BO7 Freerun Descent Event: Vibrant Aurora, Gridlock & All Rewards

The BO7 Freerun: Descent Leaderboard Event is live now, with players competing in short leaderboard sessions for limited-time rewards. Your best Descent time determines your placement, with rewards ranging from the Vibrant Aurora Peacekeeper MK1 Blueprint at Top 30 all the way to the exclusive Sprint for the Finish Animated Calling Card for 1st place.

Descent also has permanent rewards such as the Gridlock Universal Camo. This guide covers every leaderboard tier, the live Polaris camo change, event dates, Gridlock requirements, Ciphers, and how to improve your Descent time.

BO7 Freerun Descent Leaderboard Event Is Live

The Freerun: Descent Challenge Event went live on September 3, 2026. Unlike a normal XP event, this is a performance-based leaderboard event built around your Freerun: Descent completion time.

You need to complete the course, post a competitive time, and finish high enough on your leaderboard to qualify for its rewards.

The live reward tiers are:

• Top 30
• Top 15
• Top 10
• Top 5
• 1st Place

This is a major difference from the permanent Gridlock challenge. Gridlock only asks you to beat a fixed 12-minute target, while the limited event compares your performance against other players.

How the Freerun Descent Leaderboard Works

The event does not use one leaderboard that lasts for the entire week. Current live reporting shows that Freerun: Descent uses repeating three-hour leaderboard sessions throughout the event.

During a leaderboard window, your goal is to post the fastest Descent completion time possible and finish inside one of the reward brackets before that session closes.

The basic process is:

• Enter the active Freerun: Descent Challenge.
• Complete all seven Descent zones.
• Post a finishing time on your active leaderboard.
• Repeat the course to improve your best time.
• Watch your position as other players post faster runs.
• Finish the leaderboard session inside Top 30, Top 15, Top 10, Top 5, or 1st place.

Your position can change while the session is active. A time that starts in the Top 5 can fall to Top 10 or lower as other players improve their runs.

Because of that, do not assume your reward is secure just because you temporarily reached a target position. Check the leaderboard again as the session approaches its end.

Each Leaderboard Session Lasts Around Three Hours

Current post-launch reporting lists each Freerun: Descent leaderboard session as lasting three hours, with multiple leaderboard windows taking place during the event.

This makes Descent different from leaderboard events where players grind one score for several days. You are competing inside a shorter leaderboard window, so the players in your individual session matter much more than the overall player population.

The exact remaining time for your current leaderboard is shown inside the event menu.

Your Best Time Determines Your Position

Freerun: Descent is a race against both the course and the other players on your leaderboard.

Completing the course once gives you a starting position. After that, every successful improvement can move you farther up the board.

A difference of only a few seconds can matter when several players are fighting around the Top 5 or Top 10 cutoff.

All Freerun Descent Leaderboard Rewards & Placements

The live leaderboard reveals something that was not clear before the event launched: Vibrant Aurora only requires Top 30. The most exclusive reward is instead reserved for 1st place.

Placement	Reward	Type
1st Place	Sprint for the Finish	Animated Calling Card
Top 5	Polaris	Weapon Camo
Top 5	Count to Five	Animated Calling Card
Top 10	Bullseye	Weapon Camo
Top 10	Take Ten	Calling Card
Top 10	Obelisk	Weapon Charm
Top 15	No Tripping	Loading Screen
Top 15	Free Run For All	Calling Card
Top 30	Vibrant Aurora	Peacekeeper MK1 Assault Rifle Blueprint

This makes Top 30 the first important target for most players. You do not need to win your leaderboard to get Vibrant Aurora.

Players who want Bullseye need to push into Top 10, while the second event camo currently appears in the Top 5 reward tier.

The 1st-place reward is the Sprint for the Finish Animated Calling Card, making it the most exclusive placement reward in the event.

Polaris vs Magnesis: What Happened to the Camo?

There is an important difference between Activision's original Season 05 Reloaded announcement and the live Freerun: Descent event.

Before launch, Activision officially listed the two Descent event camos as:

• Bullseye
• Magnesis

However, current post-launch reporting and players showing the live reward now identify the Top 5 camo as Polaris.

For that reason, this guide uses Polaris as the current live reward name. Magnesis appears to have been the name used in Activision's pre-launch Season 05 Reloaded material before the live event reward was changed or renamed.

If Activision changes the live item or updates its official event documentation again, we will update this section accordingly.

How to Unlock Vibrant Aurora in BO7

The Vibrant Aurora Peacekeeper MK1 Assault Rifle Blueprint is available for reaching Top 30 in a Freerun: Descent leaderboard session.

This is much easier than the pre-launch information made it sound. Vibrant Aurora is not the final reward for winning the leaderboard and does not require 1st place.

Your goal is to:

• Post a completed Descent run.
• Improve your time until you are inside the Top 30.
• Keep checking your position while the leaderboard window remains open.
• Finish the leaderboard session inside the required placement range.

Because Top 30 is the lowest placement tier, Vibrant Aurora should be the most accessible major reward from the leaderboard event.

If you only want the Blueprint, there is little reason to take unnecessary risks trying to reach Top 5 or 1st place once your Top 30 position is secure.

How to Unlock Bullseye & Polaris Camos

There are two limited-time Weapon Camos in the live Descent leaderboard reward structure.

Bullseye requires a Top 10 leaderboard finish.

Polaris, which appears to have replaced the previously announced Magnesis camo, requires a more difficult Top 5 finish.

That creates three different Descent camo targets when Gridlock is included:

• Gridlock: Permanent Universal Camo. Finish Descent under 12 minutes with fewer than 10 faults.
• Bullseye: Limited-time leaderboard Weapon Camo for Top 10.
• Polaris: Limited-time leaderboard Weapon Camo for Top 5.

If camos are your main priority, Top 5 is therefore the important event target because it puts you above both camo placement thresholds.

When Does the Freerun Descent Event End?

The Freerun: Descent Challenge Event started on September 3 at 10 AM PT.

Current live event reporting lists the end date as September 10, 2026 at 10 AM PT, giving players seven days to participate.

That does not mean you have one week to improve the same leaderboard position. The event contains multiple shorter leaderboard sessions during that period.

You should always check the countdown in the in-game Events menu because it shows the time remaining for the active leaderboard and is the safest source if Treyarch adjusts the schedule.

Freerun Leaderboard Rewards vs Permanent Descent Rewards

The leaderboard rewards and normal Descent course rewards are two separate progression systems.

Gridlock, Cipher collection, and the three-completion challenge remain available through their fixed course requirements. They do not depend on whether you finish Top 30 or 1st on the leaderboard.

Reward	Requirement	Availability
Gridlock Universal Camo	Under 12 minutes + fewer than 10 faults	Permanent
Catch Air Weapon Charm	Collect all Descent Ciphers	Permanent
Eyes on Screen Emblem	Complete Descent 3 times	Permanent
Vibrant Aurora Blueprint	Top 30 leaderboard placement	Limited-time event
Bullseye Camo	Top 10 leaderboard placement	Limited-time event
Polaris Camo	Top 5 leaderboard placement	Limited-time event
Sprint for the Finish	1st Place	Limited-time event

If you want both permanent and limited-time rewards, prioritize the leaderboard event first. Gridlock and the other normal Descent course objectives are not tied to the September 10 event deadline.

How to Unlock the Gridlock Camo in BO7

Gridlock is not a leaderboard reward. It remains a permanent Freerun: Descent objective with a fixed time and fault requirement.

To unlock Gridlock:

• Complete Freerun: Descent.
• Finish in under 12 minutes.
• Finish with fewer than 10 faults.
• Receive the Gridlock Universal Weapon Camo and 5,000 XP.

Fewer than 10 faults means a maximum of 9 faults. Ten faults fails the objective even if your time is below 12 minutes.

Likewise, a zero-fault run that takes 12 minutes or longer does not qualify.

A Gridlock run can also be useful practice for the leaderboard, but 11:59 is only the permanent camo threshold. Competitive event times can be much faster depending on the players in your leaderboard session.

What Is Freerun: Descent?

Freerun: Descent is the second Freerun course in Black Ops 7. It arrived with Season 05 Reloaded on August 20, 2026 and sends Operators through seven timed zones with multiple checkpoints.

A normal course race can feature up to 10 Operators. The course combines several BO7 movement mechanics:

• Wall Jumps
• Sliding and momentum
• Wingsuit movement
• Target shooting
• Grappling Gun sections
• Boost pads
• Portals
• Optional shortcuts

Falling from the course gives you a fault and sends you back to the latest checkpoint.

For Gridlock, faults matter because you cannot finish with 10 or more. For leaderboard runs, faults matter because the respawn and repeated obstacle usually destroy valuable seconds from your final time.

Descent Cipher & Wingsuit Bugs Were Fixed

Treyarch fixed two important Descent issues in the August 28 update.

The patch addressed:

• An issue that could prevent Descent Ciphers from appearing.
• An issue where a Wingsuit fault could increase the fault counter by two.

The Cipher fix matters for players trying to unlock the Catch Air Weapon Charm, while the Wingsuit fix makes low-fault Gridlock runs more reliable.

If you abandoned the Cipher objective because collectibles were missing shortly after Descent launched, it is worth checking the course again now.

All Permanent Freerun Descent Course Rewards

Descent has three permanent objectives that remain separate from the leaderboard event.

Descent Requirement	Reward
Complete Descent 3 times	Eyes on Screen Emblem + 1,000 XP
Collect all Ciphers	Catch Air Weapon Charm + 2,500 XP
Finish under 12 minutes with fewer than 10 faults	Gridlock Universal Camo + 5,000 XP

You do not need to complete one objective before another.

For example, you can unlock Gridlock on your first successful run without collecting every Cipher or completing Descent three times.

How to Improve Your Freerun Descent Leaderboard Time

The leaderboard changes Descent from a basic completion challenge into a speedrun.

A few seconds lost in each zone can become a large gap by the finish, especially when you are fighting around a Top 5 or Top 10 cutoff.

Reduce Faults Before Chasing Risky Skips

A fault can cost much more than the few seconds a shortcut was supposed to save.

You lose the time spent attempting the obstacle, respawn at your checkpoint, and then have to repeat part of the route.

Learn to complete your normal route cleanly before adding aggressive shortcuts.

Restart Bad Runs Early

If your leaderboard run starts with several large mistakes, restarting is often more efficient than completing a time that cannot beat your current best.

This is especially true in Zones 1 and 2, where very little time has been invested.

Later in the course, one small mistake does not always justify a restart. If the rest of the run is strong, keep going and see whether you can still set a personal best.

Use Grappling Gun Shortcuts

The Grappling Gun sections offer some of the biggest opportunities to save time because your grapple can change the intended route through an obstacle.

Look for ways to swing toward later platforms or avoid unnecessary movement, but practice these routes before relying on them in an important leaderboard run.

A shortcut that fails half the time is rarely worth using when your current position is already close to the reward cutoff.

Memorize Boost Pads and Portals

You should know where every boost pad or portal sends you before reaching it.

Prepare your next movement while you are still travelling through the previous section. Stopping after a portal to work out where to go next can cost several seconds across a full run.

Optimize One Zone at a Time

Instead of trying to change your entire route at once, identify where most of your time is being lost.

Improve that zone until the movement becomes consistent, then work on the next slow section.

This makes it easier to keep the improvements during a full seven-zone run.

Watch the Leaderboard Cutoff

The time you need is not fixed like Gridlock's 12-minute target.

A Top 10 time in one leaderboard session may not be enough for Top 10 in another. Your real target is the player currently sitting around the placement you want.

Use that time to decide whether you need a major route improvement or only a few cleaner sections.

How to Beat Freerun Descent in Under 12 Minutes

If you only want Gridlock, you do not need to use the same aggressive strategy required for a high leaderboard finish.

The 12-minute requirement gives you room to choose safer routes. For most players, avoiding repeated faults is more important than attempting every shortcut.

Prioritize a Clean Run

Do not take a shortcut that saves five seconds if missing it regularly costs you 20 seconds and another fault.

First learn to finish Descent with a low fault count. Once you can do that, remove time from the sections where you feel comfortable.

Use Checkpoints Properly

Pay attention to where checkpoints trigger.

Knowing how far a fault will send you back helps you decide whether an aggressive jump is worth the risk.

Keep Wall Jumps Smooth

Avoid unnecessary mid-air corrections during Wall Jump sections. They can kill momentum and make the next landing harder.

Enter each sequence already looking toward your next wall or platform.

Control the Wingsuit

Large Wingsuit corrections can cause overshoots and unnecessary faults.

For Gridlock, prioritize landing safely. For leaderboard attempts, gradually optimize the flight line after you can land it consistently.

Prepare for Targets and Grapples

Do not wait until you reach a target section to start looking for the next target.

After enough practice runs, your aim should already be moving toward the next grapple point or target before the previous movement finishes.

How to Approach Each Freerun Descent Zone

The seven zones reward slightly different strategies, but the same rule applies throughout the course: remove hesitation before adding risk.

Zone 1: Start Clean

A bad Zone 1 is the cheapest mistake to restart.

For leaderboard attempts, you want to leave the opening section without major errors because there is no reason to carry a poor start through another six zones.

Zone 2: Build Momentum

Start connecting movements instead of treating every obstacle separately.

Look toward your next jump or slide before the current one ends.

Zone 3: Fix Repeated Mistakes

If one obstacle keeps causing faults, do not keep attacking it the same way.

A slightly slower route that works every time may produce a better full-run leaderboard time.

Zone 4: Stay Consistent

The middle of the course is where rushed inputs often begin to appear.

Stay with the route you practiced. Do not invent a new shortcut halfway through a strong leaderboard attempt.

Zone 5: Use Proven Shortcuts

By Zone 5, failed shortcuts become expensive because a good run already has several minutes invested.

Use faster lines you can perform reliably and save experiments for practice attempts.

Zone 6: Protect a Strong Run

For Gridlock, watch your fault count closely. If you are already on eight or nine faults, another mistake can end the challenge.

For leaderboard attempts, avoid turning a strong overall time into a bad finish through unnecessary risk.

Zone 7: Finish the Run

The final zone still matters for the leaderboard. A few seconds lost here can move you below a placement cutoff.

Stay aggressive where your route is practiced, but do not throw away the run with a shortcut you cannot land consistently.

How Many Faults Can You Have for Gridlock?

Gridlock allows a maximum of 9 faults.

The requirement says fewer than 10 faults:

• 0 faults qualifies.
• 5 faults qualifies.
• 9 faults qualifies.
• 10 faults does not qualify.

You must also finish in under 12 minutes during the same run.

For leaderboard attempts, there is no benefit to using the full fault allowance. Faults slow your finishing time even when the event leaderboard itself is judging your time rather than the Gridlock fault limit.

Best Tips for Getting Top 30, Top 10 or Top 5

Your strategy should change depending on the reward you actually want.

• For Vibrant Aurora: Target Top 30 and prioritize a reliable clean run.
• For Bullseye: You need Top 10, so start optimizing shortcuts and weaker zones.
• For Polaris: Top 5 requires a stronger competitive run with very few wasted seconds.
• For 1st Place: You need to beat every other player in your leaderboard session.
• Check your cutoff regularly. Your position can fall as other players improve.
• Restart poor openings. Do not waste an entire run when Zones 1 or 2 already put you well behind your best pace.
• Avoid unnecessary faults. A clean route is the foundation of every competitive time.
• Practice shortcuts before using them. Consistency matters more than theoretical speed.

The biggest mistake is assuming you need the fastest possible time for every reward. If Vibrant Aurora is your only target, Top 30 is enough. Only players chasing Polaris, the higher-tier cosmetics, or 1st place need to push much farther up the leaderboard.

BO7 Freerun Descent FAQ

Is the Freerun Descent Challenge Event live?

Yes. The Freerun: Descent Challenge Event launched on September 3, 2026.

When does the Freerun Descent Event end?

Current live reporting lists the end of the event as September 10, 2026 at 10 AM PT. Check the in-game event timer for the latest countdown.

How long does each Freerun Descent leaderboard last?

Current event reporting says leaderboard sessions run for approximately three hours, with multiple leaderboard windows available during the event.

How do you unlock Vibrant Aurora?

Finish inside the Top 30 of a Freerun: Descent leaderboard session to qualify for the Vibrant Aurora Peacekeeper MK1 Blueprint.

Do you need 1st place for Vibrant Aurora?

No. Vibrant Aurora is the Top 30 reward. The exclusive 1st-place reward is the Sprint for the Finish Animated Calling Card.

How do you unlock Bullseye?

Bullseye is tied to a Top 10 Freerun: Descent leaderboard placement.

How do you unlock Polaris?

The live Polaris Weapon Camo is tied to a Top 5 leaderboard placement.

What happened to Magnesis?

Activision originally announced Magnesis as one of the Season 05 Reloaded Descent event camos. Current post-launch event information and player reports instead identify the live Top 5 camo as Polaris. Polaris therefore appears to be the current live reward name.

What do you get for 1st place?

Finishing 1st on your Freerun: Descent leaderboard qualifies you for the Sprint for the Finish Animated Calling Card, the highest placement-specific reward.

Is Gridlock a leaderboard reward?

No. Gridlock is completely separate from the leaderboard event. It is a permanent Descent course objective.

How do you unlock Gridlock?

Finish Freerun: Descent in under 12 minutes with fewer than 10 faults. The reward is the Gridlock Universal Weapon Camo and 5,000 XP.

How many faults can you have for Gridlock?

A maximum of 9 faults. Ten or more fails the requirement.

Does exactly 12 minutes unlock Gridlock?

No. The requirement is under 12 minutes, so you need a finishing time of 11:59 or faster.

Do faults affect the leaderboard?

Faults cost valuable time because you respawn at your most recent checkpoint and repeat part of the course. Avoiding faults is one of the easiest ways to improve a leaderboard run.

Are the Descent Ciphers fixed?

Treyarch addressed the Cipher spawning problem in the August 28 update. The same update fixed a bug that could make a Wingsuit fault count twice.

What do you get for collecting every Descent Cipher?

Collecting all Descent Ciphers awards the Catch Air Weapon Charm and 2,500 XP.

Do you need all Ciphers for Gridlock?

No. Cipher collection is a separate permanent Descent objective.

Do you need to complete Descent three times for Gridlock?

No. Completing Descent three times awards the Eyes on Screen Emblem and 1,000 XP, but Gridlock can be earned on your first qualifying run.

Is Gridlock a Universal Camo?

Yes. Gridlock is a Universal Weapon Camo and can be used across supported weapons once unlocked.