooded Pack-a-Punch

Flood the Turbine Room & upgrade the Artifact

+

With the Poison Kraken (Jormungandr’s Fang), sweep the Turbine Room’s upper and lower machinery for nine small leaking pipes — a valid poison hit seals each leak. The room only begins flooding after the ninth registers. Wait for Pack-a-Punch to rotate into the now-flooded room, insert the Sentinel Artifact, and retrieve it after the processing cue.

Recovery: if it will not flood, one pipe is unsealed — re-sweep both rows slowly; only the Poison variant counts.

  • Sweep upper machinery row — leaking pipes
  • Sweep lower machinery row — leaking pipes
  • Both port and starboard sides — nine leaks total
7
9 planet symbols → Cargo Hold Solar-System model → deck sightlines

Planet symbols & the Cargo Hold model

+

Interact with the nine planet symbols dotted around the ship to activate them, then read the Solar-System model in the Cargo Hold — the planets flash in a random order. Write the full sequence. From open-deck sightlines, shoot each planet in the sky in that order; each drops a glowing orb at its own symbol on the map. Collect each orb before shooting the next planet, and leave the Sun until last.

Per match: the flash order is fully random every game — read the model yourself. If an orb is missing you fired the next planet too early; return to the previous symbol and search the floor.

  • Sun — Forecastle
  • Mercury — Mail Rooms
  • Venus — Millionaire / State Rooms
  • Moon — Lower Grand Staircase
  • Mars — Boiler / Turbine Room
  • Saturn — Bridge
  • Jupiter — Engine Room
  • (remaining symbol) — Aft Decks
  • Uranus — State Rooms floor
8
Forecastle → Poop Deck → underwater

Sun orb ice-chase & final ritual

+

Prep first: open every direct door, clear the round, reload, and put the slowest player at the front. Interact with the Sun orb — ice begins racing bow-to-stern and destructible ice blocks appear along the route. Destroy each block completely before advancing (explosives / high-damage fire), one player watching the rear freeze, until the final block on the Poop Deck breaks. Then enter the final ritual circle: the team transitions underwater to recover the Artifact, then is transported into the boss fight.

Failure is recoverable: if the freeze catches you the attempt resets for a later round — you do not rebuild the whole quest. Do not detour for drops mid-sprint.

Solo vs co-op: soloable but tight — a movement perk (Stamin-Up) and pre-cleared route are what make the sprint safe; in co-op split the clearing and block-breaking roles.

9
Poop Deck · Engine Room · State Rooms · Promenade · Poop Deck

Defeat Odin’s Eye

+

The Odin’s Eye boss moves through five ship locations, teleporting on a cue (not a fixed timer). It only takes damage during its laser / charge windows — firing outside them wastes ammo.

Phase 1 — Poop Deck: clear the enemy quota, stay out of the beam, wait for the teleport.

Phase 2 — Engine Room: hold the narrow lanes, remove Stokers/catalysts fast, keep the centre clear.

Phase 3 — State Rooms: first damage window — hit the exposed eye during the laser (an Ice Kraken and Hellion splash shine here).

Phase 4 — Promenade Starboard: repeat the laser-window damage in the long deck lane; use the shield to cross pressure but don’t block teammates’ firing lanes.

Phase 5 — Poop Deck: the Eye attempts a lethal charge — pour every high-damage weapon into the exposed window to interrupt the charge, then finish its health to trigger the ending. If the charge completes, the team is downed, so save Specialist and max ammo for this phase.

Side Easter Eggs & extras

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

Song

“Drowning” — Kevin Sherwood ft. Malukah

+

Shoot four hidden Medusa coins, any order, once per match, to play the track: (1) Forecastle — on the rear of a wooden crate beneath the stairs, upper-left near the burning cargo; (2) Poop Deck — between a large rope spool and a crate on the ship’s side, facing the bow; (3) Sun Deck — under an overturned desk inside a luggage-filled lifeboat, peek between two chests; (4) Lower Grand Staircase — on a rafter above the Pack-a-Punch pedestal; stand in front of the pedestal and look up.

Side build

Ballistic Shield / Svalinn Guard

+

Build the Ballistic Shield for the ship’s tight corridors — near-essential for surviving the boss lanes. Upgrading it to the Svalinn Guard adds durability and a Cryofreeze shield-gun; useful but optional. Carry a full shield into the final ritual.

Loadout note

Boss-ready setup (classic-era)

+

Perks/Elixirs: Victorious Tortoise, Stamin-Up (ice sprint), PhD Slider (explosive splash), plus Quick Revive or Dying Wish. Specialists such as the Scepter of Ra (revives) or Viper and Dragon (damage) are strong finale insurance. Keep the Poison Kraken for pipes, then an Ice variant for Odin’s Eye.

Calling cards on this map

Cosmetic calling cards you can earn on this map. Global Dark Ops challenge cards are in the reference section below.

Sea Legs

Map challenge

Complete the Voyage of Despair main Easter egg without going down.

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.

Stuck on step 8 — Sun orb ice-chase & final ritual?

Failure is recoverable: if the freeze catches you the attempt resets for a later round — you do not rebuild the whole quest.

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 Voyage of Despair questions

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

Why can't I use a code from a video?

Because there isn't one to use. Only four of the six clock rooms are active each match, the outlet elements are generated per game, and the planet order is fully random. There is nothing to memorise here — only your own match to read.

What difficulty do I need for the Easter egg?

Normal or higher. Abandon Ship does not run on Casual.

What should I build before the elemental rituals?

The Distillation Kit shield. The ship's corridors are tight and the boss lanes are worse, so carry a full shield into the final ritual rather than hoping to rebuild mid-fight.

Where is Pack-a-Punch on Voyage of Despair?

There are pedestals on the Lower Grand Staircase, in the Cargo Hold and in the Turbine Room. Everything on this map is described by named deck rather than left or right, so learn the deck names early — it makes every guide, including this one, far easier to follow.

Where does the Kraken come from?

The bench is in the Turbine and Engine Rooms, and the Boat Deck and Poop Deck are both possible drop points for its parts.

Where are the four Medusa coins?

The Forecastle, on the rear of a wooden crate beneath the stairs, upper-left near the burning cargo; the Poop Deck, between a large rope spool and a crate on the ship's side facing the bow; the Sun Deck, under an overturned desk in a luggage-filled room; and one hidden overhead at the Lower Grand Staircase.

Where are the dials?

Four minute-dials on the Bridge steering console, and hour-dials in two places — two on the Poop Deck and two in the Turbine and Engine Rooms.

What are the nine leaking pipes for?

The Artifact upgrade. They are in the Turbine and Engine Rooms and they flood as you work them — the Poison Kraken is the right tool for the job.

What should I take into the Odin's Eye fight?

Victorious Tortoise, Stamin-Up for the ice sprint and PhD Slider for the explosive splash, plus Quick Revive or Dying Wish. The Scepter of Ra is strong revive insurance and Viper and Dragon is strong damage. Keep the Poison Kraken for the pipes, then switch to an Ice variant for the boss.

Visual guides & sources

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

Map discussion

A shared community board for Voyage of Despair — 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 Voyage of Despair in the interactive codex for the solvers and map discussion.