As with every TreyarchCall of Dutytitle, 2020’s annual release will feature the ever-popular Zombies coop mode. Zombies inCall of Dutyhas seen quite the evolution in the last few entries in the franchise. Every few years, when Treyarch handles the annualCall of Dutyrelease, the Zombies coop mode continues to evolve and change into something new. While each iteration has had varying degrees of success, the development team is always experimenting and trying something new with the now well trodden formula.
This year it’s looking like a Zombies is going big, bringing many of the classic elements and reimagining them forCall of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Much like the multiplayer and story modes forBlack Ops Cold War, the upcoming Zombies mode has had plenty of rumors/leaks come out detailing what’s coming in this iteration. While some of the rumors/leaks may be bogus, here’s what is likely to be revealed on from the fullBlack Ops Cold WArZombies unveiling on Wednesday.
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A Potential Return to Form for Zombies
It’s clear that some kind of return-to-form is expected for the Zombies mode, which has largely been the theme withBlack Ops Cold War. Among all of the rumors/leaks, as well as the short gameplay teases that Activision has released thus far, Zombies seems to be harkening back and modernizing some of the classics.Leaks have stated that a “TranZit 2” or “TranZit remake” is on the waywithBlack Ops Cold War, bringing back the hugely popular country-trotting Zombies map fromBlack Ops 2.
Activision also already teased that a revamped version of “Nacht Der Untoten” is returning with the classic perks like Juggernog, as seen and heard in the short gameplay teaser after the multiplayer reveal. That lines up with earlier leaks/rumors that the old perks (Juggernog, Speed Cola, etc.) are returning in a modernized format, compared to the strange perk systems implemented inBlack Ops 4. While the Zombies storyline continued to be just as impactful for hardcore fans, the new perk and specialist systems were criticized by Zombies fans.Bringing back the simpler arcade-like systems inBlack Ops Cold Warmakes a lot of sense, pairing them with more subtle changes would be better.
Leaning Into the Horror of Zombies
Gameplay changes could be on the way toBlack Ops Cold War’s Zombies, though it may take a different form than players may have expected. That short tidbit of gameplay by Activision also seems to be teasing some different behavior from both players and the zombies themselves.In the new “Nacht Der Untoten” map(or perhaps a separate map from the tease), the player’s perspective is of them holding both a handgun and a flashlight in a dark room. It may be possible that this not only reflects a literal darker tone for Zombies, but could also be a new gameplay mechanic for the coop mode as well.
As players already know, one of the first primary objectives with Zombies maps is turning on the power.Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warcould be toying with that idea, and instead of playing out like usual, finding the power may actually become more of a challenge. Players may need to search in the dark with a flashlight to determine where the power switch is. As inferred by the trailer, the zombies may not attack players unless the flashlight is shone on them, adding a more horror-oriented mechanic to the mode that’s traditionally arcadey. These arethe kinds of changes Zombies fans would be willing to accept.
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Black Ops Cold War’s Take on Zombies
It’s also worth noting thatsome form of crossover betweenWarzoneandBlack Ops Cold War’s Zombiescould be on the way, but it likely won’t be in the way everyone expects. Several leakers discovered files for Zombies updated intoWarzone, specifically classic characters from the Zombies series alongside new zombie-themed voice clips as well. This isn’t exactly something new, asBlack Ops 4added Zombies toBlackout, but this leak likely isn’t in relation toBlack Ops Cold Warspecifically. Given that it’s nearly October, more than likely this will just be a Halloween event forWarzonethat’s announced during theBlack Ops Cold WarZombies reveal.
Zombies' official unveiling on Wednesday, September 30, will likely confirm what the new coop mode has been hinting at. Previous TreyarchCall of Dutygames have toyed with the formula of Zombies, butBlack Ops Cold Warmay find a happy medium between traditional and new gameplay mechanics. Adding in more horror-oriented elements, whilst also bringing back the typical map-based perks and points system, could beexactly whatBlack Ops Cold Warneeds to make an enticing Zombiesmode once again.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold Warreleases on July 17, 2025, for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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