Dark Ops challenges in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 sit in that familiar Black Ops space between bragging rights and outright punishment. They’re not listed in the in-game menus, they often demand very specific conditions, and they unlock some of the rarest Calling Cards in the game.
Black Ops 7 splits Dark Ops across three pillars: the co-op campaign, traditional multiplayer, and Zombies. On top of that, a couple of beta-only objectives are already unobtainable, which is going to sting for completionists coming in late.
How Dark Ops challenges work in Black Ops 7
Dark Ops challenges are hidden objectives that unlock unique Calling Cards when you hit their requirements. They don’t appear in the normal challenge lists until you’ve completed them.
- You trigger them by playing as normal — there’s no way to track progress in advance.
- When you complete one, a notification pops up mid-match with the challenge name and its Calling Card art.
- After the match, you can inspect and equip them under the Career → Customization → Calling Cards → Dark Ops menu.
That secrecy means the only realistic way to chase them is to know the conditions up front. The tables below group every known Dark Ops challenge by mode and spell out exactly what you need to do.
Co‑op campaign Dark Ops challenges
The campaign’s Dark Ops challenges live inside the co-op structure, including the Endgame mode. They lean heavily on survival and power accumulation rather than obscure tricks.
| Challenge | Mode / Mission | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Undaunted | Mission: Suppression | Survive the full horde of Fears during the Suppression mission. |
| Overpowered | Endgame (co‑op) | Earn a total of 1,000,000 Power across a single Endgame run. |
| Pest Control | Endgame (co‑op) | Defeat the Endgame final boss. |
All three demand coordination and staying power more than precision. Undaunted is about holding your nerve through a dense onslaught, while Overpowered and Pest Control naturally fall out of successful Endgame clears if your team stays alive long enough.
Multiplayer Dark Ops challenges
In multiplayer, Dark Ops sits on top of the existing medal system and objective modes. A few of these are straightforward if you play a lot of objective playlists; others require high-skill streaks.
| Challenge | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Best of the First (beta‑only) |
Get 1,000 eliminations in multiplayer during the Black Ops 7 beta. | Now expired and no longer unlockable. |
| Trip Cap | Control all three objectives in Domination for three minutes straight. | Requires your team to hold A, B, and C simultaneously for a full three minutes. |
| Gift Horse | Kill an enemy with a Scorestreak that you stole from their Care Package. | Capture an enemy Care Package and score at least one kill with the streak you receive. |
| Reverse Card | Kill an enemy using the explosion caused by shooting their Equipment or Field Upgrade. | Blow up an enemy’s deployable by shooting it while they’re close enough to die in the blast. |
| Frenzy Killer | Earn a Frenzy Kill medal (5 rapid kills without dying). | All five eliminations must be within the game’s “rapid” timing window. |
| Mega Killer | Earn a Mega Kill medal (6 rapid kills without dying). | Extends the same rapid-kill window to six victims. |
| Ultra Killer | Earn an Ultra Kill medal (7 rapid kills without dying). | One of the hardest kill-chain medals in regular lobbies. |
| Chain Killer | Earn a Chain Kill medal (more than 7 rapid kills). | Pushes past Ultra Killer into extended multi-kill territory. |
| Relentless Killer | Earn a Relentless medal (20 kills without dying). | Long, consistent streak in a single life. |
| Brutal Killer | Earn a Brutal medal (25 kills without dying). | Requires even stricter play than Relentless. |
| Nuclear Killer | Earn a Nuclear medal (30 kills without dying). | The classic 30‑kill nuke streak, with no deaths. |
| Castled | Get 10 kills without leaving a single objective zone. | Stay inside one capture point for all 10 eliminations. |
For most players, Trip Cap and Reverse Card are the most accessible. Trip Cap comes naturally in focused objective stacks, while Reverse Card rewards awareness and good timing around enemy Deployable Cover, Trophy Systems, and other utilities. Nuclear Killer, Chain Killer, and the high-streak medals will sit at the top of the skill curve for a long time.
Zombies Dark Ops challenges
Zombies is where Black Ops 7 pushes the Dark Ops concept the hardest. Some challenges target specific maps or Easter eggs, some lean into endurance runs, and others expect detailed knowledge of the mode’s systems.
| Challenge | Requirement | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Tip of the Spear (beta‑only) |
Reach Round 50 in a single Survival match during the Zombies beta. | No longer obtainable; rewards are locked to beta players. |
| Harbinger of Doom | Get 100 kills with a single Scorestreak. | Trigger a high‑impact streak and farm a large horde before it expires. |
| Invincible | Survive to Round 50 without going down. | You can take damage, but any downed state voids the challenge. |
| Box Addict | Buy 30 weapons from the Mystery Box in one match. | Duplicates count; each pull adds to the total. |
| Countdown | Kill an elite zombie by launching it with a jump pad. | On Ashes of the Damned, weaken the bear‑type elite, then finish it using a jump pad launch. |
| New Main / New Man | Kill 1,000 zombies with each of the eight dedicated crew Operators. | Requires rotating Operators and farming kills with every member of the crew. |
| Armed to the Teeth | Hold 3 Pack‑a‑Punch Level III, Legendary‑rarity weapons with ammo mods and have 8 perks active. | Demands maxed weapons, full perks, and careful resource management. |
| Social Distancing | Reach Round 20 without taking any damage. | Any hit from zombies or other sources resets the attempt. |
| Lucidity | Complete the Tank Dempsey side quest on Ashes of the Damned. | Tied to a specific Easter egg path for that map. |
| Zombies Dark Ops Master | Complete 15 Zombies Dark Ops challenges. | Meta‑challenge that unlocks after finishing most of the Zombies Dark Ops list. |
On top of these, players have also flagged an additional Round 100 Dark Ops Calling Card for Zombies. The requirement is simple to describe — reach Round 100 — but sits at the extreme edge of endurance runs.
Endurance and beta‑exclusive Dark Ops challenges
Two of the Dark Ops challenges are already locked behind the Black Ops 7 beta window:
- Best of the First (multiplayer) for 1,000 eliminations during the beta period.
- Tip of the Spear (Zombies) for hitting Round 50 in a single Survival match during the beta.
If those weren’t unlocked before the beta ended, the Calling Cards tied to them are now unobtainable. The rest of the list remains active in the full release, including the campaign, live multiplayer, and current Zombies content.
Where to view and equip Dark Ops Calling Cards
Once a Dark Ops challenge triggers, the Calling Card it unlocks is permanent on your profile and can be used like any other cosmetic Calling Card.
- From the main menu, go to Career, then open Customization.
- Navigate to the Calling Cards section and switch to the Dark Ops tab.
- Select any unlocked Dark Ops card to set it as your active Calling Card or add it to your Calling Card showcase.
You can also reach the same menu path from the pre‑match lobby by jumping directly into the Challenges section, then drilling down into Dark Ops once the match summary or profile screen opens.
Black Ops 7’s Dark Ops lineup leans heavily into what the series already does well: ultra‑long streaks in multiplayer, marathon Zombies sessions, and dense co‑op encounters. For some players, they’ll unlock accidentally in the background. For everyone else, they’re long‑term milestones — the kind you build a loadout, a squad, and an evening around.
