Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s Cursed mode, as expected, has proven to be a massive hit among longtime fans. While it doesn’t remove every modern mechanic that old school players have criticized, as features like armor are still present, it does resemble the older modes thanks to the use of the traditional point system and other features. With the acquisition of points working differently, and the prices of purchases like Pack-a-Punch raised to accommodate for the change, having a point weapon is essential once again.
Newer CoD Zombies players who only got into Zombies with games like Black Ops Cold War, Black Ops 6, and Black Ops 7 may not be familiar with the concept of a point weapon, as in modern games racking up points has been all about accuracy and headshots. However, with the old system, the goal is to damage the undead as much as possible without actually killing them. There have been some iconic points weapons over the years, be it the MP40 on the Kino Der Toten wall or the Tommy Gun on Mob of the Dead. However, Black Ops 7’s greatest point gun outshines them all, and it’s so good in Cursed that players should expect a nerf sooner rather than later. Said weapon is none other than the Akita shotgun, and Cursed fans should make use of it while it’s still at the top of the mountain.
Why is Black Ops 7’s Akita Shotgun So Good in Cursed?
Black Ops 7’s Akita Shotgun shines because of its unique trait: its full auto nature. Unlike the pump action M10 Breacher or two-round burst Echo 12, players can hold down the trigger on the Akita and fly through all its ammo, pumping led into a horde of the undead. It doesn’t deal the most damage in the world, even if it’s fun to fire, so it’s relatively useless in regular Zombies. However, one mode’s trash is another mode’s treasure, as it’s the perfect secondary in the early-mid rounds of Cursed matches. Every pellet from the Akita counts as an individual bullet, and with each bullet that hits a zombie providing 10 points in Cursed, it doesn’t take long before the points really pile up.
As players pump their shotgun rounds into a group of enemies, the bullets will all hit targets and even penetrate through to others, meaning it doesn’t take long before players are earning tens of thousands of points. In just a few rounds of peppering enemies with Akita shots before finishing them off with a Wonder Weapon like the Necrofluid Gauntlet or a strong bullet gun like the M34 Novaline, players will have enough points to fully upgrade their guns and get any perks they still need. While players are hopeful that the Akita won’t be nerfed, as it serving this special purpose in Cursed makes it desirable when it otherwise wouldn’t be, the fact that it’s so much better than any other weapon at earning points gives good reason to be nervous about the next balance pass.
Since players cannot spawn in with a weapon of their choosing in Cursed, as they always start with just a pistol, they’ll typically need to hit the Mystery Box and hope for the best. However, the Akita is a wall weapon that can be found in Ashwood, making it something that Cursed players can snag every single game on Ashes of the Damned.
Black Ops 7 Season 1 Will Be a Turning Point for the Akita Shotgun in Cursed
One way or another, the inaugural Season of post-launch content for Black Ops 7 will determine whether the Akita becomes even more overpowered or experiences a fall from grace. If it’s nerfed so that each pellet no longer provides points, then the weapon will go from being meta in Cursed to getting largely ignored. However, if it’s left alone by Treyarch, then it’s only going to be even more viable thanks to Season 1’s major additions. First, there’s Mule Kick, which is debuting as part of the new round-based map Astra Malorum. As always, this perk will allow players to hold three guns at once, meaning they could have a strong bullet weapon, a Wonder Weapon, and a point weapon in the Akita all at the exact same time.
The other addition that will benefit Akita users is one of the new attachments coming in Season 1 that will be unlocked via weekly challenges. Within the launch window for the first Season, players will be able to earn the Akita Scorchlink Akimbo attachment. That means that, if the Akita somehow survives being nerfed in Cursed mode, players will be able to dual wield the best point gun in all of Zombies. This attachment, when combined with the Dragon’s Breath attachment to make it more effective against the Zursa mini-boss, should allow the Akita to be an even more viable weapon than it already is. Players would be able fire slowly when trying to build points, or rapid fire in an emergency or to kill a bear, making the gun both fun to use and effective.
While CoD Zombies loadouts are not present within Cursed mode, players can use them to set gun builds for weapons. These builds will make it so that when players purchase a gun off the wall or pull it from the Mystery Box, it’ll have their choice of attachments and camo equipped.
Season 1’s release date will be a moment of truth for Akita fans, and there's a case to be made both for and against its nerf. Sure, it makes other point guns irrelevant, and it being a wall weapon means that players can reliably obtain it in every Cursed match, but having particularly useful (and weak) weapons helps give the gun lineup a distinct identity. Players will know soon whether Treyarch intended for the Akita to shine in Cursed or whether it was an oversight, as the Season 1 balancing pass will either leave the gun alone or rip it apart. For the time being, though, the Akita is an overpowered points-earning strategy in Cursed that everyone should enjoy while they’re still able to.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 66 /100 Critics Rec: 34%
- Released
- November 14, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
