You remember that feeling back in 2020? Everything was weird, we were all stuck inside, and then Black Ops Cold War dropped. It brought back Round-Based Zombies. Finally. The first map we got, Dies Maschine, was a massive hit of nostalgia because it literally built itself on top of the bones of Nacht der Untoten. But let’s be real for a second. The Dies Maschine easter egg isn't just a walk down memory lane. It’s a chaotic, multi-dimensional scavenger hunt that requires you to juggle radioactive boss zombies, literal ghosts, and a massive machine that looks like it belongs in a mad scientist's basement.
It’s easy to get lost. You're running through the Particle Accelerator room, a Megaton is splitting in half, and you’re trying to remember which elemental upgrade for the Wonder Weapon you actually need. Most players fail because they wait too long. If you're on round 25 trying to do the final boss fight, you’re basically asking to get swarmed. The trick is speed. You want to be moving through the "See Deceased" steps while the zombies are still slow enough to manage.
Getting the Basics Out of the Way
Before you even think about the main quest, you have to turn on the power. It sounds simple. It is simple. Follow the purple arrows. They lead you straight to the Main Power room. You’ll need some points—usually around 8,000 to 10,000 to clear all the doors—so don't go spending everything on the Mystery Box early on. Seriously, the box is a trap in the early rounds.
Once the power is on, you hit the two terminals and the Dark Aether portal spawns in the center of the room. This is where the Dies Maschine easter egg truly begins. You go into the portal, grab the machine part from the Aether Tunnel, and build the Pack-a-Punch. If you can do this by round 6 or 7, you're in great shape.
The D.I.E. Shockwave is Not Optional
You need the Wonder Weapon. You can get it from the box, sure, but there’s a free way to do it that's guaranteed. Kill the first Megaton that spawns. He’ll drop a yellow keycard. Take that to the Weapons Lab and put it in the computer to get the D.I.E. Remote. Now, head back to "Nacht" (the original building) and look for the door with the hole in it. Activate the remote, and the machine will start sucking in zombies.
It’s kinda satisfying to watch. Once it’s full, it blows the door off, and the D.I.E. Shockwave is yours. You’re going to need this for almost every single step moving forward. Honestly, if you don't have this by round 10, you're falling behind the power curve.
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Building the Aetherscope and Seeing Ghosts
This is where things get a bit trippy. You need to find three parts for the Aetherscope. They only spawn in the Dark Aether, and they spawn one at a time.
- One is on top of the plane in the Crash Site.
- One is behind the portal in the Spawn area.
- One is in the Particle Accelerator room near the fast-travel pipe.
Once you build the scope at the workbench under the Pack-a-Punch, the real story starts. You have to find Dr. Vogel’s ghost. He’s in the Med Bay. When you’re in the Dark Aether, go to the computer room in Med Bay, find the anomaly, and give him the diary you picked up next to the computer.
You have to do this three times. Vogel appears in the Med Bay, the Challenge Room (Control Room), and right in front of the Pack-a-Punch. Don't just stand there while he talks; zombies will still hit you. Keep moving. Once you’ve listened to all his spectral rambling, you’ll be shifted back to the real world, and you can enter the password into the computer.
The Four Elemental Upgrades
To progress the Dies Maschine easter egg, the massive cylinder in the Med Bay needs to be charged. This requires four different versions of the Wonder Weapon.
- Cryo-Emitter (Ice): Take a Megaton to the pond and have him shoot the fungus on the tree. Put the flask down, wait for it to fill, and then use it on the crate in the back of the pond.
- Nova 5 (Gas): Grab the empty canister from the top of the mezzanine in Nacht. Put it in the cleaning unit in the Weapons Lab. Kill a Plaguehound right next to it. Take the full canister to the Crash Site and melee the crate.
- Electrobolt (Electric): This is the hardest one. You have to enter the Dark Aether through a specific portal under the Pack-a-Punch. There are three glowing crystals around the map (Pond, Roof of Nacht, and Crash Site). You have to suck the energy out of a crystal, run back to the Particle Accelerator, and shoot the crate. You can only carry one charge at a time.
- Thermophasics (Fire): Enter the Dark Aether via the Pond portal. Go to the Crash Site and find the small box under the plane. Melee it. Then you have to find a fuse in the same area and take it to the Plasma Cutter machine in the Weapons Lab (downstairs).
Once you have all four, shoot the four hanging fuses on the Med Bay cylinder with the corresponding element. If the fuse moves up, you got it right.
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The Golden Bolt and the Decontamination Agent
After the cylinder is ready, you need to go back into the Dark Aether. There will be an anomaly on the balcony in the Med Bay. Two soldiers (Orlov and someone else) will be talking about stealing a device. When you come back to the real world, there’s a Dark Aether wrench on the floor.
Take that wrench to the Spawn area. There’s a tank there. Hit it three times. A soldier will pop his head out. Kill him. Now, throw a semtex or frag at the tank’s hatch. The tank will fire a shot into the trees at the Crash Site. Go there, and you’ll find the Decontamination Agent (it’s a golden orb thing).
Warning: When you pick this up, you can’t use your primary weapon, and you move like a snail. Have your teammates protect you, or if you’re solo, use the Aether Shroud field upgrade to slip past the hordes. Plug that orb into the slot in the Med Bay.
The Final Showdown with Orlov
The end is near. You need to split a Megaton in half (using the Wonder Weapon or whatever you have) and lead both halves into the purple stream under the Med Bay cylinder. The machine will trap them, and the room will lock down.
When the doors open, go to the computer room. You’ll see another anomaly. This is Orlov. He’s the key. After he finishes talking, you’ll be teleported to the Particle Accelerator for the boss fight.
This fight isn't actually against a giant monster; it’s a defense mission. You have to protect Orlov while he destroys the machine.
- Phase 1: He stays at the top.
- Phase 2: He moves to the middle level.
- Phase 3: He goes to the bottom.
Zombies, dogs, and Megatons will swarm him. If they hit him, the progress bar slows down. Use the Electrobolt upgrade here; it melts Megatons faster than anything else. If you have Monkey Bombs, use them now. Ring of Fire is also a godsend for dealing massive damage to the heavy units.
The Great Escape
Once Orlov is done, the map starts falling apart. You have 90 seconds to get to the extraction point in the Pond. Do not touch the glowing blue bolts of energy. They will kill you instantly. Don't try to be a hero and kill every zombie; just run.
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Follow the path through the tunnels, out through the weapons lab, and up to the pond. If you reach the helicopter in time, you’ve done it. You’ve completed the Dies Maschine easter egg.
Actionable Tips for your Next Run:
- Prioritize Stamin-Up: You’re going to be doing a lot of running. Leveling up Stamin-Up to Tier III (or higher if you have the crystals) is a game-changer.
- Solo Strategy: If you’re playing alone, the Aether Shroud is your best friend. It saves you during the Decontamination Agent carry and the final boss fight.
- The Gallo SA12: While the Wonder Weapon is cool, a fully Pack-a-Punched Gallo SA12 (the shotgun on the wall in the plane) is arguably the best weapon for killing Megatons quickly.
- Timing: Aim to have the boss fight started by round 15. Anything past round 20 makes the "protect Orlov" step significantly more stressful because of the zombie health scaling.
Go grab your gear. The Dark Aether isn't going to fix itself. You've got the steps, you've got the strategy—now you just need to execute. Good luck, Requiem.