Walkthrough
Exposure is the opening campaign mission in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. You lead JSOC's Specter One squad (David "Section" Mason, Mike Harper, Eric Samuels, and Leilani "50/50" Tupuola) as they infiltrate a secret research facility in Avalon linked to the apparent return of Raul Menendez. This guide walks you through every objective and provides tips for handling the facility's security puzzles.
Mission Info & Unlockables
- Completion Reward: Unlocks the "Iridesone" M15 Mod 0 Weapon Blueprint.
- Collectible Intel: 1 piece ("Becoming the Monster") found in the Kinetic Jump tutorial hallucination area, resting next to a small well near a machete.
- Playable Options: Can be played Solo or in up to 4-Player co-op mode.
Phase 1: Facility Infiltration
The mission begins outside the Avalon solar panel arrays. Your squad must work their way through the perimeter patrol routes.
- Stealth Approach: Stick to the shadows and crawl along the side of the solar arrays. Melee takedowns are highly recommended to bypass guards without raising alarms.
- Watchtower Guard: Coordinate with your team to headshot the guard on the main research facility tower before attempting to cross the open courtyard.
Phase 2: Bypassing the Security Door (Step-by-Step)
Once inside the lower levels of the research facility, Specter One reaches a high-security corridor. You will find a heavy steel security door blocked by a glowing red plasma field.
Security Door Puzzle Solution:
- Follow the Power Lines: Look at the ground near the door. You will see thick, bright yellow cables running from the base of the plasma field. Follow these wires along the floor.
- Find the Power Supply: The cables lead through a small opening into an adjacent side utility room. Enter the room.
- Destroy the Generator: Look for a humming metal power generator mounted on the wall. Fire your weapon or throw a frag grenade at the generator to overload it. Once destroyed, the plasma field on the main door will shut off.
- Breach the Room: Return to the door, open it, and prepare to confront a wave of security forces and robot units.
Hacking the Quantum Computer:
- Access the Terminal: Inside the server room, clear the remaining guards and approach the main computer terminal displaying a security prompt.
- Solve the Circuit Puzzle: Interacting with the terminal starts a hacking mini-game. You will see a grid of circular circuit tiles with path segments on them.
- Rotate the Nodes: Use your controller bumpers (LB/RB on Xbox, L1/R1 on PlayStation) or the mouse/keyboard to rotate individual tiles. Your goal is to connect a continuous path from the start node (left side) to the target node (right side).
- Download the Drive: Once the connection is established, the terminal unlocks, allowing you to extract the quantum drive.
Phase 3: Demolition & Courtyard Escape
After acquiring the drive, the facility triggers a lock-down. You must destroy the remaining server modules to cover your tracks.
- Plant C4: Plant explosive charges on the marked locations on the quantum computer.
- Defend & Push: Enemies will swarm the server room. Use smoke grenades and hold tight corners. Use stuns to blind robotic troops before taking them down.
- Escape the Facility: Push upstairs and exit into the mansion courtyard.
Phase 4: Boss Fight - Raul Menendez (The Hallucination)
Once you reach the courtyard, the environment dramatically shifts due to the Cradle toxin effects—the sky turns a blood-red hue, and gravity distorts. You are pulled into a nightmarish boss battle against a spectral manifestation of Raul Menendez.
Boss Fight Progression:
- Phase 1 - Shield Depletion: Menendez is protected by an impervious energy barrier. Avoid his explosive rounds. Red circular warnings on the ground indicate a rain of falling machetes. Run to a fallen machete stuck in the ground, interact to pick it up, and throw it at Menendez. This will instantly break his shield, allowing you to deal direct weapon damage.
- Phase 2 - Drones & Armor Shredding: Menendez teleports away and spawns autonomous robotic security drones. Clear the drones quickly. When Menendez reappears, dodge the falling machetes again. Grab a machete and throw it at his chest to shatter his heavy armor plates, exposing his weak core. Unload your primary ammo on his exposed chest core.
- Phase 3 - The Climax & Execution: Menendez teleports to the center platform and fires a continuous barrage of rocket rounds. Use lateral dashes and slide maneuvers to close the distance. Pick up the golden machete resting in the central pedestal, throw it to stun him, and perform the final melee execution prompt to complete the mission.
Tips and Tricks
- Robot Weakpoints: Aim for the glowing battery packs on the shoulders and back of the autonomous security robots. A single shot to their battery will cause them to overload and detonate, damaging nearby enemies.
- Intel Location: When you enter the hallucinogenic Kinetic Jump section (part of David Mason's distorted memory tutorial), do not rush forward. Search near the well on the left to find a small machete. The intel file is resting on the ground right beside it.
- Machete Projectile: Picked-up machetes act as a high-damage throwable projectile (Killstreak). Do not throw them at Menendez while his shield is active unless it's a phase-transition moment, as standard bullets won't pierce his shield.
- Use Columns for Cover: The stone columns and central pedestal can block Menendez's explosive barrages. Move in a circular pattern to keep a solid barrier between you and him.