Call of Duty Black Ops II Mob of the Dead Easter Egg Guide: Break the Cycle

Master the Call of Duty Black Ops II Mob of the Dead Easter Egg. Step-by-step guide to the Pop Goes the Weasel quest, buildables, and endings.

Few gaming experiences match the narrative depth and dark atmosphere of the Call of Duty Black Ops II mob of the dead easter egg. Released as part of the Uprising DLC, this iconic map trapped players in a hellish, zombie-infested version of Alcatraz Island. Successfully completing the Call of Duty Black Ops II mob of the dead easter egg, known formally as "Pop Goes the Weasel," requires tight coordination, map knowledge, and a deep dive into the tragic lore of its four mobster protagonists.

This comprehensive walkthrough covers every step needed to escape the prison, build the plane, assemble the legendary wonder weapons, and choose the final fate of the crew.

Easter Egg Prerequisites and Setup

Before diving into the prison cells, you must ensure your lobby meets the strict requirements of this main quest. Unlike some other Treyarch maps, you cannot finish the final confrontation alone. While solo players can complete almost all the setup steps, the final step requires a cooperative lobby.

Lobby and Player Requirements

Requirement	Specification	Notes
Player Count	2 to 4 Players	Must be played in Co-op or Custom Games (Split-screen allowed).
Character Requirement	Albert "Weasel" Arlington	One player in the game must spawn as Weasel.
Difficulty Level	Original / Normal	Cannot be completed on Easy difficulty.
Key Equipment	Hell's Retriever	Required for retrieving quest items.

According to community reports, players should ideally assign the role of Weasel to the most experienced survivalist in the group, as the final step places a unique combat burden on his shoulders.

Step 1: Feed the Beasts and Acquire the Hell's Retriever

To kick off the Call of Duty Black Ops II mob of the dead easter egg, you must obtain the Hell's Retriever. This supernatural tomahawk acts as your primary tool for retrieving vital quest items. To get it, you must feed the three fiery Cerberus heads that emerge from metal dog walls around the prison.

Cerberus Head Locations

Location	Description	Activation
Cell Block	Near the library/spawn area on the middle level.	Kill a zombie nearby to wake the beast. Feed it ~6 zombies.
Docks	Located on the wall near the generator room.	Kill a zombie nearby. Feed it ~6 zombies until it retreats.
Infirmary	On the wall in the upper hospital ward.	Kill a zombie nearby. Feed it until it disappears.

Once all three Cerberus heads are fully fed, travel down to the Citadel Tunnels. The Hell's Retriever will be floating in a fiery pool, ready for pickup.

Step 2: Build and Fly the Icarus Plane

To progress the story, the mobsters must attempt their escape plan by building a makeshift plane named Icarus on the prison roof. This requires finding five parts scattered across Alcatraz. You must collect these parts, build the plane on the roof, fly to the Golden Gate Bridge, and return to the prison via the electric chairs.

Note: For the main quest, you must complete this entire cycle of flying to the bridge and returning to the prison at least three times across your match.

Icarus Plane Parts Checklist

[ ] Uniform Sheet (Warden's Office) -> Requires Warden's Key to unlock the electrical box.
[ ] Engine (Docks) -> Requires Afterlife power to lower the hanging shipping crate.
[ ] Control Valve (Citadel Tunnels) -> Requires solving the dial puzzle in Afterlife.
[ ] Rigging (Spiral Staircase) -> Requires opening the wire cage with the Warden's Key.
[ ] Oxygen Tank (Infirmary) -> Requires unlocking the locked cage.

After building the plane on the roof, board it to fly to the Golden Gate Bridge. To return to Alcatraz, sit in the electric chairs on the bridge. This will send you back to the start of the prison in Afterlife mode.

Step 3: Retrieve the Free Blundergat

While you can pull the Blundergat from the Mystery Box, the Call of Duty Black Ops II mob of the dead easter egg requires you to obtain the free version hidden on the Warden's desk. To unlock it, you must use your Hell's Retriever to collect five invisible blue skulls scattered outside the playable boundaries of the map. These skulls only become visible when looking through Afterlife mode, but you can throw your tomahawk at them in normal mode if you know their locations.

Invisible Skull Locations

Skull Number	Location	How to Get It
1	Docks	Look out at the water from the docks. It sits on the third pillar of the far dock.
2	Juggernog area	Sits on top of a lamppost up the hill from Juggernog. Grab it from the moving Gondola or by jumping.
3	Cell Block	Inside a lit jail cell near the library spawn area, sitting on a table next to a regular skull.
4	Warden's Office	Look out the window next to Speed Cola. It sits on top of a wooden utility pole.
5	Roof	Go to the far left corner of the roof (away from the plane). It rests on the outer ledge.

Once you collect the fifth skull, a distinct laughter will echo. Head to the Warden's Office, where the Blundergat will be waiting on the table.

Step 4: Retrieve the Spoon

The next step in the Call of Duty Black Ops II mob of the dead easter egg is acquiring the silver spoon. This is a crucial step that can be done concurrently with your plane flights.

The Poster: Go to the cell block area near the Warden's Office. Locate the cell with a poster of a poster on the wall. Throw a frag grenade or your Hell's Retriever at it to blow it away, revealing a hidden portal.
The Afterlife Shock: Enter Afterlife mode, go through the newly opened portal in the wall opposite the Warden's Office, and shock the spoon lying on the floor. A ghostly laugh confirms success.
The Cafeteria: Go to the Cafeteria. Look through the barrier window at the back of the room. You will see a spoon resting on a table to the left. Throw your Hell's Retriever at the spoon to pull it into your inventory.

Step 5: Input the Prison Numbers

Once you have completed the bridge cycle at least three times, obtained the free Blundergat, and secured the spoon, head to the spiral staircase between the Citadel Tunnels and the docks. The mechanical number dial at the bottom of the stairs will be rapidly spinning and clicking.

One player must enter Afterlife mode and interact with the dials to input the four unique prison numbers of the mobsters:

101 (Albert "Weasel" Arlington)
481 (Salvatore "Sal" DeLuca)
386 (Michael "Finn" O'Leary)
872 (Billy Handsome)

Tip for Solo/Co-op Players: The Afterlife timer is short. In co-op, have a teammate stand near your downed body and repeatedly initiate a partial revive. This pauses your bleed-out meter, giving you infinite time in Afterlife to enter the codes. If playing solo, you can do this across multiple Afterlife attempts.

Once all four numbers are entered, the screen will lose its color, turning completely black and white. You will hear the voice of Stanley Ferguson narrating the grim history of the escape plot.

Step 6: Collect the Audio Logs

After the initial narration ends, you must find and listen to five glowing headphone drops that appear sequentially across the map. These audio logs detail the real-world fate of the four mobsters on that fateful night in 1933.

Audio Log Locations

[ ] Log 1: On the spiral staircase leading up to the Citadel Tunnels.
[ ] Log 2: Near the Double Tap Root Beer perk machine.
[ ] Log 3: On the walkway connecting the Warden's Office and the Cafeteria.
[ ] Log 4: In the stairwell between the Cafeteria and the Infirmary.
[ ] Log 5: On the final staircase leading to the Roof.

You must listen to each log in its entirety before the next one spawns. A demonic laugh will sound after each log is successfully completed.

Step 7: The Final Flight and Ending Confrontation

With the audio logs completed, the final stage of the Call of Duty Black Ops II mob of the dead easter egg begins. Make your way to the roof. The plane will be ready for takeoff without requiring any fuel parts.

One player must enter Afterlife mode and interact with the plane. This will automatically pull all other players into Afterlife mode and board them onto the flight.

The plane will fly to the Golden Gate Bridge and crash. Once you land, every player must interact with their respective electric chair to revive themselves.

The Ultimate Choice: Break or Continue the Cycle

As soon as the players revive, the game's mechanics shift dramatically. Albert "Weasel" Arlington is now marked as an enemy to the other three mobsters. The zombies on the bridge will ignore Weasel completely and only target the other three players. At this moment, the "Pop Goes the Weasel" achievement will unlock for everyone in the lobby.

                  [ Final Battle on the Bridge ]
                                |
         +----------------------+----------------------+
         |                                             |
 [ Weasel Wins ]                               [ Mobsters Win ]
         |                                             |
  "Break the Cycle"                             "Continue the Cycle"
   (Canon Ending)                                (Standard Ending)
         |                                             |
  Orchestral Music                              Classic Ending Song
  Vertical Camera Pan                           Standard Camera Angle

To Break the Cycle (Canon Ending): Weasel must kill the other three mobsters. To balance the 3v1 fight, Weasel is granted massive damage resistance. If Weasel kills his former friends, the cycle is finally broken, and a beautiful orchestral theme plays as the camera pans up into the sky.
To Continue the Cycle: The other three mobsters must hunt down and kill Weasel. If they succeed, the cycle continues, trapping their souls in the purgatory of Alcatraz forever.

For players looking to dive deeper into the overarching narrative of the Aether storyline, you can explore the official Call of Duty Website to see how this tragic loop connects to later maps like Blood of the Dead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you do the Call of Duty Black Ops II mob of the dead easter egg on solo?

No, you cannot complete the entire quest on solo. While you can complete almost every step on your own (including building the plane, getting the Blundergat, and entering the prison numbers), you must have at least two players in the game to trigger the final battle on the Golden Gate Bridge. One of these players must be Albert "Weasel" Arlington.

What happens if Weasel dies during the final step?

If the other mobsters kill Weasel on the Golden Gate Bridge, you will trigger the "Continue the Cycle" ending. This is considered the bad ending. The game will end, and you will hear a unique ending song. Both endings award the "Pop Goes the Weasel" achievement.

Why isn't the number pad clicking or changing in the spiral staircase?

If the number pad is not rapidly clicking or changing numbers, you have missed a prerequisite step. Make sure you have completed the bridge cycle (flying to the bridge and returning via the electric chairs) at least three times, obtained the free Blundergat from the Warden's desk, and successfully retrieved the spoon from the Cafeteria.

Is the "Break the Cycle" ending canon?

Yes, the ending where Weasel defeats the other mobsters and breaks the cycle is officially canon. This is confirmed by the events of the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 map, Blood of the Dead, which directly continues the story of the Primis crew visiting this dimension after the cycle has been disrupted.