Season 3 Reloaded brought Operation Broken Mirror to Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Endgame, and Step 4 is where a lot of players hit a wall. The objective asks you to complete Deep Cover Activities, but the game gives you almost no direction on where to find them or what to actually do. Here is exactly what you need to know to knock this out fast.
Where do Deep Cover Activities appear on the map?
Deep Cover Activities do not get their own dedicated icon on the map, which is why so many players miss them entirely. They show up as small yellow zones, and you will almost always find them inside the Tier III Zone. The area spanning from Trinity Stadium to Winery is specifically where these zones tend to cluster, so that is where you should be searching.
The activities can spawn on their own over time, but there is a faster way to trigger them. Completing Toxic Chase Activities causes Deep Cover Activities to appear, and Toxic Chase is also required for the first objective of Step 4 anyway. Running Toxic Chase does double duty here, so knock those out first and watch the yellow zones populate your map.
Deep Cover zones on Tac Map
Staying at Zone III or higher is mandatory. Dropping into lower zones will not give you access to these activities, so resist the urge to play it safe in easier areas.
How do you complete a Deep Cover Activity?
Once you step inside a yellow Deep Cover zone, the objective is to find a hidden prop somewhere within the area. This prop can be any kind of ordinary-looking object, and it will not be labeled or highlighted. The tell is an audible rattling noise it emits periodically. Follow the sound.
When you get close enough, the prop drops its disguise and transforms into a Shifter. Think of Shifters as Endgame's version of the Mimics from Zombies mode. They function similarly and share the same critical weak point: the glowing mouth. Focus your fire there to kill the Shifter as quickly as possible. Once it is down, the Deep Cover Activity is complete.
There is one shortcut worth knowing. If the activity takes place inside a building, the Shifter will often reveal itself without you having to physically locate the prop first. So in indoor Deep Cover zones, just stay alert and let the enemy come to you.
Find the rattling prop first
Do not waste time searching every corner of an outdoor zone. Listen for the rattling noise first and move toward it rather than sweeping the area randomly.
You need to complete 4 Deep Cover Activities total to finish the second objective of Step 4: Shifters in the Mist. Use your Tac Map between each one to track down the next yellow zone.
What comes after Deep Cover Activities?
Finishing 4 Deep Cover Activities completes the second objective of Step 4 in Operation Broken Mirror. The full operation eventually leads to storming the Virus Injection Glitch and defeating the Glitch Boss, which is the climax of the Season 3 Reloaded Endgame content.
If you are working through the rest of the operation and want to get more out of BO7's Endgame content, check out the Ashes of the Damned Easter eggs and secrets guide for Zombies side content, or brush up on the co-op campaign missions walkthrough if you want to tackle the story with friends.
After completing all four Deep Cover Activities, open your Tac Map immediately to confirm the objective has updated before moving on to the next step of Operation Broken Mirror.
For a broader look at everything BO7 has to offer, the full Black Ops 7 strategy guides collection covers everything from Zombies easter eggs to multiplayer loadouts and beyond.