CoD Black Ops 6 Reckoning Guide

Reckoning is the final Zombies map in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, wrapping up the storyline that began in Terminus and continued through The Tomb. This time, you’ll explore Project Janus — a sprawling, vertical facility full of experimental tech, dark Aether corruption, and hidden labs. From building Franken Klaus to unlocking the devastating Gorgofex Wonder Weapon, Reckoning delivers one of the most involved Easter Eggs in the entire series.

This CoD Black Ops 6 Reckoning guide will take you step by step through the entire quest — from your first spawn all the way to the final boss battle against either Samantha or Richtofen. You’ll unlock key areas, craft your Wonder Weapon, solve dynamic puzzles, and complete several layered objective chains. Let’s break it all down.

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Read our other Black Ops 6 guides:

• Citadelle des Morts Guide
• The Tomb Guide
• Terminus Main Quest Guide
• Liberty Falls Main Quest Guide
• Zombies Best Weapons Tier List
• How to Level Up Fast

 

 

How to Start the Reckoning Easter Egg

To begin the BO6 Zombies Reckoning main quest, you’ll need to activate Pack-a-Punch and unlock access to the facility’s core zones. This opening sequence is guided by in-game prompts, but once Pack-a-Punch is online, all objectives become hidden. Everything from this point on must be discovered manually. Below is the step-by-step breakdown of the required setup process.

Find Richtofen’s Office and Open the Facility

At the very start, before progressing, locate the mop bucket in the spawn area. Melee it until it slides beneath the overhead sprinkler. This setup is used much later in the Easter egg, but it must be done now to allow time for the sprinkler to fill the bucket. Once that’s done, begin earning points by clearing early rounds. You’ll have two initial path choices:

• Right path: Leads to the Mutant Research Wing
• Left path: Leads to Quantum Computing

Either one is valid, but for consistency, we’ll follow the Quantum Computing route:

1. Open the door to Quantum Computing (1,750 Essence).
2. Enter the T1 Quantum Computing Core and keep moving forward.
3. Unlock the next door (2,000 Essence) to access the T1 Quantum Computing Lab.
4. Use the Anti-Grav Personnel Launcher to reach the next tower.

You’ll now arrive in T2 Android Assembly. Head toward the Entity Containment door and open it (2,250 Essence), then take the nearby Aether Elevator.

1. This elevator sends you to the T2 Dark Entity Containment area.
2. Use the next Anti-Grav Launcher to return to T1, landing at the T1 Executive Suite.
3. Unlock Richtofen’s Office (2,500 Essence) and interact with the snow globe on his desk.

This opens the red teleporter, granting access to Sublevel 10.

Activate Pack-a-Punch

Enter the red teleporter to reach T2 Sublevel 10. Go up the stairs to the Particle Accelerator Control Room and interact with the console to power the system. After activation, 12 Aetherium Crystals will appear on coolant pipes.

Shoot all 12 crystals to relieve reactor pressure.

This will reduce gravity in the room, allowing you to float toward the floating Pack-a-Punch machine and interact with it. You can now upgrade weapons and continue the BO6 Reckoning Easter egg quest from here.

Build Franken Klaus

Now, the real Black Ops 6 Reckoning walkthrough fun begins. Franken Klaus is essential for progressing through the Reckoning Easter Egg. This upgraded version of Klaus requires you to collect four body parts and perform a lightning activation sequence using Mecha Klaus. Once built, Franken Klaus will assist with hacking systems and advancing major objectives tied to the teleportation lab.

Collect Klaus’s Legs

Both legs are found in T2 Android Assembly, but their exact spawn points rotate between games. Search this room thoroughly — legs appear as large, white mechanical limbs resting in different spots. Common spawn locations include:

• On a shelf
• Leaning against a wall
• Near a shattered mirror
• Inside a scrap pile

You’ll need both legs before you can proceed. BLOG20

Collect Klaus’s Arms

Unlike the legs, Klaus’s arms are dropped by Kommando Klaus enemies during bonus rounds. These enemies spawn around Rounds 5–6 and again around Rounds 10–12.

1. Shoot the shoulder joints of a Kommando Klaus to sever the arms.
2. Pick up the dropped limb (only one arm can be obtained per bonus round).
3. Repeat during the next bonus round to acquire both arms.

Please refer to the screenshots in this BO6 Zombies final map guide if you’re feeling lost and can’t find the parts.

Assemble Franken Klaus

Once all four limbs are collected, return to T2 Android Assembly and find Klaus’s suspended body hanging from the ceiling.

1. Interact with the body to attach the arms and legs.
2. Klaus is now assembled but not yet activated.

But that's not the end of it just yet.

Power Up Franken Klaus

Wait until a Mecha Klaus spawns in a later round. Lead it back to the Android Assembly room, near the hanging body.

1. Bait Mecha Klaus into using its electric ranged attack.
2. Make sure the attack hits the inactive Klaus body.
3. If successful, Franken Klaus will come to life and begin moving toward a nearby computer terminal to initiate his first hack.

Now you’re ready to begin the next step of the quest — following Franken Klaus through his trials and activating the SAM system.

Unlock the Teleportation Lab and Solve the Folder Code Puzzle

With Franken Klaus powered on, he begins a sequence of hacks across the facility. To access the next key area — the Teleportation Lab — you must complete his tasks and crack a randomized four-digit code tied to personal items left behind by Maxis also known as the BO6 Reckoning folder code puzzle.

Follow Franken Klaus’s Hacking Sequence

After activation, Franken Klaus will:

1. Interact with a terminal in T2 Android Assembly.
2. Move to a SAM Trial terminal — this is a simple challenge that requires getting a set number of kills within a marked area.
3. Proceed to the T2 Teleportation Lab, where he begins a final system access.

Once he's at the teleportation lab terminal, it's time to retrieve the access code.

Collect Four Maxis Items

Inside T1 Executive Suite and T1 Director’s Office, locate four Maxis-related items, each tied to a folder with a unique archived date and a number.

Common items include:

1. Katana (desk)
2. Wristwatch (table)
3. Combat Goggles (near lamp)
4. BND Badge (coffee table or desk)
5. Notso’s Collar (office desk)
6. Scarf (bookshelf or chair)

You only need four per match. Each item has a visible number (e.g., 6) and an archive date (e.g., 10/07/2022). Use the first digit of the date to determine order, then string together the item numbers.

Solve the Code and Unlock the Lab

Once you have your four-digit code:

• Go to the T2 Teleportation Lab terminal.
• Enter the digits in chronological order based on the first number in each item's archive date.
• Example: if your items are 4 (date: 9/12), 6 (date: 10/11), 2 (date: 12/02), 5 (date: 8/23), then the final code is 5246.

Entering the correct code unlocks the adjacent door, progressing the main quest and opening up access to the next critical sequence.

Retrieve the Brain and Power the SAM System

With the Teleportation Lab unlocked, you’ll now retrieve a vital quest item — the purple brain — and power the SAM system to continue the Easter egg and do the BO6 Reckoning teleporter puzzle. This section sets the stage for later boss fight access and Wonder Weapon creation.

Collect the Brain from the Quantum Core

Head to the T1 Quantum Computing Core and locate a metal container near the SAM terminal.

• Melee the container to break it open. This may require the Melee Macchiato perk — while some players have opened it without the perk, grabbing it guarantees success.
• Inside, you’ll find a glowing purple brain.
• Pick it up and prepare to move fast — carrying the brain disables your weapons.

Deliver the Brain to Klaus

Return to the T2 Teleportation Lab where Franken Klaus is active.

• Interact with the terminal next to Klaus to insert the brain.
• This powers up the SAM system, allowing you to progress toward the Wonder Weapon and mutation experiments.

At this point, the next phase of the Easter egg becomes available, involving elemental puzzles, zombie samples, and another mutant boss interaction.

 

Create the Gorgofex Wonder Weapon

The next part of the Reckoning Easter Egg involves a multi-step mutation sequence. This process includes solving a puzzle, collecting zombie energy, and defeating a powerful enemy. Completing it grants the Gorgofex, a key Wonder Weapon for the rest of the quest.

Decode the Chemical Element

Begin in the Mutant Research Lab and Mutant Research Test Area, where two static-filled monitors display random words each round.

1. Visit both monitors and note the first capital letter of each word.
2. Combine these two letters to form a chemical element symbol (e.g., "C" and "U" = Copper).
3. Cross-reference the symbol with the periodic table on the wall in the Test Area.
4. Grab the atomic number from the top-left of the element’s box and add a zero in front to make it a 3-digit code (e.g., Copper = 29 → 029).

Now, go upstairs in the same room and enter the code into the keypad. This unlocks the Bioweapons Lab, where the mutation begins.

Charge the Cyst with Zombie Essence

Inside the Bioweapons Lab, you’ll see green goo contained in a tank.

• Train a group of zombies and weaken them with a low-damage weapon.
• Lure them near the tank. The machine will absorb roughly 10 zombies.
• Once done, interact with the tank to collect the filled cyst.

Now, onto the next cyst-related step. BLOG20

Energize the Cyst with Spores

Take the filled cyst to the Quantum Labs (back in T1) and find the yellow-glowing mushrooms on the walls.

• Stand near a glowing mushroom to absorb energy into the cyst.
• Repeat this with three mushrooms total.

Once fully energized, the cyst will be ready for transfer.

Transfer the Mutant Energy and Summon the Forsaken

Move to the Dark Entity Containment Room and activate four surge panels by interacting with them.

1. This powers up a pressure plate and spawns Uber Klaus.
2. Weaken Uber Klaus by destroying his shoulder pads, but do not kill him.
3. Lure him onto the electrified pressure plate with low health.
4. A white screen flash will occur, transforming him into the Forsaken.

Defeat both forms of the Forsaken. Once he’s down, you’ll be able to place the cyst into the glowing orb at the center of the room. This will forge the Black Ops 6 Gorgofex Wonder Weapon, now essential for future steps.

Cleanse the Zombie Head and Capture Aether Shards

With the Gorgofex Wonder Weapon in hand, you’ll now trigger several new mechanics. This phase includes collecting a severed zombie head, cleansing it, and using special devices to capture floating Aether shards around the map.

Retrieve the Zombie Head

Return to the T1 Quantum Computing Core.

• Use the Gorgofex’s charged shot to fire into a gap in the ceiling above the main area.
• This will knock loose a severed zombie head, which drops to the floor. Pick it up.

Cleanse the Head in the Mop Bucket

If you followed the early setup step at spawn, you should have already melee’d a mop bucket into position beneath a sprinkler.

• Go back to the spawn area.
• If the bucket is full of water, place the zombie head inside it.
• Wait a moment, then pick the cleansed head back up.

The head now becomes a soul box.

Charge the Soul Box

Stay near the head and kill zombies in its radius. After enough kills, the head will become fully charged.

Then, bring it to the T2 Teleportation Lab and place it next to the teleporter. This sets up the final stage of prep before entering the lockdown phase.

Find the Gers Devices and Capture Aether Shards

Now, explore Tower 1, particularly the floors near the Executive Suite, and look for any of five boxes that contain secret Gers Devices.

1. Pick up a Gers Device.
2. Look for floating purple Aether shards hovering throughout the tower.
3. Throw the Gers at them to “capture” the shards — it works like a Poké Ball.
4. Do this for four shards total, retrieving the Gers each time.

Once all four shards are captured, return to the Teleportation Lab and insert the devices into the machine near the teleporter.

Final Lockdown and How to Choose Your Boss Fight

This final pre-fight phase initiates a lockdown event and lets you decide which final boss you want to face—Samantha or Richtofen. The choice you make here directly affects the boss mechanics and difficulty of the final encounter.

Begin the Lockdown Sequence

With the Aether shards delivered, interact with the machine beside the teleporter in the T2 Teleportation Lab to trigger the lockdown.

1. Once activated, the room will seal, and five switches will begin turning red.
2. Monitor each switch closely. As each one lights up red, interact to flip it to green.
3. Continue flipping all five switches until they stay green. This ends the lockdown sequence.

After a short moment, the teleporter becomes active again, now functioning as the gateway to the final battle.

Pick Your Final Boss

Before stepping through the teleporter, the game will prompt you to choose between two paths:

• Choose Samantha: This leads to a more straightforward fight.
• Choose Richtofen: This is considered the harder fight with tougher mechanics.

The character you don’t pick will be the one you fight in the final phase. For example, picking Samantha means you’ll face Richtofen, and vice versa.

If you want a more manageable experience—especially solo—pick Samantha. If you're looking for a challenge, go with Richtofen.

Once you’ve made your choice, interact with the teleporter and step into the final boss arena.

Boss Fight – How to Beat Samantha or Richtofen

The BO6 Zombies Reckoning boss fight features one of two possible enemies based on your earlier choice: either Samantha Maxis or Edward Richtofen. Each fight takes place across multiple phases and layers of vertical movement, with unique mechanics tied to each boss. You’ll first complete a setup phase before entering the true boss arena.

Elevator Phase – Ether Canisters and Crystals

As soon as the fight begins, you’ll spawn on a multi-floor elevator platform.

• Activate the Ether Canisters
  • Interact with each of the three canisters on the platform.
  • Get kills nearby to charge them, similar to soul boxes.
  • Once fully charged, the elevator will begin to rise.
• Shoot the Glowing Crystals
  • On the next floor, floating red Aether crystals will spawn.
  • Destroy all visible crystals. Use charged Wonder Weapon shots or ARs with Dead Wire to speed this up.

When all crystals are destroyed, the elevator ascends again—this time to the final arena where your selected boss awaits.

Boss Choice Mechanics

Once you reach the top, the boss fight plays out based on who you chose earlier:

Fighting Samantha

Samantha appears as a massive floating orb surrounded by Aether energy.

• Damage Window: She becomes vulnerable when:
• Firing a major AOE attack
• Opening her red orb clusters
• Focus all DPS during these brief windows.
• Use ranged weapons, like a Pack-a-Punched assault rifle or LMG, to hit her even while airborne.
• Avoid her telegraphed shockwaves and orbs that track players.

Samantha’s fight is considered the easier of the two. Players can survive her phases with careful positioning and burst damage during windows.

Fighting Richtofen

• Richtofen appears in human form but uses powerful relic-based attacks.
• He teleports constantly, making him hard to track.
• Can summon projectiles and energy zones that slow movement.
• Will periodically summon waves of elite zombies to pressure the team. BLOG20
• DPS windows occur when he pauses to charge or emote.

This fight is more mechanically intense and punishes poor movement or low DPS uptime. Bring Casimir Grenades and Ether Shroud to reposition or interrupt combos.

Tips for Surviving the Final Fight

1. Triple Pack-a-Punch your primary before entering.
2. Use Idol Eyes to distract zombies and clear breathing room.
3. Equip Dead Wire or Lightning ammo mods for faster boss and add clear.
4. Prioritize staying alive during invulnerable boss phases—DPS only during openings.

Once you bring the boss to zero HP, the screen will flash white and trigger the final cutscene, completing the Reckoning Easter Egg and the BO6 Zombies storyline.

Conclusion

Reckoning is the most complex and ambitious Zombies map in Black Ops 6, tying together years of storylines and systems into one grand finale. From anti-gravity launchers to Vermin-charged cysts, this Easter Egg leans heavily on map traversal, puzzle-solving, and multi-phase progression. The inclusion of buildable NPCs like Klouse and Franken Klaus, randomized chemical codes, and soul-bound zombie heads showcases just how far BO6 has evolved the core Zombies formula.

While the steps may seem overwhelming at first, each one follows a logical flow once Pack-a-Punch is unlocked. Following this walkthrough carefully ensures you won’t miss any critical triggers—from charging the cyst with yellow spores to choosing your final boss fight. And as always, preparation is key: fully upgraded weapons, the right Field Upgrades, and an understanding of each arena’s layout will give you the edge you need.

Now that you’ve completed Reckoning, you’ve also completed the entire Black Ops 6 Zombies saga. Enjoy the closing cinematic—you’ve earned it.

F.A.Q.