You’re staring at that church in the middle of West Virginia, wondering why a town so small has so many damn zombies. It’s Liberty Falls. If you’ve played Black Ops 6 Zombies, you know the vibe is sunny, suburban, and absolutely lethal. Most people just run around the bowling alley or the comic shop, but you’re here for the big one. The Main Quest. The "Easter Egg." Honestly, the Liberty Falls EE steps aren’t as cryptic as some of the older maps like Revelations or Dead of the Night, but they require a specific kind of precision if you don't want to get trapped in a corner by a Mangler at round 25.
Let's be real: doing this solo is a nightmare compared to having a squad. But it's doable. You just need to know which items to grab before the chaos scales up.
Prepping Before the Chaos
Before you even think about the main quest, you need the Jet Gun. It’s officially called the Thrustodyne Aeronautics Model 23, but everyone just calls it the Jet Gun. You can pull it from the Mystery Box if you’re feeling lucky (or rich), but building it is the guaranteed path. You'll need the Water Pressure Valve from the flower shop, the Electrical Parts from the Radio House (requires a hand from a zombie to open the panel), and the Frayed Wires from the ground near the bus on the bridge.
Don't wait until round 15 to do this. Seriously.
The Jet Gun is your primary tool for the Liberty Falls EE steps. Without it, you’re just a tourist with a regular gun, and tourists don't survive West Virginia in the Dark Aether. Once you have that hunk of junk assembled at the workbench in the motel, you’re officially in the game.
Finding the Secret Lab and Panos
Head up to the Hilltop Church. You’ve probably noticed the massive dark machinery behind the barrier. If you have the Jet Gun, you can interact with the machine to start the process. This is where you meet Panos. Well, you hear him. He’s stuck in the projection booth, and he’s kind of a jerk about it. He needs you to get him out, or rather, help him with his "research."
This starts the hunt for the LT-Decompressor parts.
The LT-Decompressor Hunt
You need to find three specific canisters. They aren't just sitting on a shelf waiting for you.
- The Cemetery: Look for a large canister being held by a statue or tucked into a corner. You have to use the Jet Gun’s secondary fire (the suction) to pull it toward you.
- The Rooftops: Near the speed cola machine, you’ll see another one perched on a ledge. Again, suck it up with the Jet Gun.
- The White House: No, not that one. The one near the bowling alley.
Once you have these, you’re heading back to the church to deposit them into the machine. This is where the game tries to trip you up. The machine needs to be calibrated.
The Sound and the Fury: Calibration
This is the part where most players fail the Liberty Falls EE steps. You need to find three projectors scattered around the map. Each one has a specific frequency. You’re looking for a visual cue—a television screen nearby that shows a specific symbol or color.
- Projector One: Located near the Hilltop area, often by the white house.
- Projector Two: Down by the Riverside, near the barrier.
- Projector Three: Tucked away in the Ground Control area near the bowling alley.
You have to rotate these projectors until the image they're casting matches what Panos wants. It’s a bit of trial and error because the zombies won't stop hitting you while you're trying to look at a slide projector. If you’re playing solo, bring Decoys or a Monkey Bomb. Honestly, just use a Decoy. It’s cheaper.
When the lights turn purple, you’ve done it. Go back to the church.
Hardcore Soul Collection
Now things get messy. Panos gives you a device that looks like a high-tech vacuum cleaner. You need to take this to specific "Aether Canisters" placed around the map. These are essentially soul boxes. You kill zombies near them, their souls get sucked in, and the canister fills up.
But there’s a catch.
One of these canisters is in the Bowling Alley. Another is in the Comic Shop. The final one is in the Church. While you are filling these, special "Abomination" enemies will spawn. They’re the big, three-headed dogs that charge at you and shoot electricity out of their mouths. They are annoying.
Pro tip: Use the Jet Gun to stun them, then swap to a high-damage weapon like the GS Magna or a Pack-a-Punched shotgun to blow off their heads. You have to fill all three canisters. If you move too far away, the progress resets. Stay in the circle. Stay alive.
The Final Encounter and the SD-Z
After the canisters are filled, you have to bring them back to the Church. This triggers the final lockdown. The doors shut. The windows are barred. It’s just you, a very angry Panos (who is now basically a boss), and endless waves of the undead.
This isn't a traditional boss fight where you shoot a giant health bar. It's a survival gauntlet. You have to defend the machine while it processes the Aether. If the machine takes too much damage, you fail.
Use your Field Upgrades. Aether Shroud is great for a quick breather, but Frenzied Guard is better if you're the designated tank for your team. You’ll face multiple Manglers and Abominations simultaneously. This is the ultimate test of your Liberty Falls EE steps progression.
Once the timer hits zero, a massive pulse of energy clears the room. You’ll see a cinematic (which I won’t spoil, but let’s just say Edward Richtofen is involved in a way that will make lore nerds scream).
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What Most People Get Wrong
People think they can skip the side quests. You can't. If you don't have a Tier 3 Pack-a-Punched weapon by the time you hit the soul collection phase, you're dead. The difficulty spike in Liberty Falls is vertical.
Also, the "Bowling Alley" step for the separate Easter Egg (the one where you turn into a bowling ball) is fun, but it doesn't help with the main quest. Don't get distracted by the mini-games if your goal is the main ending. Focus on the canisters.
Actionable Steps for Success
To wrap this up and get you that achievement/trophy, follow this specific order of operations:
- Round 1-5: Farm points. Do not kill the last zombie. Open the path to the Church immediately.
- Round 6-10: Collect the Jet Gun parts. Do not wait. The Mangler spawn for the mechanical arm is easier to handle at lower rounds.
- Round 11-15: Complete the Projector calibration. This is the "quiet" before the storm.
- Round 16+: Final soul collection. Ensure you have at least 3 perks: Juggernog, Quick Revive, and Stamin-Up. Speed Cola is a luxury, but Stamin-Up is a necessity for dodging Abomination charges.
- The Final Stand: Keep your back to the altar in the church. It limits the directions zombies can come from. Use the Jet Gun’s primary fire to thin the horde and save your heavy ammo for the Abominations.
Once the quest is complete, you'll be rewarded with the "Bye-Bye, Liberty Falls" calling card and a massive amount of XP. You can choose to exfil immediately or keep playing to high rounds with your newly buffed gear. Just remember: the Aether doesn't forget, and Richtofen is always watching.