How to Spawn a Zursa in Black Ops 7

If you’ve been spending way too much time trying to stay alive on the launch map of Black Ops 7 Zombies, Ashes of the Damned, you’ve probably already crossed paths with the Zursa — that giant, nightmare-fuel zombie bear that usually crashes your run around Round 16. Waiting that long just to fight one is seriously annoying, especially if you’re pushing for the Main Quest speedrun. The thing isn’t just tough; it drops a key item for the Easter Egg. Luckily, there’s a smart workaround. You can actually make it show up earlier with a cool side quest. If you’ve ever wondered how pros handle this faster, many players use setups similar to CoD BO7 Bot Lobby runs to get through this part more efficiently.

Before you start searching for skulls, there’s one hard rule. You can’t use any random gun or your starter pistol. You’ve got to have the Wonder Weapon — the Necrofluid Gauntlet. Without it, there’s no shortcut. So if you haven’t built it or pulled it from the Mystery Box yet, focus on that first. Once it’s in your hands, head straight to the Zarya Cosmodrome area. This is where the trigger spots are, and once you’ve learned them, you’ll hit them from memory every time.

Start near the main ramp in the center of the Cosmodrome. Turn east and check the base of the wall near the top. You’ll see a skull tucked into a small hole — easy to miss if you’re sprinting past. Fire the Gauntlet at it, and its eyes will flash green. That glow means it’s activated, so you’re good to move on. This step’s quick but crucial, and missing that visual cue can mess up the whole trigger chain.

Next, make your way to the southeast corner. There’s a zipline there, and no, you don’t have to ride it. Just stand beside the bottom and peek out through the zombie spawn window. If you look up and to the right, you’ll spot another skull resting on a metal beam. It’s sneaky, especially mid-round, so slow down for a second to get a clean shot with the Gauntlet.

For the last one, head towards the Wallbuy spot in the same zone. Behind that weapon buy station, right on the metal beam, sits your third skull. Hit it, and the moment your shot connects, you’ll trigger the early spawn. You’ll know it worked when you hear that deep growl and see the Zursa charging in.

This version of the Zursa comes out immediately after you shoot the third skull. You’ll notice it’s got glowing purple eyes — looks cooler, sure — but it’s not a stronger variant. Stats are exactly the same as the late-round ones. One thing to keep in mind: you can only use this skull trick once per match. After that, it’s back to the regular round wait. Still, it’s a huge time-saver when you’re setting up for the Easter Egg or trying to beat your own record in-game.

If you’ve been struggling to get one to appear before Round 16, this skull method is hands-down the best way. It changes how fast you can move through the early game and cuts all that boring grind. Most players running long challenges swear by it once they’ve got the Gauntlet. If you want to smooth out the setup process even more, a good trick is to coordinate with teammates using options like buy BO7 Bot Lobbies so everyone’s ready for the spawn at once.