By this point it should come as no surprise that the zombies mode in COD: Black Ops Cold War will be a deep, complex, and challenging mode on par with previous entries. Each game has only built upon the mode's simple concept with more and more mechanics, and now we know that Cold War's zombie mode will include a new resource called aetherium crystals. If you're looking to reach the final levels of this brand new zombie experience, you and your team will want to know all about what aetherium crystals do – and how to get them – before the undead swarms you.

What Aetherium Crystals Do In Cold War's Zombies Mode

Simply put, the new aetherium crystals are a resource that, for the time being, appear only to be included in the zombies mode of Black Ops Cold War and are a currency needed to upgrade your skills and perks. In previous iterations of the zombies mode, cash was the only currency you had to keep track of and could be spent at specific locations to purchase your perks and weapons.

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Now, based on the information we have, you will need these new aetherium crystals if you want to upgrade perks, such as the Elemental Pop perk Treyarch used as an example. This perk, which makes each bullet you fire have a chance to gain a random ammo mod effect, can be upgraded from tier one to three.

Tier one makes equipment damage also have a chance of applying an ammo mod effect; tier two cuts the ammo mod's cooldown by 20%; tier three makes any ammo mod effect use your current Skill Tier rather than just being the base effect.

Every perk will have their own unique upgrades to experiment with, and even new perks are planned for the game post-launch. Aside from perks – field upgrades, ammo mods, and weapon classes will also be upgraded using these aetherium crystals.

How To Get Aetherium Crystals Cold War's Zombies Mode

Considering how vital upgrades are to all iterations of COD zombies, you'll want as many as you can get your hands on. While the details are still vague, we do know you'll be earning these crystals by reaching specific rounds in the mode and exfiltrating the game alive after playing at least ten rounds. Any upgrades you make will be permanent, so every time you earn enough to upgrade something – it'll be worth it in the long run.

There are six confirmed perks that will be available at launch, all of which you will need to upgrade by using your collected aetherium crystals. While all, except Elemental Pop, will be familiar to zombie veterans, some do appear to be nerfed at the base level.

  1. Jugger-Nog - Increases max HP by 50
  2. Quick Revive - Speeds up health regen by 50% and reduces the time it takes to revive an ally by 50%.
  3. Speed Cola - Increases reload speed by 15%
  4. Stamin-Up - Boosts speed when running and sprinting
  5. Deadshot Daiquiri - Reduces scope sway and makes ADSing target an enemy's weak point
  6. Elemental Pop - Covered above, but adds a chance to apply an ammo mod effect to every bullet

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