Call of Duty Zombies has evolved plenty from its humble origins as a bonus mode in 2008’s Call of Duty: World at War. As the mode has grown, so too has its player base, with many buying new entries in the series purely for the opportunity to enjoy some fresh Zombies content. With a portion of the fan base only playing for Zombies, it would make sense for Activision and Sledgehammer Games to add a variant of the survival mode into the next premium game.
Unfortunately, while it may sound simple, Call of Duty 2021 is in an interesting position when it comes to its use of the undead. Zombies is only truly popular when it is made by Treyarch, with the studio having perfected the mode that it first introduced over a decade ago. While there have been three separate attempts to replicate this success, none have ignited the same spark in the mode’s community as Treyarch’s versions. As such, while there is potential for a Call of Duty 2021 Zombies mode to work, there is just as much of a chance it could fail. Still, there are a few steps that could be taken to deliver a less risky mode for Call of Duty’s co-op fans.
Call of Duty’s History Of Failed Zombies Attempts
In 2014, developer Sledgehammer Games released Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, its first attempt at its own entry in the franchise. The game ultimately proved controversial, as did its Exo Zombies mode. The original attempt at a non-Treyarch Zombies offering, the mode came as a result of an easter egg in the wave-based survival mode available at launch. 4 DLC maps arrived for Exo Zombies, with locations like Infection being considered some of the worst maps in the history of Call of Duty Zombies. While the mode features some decent easter eggs, its characters fell flat, with great actors like Bruce Campbell and John Malkovich wasted. Further, with frustrating enemy types like EMP Zombies and a flawed Pack-A-Punch system that saw players needing to upgrade 25 times, the mode struggled from the get-go.
2016’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare also attempted Zombies, and it was a bit of a mixed bag. The mode was clunky and featured a cartoony visual style that felt like a big step down from Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, and its Wonder Weapons were largely forgettable. Its story was also wacky and over-the-top, something that was both a positive and negative for the mode. While it allowed for fun celebrity cameos like Pam Grier and Kevin Smith, the main cast was entirely forgettable, intentionally playing into various movie stereotypes. While concepts like the super easter egg were excellent and rewarded players for finishing the previous quests, the lack of lore and average map design did not keep the community talking.
Finally, there was 2017’s Call of Duty: WW2, which served as the final try to replicate Treyarch’s success. The game featured Nazi Zombies, and was arguably the best attempt made by another developer at Call of Duty Zombies. Oozing with personality, this version of the survival mode leaned into horror, making Zombies scary in a way that had never been done before. Special enemy types joined the grotesque designs for the undead, with passion seen behind every one of the game’s zombie models. Wonder weapons were decent, smart systems were in place for armor and buyable ammo, and casual easter egg quests were included alongside harder variants. On the downside, the mode took risks with maps like The Tortured Path that did not pay off, and its characters were largely forgettable. It also lacked the replayability of Treyarch’s classic mode, proving that nothing could match the original.
With three failed attempts, it would be understandable if Call of Duty 2021 skipped Zombies. With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s Zombies mode scrapped, and Activision surviving a year off from the mode, it could likely do the same with the next Call of Duty. While some fans may miss having the undead to fight, there are ways around this issue. In fact, some of the possibilities would arguably prove far better than Sledgehammer taking a third shot at mimicking another studio’s creation.
The Potential Solutions For The Problem
One great solution to Call of Duty 2021’s Zombies issue is to continue supporting Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War instead. By allowing Sledgehammer to focus on multiplayer and campaign content, a better game could result, while Zombies fans can continue to get fresh content inside Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. With the current version of Zombies incredibly popular, and players simply wanting more Survival content to enjoy, keeping the mode alive would be a wise idea. Fresh maps could keep Zombies fans busy until a new mode is added, while perk additions could do the same. Remasters of classic maps like TranZit could also come, with Treyarch continuing to update Outbreak as well. With Call of Duty: Black Ops 3’s Zombies Chronicles expansion keeping the game’s Zombies mode alive far into 2016, the same could happen with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
Another option is to have Treyarch assist with the development of Zombies inside Call of Duty 2021. This is not unheard of, as Sledgehammer itself has assisted with several Call of Duty projects. Raven Software even made Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s campaign, and with characters like Adler and Park proving popular, it is clear that good things can come from a studio helping out. With Treyarch Zombies always proving popular with fans, the mode would be far more likely to succeed and get players interested in Call of Duty 2021. It would also give Treyarch the chance to explore more of the new Dark Aether story, possibly looking back at the research done by Dr. Strauss and the early Zombies experiments from the World War 2 era.
A third option would see Sledgehammer doing something new entirely, looking back to Call of Duty: Ghosts and its Extinction mode. Instead of doing Zombies, the studio could introduce a new enemy type, whether it be aliens, cyborgs, cryptids, or an entirely original monster. These enemies could be used in place of the undead, functioning as cannon fodder in a fresh Survival mode. The basic mechanics of Zombies could stay or be completely abandoned depending on what Sledgehammer wants to do with its mode. Fresh objectives and never-before-seen weapons could be included, while a unique tone could be established. While Zombies is terrific, it is ultimately Treyarch’s baby, and gamers will always see it as such. In turn, it would be great to see Sledgehammer make a co-op hit of its own.
If Call of Duty 2021 does add Zombies, though, the last viable option would be to continue Call of Duty: WW2’s Nazi Zombies storyline. While the main cast of characters may not have been interesting as individuals, the lore was. As such, there is more that can be done in a continuation, with Sledgehammer keeping what worked and losing what did not. While the other options may be better, as they would allow for something original or a Zombies mode that is a guaranteed success, Nazi Zombies making a comeback could work as well. Still, it is hard to deny that Sledgehammer Games is facing an uphill battle when it comes to 2021’s Zombies offering. As such, if one of the above strategies is not utilized, having no Zombies mode in the next Call of Duty game could be for the best.
Call of Duty 2021 is in development for unspecified platforms.