Black Ops 6 Zombies S.A.M. Trial guide: How to unlock and what it does

The Black Ops series is known for its demanding trials, which first took off in the third installment. The latest entry continues this tradition by introducing the new S.A.M. Trials.

Here’s everything you need to know about S.A.M. Trials in Black Ops 6 Zombies, including how to unlock them.  

What is a SAM Trial in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies?

If you’ve been playing Black Ops 6 Zombies, you’ll likely get a notification regarding a S.A.M. Trial. This feature allows you to participate in a randomized challenge to earn valuable rewards. For example, one task involves using an ARC-XD car to kill ten zombies in under two minutes. When you complete these objectives successfully, you’ll earn the Mastery Reward, a golden crate filled with beneficial items. To claim it, return to where you found the S.A.M. Trial and interact with the box there.

The rewards inside are randomized, but they’ll likely offer an abundance of Salvage and Essence (the mode’s two in-game currencies). You may also uncover items like the iconic Monkey Bomb, helping you survive longer.

Even if you don’t complete the task in time, your efforts won’t go unrewarded. With enough kills, you’ll still receive a gift, although it won’t be as substantial as the Legendary Mastery Reward. This fair system ensures that everyone gets something for their efforts, regardless if it’s just a few eliminations. However, those who don’t get any kills at all will fail the S.A.M. Trial, giving you nothing in return.

How to unlock SAM Trials in Black Ops 6 Zombies

S.A.M. Trial challenges will appear sporadically throughout the match. It tends to spawn around Round 8 or 10, so watch for it during these phases. You’ll be notified of its appearance and gain information about its location.

Look for its circular icon on the Tac-Map and activate it with a certain amount of Essence. It’ll cost you 500 Essence the first time, and then the price will gradually increase in higher rounds.

Whether you’re in Liberty Falls or Terminus, S.A.M. Trials will spawn in every Zombies map. Both locations utilize the same system of completing the trial under a strict time limit.

Fortunately, the S.A.M. Trials temporarily give you a unique buff to make the mission more accessible. These abilities will be based on the trial’s objective, providing a Perk Cola, Killstreak, or equipment. For instance, I was given the PhD Flopper perk to eliminate zombies with it for a specific S.A.M Trial. Then, on another occasion, it spawned various Lethals to help with the challenge’s objective to kill zombies with equipment only.

Some S.A.M. Trials are more accessible than others, as a few tasks can be difficult to complete in such a short amount of time. In particular, I found it easier to defeat zombies with the Mangler Mutant Injection task than with the complex ARC-XD trial (maneuvering around the car can be pretty hard to manage). It all depends on your luck of the draw, so try to be ready for anything.

I’ve also noticed that the S.A.M. Trials will spawn zombies specifically for the challenge. So, even if it’s the end of the round, the task will provide more enemies to help you complete the objective. They’ll appear differently from regular zombies, whose eyes will glow purple. Once the trial concludes, these foes will be eliminated automatically, given that they are there solely for the task.

After you’ve achieved the challenge, more S.A.M. Trials will eventually appear during the match. I highly recommend participating in them, especially with the higher rounds, to give you more rewards. Plus, those who don’t meet the quota can still earn basic items just to get by.