Vanguard Zombies Altar of Covenants upgrade system: All upgrades

Andrew Highton
Vanguard zombies altar of covenants upgrades

Treyarch introduced a new system for Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies called the Altar of Covenants. It’s an upgrade system that offers lots of unique gameplay opportunities and we will detail all of them and how they work below.

Call of Duty: Vanguard has had a successful release with a solid campaign and one of the best multiplayer experiences in years.

Treyarch have carried on their work with Zombies, which is excellent for those who were invested in Cold War‘s Dark Aether storyline.

Alongside the new Der Anfang map, Vanguard Zombies has welcomed a new upgrade system called Altar of Covenants. Our guide will run through all the different upgrades you can get and how to get them.

What is Vanguard Zombies’ Altar of Covenants upgrade system?

vanguard zombies altar

The Altar of Covenants offers powerful new abilities to equip as you progress through the match, provided in exchange for the new Sacrificial Heart loot item earned by completing Objectives.

Treyarch said: “In addition to an ever-changing gameplay space and increasingly difficult Objectives, the Altar of Covenants is one of our most significant innovations in Zombies to date.

You can have up to three Covenants at a time, and the selection of available Covenants randomizes after each Objective is completed, so you’ll always have new specialties to choose from.

Alternate Ammo Types (AATs) from previous games have also been incorporated into Covenants for the best of both worlds, including favorites such as Brain Rot and Cryofreeze.”

Every Altar of Covenants upgrade

vanguard zombies

Thanks to the Vanguard Season 1 update, there are currently 16 different Covenants that can appear at the end of each round of Vanguard Zombies.

Here is every Covenant you can obtain in a game of Der Anfang:

  • Bloodlust: Melee attacks do more damage and heal you.
  • Resurrectionist: Revive allies faster.
  • Brain Rot: Chance to turn enemies to your side.
  • Cryofreeze: Chance to slow enemies.
  • Death Blow: Critical kills return bullets to the clip.
  • Ammo Gremlin: Stowed weapons refill ammo from stock automatically.
  • Dead Accurate: Consecutive hits on the same enemy do more damage.
  • Splatterfest: Enemies killed by explosions may explode.
  • Unholy Ground: Deal more damage while stationary.
  • Cull the Weak: Deal more damage to slowed or stunned enemies.
  • Mother Lode: Chance to keep Equipment after using it.
  • Brimstone: Deal damage to nearby enemies.
  • Deadshot: Aiming down sights snaps the crosshairs to headshot location on enemies. Bonus damage on the first crit for each enemy. Removes weapon sway.
  • Dead Wire: Stuns enemy and nearby enemies.
  • Scrapper: Gain more Salvage from pickups and Objective rewards.
  • Swift Vengeance: Deal more damage the faster you move. It activates after you start moving. Fire while sprinting.
vanguard zombies covenants upgrades

Players can combine the Vanguard Zombies Altar of Covenants upgrades with their Perks, Artifacts, and weapons to create new gameplay dynamics in Vanguard Zombies.

This new system is a fresh addition to the series and boasts some exciting opportunities for players to have some fun while battling hordes of Zombies.


If you wish to know, even more, make sure you check out our Vanguard Zombies hub for all the information currently known about the mode.

Image Credit: Sledgehammer Games / Activision / Treyarch

About The Author

A content creator for Charlie INTEL / Dexerto that earned a degree, wrote for PlusXP, Twinfinite, and Keengamer, before finally securing his dream job of being a professional video game writer. When not writing about games, he's very busy playing every game in existence and adding to his 11,000+ PlayStation Trophies and 150+ Platinums. You can contact him at [email protected].