Everything we know about the Cold War Zombies Firebase Z Easter egg

When does the Cold War Firebase Z Easter egg quest release? After the new Season 1: Reloaded update, we're now free to explore the new Firebase Z Zombies map, but there remains some some secrets still to be discovered. It's a matter of hours until the quest unlocks, so here are a few things worth checking out while we wait.

There are plenty of zombies to keep us occupied, and there's a new Tombstone Soda Perk that lets us return as a shadow and revive ourselves. It's time to put your zombie-slaying skills to the test in a new arena. Ahead of tomorrow's update, I'm here to fill you in on all the Cold War Zombies Firebase Z Easter egg information we've found so far.

When does the Cold War Firebase Z Easter egg release?

While the Firebase Z map is already live and ready to play, the Easter egg quest is not yet active. The Firebase Z Easter egg will unlock on February 5 at 9AM PT / 12PM ET / 5PM GMT.

When the Die Maschine Cold War Zombies Easter egg launched, the community managed to crack the Easter egg in just three hours. The Season 1: Reloaded update dropped at an inconvenient time for some players on February 4, so it makes sense that Treyarch has chosen to delay the quest to ensure everyone can hop in and start the hunt at the same time.

Cold War Firebase Z Easter egg: What you can do right now

While we wait for the Easter egg to unlock, there are a few steps we can practice working through in the meantime. If you went looking for the Die Maschine Easter egg last year, you'll remember that there were lots of steps to follow. It appears as though Firebase Z could follow a similar structure. For now, let's go over how to turn on the power and use the Pack-A-Punch machine.

Turn on the power

After spawning in the Atrium, take out the zombies to earn points. It's best to hang around here for a few rounds to stock up, as it makes opening doors a little quicker once you're ready to move on.

Head to the Courtyard and unlock the first door for 1250 points. Walk through the doorway and go up the stairs on the left. Keep walking until you reach the Teleporter. This transports you to the Helipad area. Have a quick look around and you'll notice that there are three Aether Reactors, each marked by a star icon.

Charge three Aether Reactors

Walk over to the Motor Pool and part with 1250 points to open the blue door and head inside. The Aether Reactor is located on a metal grate, through a doorway that leads you outside again. Spend 500 points to activate the first Aether Reactor. You need to remain in this area and kill zombies close to the reactor to charge it. There are two Collection Units (one on either side of the Aether Reactor) that you also need to protect from the waves of zombies. Once the reactor is fully charged, both Collection Units will glow pink.

Repeat this process for the Aether Reactors located in Military Command and Data Center. Bear in mind that you need a bank of points to open the doors leading to each area, and charge the reactors.

Use the Pack-A-Punch machine 

Retrace your steps to the Teleporter in the Helipad and head back to where you started. Drop down into the Courtyard, then walk over to the Atrium to use the Pack-A-Punch machine.

Get the R.A.I. K-84 Wonder Weapon

The previous Zombies Easter egg required us to find and use a Wonder Weapon, so I imagine we'll be needing it for this one, too. Firebase Z introduces a new Wonder Weapon called the R.A.I. K-84. Just like the Cold War Ray Gun in Die Maschine, this can be found in Mystery Boxes. These boxes cost 950 points to open but the drops are random, so there's no guarantee you'll unbox one on your first try.

We're currently unable to craft the new Wonder Weapon, but we know how to retrieve its blueprints and a couple of its components ahead of the Easter egg launch. Here's everything we know about the RAI K-84 Wonder Weapon in Call of Duty: Cold War.

Cold War Tombstone Soda Perk: How to get it

The Tombstone Soda Perk allows you to revive yourself and later retrieve your items if you're downed on the Firebase Z map. You can buy the Tombstone Soda Perk for 2500 points at a dedicated machine next to the blue gate in the Helipad area. Remember, you need to use the Teleporter to visit this location.

Drink the soda while you're still alive and kicking, then if you're downed by a wave of zombies, you have the chance to create a Tombstone Shadow while you're bleeding out. This respawns you as a shadow with your guns so that you can run over to your body and revive yourself. You're on a strict time limit while in your shadow form, so try not to waste time and return to your body as quickly as possible.

These are the Tombstone Soda Perk upgrades:

• Tier 1: Regenerate health while in shadow form.
• Tier 2: Increase the bleeding out timer to 60 seconds (from 30 seconds).
• Tier 3 (Co-op): Leave a Tombstone when you die. Retrieve your weapons and items from it when you respawn.