Black Ops 7 Zombies Guide: How to Summon Wonder Dog Klaus

Klaus is one of the most useful allies you can recruit in Black Ops 7 Zombies' launch map, Ashes of the Damned (also referred to as Ashwood across guides). The mechanical wonder dog follows you through hordes, hits hard with a Pack-a-Punched weapon, and is a mandatory recruit if you want to build the Necrofluid Gauntlet Wonder Weapon or complete the map's main quest easter egg. Getting him out of his cell, though, takes some setup — starting with a fight you need to survive first.

Before You Start: Reach Round 8 and Gear Up

According to Gameranx, you cannot trigger the Klaus quest until you reach at least Round 8, which is the earliest point Uber Klaus can spawn as an Elite Enemy. Before you chase that fight, make sure your loadout is ready. Gameranx recommends having a weapon at blue Rare rarity and Pack-a-Punch Level 1 at minimum going into the encounter, while GameRant advises bringing at least a Pack-a-Punched weapon and some Armor. The stronger your kit above that floor, the cleaner the fight will go.

Step 1: Defeat Uber Klaus and Loot the Stabilizer Chip

Once you hit Round 8 or beyond, head back to the spawn area of Janus Towers Plaza. From there, move west as if you were heading through the gates toward Blackwater Lake. As GameRant describes it, "an Uber Klaus is going to burst out of a crate" in that direction.

Uber Klaus is an Elite Enemy, and GameRant is direct about the threat level: "he is pretty deadly... this mechanical monster can deal lethal damage up close and from afar." The key to the fight is targeting the pylons on Uber Klaus' shoulders. GameRant also recommends equipping the Napalm Burst Ammo Mod, calling it Uber Klaus' specific weakness. Once Uber Klaus goes down, loot the Stabilizer Chip from his body — this item is what unlocks everything that follows.

Step 2: Reach Klaus' Cell in the Sheriff's Office

With the Stabilizer Chip in hand, make your way to the Sheriff's Office in the northeast corner of Ashwood. Gameranx notes the office sits to the left of the Vulture Aid Perk Machine, and you can reach it via the rappel line opposite the garage where Pack-a-Punch is located. Be aware that entering the Sheriff's Office costs points, so make sure you have some Essence available before heading up.

Inside, you'll find Klaus sitting in a jail cell. On the left side of the cell bars is a chip reader terminal. Interact with it to insert the Stabilizer Chip. The system will begin to activate, then display the message: "Update Requires Restart."

Step 3: Throw Stun Grenades to Reboot Klaus

This is where guides diverge on the exact number, so it's worth knowing what each source says. Gameranx states you need to throw 2 Stun Grenades at Klaus to reboot his systems. GameRant says "at least 3" and recommends crafting 4 to be safe. A separate guide also calls for 4. All sources agree on the important part: the grenades must actually hit Klaus, and a visual indicator above his head (described as stars by GameRant, or a stun icon by Gameranx) confirms success.

GameRant's advice on technique is worth following regardless of how many you bring: "you have to aim them near his seat and not have the Stun Grenade bounce out of the cell." Bounced grenades that miss may not count. If you need to craft Stun Grenades, head to the Crafting Table in Ashwood where they cost 250 Salvage each, per GameRant. Bringing 4 is the conservative play given the conflicting counts across sources.

Once Klaus registers the stuns correctly, he wakes up, stands from the chair, and flies out of the building. As Gameranx puts it, he will land "in the map's play area" and is now yours to command.

How Klaus Fights and What He Can Do

Klaus is a legitimate combat asset. GameRant confirms he comes equipped with a Tier 2 Pack-a-Punch weapon, while Gameranx specifies he uses a Pack-a-Punched Assault Rifle and can sometimes throw LT53 Kazimir grenades for additional damage. When you direct him via L1, GameRant notes he will "release a thunderous stomp" on command. Zombies will generally ignore him and focus on you instead, which lets Klaus operate freely in a crowd.

Commanding and Resummoning Klaus

Directing Klaus around the map works through a few inputs. GameRant explains you can use Up on the D-Pad to ping a location for Klaus to move to, and press L1 to issue a direct command that triggers his stomp attack. Gameranx describes using your Tactical button to direct him. Eurogamer notes that Klaus can also be summoned "whether by using your Tactical Grenade input, or by one of the various radio-like [devices] you can spot in each of the main zones."

On resummoning, the methods and costs vary by source. Gameranx says you can resummon Klaus by spending 2,000 Essence at any of the Klaus consoles found in each area of the map. GameRant describes a different tradeoff, stating "you will have to give up your Tactical Equipment in order to have Klaus active" and that you can recall him with L1 after a short recharge. Eurogamer adds that if you pick up a Tactical grenade in the field, you can use the zone devices to call Klaus back. All three mechanics likely coexist in the game, so your options depend on what resources you have available at the moment.

Klaus' Limitations

There are a few things to keep in mind once Klaus is active. He has limited health, so he is not invincible. Per GameRant, he will be active for roughly a round or two before flying away, at which point a short recharge period is required before you can recall him. Gameranx similarly notes he stays active for a few minutes before returning to his cell.

One very important behavior: as GameRant explicitly flags, "Klaus will never kill the final zombie!" This means he won't accidentally end your round during a critical moment, making him safe to have active while you're farming or finishing side objectives before killing the last zombie.

Why Klaus Matters Beyond Combat

Freeing Klaus is not just a quality-of-life unlock. According to Eurogamer, "he's someone you'll need to recruit when building the Necrofluid Gauntlet Wonder Weapon, and taking on the map's main quest easter egg." Gameranx reinforces this, noting that defeating Uber Klaus and freeing the smaller, friendly Klaus is itself part of the easter-egg quest chain. If you are going for the full Ashes of the Damned completion, recruiting Klaus is not optional — it's a hard requirement woven into the map's progression.

Getting Klaus on your side early, ideally as soon as you hit Round 8 and can trigger the Uber Klaus encounter, gives you a durable, damage-dealing companion that makes the rest of the map considerably more manageable.