Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010): Complete Guide

A guide to Treyarch's 2010 Cold War classic on PC: the campaign mission by mission (with Veteran tips and missable achievements), Zombies from Kino der Toten to Moon, Dead Ops Arcade and terminal secrets, and what multiplayer looks like in 2026.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC version (no recent PC updates). Note: PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 ports by Iron Galaxy Studios released July 9, 2026; they don't change the Steam version. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

• Campaign difficulty: Recruit, Regular, Hardened, Veteran. BLACK OP MASTER needs Hardened or Veteran; the Veteran mission achievements need Veteran specifically.
• Veteran is punishing because of grenade spam and infinite enemy respawns until you push past triggers. Move forward to stop spawns.
• Zombies is the long-term hook. Base game maps are Kino der Toten and Five; DLC adds Ascension, Call of the Dead, Shangri-La, Moon, plus remastered World at War maps.
• The main menu has secrets. Break free from the interrogation chair and use the computer terminal behind you for Dead Ops Arcade, a text adventure and more.
• Intel is hidden across campaign missions. Look for glowing briefcases/documents; Closer Analysis needs all of it.
• Multiplayer still exists on Steam dedicated servers, but populations are small and older CoD PC titles are cheat-prone. Many players use community clients instead.

Campaign

Missions in order

# | Mission | Setting / key achievement

1 | Operation 40 | Cuba, 1961. Death to Dictators (Castro headshot), Sacrifice

2 | Vorkuta | Gulag escape. Give me liberty, or give me death, Vehicular Slaughter

3 | U.S.D.D. | Pentagon. VIP (receive orders from Lancer)

4 | Executive Order | Baikonur. A safer place (sabotage the Soviet space program)

5 | S.O.G. | Khe Sanh. Looks don't count, Tough Economy (6 TOW missiles or fewer)

6 | The Defector | Hue City. SOG Rules, Raining Pain (20 NVA with air support)

7 | Numbers | Kowloon. Broken English, Double Trouble (dual wield only)

8 | Project Nova | WWII flashback. Some wounds never heal, Double Whammy

9 | Victor Charlie | Vietnam. Up close and personal (silently kill 3 VC)

10 | Crash Site | Laos river. Never get off the boat, Lord Nelson

11 | WMD | SR-71 and ground team. Pathfinder (keep your squad alive), Mr. Black OP (enter the relay station undetected)

12 | Payback | POW compound. Russian bar-b-q, With extreme prejudice

13 | Rebirth | Rebirth Island. No Leaks, I hate monkeys

14 | Revelations | Clarity (crack the code)

15 | Redemption | Final mission. Stand Down, Light Foot (Veteran timer)

Story in brief

You play mostly as Alex Mason, interrogated about his past. Missions are his memories: Operation 40, the Vorkuta escape with Viktor Reznov, and the hunt for Dragovich, Kravchenko and Steiner, the men behind the Nova 6 nerve gas. Hudson and Weaver handle CIA missions. The numbers broadcast is the key plot device.

Veteran tips

• Push forward. Enemies respawn until you cross invisible triggers.
• Use cover and grenade awareness. Grenade spam is the main killer.
• Pick up enemy weapons with good ammo pools.
• Veteran achievements are grouped: Cold Warrior (Operation 40, Vorkuta, Executive Order), Down and Dirty (SOG, The Defector), It's your funeral (Numbers, Project Nova, Victor Charlie), Not Today (Crash Site, WMD, Payback), Burn Notice (Rebirth, Redemption). You can do them mission by mission.
• Unconventional Warfare (30 kills with explosive crossbow bolts) and Frag Master (5 enemies with one frag) are easier on Recruit.

Missables worth noting

• The Dragon Within (10 NVA with Dragon's Breath rounds), Heavy Hand (Grim Reaper on an MG emplacement), Slingshot Kid (all slingshot targets in 3 attempts), Sally Likes Blood (3 enemies with one bullet), Russian bar-b-q (10 flamethrower kills in the POW compound).
• Intel is scattered; use a guide per mission if hunting.

Zombies

Basics

• Points: earned per hit and kill. Knife kills and headshots give more.
• Wall weapons can be bought from chalk outlines; Mystery Box gives random guns (including wonder weapons).
• Power switch: turn on the power to activate perks, traps and Pack-a-Punch.
• Perks: Juggernog (more health), Quick Revive, Speed Cola (faster reload), Double Tap Root Beer (fire rate); later maps add Stamin-Up, PhD Flopper, Deadshot Daiquiri, Mule Kick.
• Pack-a-Punch: upgrades weapons for big damage.
• Training: run zombies in a circle ("train") and shoot them in groups.

Maps

Map | Where | Notes

Kino der Toten | Base game | German theater; Thundergun wonder weapon; teleporter links Pack-a-Punch

Five | Base game | Pentagon with JFK, Nixon, Castro, McNamara; Winter's Howl; pentagon thief

Dead Ops Arcade | Base game (terminal) | Twin-stick arcade mode

Ascension | First Strike DLC | Soviet cosmodrome; Gersh Device, space monkeys, lunar landers

Call of the Dead | Escalation DLC | Celebrity crew, the Director boss, V-R11, Scavenger

Shangri-La | Annihilation DLC | Temple; 31-79 JGb215 shrink ray, Napalm and Shrieker zombies

Moon | Rezurrection DLC | Moon base; Hacker, excavators, low gravity; Richtofen's grand scheme

Remastered WaW maps | Rezurrection DLC | Nacht der Untoten, Verrückt, Shi No Numa, Der Riese

DLC packs on PC: First Strike (March 25, 2011; Ascension plus MP maps Berlin Wall, Discovery, Kowloon, Stadium), Escalation (June 2, 2011; Call of the Dead plus Zoo, Hotel, Convoy, Stockpile), Annihilation (July 28, 2011; Shangri-La plus Hangar 18, Hazard, Drive-In, Silo), Rezurrection (September 22, 2011; Moon plus the four remastered World at War maps).

Zombies achievements (selected)

Achievement | Requirement

The Collector | Buy every weapon off the walls in a single Zombies game

Hands Off the Merchandise | Kill the Pentagon thief (Five) before it can steal your load-out

Space Race | In Ascension, Pack-a-Punch a weapon by round 8

They are going THROUGH! | In Ascension, kill at least 5 zombies with 1 Gersh Device

Stand-in / Ensemble Cast | Send the crew to Paradise in Call of the Dead (solo or co-op / co-op)

Time Travel Will Tell | In Shangri-La, acquire the focusing stone

Cryogenic Slumber Party | In Moon, complete Richtofen's grand scheme

Perks in Spaaaaace! | In Moon, purchase every perk in one game

Ground Control | In Moon, prevent each excavator from breaching the base in one game

Main Menu Secrets

• At the main menu, look at the interrogation chair and press the prompted button repeatedly to break free.
• Walk to the computer terminal behind you and use it.
• Useful commands:
• DOA launches Dead Ops Arcade (the "Insert Coin" achievement)
• ZORK launches the Zork text adventure (the Eaten by a Grue achievement)
• 3ARC UNLOCK unlocks all campaign missions
• HELP lists commands; DIR and CAT read files for lore

Multiplayer in 2026

• Dedicated servers exist on PC (the official ones are rented through the licensed host GameServers, and the PC version shipped with mod tools and the developer console). Populations are small; filter by ping and players.
• Create-a-Class with COD Points, Wager Matches (One in the Chamber, Gun Game, Sticks and Stones, Sharpshooter), and Contracts are all in the game.
• Combat Training lets you play multiplayer maps against bots, solo or co-op. Great for practice or offline play.
• Community clients (such as Plutonium) exist for Black Ops and add modern anti-cheat and server browsers. They're unofficial; use at your own discretion.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Standing still on Veteran. Push to stop respawns.
• Ignoring the terminal. You'll miss Dead Ops Arcade and fun extras.
• Spending all Zombies points on the box. Buy Juggernog and reliable wall weapons first.
• Forgetting the power switch in Zombies.
• Not reading map-specific mechanics. Each DLC map has unique traps and wonder weapons.

Advanced Tips

• Training zombies around open areas is key to high rounds.
• Pack-a-Punch early in Ascension for the Space Race achievement.
• Use Combat Training to practice weapons without toxic lobbies.
• Veteran Redemption: plan your ship escape; Light Foot requires 2:15 left on the timer.
• PC config: the game supports widescreen and higher FPS; fine-tune in the config files if needed.

FAQ

Is Black Ops multiplayer still playable on PC? Yes, via dedicated servers, but populations are small. Combat Training and community clients are alternatives.

Which Zombies map is best for beginners? Kino der Toten. It's straightforward, with a good Pack-a-Punch loop.

How do I play Dead Ops Arcade? Break free from the chair in the main menu, use the terminal, type DOA.

Do I need DLC for Zombies? Base game includes Kino der Toten, Five and Dead Ops Arcade. DLC adds Ascension, Call of the Dead, Shangri-La, Moon and remastered WaW maps.

What difficulty for the campaign? Regular for story; Hardened or Veteran for BLACK OP MASTER.

Is there a remaster? There are PS4/PS5 ports (July 9, 2026) but no PC remaster. The Steam version is the original.

Sources

• Wikipedia — Call of Duty: Black Ops
• Steam — Call of Duty: Black Ops achievements
• Steam store — Call of Duty: Black Ops
• Plutonium (community client)