Nearly ten years after its release, one of the most elusive Easter eggs in Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Zombies has finally been cracked. This Easter egg, hidden on the Gorod Krovi map, is part of a series of ultra-difficult ciphers that have puzzled the community for years. This breakthrough is a monumental achievement for the Black Ops 3 Zombies community, revealing an important part of the game's lore that was previously hidden in plain sight.
Back in 2016, when the Revelations map was released, Black Ops 3 Zombies director Jason Blundell hinted at Easter eggs so complex that he doubted anyone would be able to solve them. He specifically mentioned that the ciphers on Gorod Krovi and Revelations were particularly tough. Over the years, all but one cipher had been solved, until recently when the final one was unlocked, shedding new light on the game's storyline. Want to buy a cheap CoD BO7 Bot Lobby? It's the perfect solution for players who want to practice and get better at the game.
The cipher in question was located in Gorod Krovi, one of the most iconic maps in Black Ops 3 Zombies. Thanks to the combined efforts of several legendary players, including Jesse’s Ocean, WX Audio, and Code Warrior Zero, the cipher was decoded using a Vigenère cipher with a custom alphabet key. The solution revealed a chilling message: “We have won the great battle and now we must be on our way. I fear he will come after us after me for what I did.”
This cryptic message immediately sparked speculation, especially considering its timing and context. The message seems to be coming from Dr. Edward Richtofen, one of the central characters in the Black Ops Zombies storyline. The "great battle" could refer to the battle against the apothecary forces, or perhaps the collection of the souls of the characters themselves. The phrase "I fear he will come after us after me for what I did" hints at Richtofen's fear of Dr. Monty, suggesting that Richtofen's actions, such as securing blood vials, could have consequences when Monty learns of them.
Interestingly, if this cipher had been solved during the Black Ops 3 community's active year, it would have likely sent fans into overdrive, with endless theories and speculations regarding the meaning of the message. However, it wasn't until much later, after the release of Revelations, that players fully understood the context surrounding these blood vials and how they played a role in the cycle that was to come.
Further adding to the complexity, some have theorized that this newly cracked cipher might be related to another message found in Revelations, spoken by the character Dempsey. In that cipher, Dempsey says, "I’m the last of us, but I’ll be joining you soon, my friends. Cough, cough. Death is near. I hope what we have done doesn’t come back to bite this universe in the ass." Some fans believe that the cryptic messages from both ciphers could be connected, hinting at an alternate timeline or lost storyline within the Black Ops 3 narrative.
Despite the years that passed before this cipher was solved, the process of cracking it was incredibly difficult. According to Reddit user Big Combination 7701, the cipher was deceptively tough due to its reliance on web tools that were available in 2016 and 2017. The team of codebreakers had to use a process called "cribbing" to make educated guesses about likely words and phrases. WX Audio created a tool that assisted in deciphering the message, but it still took months to correctly guess the hidden text.
Now that this cipher has been cracked, the Black Ops 3 Zombies community is looking forward to the remaining unsolved ciphers, particularly those hidden in Revelations and The Giant. The recent success has renewed excitement among the community, offering hope that other complex mysteries will eventually be unraveled.
This achievement serves as a testament to the dedication and passion of the Black Ops 3 Zombies community, who have spent years painstakingly analyzing the game’s lore and ciphers. The fact that players are still dedicated to cracking these codes a decade later highlights the depth of engagement that Call of Duty fans have with the franchise's intricate and evolving storylines.
As more ciphers are solved, they continue to add new layers to the already rich narrative, making the Black Ops Zombies storyline one of the most complex and intriguing in gaming history. While many of the answers have been revealed, there are still plenty of mysteries waiting to be solved. The fact that the community continues to push forward and uncover these secrets shows the lasting impact of Black Ops 3 and its hidden Easter eggs on the gaming world.