Treyarch has shared a gameplay guide for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies that includes details about field upgrades. Black Ops Cold War Zombies will see the return of some classic features — such as the Mystery Box, Pack-a-Punch Machine, and Perk dispensers — but will also introduce many new elements, as Zombies mode will feature unique field upgrades that are much different than those in multiplayer.
The field upgrades in Zombies are attached to players' custom loadouts and are designed to grant an edge over the swarming hordes of zombies. The mysterious story of the Dark Aether storyline ties into the field upgrade powers, and are inspired by past Zombie mode abilities, which will now combine technology with the powers of the Dark Aether.
While not much is known about the Dark Aether, its origins and powers will be discovered throughout the story of Black Ops Cold War Zombies. At launch, five field upgrades with differing powers and cooldown requirements will be available for loadouts. The field upgrades include:
- Frost Blast – Create a frigid blast of wind that deals frost damage and slows enemies caught inside of it. Slowed enemies take additional damage.
- Healing Aura – Summon beams of energy down on yourself and allies to instantly heal to full health.
- Energy Mine – Create a mine of pure energy that detonates on proximity of enemies, dealing explosive damage.
- Ring of Fire – Create a ring of ethereal fire that boosts damage for you and allies. Normal enemies who enter gain a burning effect that deals fire damage. Lasts 15 seconds.
- Aether Shroud – Phase into the Dark Aether for 5 seconds becoming hidden from enemy detection.
The field upgrades do seem designed specifically to handle overwhelming waves of zombies. Some are offensive, while others support and protect players and teammates. Unlike Cold War's multiplayer field upgrades, Zombies field upgrades have a unique cooldown that requires zombie kills instead of time, with each upgrade having different cooldown requirements based on how powerful the field upgrade is. For instance, Healing Aura requires double the kills that offensive upgrades like Energy Mine take to reset.
Fans may also notice that two of the field upgrades seem to reference the Dark Aether. The Aether Shroud's description seems to point at the existence of another Dark Aether dimension, and the Ring of Fire notably uses a ring of ethereal fire. Treyarch mentions that the five upgrades will be available at launch, and given the Black Ops Cold War Zombies storyline will develop over time and change gameplay, this may hint at more field upgrades becoming available after launch.
When players jump into a multiplayer Zombies match, deciding field upgrades will be an important part of planning loadouts. Each player can have different field upgrades, which may informally designate players to a certain role like support or attacker. Teams can also carry the same field upgrade, like Healing Aura, to ensure that one player can always revive others.
Players will have to experiment with different combinations to find out what is most effective. Zombies will also feature new abilities, features, and items that help power up players, including upgrading perks, armor, and salvage; looting and crafting, scorestreaks, and the optional Zombies exfil system.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will be available on November 13th on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Call of Duty Blog