You’ve been there. The screen is a vibrating mess of purple haze and sprinting sprinters, your armor plates are shredded, and the radio starts crackling about a helicopter that feels like it’s a million miles away. In Black Ops 6 Zombies, knowing exactly when Liberty Falls exfil rounds start isn't just a bit of trivia—it's the difference between keeping your XP and watching your character get eaten in a parking lot.
Exfilling is weirdly stressful.
Honestly, the game doesn't do a great job explaining the rhythm of it. You see the radio icon, you think you’re safe, and then a Mangler puts a cannon shot through your chest. Most players jump the gun. Or they wait too long and get overwhelmed by the sheer scaling of the Liberty Falls map.
When can you actually leave Liberty Falls?
The magic number is 15. Well, the first one.
In the standard round-based mode, your first opportunity to call for extraction appears at the end of Round 15. After that, it’s a recurring window. You get a chance every five rounds. So, 15, 20, 25, and so on until the game either crashes or you succumb to the horde. It's a rhythmic cycle that forces a "just one more round" mentality, which is how most people end up losing their flawless runs.
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Why 15? It's basically the game's way of ensuring you've actually played.
If you try to bail earlier, the pilot essentially tells you to kick rocks. But once that Round 15 milestone hits, the radio icon pops up on your HUD. It’s located in the starting area—the gas station parking lot. You have to physically interact with it. You can't just wish your way out. Once someone initiates it, the rest of the team has to vote.
The Chaos of the Exfil Site
The Liberty Falls exfil is arguably tougher than Terminus because of the sightlines. You’re in that open parking lot near the Olly’s Comics and the motel. It looks spacious. It’s a trap.
Once the timer starts, the game stops caring about "rounds" and just starts dumping every entity it has into that small zone. You’ll get Manglers. You’ll get Abominations if you’re high enough in the rounds. The goal isn't just to survive; it’s a countdown. You have to clear the designated number of zombies within the time limit. If one stray shambler is hiding behind a parked car when the clock hits zero? The chopper leaves. You die.
It sucks.
Expert players usually save a Mutant Injection or a Chopper Gunner specifically for this 60-second window. If you're playing solo, a Sentry Turret placed near the white van in the parking lot provides a consistent stream of cover fire while you focus on the elites.
Why Liberty Falls Exfil Rounds Scale So Aggressively
There is a noticeable spike in zombie health and speed during the exfil phase that doesn't quite match the round you are currently on. This is a deliberate balancing mechanic by Treyarch.
If you attempt a Round 15 exfil with a non-Pack-a-Punched weapon, you’re basically committing suicide. Even at that early stage, the armor on the Manglers requires high damage output. By Round 30, the exfil becomes a genuine raid-boss level event. The density of the horde increases, and the spawn rate of "Heavy" enemies—those with the green health bars—triples.
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People fail because they treat the exfil like a normal round. It isn't. It's a DPS check.
If your weapon isn't at least Tier 2 (Rare/Blue) and Pack-a-Punched once by Round 15, your chances of clearing the zone in time are slim. By Round 25, you need Legendary (Orange) rarity and Tier 3 Pack-a-Punch. If you aren't hitting those benchmarks, the timer will expire before you can finish the kill count.
The Strategy Nobody Uses (But Should)
Most teams stay in the center of the parking lot. That’s a mistake.
The best way to handle Liberty Falls exfil rounds is to use the "funnel" method. Keep one player near the gas station pumps to pull aggro from the spawns coming off the roof, while the rest of the team stays near the exfil radio. This prevents the zombies from surrounding the group and allows for clear lines of fire.
- Kazimir Devices: These are your best friend. Throw one down with 20 seconds left to suck up the trash mobs while you focus on the Abominations.
- Support Streaks: Don't use a Chopper Gunner if you are playing solo. Why? Because you can't be on the ground killing the ones the Chopper misses. Use a Combat Bow instead.
- Ammo Mods: Brain Rot is surprisingly helpful here. Turning a Mangler into an ally during an exfil provides a massive meat shield that clears the count for you.
Common Misconceptions About the Timer
I've heard people say that if you stand under the helicopter shadow, you're safe.
False.
The helicopter won't even lower the rope until the "Zombies Remaining" counter hits zero. You can be standing exactly where the extraction happens, but if there's a single zombie alive three blocks away that the game considers part of the exfil wave, you aren't going anywhere.
Another weird quirk? The timer doesn't stop when you kill the last zombie. It stops when the animation starts. Give yourself a 5-second buffer. If you see 0:05 on the clock and there are still three red dots on your mini-map, start praying.
Essential Loadout Prep for High-Round Extractions
If you're planning on going deep—let’s say Round 45 or 50—your setup for the exfil needs to be surgical. You cannot rely on a lucky Ray Gun pull.
The JetGun (the Wonder Weapon of Liberty Falls) is great for crowd control, but its "cooldown" can be a death sentence during the exfil. Pair it with a high-fire-rate SMG or the GS Magna. You need something that can shred armor plates off Manglers instantly.
Also, look at your Perks. Meleeing zombies with the Melee Macchiato perk can help push back the crowd if you get cornered, but Stamin-Up is the real MVP. You need to be able to outrun the sprinters to reach the stray zombies that spawn too far away from the parking lot.
Practical Steps for Your Next Run
Stop treating the exfil as an afterthought. It's the final boss of your session.
- Monitor the Round Count: Start your "exit prep" two rounds before the exfil window. If you want to leave at 25, start buying your killstreaks and restocking plates at Round 23.
- The 30-Second Rule: If you haven't cleared at least 70% of the required kills by the time the timer hits 30 seconds, pop your ultimate or your highest-damage support streak immediately. Don't "save" it. There is no tomorrow.
- Clear the Perimeter: Zombies often get stuck behind the fencing near the motel or inside the gas station. If the counter isn't going down, stop looking at the middle of the street and start checking the corners.
- Decoys are Key: If you don't have Kazimir devices, Decoy Grenades are a cheap and effective way to group the horde for a single explosive hit, which clears the kill count much faster than picking them off one by one.
Exfilling on Liberty Falls is a skill. It requires a mix of spatial awareness and raw firepower. Next time you hit Round 15, take a second to breathe, check your ammo, and make sure your team is actually ready for the spike in intensity. It’s better to go five more rounds and be prepared than to rush the radio and lose everything to a stray zombie you didn't see in the dark.