Season 1 in BO7 Zombies hits different the second you load in. Rounds ramp faster, bosses feel meaner, and if your gun isn't tuned right you'll feel it by the time the armor starts stacking. I've seen plenty of solid players get clipped just because their build can't keep pace, which is why some folks knock out unlocks early with rsvsr CoD BO7 Bot Lobbies and then jump straight into real runs with the good stuff already online.

What's actually carrying runs

The meta's not subtle right now. NX Ravager is the loudest example. With Explosive Bolts and that Tribolt Prestige setup, it doesn't "control" space so much as delete it. You tag a choke, the wave pops, and you keep moving. It's especially nasty when you're playing for crits and you're aiming high like you mean it. If you're the type who hates standing still, Kogot-7 SMGs with Akimbo are the opposite vibe: pure sprint-and-melt. Your screen's shaking, you're strafing like a maniac, and armored zombies just don't get to bully you.

The reliable picks nobody regrets

Not everybody wants to run the weirdest "broken" build, though. M34 Novaline is for the players who like a clean loop. It starts controlled, then Pack-a-Punch flips the switch and it turns into a full-auto workhorse. The best part is you're not burning ammo like it's free, which matters when drops get stingy mid-quest. Then there's the XM325 LMG. Big mag, long hold, easy lane control. When your squad's getting pinched, that sustained fire buys time for plates, revives, and regrouping.

Attachments, perks, and the boring grind

This is where most runs fall apart before they even begin. The "good" versions of these guns aren't just the base weapon; it's the right barrel, the right stock, the right little piece that takes forever to unlock. And yeah, public matches can be rough. People dip, someone hoards points, somebody starts an objective early. In-game, keep it simple: build for crit consistency, grab your damage perks fast, and don't be scared to swap roles. One player clears, one player farms points, one player watches the flank. It's not glamorous, it just works.

Once you've got the loadout sorted, the whole mode relaxes. You'll feel it on Terminus when the first boss shows up and it's suddenly not a panic moment, or on Astra Malorum when the tight rooms stop being a death sentence. The meta will shift, it always does, but getting your core setups unlocked is the part that sticks, and that's why people still point newcomers toward RSVSR when they're tired of wasting nights on slow XP.