What is Salvage in Black Ops 6 Zombies and what is it used for?

You'll want to stock up on as much Salvage as possible.

A female character shooting a Ray Gun, firing green beams of energy at zombies.
Image via Activision

There are two forms of currency that Call of Duty players need to know the ins and outs of in Black Ops 6 Zombies: Essence and Salvage. In this guide, we’ll break down the basics of what Salvage is and its purpose.

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What does Salvage do in Black Ops 6 Zombies?

A screenshot showing Salvage on the ground in Black Ops 6 Zombies.
That green pile of scraps on the ground is what Salvage looks like. Screenshot by Dot Esports via MrDalekJD

While Essence is the form of currency in Black Ops 6 Zombies CoD players earn by simply killing zombies and use to buy guns, perks, and more, Activision describes Salvage as “small piles of junk with a green outline,” as seen in the screenshot above. Salvage will randomly drop after killing zombies.

Salvage could be found in Black Ops Cold War Zombies as either regular Salvage (green outline) or High-Grade Salvage (blue outline). In Black Ops 6 Zombies, however, the devs are doing away with the blue-outlined version and there will only be one form of Salvage. In addition, Salvage is now “player-specific,” according to Activision, which implies the Salvage you see in your game can only be picked up by you if you’re playing in a party with other people.

Here’s a list of what you can use Salvage on in Black Ops 6 Zombies, according to Activision:

  • Ammo Mods
  • Upgrade your weapon’s rarity
  • Make Tactical equipment at a Crafting Table
  • Make Lethal equipment at a Crafting Table
  • Make Support equipment at a Crafting Table

Upgrading your weapon’s rarity will most likely be the most important use of Salvage in Black Ops 6 Zombies. In Cold War, you needed to use High-Grade Salvage to upgrade your weapon rarity and armor to the highest tiers. With only one type of Salvage in Black Ops 6, though, it’s unclear how much Salvage it will take to max out your weapon rarity. A gun that’s been Pack-a-Punched three times and is at the highest weapon rarity could deal massive damage in Cold War—and we expect that to remain true in Black Ops 6 Zombies.

In Cold War, there were also certain attachments you could throw on your loadout weapon to increase your odds of getting Salvage drops from slain zombies. It’s unclear at this time if this will be a feature in Black Ops 6 Zombies, but if it is, you’ll want to know which attachments provide this benefit if you’re looking to farm as much Salvage as possible.

Author
Image of Justin Binkowski
Justin Binkowski
Dot Esports Editor. I primarily play, watch, and write about Call of Duty but can also occasionally be found feeding the enemy ADC in League of Legends. I have been following competitive Call of Duty since 2011 and writing about it since 2015.