Astra Malorum from Black Ops 7 just set

There are spoilers ahead of the Astra Malorum main quest.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 it's only a few weeks old, but it's already received its first full post-launch map. In addition to the Diner Survival map (and the mid-season spaceport), players can battle the undead on a skull-shaped asteroid with a breathable atmosphere. And while this gorgeous map is on the smaller side, especially compared to the gigantic Ashed of the Damned, Astra Malorum hides an epic secret within its main quest. Much like players traveled between Earth and space BO1 Zombies map the moon, in a new experience they can leave Astra Malorum and visit part of Mars.

That's hardly the only interesting quest-related content on the map, as there's a side easter egg where players can trigger special music. However, this is separate from the main Easter egg hidden song, as players will not hear the new Avenged Sevenfold track after completing the turntable quest. Instead, when they find records on the map and put them into an old music player, they hear a theme composed for Black Ops 4Alpha Omega map. This adds weight to the idea that this map will be a remake next season Black Ops 7but given that he was renowned Cod insider @TheGhostOfHope who revealed the return of Alpha Omega, players were already convinced that this remake was coming. As such, it is more interesting to theorize about the location of Mars from Astra, as it would be the perfect arena for survival.

Whenever Alpha Omega returns Black Ops 7players will also apparently gain access to the classic Nuketown Zombies map as a survival experience, potentially as seasonal content for this particular drop.

The Astra Malorum region of Mars could be something more

How To Solve The Mars Pillars Puzzle In Astra Malorum (All Symbols) - Black Ops 7

While it's certainly true that the Mars segment of the Astra Malorum main quest could remain exclusive to the Easter Egg alone, it would feel like a missed opportunity not to make it a stand-alone experience. Treyarch will run out of Ashes Survival maps sooner rather than later, as the game will only be missing the Blackwater, Ashwood, and Janus Towers maps once Season 1 is complete. Even if Treyarch moves to one survival map per season in the future, they'll still have several seasons worth of locations available, so adding Mars seems like a no-brainer.

The trip to Mars during the Astra Malorum main quest brought a stunning surprise that thrilled Cod Zombie fan base, so the location will naturally have some extra meaning for many fans of the mode. In addition, the Mars arena is perfect for a survival map. Yes, it's small, but it was Black Ops 2Bus depot area. There's enough room for a Wunderfizz and Pack-a-Punch machine, as well as room for a few players to train undead (or find a camping spot), and small maps like Nacht Der Untoten or even Groesten Haus from WW2 they have a certain charm to them. Add to that the fact that Treyarch took the time to create special models for the zombies in the Mars area, as well as the Shangri-La-like temples, and it would be a shame to see Mars reduced to a quest that casual players will never experience.

If two survival maps in one season are going to be the norm, the Mars map could not come until the back half of the third season.

Comeback Alpha Omega will live or die by one thing

As for the second coming of Alpha Omega, which has now been officially teased by Treyarch, it's impossible to ignore the community's initial reaction to it coming back. Almost immediately, the community collectively asked the question “why” when Treyarch decided to bring back the divisive BO4 map through popular classics like Shadows of Evil, IX and Der Eisendrache. Perhaps there will be a narrative reason to return to the Broken Arrow facility, though given how Alpha Omega has gained flavor, the community's concerns are understandable. However, perhaps there is more to this special inclusion than meets the eye.

While a straightforward remaster would really be a no-brainer, perhaps Treyarch will instead create a successor to Alpha Omega, as opposed to a simple copy. Much like Ashes of the Damned builds on TranZit and reuses ideas from that cult classic to create a really good map, a brand new map borrowing some elements from Alpha Omega could turn out to be more fun than the original. Maybe only Rushmore and Avogadro will bring it back with a brand new underground facility or a redesigned terrain level that changed the buildings and map boundaries. If Treyarch uses Dark Aether to completely remake Alpha Omega, both mechanically and aesthetically, it would be a much easier sell. Still, as some players tire of all versions of Nuketown, hopefully more original locations will continue to be added – like the potential Mars Survival map.