Black Ops 7 Zombies: Kowakujō — full main quest Easter egg walkthrough

Kowakujō is a feudal Japanese castle ringed by active volcanoes, and its main quest is a 13-step, roughly 60 to 100 minute investigation into the murder of Takeo's father, the Shogun — ending against the dragon Nyxara. It's one of the hardest quests in Black Ops 7.

Phase 1: Pack-a-Punch

1. Open up the map and find the Wards, flags you interact with and stay near until they're captured.
2. Inside, kill the marked zombies near the World Seed to power it up. Pack-a-Punch then spawns in the Sanctum.

Phase 2: The Maneki-Neko and the Nekomancer

1. Rescue the cat from the hanging cage at the Tenshu Entrance, opposite Mule Kick (flop underneath it with PhD Flopper to reach it). Then kill zombies in the area until cat paw prints appear near the stairs — use Death Perception to see them — and repeat until an Abomination spawns.
2. Get the Nekomancer, the cat-themed Wonder Weapon. It's free to obtain and required for the quest.

Phase 3: The eleven lanterns

1. Use the Nekomancer to light 11 lanterns scattered around the map, in one continuous run. Missing a shot or taking too long fails the puzzle, and you have to wait for the next round to retry. Many players start at the Training Area because of its long-range shot.
2. If all remain lit after the final one, a ghost spawns in the castle's War Room and the quest continues.

Phase 4: The murder mystery

1. Build up the evidence wall in the meditation room by collecting clues: play Simon Says with the Fox Mask evidence, grow the Monkshood flower evidence, and grab the Coin Purse, Gardener, Merchant and Noble evidence.
2. Get the Pestle from the scrolls and the Puffer Fish evidence, then protect the Sake Cup to earn more evidence.
3. Solve the murder mystery. Along the way you'll face the Oni and the Onryo; a Pack-a-Punched Nekomancer handles the mid-boss.

Phase 5: Nyxara

1. Confirm the fast travel to the boss fight, which takes place in a separate arena.
2. Phase one: capture the central circle to gain temporary invulnerability. The dragon sends volcanic fire across one strip of the arena, and its crit spots are its eyes. Onis drop flags — carry each to the capture zone to refresh your protection.
3. Phase two: a second capture zone opens and Nyxara gains more weak points across its body.
4. Final phase: a third zone opens and Nyxara gains a fireball attack that can down you instantly. Ranged weapons are recommended, since it stays far away. Empty its health bar to finish. Rewards: the map's exclusive Operator skin and a calling card.