Honestly, the Ray Gun Mark 3 is a bit of a weird one. If you’ve spent any time at all grinding through the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Zombies map, Gorod Krovi, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It isn’t just a gun. It’s a dual-wielded identity crisis. You have a semi-auto blaster in one hand and a black hole generator in the other. It’s flashy, it’s loud, and it’s arguably the most mechanically interesting Wonder Weapon Treyarch ever put in a map.
Most people just call it the "Mark 3," but its technical name is the GKZ-45 Mk3. It’s the successor to the legendary Ray Gun and the controversial Ray Gun Mark 2. But unlike its predecessors, this thing actually requires you to use your brain. You can’t just spray and pray. Well, you can, but you'll run out of ammo in three rounds and get trapped in a corner by a Russian Mangler.
What Actually Makes the Ray Gun Mark 3 Work?
Let's get into the nitty-gritty. The Mark 3 is a "dual-wield" setup, but the two guns do completely different things. In your right hand, you’ve got the GKZ-45. This is the damage dealer. It fires localized energy pulses that look a lot like the classic Ray Gun shots but with way less splash damage (which is a godsend because we've all accidentally downed ourselves with the OG Ray Gun).
In your left hand is the Ray Gun Mark 3 proper. This part of the weapon fires a yellow-orange orb of energy. On its own, the orb doesn't do a ton of damage. It slows zombies down. It’s crowd control. But the magic happens when you shoot the yellow orb with the pulse from the right-hand gun.
When those two projectiles meet, they create a Black Hole (or a "Vortex," if you want to be technical). This purple singularity sucks in every zombie in the vicinity and disintegrates them instantly. It’s beautiful. It’s chaotic. It’s the only way you’re surviving past round 40 in that cramped Stalingrad department store.
The Problem With Infinite Damage
Here is the thing no one tells you about the Ray Gun Mark 3 when you first pick it up: it isn't "infinite damage" in the way the Apothicon Servant is.
In the early rounds, say up to 35 or 40, the Mark 3 feels like the hand of God. You create a vortex, and everything dies. Simple. But as you push into the high rounds—the 50s, 60s, and beyond—the damage drop-off becomes painfully obvious. The vortex stops being a one-shot kill. It starts just "hurting" the zombies, which, in the world of high-round Zombies, is basically a death sentence for the player.
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Compare this to the Thundergun or the Ice Staff. Those weapons have scaling damage or mechanics that ignore health caps. The Mark 3 doesn’t. It’s a beast for the Easter Egg run and mid-tier survival, but for the "world record" hunters? They usually ditch it for a specialized build with the Gauntlet of Siegfried and AATs (Alternate Ammo Types) on a standard wall-buy weapon.
Getting the Mark 3 (It’s All Luck, Unfortunately)
If you were hoping for a complex, 10-step quest like the bows in Der Eisendrache, I have bad news. The Ray Gun Mark 3 is a Mystery Box exclusive.
There is no quest. There is no secret "buildable" table. You just have to stand there, dumping points into that wooden box, hoping the light turns green. This is one of the most polarizing things about Gorod Krovi. Some players love the RNG (Random Number Generator) because it makes every game feel different. Others hate it because you can spend 20,000 points and end up with a Pharo and a sniper rifle while your teammate gets the Mark 3 on their first spin.
Pro tip: If you're going for the "Love and War" Easter Egg, you need this gun. Not just because it's good, but because the slowing effect of the left-hand shot is crucial for the escort steps. Trying to move that Valkyrie Drone or the Mangler without the Mark 3's crowd control is a nightmare.
Why the Design Matters
Visually, the Mark 3 is a masterpiece of "Dieselpunk" aesthetic. It fits the war-torn, dragon-infested vibe of Stalingrad perfectly. It looks like something Dr. Ludvig Maxis and the Group 935 scientists cobbled together in a frantic rush to stop the 12th Army.
The reload animation is also one of the smoothest in the game. You flip the cylinders, click them back into place—it feels tactile. It feels heavy. In a game where some Wonder Weapons look like literal squids (looking at you, Shadows of Evil), having a high-tech energy revolver feels grounded.
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Comparing the Generations: Mark 1 vs. Mark 2 vs. Mark 3
| Feature | Ray Gun (Classic) | Ray Gun Mark 2 | Ray Gun Mark 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firing Mode | Full-Auto (Splash) | 3-Round Burst | Dual-Wield / Combo |
| Splash Damage | High (Dangerous) | None | Low |
| High Round Viability | Low | Medium | High (until round 50) |
| Mobility | Standard | High | High |
The original Ray Gun was a hazard to the user. The Mark 2 was a precision tool meant for headshots. The Mark 3 is a tactical utility weapon. It’s the evolution of the concept. It stopped being a "gun" and became a "system."
Practical Strategy: Don't Waste Your Ammo
The biggest mistake people make? Spamming the right-hand gun.
The GKZ-45 (the right hand) has a decent ammo pool, but if you’re using it like a regular pistol, you’re doing it wrong. You should almost always be looking to trigger the vortex.
- Fire one shot from the left hand into the ground in front of a horde.
- Immediately fire one or two shots from the right hand into that yellow mist.
- Watch the purple hole do the work.
This is the most ammo-efficient way to play. If you just spam the right-hand shots, you'll be begging for a Max Ammo by round 25. Also, remember that the Mulesick perk is a gamble here. If you lose your third weapon and it happens to be the Mark 3, your game is basically over if you're in the middle of the Easter Egg.
The "Mangler" Interaction
One thing a lot of players overlook is how the Mark 3 interacts with the special enemies in Gorod Krovi. The Russian Manglers are tanky. Their armor is annoying. But the Mark 3's yellow shot can actually slow them down significantly, and the vortex deals consistent damage to their arm-cannon weak point.
However, don't rely on it for the Nikolai 1.0 boss fight. While it’s great for clearing the ground of "Raps" and regular zombies, its damage against Nikolai’s mech is surprisingly lackluster compared to a Pack-a-Punched Drakon or the ShadowClaw.
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The Reality of the Mark 3 in 2026
Even years after the release of Black Ops 3, the Ray Gun Mark 3 remains a fan favorite. Why? Because it’s fun.
The modern "Zombies" games (like the newer Modern Warfare iterations or Vanguard) have tried to capture this magic, but they often miss the mark. There’s a specific "crunch" to the Mark 3's sound effects and a specific visual clarity to the vortex that hasn't really been topped. It represents a time when Treyarch wasn't afraid to make weapons that felt like mini-puzzles in themselves.
It isn't perfect. The fact that it doesn't kill forever is a bummer. The fact that it’s locked behind a luck-based box spin is frustrating. But when you have those two pistols in your hands and a swarm of sixty zombies coming at you through the mud of Stalingrad, there is no other weapon you’d rather have.
How to Master the GKZ-45 Mk3 Right Now
If you're hopping back into Gorod Krovi tonight, here is your roadmap for success with this weapon. Don't just spray. Think.
- Prioritize the "Maelstrom of Eris": This is the name of the weapon once you Pack-a-Punch it. It gets a massive boost to its ammo capacity and the duration of the black hole. Do not try to survive high rounds with the base version.
- The "Double Tap" Myth: Some people think Double Tap 2.0 makes the vortex stronger. It doesn't. It only increases the fire rate of the right-hand gun and the damage of the individual pulses. It's still worth having, but it won't make the black hole kill faster at round 60.
- Combine with the Shield: The Dragon Shield is your best friend. Use the Mark 3 to create a chokepoint, and if anything leaks through, use the shield’s fire breath to finish them off.
- Stay in the Library: The library area (two-story building) is one of the best spots to training zombies. The narrow hallways make the Mark 3’s vortex incredibly effective because the zombies have nowhere to go but straight into the hole.
The Ray Gun Mark 3 isn't just a nostalgic relic. It’s a masterclass in how to design a weapon that feels powerful without being "broken" in the long run. It rewards timing, accuracy, and resource management. If you can handle the RNG of the Mystery Box, it’s the most rewarding tool in the Zombies arsenal.
Go get those cylinders spinning. Just watch your back—those dragons don't care if you have a wonder weapon or not.
Next Steps for Your Gorod Krovi Run
To truly capitalize on the power of the Ray Gun Mark 3, you should focus on your setup efficiency. First, ensure you have the Dragon Shield crafted by round 10, as this provides the necessary protection while you're waiting for a lucky box spin. Second, prioritize the Shield Upgrade quest; the enhanced fire breath serves as the perfect backup for when your Mark 3 ammo inevitably runs low during high-round transitions. Finally, practice the "shot-swap" rhythm in the early rounds to build the muscle memory needed for the black hole combo under pressure.