It's January 2026 and I'm still replaying that one decision in my head—logging off when I did, trusting the bracket to stay put. I'd been chasing the Shower camo since the Astra Malorum event went live, because it wasn't just another grind skin. It was the flex: animated shooting stars, clean on every weapon, the kind of thing you notice across the map. If you've been searching for ways people keep up with the camo race, you've probably seen chatter about a CoD BO7 Bot Lobby somewhere along the way, and I get why—this event didn't reward "time played" so much as "time played at the exact right moment."

How The Bracket Really Felt

The rules were simple on paper and brutal in practice: finish top 5 in your personal leaderboard bracket, or you were out. Not top 10%, not "pretty good," just five names getting the real prize. The event wrapped around December 9 when Season 1 Reloaded hit, and the vibe instantly shifted from "fun Zombies week" to "competitive ladder stress." You'd drop a monster run, feel safe, then watch the board jump like someone flipped a switch. It didn't help that friends in easier brackets were cruising with totals that wouldn't have sniffed top 5 in mine. That's what made it sting—same event, totally different fight.

My Citadelle Des Morts Routine

I lived on Citadelle des Morts for three straight days. XM325 for the all-rounder work, plus a Ray Gun variant when things got messy. I'd blitz the main Easter egg steps first—Act 1 through Act 3 in under an hour if everything cooperated—then settle into a courtyard train and just lock in. Doppelghast conversions were my little gamble for a bigger score spike, and when it hit, it felt amazing. My best board was 58,000 points. I went to sleep in 3rd place, convinced I'd finally earned that star-streaked look the hard way.

Waking Up To Seventh Place

Next morning, I checked the leaderboard like it was a bad habit. Seventh. Someone slid in with 62k late and that was that. No Shower camo, just the "Cratered" static one for top 10%. It's fine. It's also not what people stop and stare at in the lobby. The worst part is how random it felt—SBMM sorting meant some brackets were basically a knife fight, and others were a casual jog. After that, even the standard mastery climb back to Gold, Diamond, and Nebula felt slow and weirdly dull. Headshots, multi-kills, repeat. You can feel why players start eyeing "shortcuts" after getting burned once.

What I'm Doing Next Time

If Treyarch ever brings Shower back, I'm not treating it like a solo challenge again. I'll run with a set squad, plan sessions around peak pushes, and keep a buffer score instead of assuming a lead is safe. And if it stays a "you had to be there" trophy, I'll still take the long route—just smarter about it. I've also seen people lean on services that help reduce the slog, like currency or item support and faster progression setups through RSVSR, because not everyone wants their free time held hostage by a bracket that can flip overnight. I can't blame anyone for wanting their nights back.