Two seasons later, this Black Ops 7 gun is still the Zombies king

Two full seasons have passed since Black Ops 7 Zombies launched, and the armory has swollen with a dozen flashy newcomers—yet the undisputed ruler of the undead remains the same humble marksman rifle: the M34 Novaline.

At first glance the semi-auto Novaline looks outgunned. Its class is saddled with small magazines and methodical fire rates, traits that feel antithetical to the classic “train and spray” rhythm of Call of Duty Zombies. Veterans gravitating toward bullet-hose SMGs or forgiving assault rifles routinely skip the weapon in the Mystery Box, but those who stick with it quickly discover why top-round squads keep one on every player sheet.

The rifle’s baseline advantages are already notable: a two-round burst, crisp handling, and the elevated critical-multiplier damage shared by all marksman rifles. The real transformation arrives after a trip to the Pack-a-Punch machine. Upgraded, the M34 Novaline rechristens itself the Desecrated Dualist and, crucially, switches to a fully automatic fire mode. The result is a hybrid that fires like an assault rifle while retaining the raw per-shot punch of a designated marksman weapon. Properly kitted with attachments—foremost among them the Cyclops-03 Barrel, which super-charges headshot and critical damage—the Dualist erases the traditional weaknesses of its class without sacrificing any of its strengths.

Mobility stays fluid, recoil remains manageable, and sustained fire chews through dense hordes as efficiently as it punctures Elite armor. Should players need surgical precision, a quick toggle reverts the weapon to semi-auto, making it equally lethal against distant Mangler cannons, Doppelghast weak points, or the shoulder plates of Uber Klaus. Boss encounters with Veytharion and Caltheris routinely end in seconds when a squad focuses Dualist fire, and the rifle’s common Mystery Box appearance on Cursed difficulty—or its guaranteed Wall Buy locations on Ashes of the Damned and Astra Malorum—means teams are rarely forced to roll the dice for acquisition.

Recent seasons have introduced credible challengers. The M8A1, a returning four-round burst rifle from Black Ops 2, can adopt a new Conversion Kit that trades burst delay for full-auto freedom. Its larger default magazine and faster handling make it situationally attractive, yet its lower base damage keeps it firmly in the prince-not-king tier. Similar experimental kits and Wonder Weapons continue to arrive with each content drop, but none have displaced the Novaline’s combination of availability, versatility, and raw stopping power.

For newcomers and veterans alike, the takeaway is simple: pick up the M34 Novaline, invest in the Pack-a-Punch, bolt on the Cyclops-03 Barrel, and hold the trigger until the horde is dust. Two seasons of power creep have tried to dethrone it; the king isn’t budging.