Highlights

• Call of Duty Zombies has evolved over the years, with each title offering unique gameplay experiences, characters, and maps.
• Some games, like Vanguard, have been disappointing to Zombies fans due to lackluster storytelling and unengaging gameplay mechanics.
• Black Ops 3 is often regarded as the best Zombies experience, thanks to its exciting maps, varied weapons, and action-packed gameplay.

Call of Duty’s staple game mode, Zombies, was initially a fun game mode, with no future in sight. That was until the credits rolled for gamers in Call of Duty: World at War, and fans were introduced to the zombie horde. Endless rounds of fear, fun, and limbs, that’s what the game mode offered.

After 14 years since the first Call of Duty Zombies, players have loved the challenge of endless rounds and undead zombie hordes. The Treyarch-designed mode has been implemented in many, but not all, Call of Duty titles. Paired with great characters, weapons, maps, and enemies.

Updated October 11th, 2023: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is coming soon and players are anticipating some interesting new additions to the zombies formula that has become such a popular part of the series. Treyarch has done a great job to help evolve Call of Duty Zombies over the years and there have been some awesome titles for players to fight their way through. To better highlight some of the best Call of Duty Zombies games out there, the following list now has a companion video.

10 Vanguard

With 2021’s title, Call of Duty: Vanguard, the Zombies game mode returned in a significantly smaller manner. Up until June 2022, Zombies did not even have the classic and beloved round-based gameplay, and only recently received a new map with a remake for Shi No Numa. Not only is Vanguard lacking in Zombies content, but the gameplay itself is somewhat mediocre.

Most Zombies fans can agree that Vanguard is a disappointment to the franchise’s Zombies. The story is lackluster, considering the lore is often a compelling mystery. The gameplay itself is too similar, with weapons, perks, and other systems remaining unengaging.

9 Black Ops 4

After the climax of Black Ops 3’s Zombies, fans were ecstatic to see the game mode return for Black Ops 4. Not only were fan-favorite characters returning, but there was a new Zombie crew in an alternate timeline. Both stories, separate, but equally convoluted, lacked total intrigue, and otherwise, stale gameplay.

Black Ops 4 tried to change up the Zombies formula but was somewhat unsuccessful. Most of the maps were pale remakes of previous maps and sacrificed intricate designs for large areas. Many regard Black Ops 4 Zombies as one of the weaker entries.

Gauntlet

There are many controversies in the COD Zombies community regarding Black Ops 4. Many believe that the game underdelivered in terms of Zombies experiences. One of these experiences was called Gauntlet, which saw the typical round-based games they expected, but with a challenge mode thrown into the mix.

If players fail to complete a challenge for each round, then they will earn a strike. If the players have three strikes, it’s game over. Some of the challenges can be easy, some can be hard. It’s worth testing this mode for Zombies veterans to truly get a more challenging experience.

8 World War 2

Finally returning to its roots and going back to the past, Call of Duty: World War 2 sought to bring back the horror elements seen in the first iteration of COD Zombies. The team succeeded, and the zombie designs were grotesque and horrifying to witness. The crew was a star-studded cast of actors to battle with, such as David Tennant and Ving Rhames.

However, despite the cast, and the great detail of the world and zombies, the maps lacked somewhat. The gameplay was different enough from previous Zombies to remain interesting, but there were too many advantages that made the game easier than others.

7 Infinite Warfare

With Infinity Ward setting the scene for their version of Zombies, things entered the realm of fun and campy. Infinity Ward ditched the horror aspects of Zombies and brought about a new groove for the franchise. The first map is a fun theme park with classic 80s tunes and even David Hasselhoff. The Easter egg itself involved aliens and the devil.

Infinite Warfare's maps consisted of celebrity cameos like Kevin Smith and featured a different genre for each map. One such map has players embarking on a kung-fu journey against the Zombie hordes. The team at Infinity Ward seemed to have a lot of fun with their version of the Zombie mode.

6 Advanced Warfare

With Sledgehammer Games leading their first Call of Duty title, Advanced Warfare experimented with movement more than other COD games. Exo-skeletons were used for better versatility in jumps and running, and even the zombies could move more.

The game featured a talented cast, with the likes of Jon Bernthal, John Malkovich, and Evil Dead’s very own Bruce Campbell. The gameplay was pretty fun, and there was a good variety of maps. However, it just didn’t feel like a Treyarch title.

5 Black Ops 2

After the success of Zombies, Activision knew it had to invest more time and money into the game mode. After all, it has a loyal fan base. With Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, players saw the Multiplayer engine in use for Zombies, as well as new stat-tracking, improved leaderboards, and skill-based matchmaking.

Black Ops 2 featured a lot of interesting maps, as well as famed Easter eggs that COD players came to expect from the franchise. Black Ops 2 features great moments in the Zombies series, as well as unique game modes.

Grief

The maximum number of players in any COD Zombies title was 4 until Black Ops 2 introduced Grief. In Grief, players were reduced to a small section of the iconic maps, where they would enter into a 4v4 mode. Grief was effectively the “Last Man Standing” game mode, which saw both teams trying to survive the zombie hordes.

Players may not be able to directly hurt each other, but they can get in the way and hinder progress by stealing kills, not opening doors, and using their melee or gun on them. Grief can be a lot of fun when there’s a large group of players.

Turned

An exclusive game mode for Black Ops 2, Turned featured something brand new to COD Zombies; the ability to become a zombie. As the zombie, the player needs to hunt down the lone human survivor. Killing the surviving player will turn the victor into a human, and it’s a battle of who can kill the most player-controlled zombies before death.

Turned can be fun in a group of friends, but doesn’t offer much else other than a version of Gun Game with zombies. It’s quick and short, and the maps are small, yet Turned can still be fun if the players are willing to make it so.

4 World At War

When the credits rolled on the World at War campaign, many Call of Duty players may have been frightened to see shuffling bodies running toward the camera. The screen goes dark, with an ominous title card “Nazi Zombies”, burning into the screen. Round 1 begins, and Call of Duty has never been the same since.

World at War did a great job of fleshing out the Zombies game mode, and so much of it was perfect on the first try that many features remain a staple. The round system, mystery box, perks, and more. World at War remains the classic Zombies experience.

3 Black Ops

With Zombies being a huge success, many fans waited for Treyarch’s next title, Call of Duty: Black Ops, to see what was next for Zombies. The developers knocked it out of the park with the two maps upon release. Battling in a theater against new foes, as well as becoming Nixon and JFK in the Pentagon.

The gameplay was smoother from the original entry, and Black Ops featured some great maps, with the original ones from World at War. It made the experience exhilarating, with new perks, weapons, and features to explore.

Dead Ops Arcade

A hidden game mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops, Dead Ops Arcade was a Zombies mode introduced to the title, with a completely different style of play. Dead Ops Arcade was unlocked by typing in “DOA” on the CIA computer at the title screen and will bring players into a top-down arcade shooter with zombies, silverback space gorillas, and more.

There’s a frenzy of mayhem in Dead Ops Arcade, and it can be fun to go through the levels and collect exciting loot to progress. It can be a challenge, so players should use their twin-stick controls to battle to the top of the leaderboard before an inevitable end to their run.

2 Black Ops Cold War

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s Zombies arrived with a lot of unique features. For the first time in the franchise, players could select their operative. This meant that, because of the collaborations, players could fight zombies like Rambo, or Frank Woods. Perks were abundant, with a new tier system for weapons and upgrades.

Guns felt intensely powerful, and mowing down Zombies had never been more fun. The maps were large, and the hordes even larger, thanks to the next-gen console capabilities. Black Ops Cold War was easier for new players and a game mode that everyone could enjoy.

Onslaught

A cooperative Zombies mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Onslaught is a 2-player experience that will see players survive against Zombies and other enemies within Multiplayer maps. It’s interesting to see the hordes of the undead invade famous Multiplayer maps in Call of Duty.

Onslaught isn’t great, and the limit of having two people can restrict the fun. However, running around the large or small maps in Multiplayer with an army of zombies on the hunt can be fun. Players will be tasked with increasing the Dark Aether Orb power to 100%.

1 Black Ops 3

The best Zombies experience is never an agreeable answer. However, many can agree that Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is the best experience for a multitude of reasons. The game itself features an array of exciting new maps. These range from the streets of Morg City as Jeff Goldblum and Ron Perlman, to the ongoing Zombies storyline with the Primis Crew. Zombies Chronicles also saw the DLC release of fan-favorite maps, remade for Black Ops 3.

The game mode is the definitive way to play certain maps, thanks to the many assortments of weapons and wonder weapons. The perks are many, and the gameplay is exciting. Players can run, jump, and slide across the maps, all while being chased by all sorts of minibosses and zombies. Each Easter egg also features a defining boss to further unfold the Zombie mode story.

MORE: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Zombies Wish List