The Thermal Spike is the newest Major Ability to hit Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Endgame, arriving as part of the Season 3 Reloaded update. Fire a directional blast of flames, leave a burning area-of-effect on the ground, and watch entire groups of Fear enemies melt. There are two ways to get it: grind the Season 3 Week 6 challenges for a permanent unlock, or pull it from a Mystery Cargo Assignment right now. Both methods are covered below.
What does the Thermal Spike ability do?
The Thermal Spike sits in your Major Ability slot, which means it charges passively over time during a match rather than being available on demand. Once the charge is full, activating it fires a concentrated burst of flames in the direction your Operator is facing. The blast then lingers as a persistent flame AoE, continuing to deal incendiary damage to any enemy that walks through it.
Black Ops 7 Endgame Guide: How to Get the Thermal Spike Ability
The ability is described as excellent for crowd control, particularly against hordes of Fear enemies. Low-health or lower-tier enemies hit by the initial burst are unlikely to survive it. The lingering fire punishes enemies who push your position, making it a strong defensive tool when you are being swarmed.
The Thermal Spike occupies your Major Ability slot, so equipping it means giving up whatever you currently run there. Test it in a few matches before committing to it as your permanent setup.
How to unlock the Thermal Spike ability (permanent method)
The permanent unlock for Thermal Spike is tied to the Season 3 Week 6 challenges, which went live on Thursday, May 7 at 9 AM PT, as confirmed by GameRant. To unlock it, you need to complete any 6 out of 24 available challenges spread across the four major modes: Multiplayer, Zombies, Endgame, and Warzone.
The flexibility here is the key point. You do not have to play Endgame at all to unlock an Endgame ability. Three challenges in Multiplayer, two in Zombies, and one in Endgame works just as well as doing all six in a single mode. The challenges themselves are described as straightforward, and completing them also awards a solid amount of XP on top of the ability unlock.
If you only have access to the free Endgame mode and do not own the full Black Ops 7 or Warzone, you are limited to the six Endgame-specific challenges. Completing those six still unlocks Thermal Spike, so it is still achievable.
Missed the Season 3 window? The Thermal Spike can be unlocked after the season ends via the Armory, though the XP cost to do so is significantly higher. Completing the weekly challenges while they are active is the far more efficient route.
How to get the Thermal Spike ability early
This is the method worth knowing about. You do not have to wait for Week 6 challenges to be in progress. Head into any Endgame zone and locate a Mystery Cargo Assignment on your Tac Map. Completing it gives you a chance to pull the Thermal Spike from an Ability Case inside the container.
Here is how the Mystery Cargo Assignment works, based on the GameRant breakdown:
- Find the Mystery Cargo manifest marker on your Tac Map and interact with it.
- Move to the flagged location, eliminate the hostiles guarding it, then interact with the cargo to start the unlock sequence.
- Defend against two incoming VTOLs that drop waves of enemies. A launcher is the most efficient tool for destroying the VTOLs quickly.
- Once the progress bar hits 100%, open the container and eliminate the threat inside.
The container holds an Ability Case with two random Major Abilities. There is no guarantee you pull Thermal Spike, but the chance is there every time you complete the assignment. If you do extract with it, the ability stays active on that specific Operator until you manually swap it out.
The Ability Case contents are random. You may need to complete multiple Mystery Cargo Assignments before Thermal Spike appears. Bring a launcher specifically for the VTOL phase to speed up each attempt.
Is Thermal Spike exclusive to Endgame mode?
Yes. Thermal Spike is currently exclusive to the Endgame mode in Black Ops 7. It was introduced as part of the Season 3 Endgame updates and can only be equipped and used within that mode. Unlocking it through Weekly Challenges permanently adds it to your Endgame loadout options, but it has no function in Multiplayer or Zombies.
For players building out their Endgame kit, Thermal Spike pairs well with aggressive zone-clearing strategies. If you are also working on other Endgame collectibles, the Jotunn Star Wonder Weapon guide and the Glocke Drop Controller guide cover two other high-value pickups worth pursuing alongside your ability grind.
For more on building out your Black Ops 7 Endgame runs, check out the full Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 strategy guides collection, which covers everything from Zombies relics to multiplayer movement tech.