Onslaught & Dead Ops Arcade III
Cold War shipped two self-contained bonus modes with no boss Easter Egg to chase. Zombies Onslaught is a PlayStation-timed two-player survival loop built around the Dark Aether Orb, while Dead Ops Arcade 3: Rise of the Mamaback is a top-down twin-stick arcade run stretching to round 64 and beyond.
Quick answers
How do you complete the Onslaught & Dead Ops Arcade III Easter egg?
- Onslaught is a two-player co-op mode played on Multiplayer maps, timed-exclusive to PlayStation until 2 November 2021.
- A purple Dark Aether Orb creates a safe zone; kills charge its meter and, once a Surge completes, it relocates and you follow it.
- Standing outside the Orb inflicts fast-rising Dark Aether damage, so the whole fight is a moving hold-and-rotate.
- Every third Surge is an Elite Surge: an Elite (Megaton, Mangler, Mimic, Krasny Soldat, or Abomination) spawns, and killing it instantly fills the Orb to 100%.
- There is no Mystery Box, perk machine, Pack-a-Punch, or Crafting economy — progress runs entirely on Elite drops: random perks, armour, Aether Tools, and Weapon Chalices.
- Dead Ops Arcade 3 is a 1–4 player top-down twin-stick survival mode where movement and firing are independent — you orbit the horde and never stop shooting.
- Its Mamaback Trail runs through 16 four-round arena families to round 64, then the Mamaback boss, after which play loops into a harder run.
- The Room of Fate, reached via The Wild, grants permanent run-long Fates — up to two after the final update — from six options like Firepower and Divine Chalice.
How many side Easter eggs are on Onslaught & Dead Ops Arcade III?
When was Onslaught & Dead Ops Arcade III released?
What to do
- Onslaught is a two-player co-op mode played on Multiplayer maps, timed-exclusive to PlayStation until 2 November 2021.
- A purple Dark Aether Orb creates a safe zone; kills charge its meter and, once a Surge completes, it relocates and you follow it.
- Standing outside the Orb inflicts fast-rising Dark Aether damage, so the whole fight is a moving hold-and-rotate.
- Every third Surge is an Elite Surge: an Elite (Megaton, Mangler, Mimic, Krasny Soldat, or Abomination) spawns, and killing it instantly fills the Orb to 100%.
- There is no Mystery Box, perk machine, Pack-a-Punch, or Crafting economy — progress runs entirely on Elite drops: random perks, armour, Aether Tools, and Weapon Chalices.
- Dead Ops Arcade 3 is a 1–4 player top-down twin-stick survival mode where movement and firing are independent — you orbit the horde and never stop shooting.
- Its Mamaback Trail runs through 16 four-round arena families to round 64, then the Mamaback boss, after which play loops into a harder run.
- The Room of Fate, reached via The Wild, grants permanent run-long Fates — up to two after the final update — from six options like Firepower and Divine Chalice.
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.
- Two unrelated bonus modes share this page. Onslaught: 2-player co-op on Multiplayer maps, timed-exclusive to PlayStation until 2 November 2021. Dead Ops Arcade 3: a 1–4 player top-down twin-stick arcade run through its own arenas.
- Neither has a scripted main-quest Easter egg. Onslaught's clear is chasing Dark Aether Chalices and Elite completions; DOA3's is beating the Mamaback after round 64.
- Onslaught has no Mystery Box, Perk-a-Cola machines, Pack-a-Punch or buy economy — every weapon, perk and upgrade comes from Elite drops.
- DOA3 runs 16 four-round arena families to round 64, then the Mamaback fight, then loops harder.
Full walkthrough
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.
Onslaught: the Dark Aether Orb loop
You spawn inside a glowing purple dome around the Dark Aether Orb; standing outside it deals fast-rising damage. Kill zombies inside the zone to charge the Orb's power bar (10% per kill); at 100% it explodes, clears the area, and relocates — follow it. This is one Surge.
Quick win: The Orb waits a moment longer than usual after an Elite Surge specifically to let you collect drops — don't sprint off immediately.
Onslaught: Elite Surges
A Weaver voice line marks it: the Orb moves to a dimensional tear, enlarges, and opens for an Elite (or two Specials, also classed as Elites here) — Megaton, Mangler, Mimic, Krasny Soldat or Abomination. Extra zombies spawn too, but only the Elite kill charges the Orb, filling it to 100% instantly.
Quick win: Don't waste time farming the extra zombies on an Elite Surge round for Orb charge — it does nothing; focus fire the Elite instead.
Onslaught: drops, Aether Tools and Chalices
Elites drop a random Perk power-up plus assorted weapons and equipment. Aether Tools (Dark Aether Wrenches) bump your equipped weapon up one Quality Tier. Weapon Chalices apply a Pack-a-Punch tier by grade — Bronze (I), Silver (II), Gold (III). Separately, completing a set number of Elite Surges in one game earns a Dark Aether/Surge Chalice — Bronze at 3 (2,500 XP), Silver at 5 (5,000 XP), Gold at 8 (7,500 XP); since Season Two Reloaded these also drop as pickups that upgrade your weapon's rarity.
Quick win: Three specific blueprints are earned this way outside of Chalice XP alone — the QBZ-83 Hellhawk for 5 Elite kills, the Diamatti Primal Hunter for any Bronze Chalice or higher, and the Type 63 Crowstorm for 7 Chalices total.
Onslaught variants
Containment fixes the Orb in place on Gunfight maps. Mystery Munitions swaps your weapon for a random one every Surge (secondary always fists). Accelerated never lets the Orb stop, running Surges on a timer instead of a kill count. Diminishing Light shrinks the safe zone until the Orb collapses and ends the game. Elite spawns an Elite on every Surge, with Random Perks only dropping on every third. A Holiday Onslaught reskin adds usable Snowballs.
Tip: Each variant has its own survival-based blueprint unlock (20-plus Surges typically) — don't assume your normal Chalice grind carries over.
DOA3: the Island start and the Wild
A key power-up spawns at the start; keep it for locked chests and doors later. Standard zombies only, easing you into the movement-and-firing split (you orbit and aim independently of movement). After round 4, the Mamaback bursts from a portal, destroys the teleporter, and forces you through her leftover portal into the Wild — a jungle hub with enemy spawners and secret dungeon entrances. Keys found here can open the Room of Fate before round 20 as an optional early detour.
Quick win: The round-4 Wild trip is mandatory, but re-entering later (optional after round 36, mandatory after round 60) is where the real loot density is.
DOA3: the Mamaback Trail, rounds 5–64
The community wiki names rounds 5–9 Junkyard (armoured Marauders); a fan GameFAQs walkthrough instead splits this as Training Camp (5–8) then Junkyard (9–12) with different content — the two disagree on the grouping, so both are given. From there (per GameFAQs) a new enemy or hazard lands every four rounds to round 64: underbosses at Hot Springs (Gegenees), Ice Rink (Blightfather) and Mamaback's Lair (Margwa, faster per head removed); ghost Hellhounds at Dark Wood; lawnmowers and jump-pads at Mama's House; fireball towers at the Throneroom. Ice, lava and shock towers recur through several arenas.
Tip: A nuke stash sits on Bloodpool's (41–44) eastern wall — grab it before the last kill there.
Bonus Rooms and the Room of Fate
Bonus Rooms appear randomly after a level clear, no way to guarantee one, usually on a 60-second timer. Examples (reported by the GameFAQs walkthrough): Weston's Trading Post (defensive weapons, a locked present box worth 2 lives), the Weapon Depot (2 hidden nukes behind the death-machine wall), the Chicken Nest (eggs hatch at 45 seconds into gems, armoury or chickens — don't leave early), Poppy's Pirate Plunder (a key-locked chest). Bigger timed dungeons exist too: a Cavernous Cellar (10 min), Abandoned Temple (3 min, a gamble-door mechanic), Dark Crypt (3 min, locked chests). The Room of Fate is reached via Wild keys (mandatory after round 20, optional around 36 and 60) and grants a permanent Fate: Fortune (multiplier), Friendship (golden Chicken), Firepower (Death Machine), Furious Feet (speed), Divine Shield (nukes and protection) or Divine Chalice (lives and revives) — plus a second pick after the game's final update.
Quick win: Reserve one or two keys instead of spending them all on chests — you need them again for Room of Fate re-entry.
The Mamaback fight, round 64+
The fight runs while zombies keep spawning around you. Watch her charge stance and stay clear of the yellow Banana Bomb cloud, which slows you. Your friendly Chicken companion (boosted permanently by the Friendship Fate) adds fire support throughout. Nukes clear the surrounding horde but do zero damage to Mamaback herself — don't waste one expecting boss damage.
Confirmation cue: Her defeat triggers an ending cinematic (Fidolina's rescue) before the loop restarts.
The post-Mamaback loop, round 65+
Round durations double and zombies attack at full speed from the start. More Shock Towers appear everywhere, including the Island; challenge rounds persist; Elites like Megatons and Wardens spawn more often; enemy types once exclusive to Wild and bonus areas now appear in standard rounds; and the Room of Judgment opens after round 65 (no further Rooms of Fate unlock). Extra Silverbacks join the boss fight at multiples of 64 (two at 128, three at 192). Automatic life-donation returns: a zero-lives player can take one from a teammate with lives to spare, once every 120 seconds. All of this rests on the one published GameFAQs walkthrough — the site and wiki only confirm that a loop exists.
Side Easter Eggs & extras
Everything beyond the main quest. Tap any entry to open the full how-and-where breakdown.
Dark Aether Orb (Onslaught)
Stay in the purple zone, kill to fill the Surge meter, then follow the Orb when it moves; every 3rd Surge is an Elite Surge.
Elite drops (Onslaught)
Perks, armour/gear, Aether Tools (raise weapon rarity), and Weapon Chalices (apply Pack-a-Punch Tier I–III) — no normal buy economy.
Dark Aether Chalices (Onslaught)
Bronze for 3 Elite Surges in a run, Silver for 5, Gold for 8; plus map-by-map Elite challenges.
Onslaught variants
Beyond the standard 19-map roster, rotating rule variants change the loop — Containment (a stationary Orb on Gunfight maps), Mystery Munitions (weapons swap every Surge), Accelerated (the Orb never stops), Diminishing Light (a shrinking safe zone) and Elite (an Elite every Surge).
Twin-stick arcade (DOA3)
Top-down 1–4 player run through 16 arena families (4 rounds each) to round 64, with Standard, First Person, and Solo Advanced Start presentations.
The Mamaback (DOA3)
Fought after round 64 while zombies keep spawning; watch the charge stance and avoid her yellow Banana Bomb slowing cloud — nukes clear the horde but don't damage her.
DOA3 — reaching The Wild & the loop
Enter The Wild through a secret exit hidden in specific arenas (a concealed edge or destructible you walk into instead of taking the normal door) — it's the route to the Room of Fate keys. Watch for Silverback bonus rounds (a gorilla enemy whose defeat showers power-ups/points) and grab hidden pickups and side rooms as you sweep each arena. After the Mamaback boss the run loops at a higher difficulty with the same secrets available — keep collecting Fates on each pass.
Room of Fate (DOA3)
Reached through The Wild via keys (a portal opens after round 4, with later re-entry windows ~36 and ~60). Pick from six permanent Fates — Fortune (multiplier), Friendship (golden Chicken), Firepower (Death Machine), Furious Feet (speed), Divine Shield (nukes/protection) and Divine Chalice (lives/revives) — and a second Fate after the final update.
Chicken companion & the loop
A friendly Chicken gives companion fire support (buff it with the Friendship Fate's permanent golden Chicken); nukes clear the horde but never damage Mamaback, and once she falls the run loops on into a harder round 65+.
Onslaught blueprints
The QBZ-83 Hellhawk for 5 Elite kills, the Diamatti Primal Hunter for any Bronze Chalice or higher, and the Type 63 Crowstorm for 7 Chalices total — plus a survival-based blueprint per Onslaught variant.
DOA3 Bonus Rooms and timed dungeons
Weston's Trading Post, the Weapon Depot, the Chicken Nest, Poppy's Pirate Plunder, and the timed Cavernous Cellar, Abandoned Temple and Dark Crypt — all reported by a single published walkthrough; none can be forced to appear.
After the Mamaback
Rounds double in length, zombies sprint from the start, Elites spawn more often, the Room of Judgment opens after round 65, and extra Silverbacks join the boss at every multiple of 64 (reported by the same walkthrough).
Common Onslaught & Dead Ops Arcade III questions
Direct answers to the specific things players look up mid-game — part locations, puzzle steps and more.
Is there a main Easter egg in Onslaught or Dead Ops Arcade III?
How does the Onslaught loop work?
How do I get weapons and perks in Onslaught?
What are the Dark Aether Chalices?
What are the Onslaught variants?
How long is Dead Ops Arcade III?
How do I beat the Mamaback?
How do I reach The Wild?
Visual guides & sources
Screenshots and exact part locations live in these — open one on a second screen.
Map discussion
A shared community board for Onslaught & Dead Ops Arcade III — 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.