Modern Warfare Zombies (MWZ) Unstable Rift guide: How to unlock, locations, and all easter eggs

While we will have to wait for Black Ops 6 to deliver the classic round-based zombies mode, Modern Warfare Zombies might have something for you in the meantime. Here is how to unlock the Unstable Rift, where it is located, all easter eggs, and rewards in Modern Warfare Zombies.

How to unlock Unstable Rifts in Modern Warfare Zombies

Every single step involving the new Unstable Rifts in the game is chaotic and, according to many, not very well-designed at all. You see, unlocking Unstable Rifts is a game of skill, but mostly of luck and good positioning. While traversing through T1, T2, and T3 areas, you will spot several new Obelisks that will have a specific ammo mod inscribed in them.

To activate them, you will need to equip said ammo mod – e.g. Brain Rot, Cryo Freeze, Dead Wire, Napalm Burst, etc. – and interact with it. A horde of zombies will now appear which you will have to defeat by using the weapon with the matching ammo mod equipped. Otherwise, the Obelisk will reset, forcing you to repeat this all over again, so you might want to avoid Randoms and stick with a party.

Clearing an Obelisk will grant you a reward rift with several ammo mods in it. You will need to clear a total of three different Obelisks to open up the Unstable Rift. That said, the Obelisk count and the Unstable Rift accessibility apply to every player currently on the map. That means that, if you want, you can just wait for the Unstable Rift to open and interact with it to travel to the new area.

All Obelisk and Unstable Rift locations in Modern Warfare Zombies

The second part of our journey also applies to both the Obelisk and Unstable Rift locations. From what has been reported so far, the Obelisks spawn randomly across all threat zones. They appear to be near the Dark Aether Rifts across the map, so you might want to start there on tiles E4, G4, and F6. After completing them, they will respawn eventually so that other players can interact with them. Here are some locations that have popped out for some:

The Unstable Rift location is as random as the Obelisk locations. However, it appears that, if your party can get the Obelisks first, the Unstable Rift tends to pop up on the map near you and your fellow Operators. However, due to how random they are, there is a chance that other Operator teams may just snatch it from you, so you have to make sure you arrive there as fast as you can.

Best ways to survive Unstable Rifts in Modern Warfare Zombies

It’s time to face the actual Unstable Rift. It is pretty straightforward to understand: you spawn at an enclosed Dark Aether area and you will have to face five different waves of zombies that are very strong and will have you pleading for mercy for 45 minutes. However, there are some buffs that the game will provide to make your life a bit easier:

• Your guns are Pack-A-Punched to tier 3 and become legendary.
• You receive all perks.
• Receive Golden Armor schematic.

This small boost will help you out if you are a bit underprepared for such a challenge, but I suggest bringing wonder weapons and self-revives since the fight will be particularly hard even for the most seasoned players. You can also benefit from grenade launchers like the RGL-80 or other explosive weapons since the amount of ammo the zombies in the area will drop is insane, to say the least.

As said above, there are five different waves that you will have to undertake. These consist of high-density zombie hordes that will spam you with their melee attacks with a zombie boss spawning in the area after some minutes. You will have to defeat said boss for the next wave to start (don’t worry, the game gives you a small window of time to interact with the reward rift and catch a breath).

Depending on how many players, you will see an increasing number of zombies appear each wave, which will probably motivate Operators to deal with the Unstable Rift solo rather than with unreliable Randoms.

That said, the bosses will steal the show since you will have to face special zombies like Mimics, Stormcallers, and Manglers. At later waves, you can also see some HVT variants of said zombies spawn, with the Gyanxi Disciple spawning leaving you no choice but to fight for your life with everything you’ve got.

Whether you are starting wave 1 or fighting the last boss, the rule is to keep moving around the area or even use the top floors on either side to keep the zombies from surrounding you in the lower central area.

All Unstable Rift rewards in Modern Warfare Zombies

Once you destroy every single zombie and clear all waves, all the cooldowns of your insured weapons and schematics will reset, meaning that you will be able to reuse them for the next zombie match you and your buddies decide to play. You will also receive the Mark of the Survivor camo as a testament to your victory. Is it worth all the trouble that the whole Unstable Rift will require you to suffer through? Well, that is up to you to decide.

You might want to wait for the next story content to drop in Season 5 or try the new modes in Multiplayer or Warzone to give yourself a break from all the chaos and unfairness. After all, games are meant to be fun, and not at all difficult, right? Anyway, just try to keep yourself from being overwhelmed by the incoming zombie hordes and focus your attention on the bosses whenever they appear. If not, be ready for endless rounds of Unstable Rifting.