Easter Eggs are hidden surprises throughout the Call of Duty series. They are most prominent in Zombie Modes, in the games developed by Treyarch. Some are easy and can be achieved alone, while others require a great deal of cooperation. Many of them, the most elaborate, can be used to gain an advantage either in a singleplayer campaign or multiplayer zombies game, and some unlock achievements. Every Nazi Zombies map has a secret song which plays after activating a number of objects.
Note that map or level features that are distinctive or interesting, like the Porter Justice posters in the Modern Warfare games, the ghosts in the Zombie Mode maps of Call of Duty: World at War, or the Brady Bunch house on Nuketown, are not noted here and can be found in the trivia pages of each map or level.
Call of Duty: Finest Hour[]
Campaign[]
- Underground Passage: Ghostly room, Kaiser Bear, Sticky Bear, German dance party
- Operation Little Saturn: Giant Red Apple
- Surrender at Aachen: Teddy Bear
- Come Out Fighting: UFO House, Secret Wall
- Depot Saboteurs: Sultan Room
Call of Duty: United Offensive[]
Campaign[]
- Crossroads (United Offensive): Cow: A giant cow in a hidden room that refers to SNL's 'More Cowbell' meme and cancelled celebration of player's allies at the end of this mission.
Call of Duty: World At War[]
Campaign[]
- Little Resistance: Ray Gun: Use a Ray Gun in the campaign.
Nazi Zombies[]
- Nacht der Untoten: A radio which plays different songs.
- Verrückt: Lullaby for a Dead Man (hidden song): Plays after flushing a toilet three times.
- Shi No Numa: Various easter eggs: a hidden song called The One and radio messages.
- Der Riese: Various easter eggs: This map contains a lot of different hidden surprises, including radio messages, the hidden song Beauty of Annihilation, and a game of hide and seek which unlocks an achievement.
- A message spelling out "THEDRWANTSTHEULTIMATEPOWERBASTARD" can be found within the four characters' biographies.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2[]
Campaign[]
- No Russian: In the mission there are two cases which appears to be Modern Warfare 2 on the front and Modern Warfare on the back, it can be spotted on the back of the case as the player walks up the escalators or stairs to a store on the left
- S.S.D.D.: If using noclip console command, it is possible to see that one of Rangers that is sitting near several M16A4's at the start of the level has dog tags. On them, it is possible to see written
"WE MAKE WAR THAT WE MAY LIVE IN PEACE."
It is part of a quote from Aristotle "And happiness is thought to depend on leisure; for we are busy that we may have leisure, and make war that we may live in peace."
Campaign/Multiplayer[]
- Teddy Bears: Various Teddy Bears are hidden throughout the single and multiplayer modes.
Call of Duty: Black Ops[]
Main Menu[]
- Central Intelligence Agency Data system: A computer accessible from the main menu room allows you to browse the contents of a CIA computer and enter various cheat codes. This allows you to access Dreamland and play Zork, which unlocks an achievement.
Campaign[]
- Numbers: Thundergun: Use a Thundergun in the campaign, simply on the first part destroy all Nova 6 barrels with a grenade or gun, there should be six of them. After the player shoots them all, Nova 6 will start coming out of them and the screen will shake. Then go to the back of the room and find the open tape dock. Hold the use button to pick up the cassete. The screen will shake again after this step. Continue to escape. When the player reaches the first armory behind the fridge, find the open tape dock on the left and hold the use button again, it will close. If the player did this right, then after a few seconds the screen should shake. Wait a few more seconds and hold the use button once again. The player should now have obtained the Thundergun.
Multiplayer[]
- Nuketown:Hidden song: If the heads of the mannequins are decapitated within 15 seconds, "Sympathy for the Devil" by The Rolling Stones is played. Requires multiple players to achieve. This may be hard, as the mannequins are randomly placed on the map every round, some might even spawn outside the map itself.
- The names on the mailboxes are the names of the protagonists in the campaign, Mason, Hudson and Woods. They will also have other names on them, which may be of some of the developers.
- The "Welcome to Nuketown" sign will change population according to how many players are currently in the game.
- Convoy: In the building on the top right of the map, there's a cargo transport board showing the names of all the maps in the game, including the First Strike and Escalation packs.
- There are "Wanted" posters all over the map of a boy named Raffaele Angelini at the age of 14. It says that he's wanted for "pwning noobs". It also says that his occupations are "Pwning noobs and being awesome" and that he's a very good Call of Duty player. Further down it says that he's very loved by the developers at Treyarch and Activision Blizzard. According to the description, he may be the son of one of the developers.
- In the police station, posters can be found that says "Men with long hippie hair will be attended to last". Under it says that long hippie hair is: "Hair touching the eyebrows" or "Hair falling across the forehead" or "Hair covering the ears" or "Hair reaching below an ordinary shirt collar". There are also picture illustrating these.
- In the lower left house there's a rack of magazines named "Exposed", which on the front page says "Russians launch first primate into space, and it returns a... WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" with a picture of a Space Monkey from Ascension. The same magazines is found on the third mission, Executive Order.
- In some buildings there are pictures of an early version of Hotel and the map Stockpile.
Zombies[]
- Note that the Zombies Mode easter eggs from World at War are also found in the Black Ops remakes.
Nacht Der Untoten[]
- Undone (hidden song): Plays after shooting several barrels outside.
- Songs play when the player shoots or melees the radio near the Mystery Box in the Help Room.
Verrückt[]
- Lullaby for a Dead Man (Hidden song) Activated when one of the toilets are flushed 3 times.
- Dentist's chair: In one of the first rooms you start out in, there is a dentist's chair in the center. Hold the action button while looking at the wheel on the base of it and you will hear a dentists tool running and a man screaming.
Shi no Numa[]
- Radio: A radio which explains information about 115.
- The One - Dialling the telephone 3 times in the hut via Comm Room Section.
Kino der Toten[]
- 115 (hidden song): Plays a song when 3 pieces of meteor are activated.
- Film Reels/Radios: Three film reels can be found and played on the projector, and two radios can be activated to play recorded messages.
"Five"[]
- Telephones: Plays Eminem's "Won't Back Down" when all three red phones are activated. (Note if you have GCF enabled you will not be able to listen to this song due to lots of strong language. Instead it will be replaced with constantly repeating music from the zombies main menu)
Dead Ops Arcade[]
- The hidden zombie game mode itself, Dead Ops Arcade], is unlocked by entering "DOA"(Or 3ARC UNLOCK but this unlocks all the campaign and zombie maps) in the CIA Data System.
Ascension[]
- Casimir Mechanism: Long easter egg requiring four players and a Wonder Weapons; gives everyone a Death Machine for 90 seconds.
- Abracadavre (hidden song). Plays after three teddies holding sickles are activated.
- Character Dolls: Matryoshka dolls can be found that look like the original Nazi Zombies characters, which also talk, the quotes vary from player to doll, meaning there is a total of 16 quotes from the dolls.
- There are several telephones across the map that will sometimes ring. When answered, character quotes from "Five" can be heard.
Call of the Dead[]
- Original Characters Trapped: A variable length (Short in Solo, Long in Co-Op) easter egg which sends the usual Zombies characters to "Paradise". Unlocks two achievements for doing it in Co-op, as well as an individual one for Solo only.
- Not Ready to Die (hidden song): Hidden song by Avenged Sevenfold. Activated by Holding the Action Button on three Meteor Fragments in the first three areas.
- Radios: Play messages recorded by Richtofen.
Shangri-La[]
- Time Travel Will Tell: Another very long easter egg in which the player frees Gary And Brock.
- Pareidolia (hidden song): Plays a song when three pieces of meteor are activated.
Moon[]
- Coming Home (hidden song): Plays a song when three Teddy Bears are activated.
- Re-Damned: Hidden song which is activated by pressing the "use" button on a computer next to the Bio-Dome's door.
- 8-bit Pareidolia: Hidden song which is activated by obtaining a disc and using it on a computer in the bottom floor of the labs.
- 8-bit Coming Home: Hidden song which is activated by obtaining a disc and using it on a computer in Tunnel 6.
- Nightmare (hidden song): Activated by having somebody die when an Excavator is down, and then finishing the round, resulting in them spawning on the other side. (Completing One Giant Leap)
- Richtofen's Grand Scheme: A long easter egg which consists of two parts, which must be completed in the following order:
- Cryogenic Slumber Party: An easter egg where it requires the player to complete a number of steps to release Sam from the Pyramid, when the pyramid opens, all players will be granted a Death Machine for 90 seconds.
- Big Bang Theory: An easter egg which requires the players to complete a number of steps to launch three rockets to Earth. After they hit Earth, all players are granted with permanent eight perks. (Unlocks an Achievement on 360 and PC)
Call of Duty: Black Ops (DS)[]
Campaign[]
- Snowman room: Contains the Crossbow. Using it unlocks the weapon for multiplayer
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3[]
- Teddy Bear: In the multiplayer map "Lockdown" there is a building not far outside the map on the right of 3 hanging bodies; the rightmost window on this building can be flown through if using a Recon Drone or if the player is in Spectator, inside is an over sized Teddy Bear wielding Akimbo Gold Desert Eagles that use the Call of Duty 4 model.
- Arkaden Teddy Bear: In the map Arkaden, the food joint has a window the shows the kitchen. It has many grills and a giant bear (much like the bear in Lockdown but without the Desert Eagles).
- Porter: In the map Mission, there is writing above a teddy bear saying: "Porter wuz here", which is a reference to Jon Porter, who did art work for the Modern Warfare series. In the map Downturn, inside the subway station is a movie poster titled "Porter Justice 8: Final Justice".
- Wallstreet: In the Mission "Black Tuesday" when you reach the New York Stock Exchange there are TV-Screens on the Wall saying: IW, BLZ, SHG, WAR, ATVI and TREY these are References to Infinity Ward, Raven Software, Activision, Treyarch, Sledgehammer Games and Blizzard.
- Train map: When coming out of the tunnel with the wrecked train on Mind The Gap, there is a map of train directions with referencing names such as 'Black Cat Way', 'Verrückt', 'Infinity Station Ward', etc. And with weird names as well such as 'random place', 'no ammo road' etc. Also, this map is behind one of the original spawn points on Underground, the one that faces the actual subway station.
- Carbon: On phones in this map, there is an inscription - COD4.
- Shepherd: In the Special Ops mission Stay Sharp, after getting to Sandman, turn to your right without shooting any cutouts. You will see a picture of Shepherd with three throwing knives in it. One knife is in his eye; a reference to how he was killed in Modern Warfare 2.
- Ghost Voices: In the map Sanctuary, if the player goes to any of the four grassy patches near the middle of the map, they can hear ghostly voices saying "Hehe, look at me, daddy! Hehe!", "Don't get too close to the road, sweetie", "Hehehehehe.", and "Sarah, don't go too far!" The voices are sound clips taken from Davis Family Vacation.
- Village: Outside the map on the east corner, there is a partially revealed hatch with the numbers "4 8 15 16 23 42" engraved on the window, an reference to the hatch in the TV series "Lost".
- Stay Sharp: In the Special Ops mission Stay Sharp, when you spawn, turn back and go to the Jeep. In the trunk of the car there will be an AK-74u on top of a gun case, and in the driver seat there will also be a USP .45. Though the AK-47u gives the player an advantage in the course, the USP .45 that they pick from the jeep comes without a Tactical Knife, unlike the default one that comes in the mission.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II[]
Campaign[]
- When getting the gift in Section's room in the mission "Odysseus", if the player looks to the right when going through the door, there will be some sticky notes attached to the cupboard. One of them reads "Zombies are Coming". This sticky note is also seen in many multiplayer maps. This is a clear reference to the Zombies game mode.
- During the performance during the secret ending, at approximately five minutes and three seconds into the song, the player can see a zombie in the rafters on the left side of the screen.
Multiplayer[]
- If all mannequin heads are shot off in at least two minutes on Nuketown 2025, classic Atari games can be played on the screen in the center of the map.
- Outside the multiplayer map of Nuketown there are flags with Spetznaz and Black Ops call signs on them, referring to factions of Call of Duty: Black Ops.
- In the map Hijacked upstairs in the bottom end on the map, there is a book that says "Edward Richtofen", just like the ones seen in the original Nuketown.
- In the map Express, there are three movie posters in the tunnel on the left side of the map. The titles are called "Hijacked", "Meltdown", and "Yemen". All referring to other playable maps in multiplayer.
- In the map Cove, if the player looks from the beach they can see the boat from the map Hijacked.
Zombies[]
TranZit on Green Run[]
- In the tunnel there is a green highway sign hanging from the roof with all but a few letters blacked out. The remaining letters spell "Day x /2 me," which could mean "Day crosses over to me"
- In the Diner area the signs letters that are lit spell "Now Die" and "On For You".
- Holding down the action button on the three Teddy Bears will activate the song Carrion.
- Teddy Bear one is found outside in Bus Depot sitting on a bench near the mini lava pit.
- Teddy Bear two is found in the Farm area. It is laying on a mat on the second floor of the house where one can build the Turret.
- Teddy Bear three is found in Town in the bar on the first floor. After entering through the big entrance turn right and look at the booths.
Die Rise[]
- Holding down the action button on the three Teddy Bears will activate We All Fall Down.
- Teddy Bear one is on the floor below the spawn room next to the SVU-AS.
- Teddy Bear two is in the upturned restaurant (Buddha room) on the edge of the floor.
- Teddy Bear three is in the power room above a sewing machine.
Mob of the Dead[]
- At the beginning of match, if the player stands still, and doesn't revive their character, dying from the time limit in Afterlife, the song "Samantha's Lullaby" can be heard.
- If the player looks at the fireworks with a sniper rifle on the prison's roof, a flash of a creepy face along with a high-pitched scream will appear.
- Inputting the numbers 935 in the number pad will activate Where Are We Going.
- Inputting the number 115 in the number pad will make Brutus say either "NOT THIS TIME!" or "MAYBE NEXT TIME!" After which changing the numbers on the dial automatically to 666.
- Activate three whiskey bottles and the song "Rusty Cage" by Johnny Cash will play.
- Bottle one is in the library, on the bookshelf next to the Olympia.
- Bottle two is found in the infirmary near the roof, resting on a desk across from the blood baths.
- Bottle three is found at the far left side of the gate at the docks, hidden underneath a wooden crate.
Buried[]
- Holding down the action button on the three Teddy Bears will activate Always Running.
- Teddy Bear one is next to a hay bale by Quick Revive.
- Teddy Bear two can be found in a barrel in the candy shop.
- Teddy Bear three be found in the mansion in the room with Double Tap.
Origins[]
- Holding down the action button on the three green meteorite fragments will activate Archangel.
- In the spawn room right of the ancient chest on the other side of the bunk bed.
- On the second floor of the work station opposite the stairway under a bed.
- On the scaffolding left of the entrance to the Excavation Site entrance facing spawn area next to a crate.
- Holding down the action button on the three radios for three seconds will activate "Shepherd of Fire".
- On the scaffolding above the possible Maxis Drone part location.
- In the Freya Giant Robot head opposite the audio log.
- On the left edge of the fire area in The Crazy Place.
- Going prone on the number panels on Generator 1 and Generator 5 (the latter must be powered) will activate "Aether".
- If the player goes to the Pack-A-Punch and scopes in to the top left of the Church, a jump scare will occur.
Call of Duty: Ghosts[]
Campaign[]
- In the mission "Struck Down", the player can find a trophy case with a few easter eggs in it. One trophy is in the shape of a gem saying "Award for most bushes cut and pots smashed" referencing The Legend of Zelda. Another is in the shape of a police box and says "Award for largest interior and smallest exterior" referencing Doctor Who. Lastly, there is an award saying "Given For: World Not Ending" awarded to 2012. This is a reference to the end of the Mayan calendar on Decemeber 21st, 2012, which some believed would mark the end of the world.
- In the mission "Clockwork" when Hesh is extracting the files, on the right hand side of the screen there will be a file named "Zork.exe", a reference to one of the earliest interactive fictional computer games.
Multiplayer[]
- In the maps Sovereign, Stormfront, Flooded, Siege and Freight, a teddy bear can be found. In Flooded, go to the half sunken bus in the river. On the side that is mostly out of the water there is a pipe going up one of the buildings. The player can climb this pipe and find a teddy bear wedged between the pipe and the building. In Stromfront, the teddy bear can be found in the "O" on the Superty Union logo on the skyscraper holding a bottle of alcohol. The teddy bear in Siege is found nailed to the inside of a pipe in the middle of the map. In Sovereign, a teddy bear is found inside an office wearing a hardhat. The last teddy bear is found outside the map on frieght.
- On the map Unearthed there is a crane with 3 boxes, shooting those boxes with an explosive weapon will then cause a room to fall down. Inside that room will be the Venom-X from Extinction, and its for one life only. If the player dies, the weapon will disappear.
- In the same room outside of Freight with the teddy bear, a stop sign, a hammer and a clock is laid on the floor. This is a reference to the phrase "Stop, Hammer Time". There are even more teddy bear easter eggs on other multiplayer maps.
Extinction[]
- In Point of Contact, if the letters "LOL" are shot in order within five seconds with a Sniper Rifle on the Gil's Lodge Motel sign, the phrase will appear across the screen in bright blue and purple text. Every alien the players then kill for two minutes will explode into a pile of golden alien plush toys similar to those seen in the upstairs room of Nuketown 2025 in Call of Duty: Black Ops II.
- In Nightfall, if the player shoots the 4 electrical boxes on the telephone poles (eight total due to having to shoot both on either side of the pole) while they are zapping, the phrase "ZAP!!!" will appear across the screen in a similar fashion to Point of Contact and every alien killed for two minutes will drop a pile of snowman heads. This is easier to accomplish if the player maps the pattern of which electrical boxes before shooting. It is also easier to do if they use a weapon with a large magazine.
- In Awakening there is an easter egg where players can have mushrooms (similar to the ones in Super Mario Bros) pop out every time a player kills a Cryptid. This lasts for two minutes.
- If the player goes to the gas station in Exodus, and shoots at the correct letters on the sign (spelling out 'Neversoft') they'll get a secret intel. Also while they're doing the easter egg letters of the word they're trying to spell will appear on the screen to show they're doing it right.
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare[]
Campaign[]
- In the mission "Fission" there is a poster inside the locker room. The people on the poster are the winners of "Game Jam" and were the people who thought of the car door shield.
Multiplayer[]
- On the map Detroit there is a cinema poster that show the characters D, G, and 2. This is a reference to a Wonder Weapon named the Wunderwaffe DG-2 which was first found on the Zombies map "Shi No Numa".
Call of Duty: Black Ops III[]
Campaign[]
- Life: A message spelling out "Dragovich, Kravchenko, Steiner. These men must die." can be found within the pre-text loading screen.
- On some screens scrolling text in Safe Houses, the line "Loading boot_restart_variables: d:\server_base\all.ur.base-R-b.long.2.us", can be found.
Multiplayer[]
- Nuk3town: If the player shoots off all mannequin heads in Nuk3town within two minutes, all the mannequins attack the players as if they were zombies.
- If the player shoots off all mannequin arms in Nuk3town, all the mannequins follow the players but stop moving when the players look back towards them. This is a reference to the Weeping Angels in the T.V. show "Doctor Who".
Zombies[]
- Shadows of Evil: In the Mystery Box there is a Facehugger inside the right "slimeball". This is a reference to the Alien movie franchise.
- A secret message from Dr. Maxis can be heard after completing the Pack-a-Punch ritual.
- The Giant: Many easter eggs from Der Riese return, such as a remixed version of "Beauty of Annihilation", a revised Fly Trap and several new radio messages.
- Stamin-Up or Deadshot Daiquiri can be obtained by throwing a Monkey Bomb in each teleporter while teleporting and pressing a button by the Pack-a-Punch machine.