Call of Duty players solve Agarthan Device relic, unlock Totenreich zombie trial

The Agarthan Device relic finally has a solve, and Totenreich gets a lot more dangerous because of it

The community has pulled apart one of Totenreich’s biggest secrets: the Agarthan Device relic now unlocks a trial that changes the way serious Zombies players approach the map. Once activated, the relic turns the run into an indoor-damage-only challenge with unique zombie types spawning each round, which is exactly the kind of odd, punishing twist that keeps a post-launch map alive. The solve is already being credited to @ZoneXbez and others, and it matters because it gives Cursed Mode hunters a fresh, repeatable goal almost immediately after the map dropped.

Why this matters right now

Totenreich is the new round-based Zombies map introduced in Season 03 Reloaded, the mid-season update that launched on April 30, 2026. Official Call of Duty materials and patch notes place Totenreich squarely in that Reloaded content drop, so this is not some buried legacy trick from an old map cycle. It is new, live, and already feeding into the broader Cursed Mode relic hunt that players are tearing apart as fast as the mode allows.

That timing is the real story here. The map only just arrived, and the community has already moved from basic route-finding to solving a hidden relic chain that adds a separate layer of progression beyond the main quest. For players who live for Zombies secrets, that means Totenreich is not just a place to survive rounds. It is already becoming a puzzle box.

What the Agarthan Device unlock actually does

The completed relic effect is the part worth paying attention to. Players describe the payoff as spawning unique zombie types per round while forcing an indoor-damage-only trial, which changes both pacing and loadout priorities. That is not a trivial modifier. It means your familiar route through Totenreich stops being enough, and your damage windows get tighter the moment the relic is active.

That design also explains why the community has treated the solve like a proper breakthrough instead of a novelty. The relic does not just hand out a one-time reward and disappear into the background. It adds a challenge state that can be run again, and that kind of repeatable modifier is exactly what keeps a Zombies map relevant after the first wave of main quest completions.

How the unlock is being done

The most consistent player-facing descriptions point to a Richtofen-specific side quest. At least one guide says one player must run as Richtofen, then gather three items: a Mr. Peeks object, a helmet, and a radio. Those items are then placed on a throne, which opens a portal to Dry Dock and pushes the quest forward.

That sequence is important because it gives the relic hunt a clear structure without making it feel like a simple checklist. Richtofen appears to be the key, not just a skin choice, and that lines up with the way Treyarch-style hidden quests often lock certain interactions behind character-specific steps. If your squad is trying to reproduce the unlock, the safe assumption is that one player needs to be on Richtofen duty from the start.

The throne placement is the other big marker. Once the items are collected, the ritual-style setup turns the hunt from scavenging into activation, and the Dry Dock portal is the visual proof that the chain has moved into its next stage. That is the point where the relic solve stops feeling theoretical and starts paying off in actual map access.

The conditions players are using to start it

The unlock is being described as requiring Cursed tier 2 or higher, which means you are not walking into this from a fresh opening round with no setup. One creator also says the process can be started as early as round 15, but there is a catch: zombie difficulty can scale all the way into the round 60-plus range while you are setting it up. That combination tells you everything about how demanding this hunt is.

Here is the practical takeaway: this is not a casual side objective you tack onto a low-pressure run. If you want the relic done cleanly, you need enough firepower, mobility, and map knowledge to survive a long setup while the pressure keeps rising. The round 60-plus warning is the kind of stat that should make any squad stop and plan before they even touch the quest chain.

Totenreich’s setting makes the hunt feel even stranger

Dexerto’s coverage of Totenreich describes the map as taking players to Eidskallen, a Norse fishing village that has been partly frozen in time. That setting gives the relic hunt some needed atmosphere, because the map already feels like a place where old rituals, buried equipment, and weird zombie logic should exist together. Dry Dock fits that mood perfectly, especially once the portal opens and the map starts feeling less like a survival arena and more like a sealed-off secret.

That frozen-village identity also helps explain why the relic chain is landing so well with the community. Totenreich is not just delivering another round-based arena. It is giving players a location built for hidden systems, and the Agarthan Device solve is the first big sign that the map’s secret layer has teeth.

What serious Zombies players should do next

If you want the relic trial, the first move is simple: make sure one player is on Richtofen, push into Cursed tier 2 or higher, and build the item chain around Mr. Peeks, the helmet, and the radio. From there, the throne placement and Dry Dock portal become the critical handoff points, because that is where the unlock transitions from scavenger hunt to actual trial. The community has already done the hard part by solving it; now the job is execution.

The bigger point is that Totenreich has already graduated from launch map to live secret-hunt playground. With the Agarthan Device relic cracked, Season 03 Reloaded now has a Zombies challenge that rewards coordination, patience, and a willingness to deal with a brutal indoor-only fight. For players who wanted proof that Totenreich would have legs, this is it.