You're probably here because the Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Emergence walkthrough is a lot weirder than you expected. Most Call of Duty missions are straightforward. You run, you gun, you blow up a bridge, and you watch a cinematic. Emergence flips that. It’s a psychological horror trip set in a subterranean CIA research facility that feels more like Control or Resident Evil than a traditional military shooter. If you aren't prepared for the mannequins, the hallucinations, and the sheer weirdness of the Cradle gas, you're going to have a rough time.
The mission kicks off with Case and the crew heading to a site in Kentucky. It's a Black Site. Of course it is. Once you get inside the Avalon facility, everything goes south fast. You're exposed to a chemical agent called the Cradle, and suddenly the walls are shifting and you're fighting things that shouldn't be moving. This isn't just about aim; it's about navigating a literal fever dream.
Getting Into the Kentucky Black Site
First off, don't worry about stealth too much at the very start. Just get to the elevator. Once the doors open and you step into the facility, the atmosphere shifts. You'll notice the lighting is off. The music changes. You’re looking for a keycard, basically. That's the core loop here: find the keycard, unlock the next wing, survive the nightmare.
The facility is split into several wings. You've got the Administration wing, the Research wing, and the Robotics wing. You can technically tackle some of these in different orders, but the game kinda nudges you toward Admin first. Honestly, the most important thing to keep in mind during this Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Emergence walkthrough is your ammo count. Because you're hallucinating, you might find yourself dumping magazines into enemies that aren't actually there or, worse, running out right when a real threat emerges.
The Administration Wing and the Keycard Hunt
In the Admin section, you're introduced to the "mannequin" problem. This is where the game gets creepy. You’ll see these wooden figures scattered around. They don’t move when you look at them. Classic horror trope, right? The moment you turn your back, they shuffle. They aren't just there for flavor; they will absolutely swarm you if you aren't careful.
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You need to find the Director's office. It's tucked away behind some desks and a lot of eerie silence. Grab the keycard. The moment you touch it, the environment warps. This is a recurring theme in Black Ops 6—the blending of reality and the effects of the Cradle gas. You'll have to fight your way out through a corridor that feels like it’s stretching. Pro tip: use your melee. If a mannequin gets too close, a quick hit is often more effective than panic-firing your pistol.
Navigating the Robotics Wing
Robotics is where the difficulty spikes. You aren't just dealing with hallucinations here; you're dealing with automated security systems that have gone haywire. There are these little spider-drones. They’re fast. They explode. They’re annoying.
Keep your ears open for the mechanical skittering sound. That’s your cue to back up. If you stay in a corner, they’ll trap you. Move constantly. You’ll eventually reach a large assembly area where you have to reset some power breakers. While you're doing this, the facility will throw waves of "ghouls"—hallucinated versions of staff and soldiers.
- The Breaker Puzzle: It’s not really a puzzle, more of a "don't die while holding a button" situation.
- The Grapple Hook: You might find yourself needing to move vertically. Don't forget you have it.
- Weapon Pickups: Look for the AS Val or any high-fire-rate SMG in the lockers. You need the DPS.
The Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Emergence walkthrough really tests your ability to manage crowds. The ghouls move sporadically. They don't use cover like the soldiers in the previous missions. They just sprint at you. If you’re used to the tactical "peek and shoot" gameplay of the early campaign, you have to unlearn that here. It’s all about hip-fire and repositioning.
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The Research Wing and the Disciple Boss Fight
This is the climax of the trip. The Research wing is where they were actually brewing the Cradle gas. It’s a mess of broken glass and glowing purple vats. You’ll eventually reach the "Cognitive Research" area. This is where you encounter the Disciple.
If you’ve played Call of Duty: Zombies, you know exactly what a Disciple is. If you haven't, buckle up. This thing floats, it buffs other enemies, and it has a health bar that feels way too long for a campaign mission.
How to Kill the Disciple
The Disciple will tether itself to the mannequins or ghouls in the room. When it does this, it’s healing or buffing them. You have to break that tether. Focus your fire on the Disciple’s head—or whatever counts as a head on that hooded nightmare. When it starts glowing bright purple, it’s about to do an AOE (Area of Effect) blast. Hide behind the consoles.
Don't ignore the adds. If you focus solely on the boss, the mannequins will surround you. It's a dance. Shoot the boss, turn 180 degrees, clear the trash, turn back to the boss. Repeat until it drops. Once it’s dead, the hallucination breaks—partially— and you can grab the final piece of evidence you need.
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The Escape from Avalon
Everything is blowing up. Classic Call of Duty. But because you're still under the influence of the gas, the exit isn't where you remember it. You have to parkour through a shifting hallway. It feels very Inception. Just keep moving forward. Don't stop to look at the scenery, even though the developers put a lot of work into the trippy visuals.
You'll reunite with Marshall and the rest of the team near the elevator. There’s one final stand against some actual, living CIA security forces who are very confused about why you’re screaming about mannequins. Take them out, get to the surface, and breathe the fresh Kentucky air. Mission accomplished.
Critical Insights for Your Playthrough
A lot of people miss the Intel pickups in this mission because they're too busy being scared. There are at least three major pieces of lore hidden in the side offices of the Research wing. They explain exactly what the CIA was trying to achieve with the Cradle gas—basically a way to "unlock" human potential, which predictably resulted in everyone turning into monsters.
- Check the computers: Many terminals have readable logs that flesh out the story of Pantheon.
- Watch the floor: There are traps in the Robotics wing that look like standard floor grates but will shock you if you linger.
- Sound design: Play with headphones. The audio cues for the mannequins moving are the only way to stay ahead of them in the darker segments.
The Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Emergence walkthrough is easily the most experimental mission in the game. It’s a bold choice by Raven Software and Treyarch to lean this hard into the supernatural/psychological aspect of the Black Ops lore. It works because it breaks up the pacing of the Gulf War setting.
Actionable Next Steps
Now that you've cleared Emergence, you're likely heading back to the Safehouse (The Rook). Your first priority should be spending the money you found on the Gear Station. Specifically, look into the Armor Plate upgrades. The missions following Emergence ramp up the enemy density significantly, and you're going to need that extra survivability. Also, check the evidence board. The clues you picked up in the Research wing unlock a new dialogue path with Marshall that sheds light on Case's background.
Go to the basement of the Safehouse and check the radio. There's a small puzzle there involving signal frequencies that acts as a nice cooldown after the intensity of the Kentucky Black Site. It’s a quiet moment, but in a game this loud, you’ll appreciate it.