Yesterday evening, September 30, the zombie mode for the upcoming Black Ops Cold was officially introduced. What did the trailer show us? There will be crossplay, cross-gen, and cross-progression! What this means and what else is new, you can read here.
We had to wait a long time for the announcement of the zombie mode. The campaign and the multiplayer of the new Black Ops Cold War have been unveiled a long time ago and the latter could even be tested in an Alpha. Read more about it here:
- Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Maps: Back to Basics
- CoD: Black Ops Cold War Alpha – SBMM and Other Problems
Since yesterday evening you can now find the trailer for the new zombie mode on YouTube, which we embed again here:
BOCW Zombies Storyline
Let's start from the beginning: What is the latest part of the zombie story about?
At the beginning of the 1980s, you play as one of several operators who are available in multiplayer mode or who play the main role in the campaign (Woods is often seen in the trailer). You are part of a CIA team called Requiem, which is led by Grigori Weaver, known from the Black Ops 1 campaign. Your rivals are a Soviet-run organization called the Omega Group. This rival organization has a "keen interest in investigating the unexplained events and anomalies that are manifesting themselves around the globe and using them to their advantage.
According to the developers, the old Aether storyline is finished and can be seen as a kind of prehistory to the new soft reboot Dark Aether.
Old-New Map
BOCW brings the Zombie Mode back to its beginnings. The map The Machine is a newer and larger version of the map Dead o the Night from CoD: World at War. You will be sent there by Weaver to investigate the old WWII bunker and solve an ancient secret. So far, The Machine is the only map announced, but there might be more to come, and all for free!
As Treyarch promised, all post-launch content, such as DLCs, will be completely free for all platforms.
What changes in the gameplay?
Despite the usual zombie feeling, Treyarch does some things differently and in our opinion, it's the right thing to do. In Black Ops Cold War it will be possible for the first time to use scorestreaks in zombie mode. Mow down whole hordes with the Heli-Gunner? Sounds good! Of course, you can also use field upgrades, or you can do it yourself - in best "Shaun of the Dead" style:
The most exciting changes are those to the weapons. All weapons in BOCW will be assigned a certain rarity level. The rarer the weapon, the higher the damage. Thus, every weapon can be used at any time in the game. It will also be possible to start the zombie mode with your own previously created loadout. You don't start with a pistol anymore but can take an assault rifle, a submachine gun or whatever you wish with you. This may sound a little bit OP at first, but the different levels of rarity should provide the necessary balance here. Your setup will get weaker and weaker as the game progresses unless you upgrade the rarity of your weapons.
The equipment has also been changed. Your lethal and tactical equipment consists, as in multiplayer, of different grenades or gadgets, while the support slot is reserved for the power weapons. Here you will find grenade launchers, turrets, and similar equipment.
Did it always bother you that the only way out of the zombie mode was death? That changes with the new option to exfiltrate. If you can't get any further, you can choose to escape by helicopter. If you choose this option, you will briefly spawn significantly more zombies, which you will have to ward off and then get some rewards if you survive.
What Stays the Same?
For all nostalgics there are of course some delicacies, after all, one does not want to throw everything overboard.
- The Mystery Box is back! But this time it is not marked with a teddy bear, but with a bloody plush bunny.
- There are also the well-known wallbuys again. New weapons hang on the walls and have to be bought for a certain amount of money.
- Pack-A-Punch is back too. Here you can improve your weapons with a chance to increase their rarity.
- Some of the perks are also making a return. Juggernog, Deadshot Daquiri, Speed Cola, Quick Revive and the new perk Elemental Pop are available. This time they are no longer in bottles but in cans and can be upgraded as well.
A Lot of Cross Stuff
That's right, we haven't seen so much cross stuff in one game for a long time. BOCW will have crossplay, cross-gene and cross-progression. This means that for the first time you can play Zombie Mode together with friends on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. And not only that, as an Xbox Series X player you can also play together with an Xbox One or PS4 player. Also, for the first time, it is possible to level your Battle Pass by playing the Zombie Mode. Whether multiplayer, zombie mode or co-op, everything counts for the Battle Pass.
Here you can see a summary of everything again:
#BlackOpsColdWar #Zombies: Cross-play Cross-gen Cross-progression Battle Pass progression Upgradeable Perks Gunsmith loadouts Weapon rarities Field Upgrades Support weapons Optional exfil Intel tracking Free post-launch content
— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) September 30, 2020
Dead Ops Arcade is Back!
Shortly after the announcement of the zombie mode, Treyarch also confirmed, to the delight of all fans, the return of the cult classic Dead Ops Arcade.
Oh, one more thing... we'll just leave this here for now.#BlackOpsColdWar #Zombies pic.twitter.com/GjLTJUfjA5
— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) September 30, 2020
This "hidden" extra mode lets you play a top-down twin-stick shooter in which you have to survive as many zombie waves as possible.
We are more than hyped after the announcement and can hardly wait for the release of Black Ops Cold War on November 13. What do you think of the new zombie mode? Share your opinion on our Facebook page!
All other Call of Duty news and updates, such as everything about the roadmap for Season 6, can be found on EarlyGame.
