Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies fans are about to see the current chapter of the Dark Aether story come to a close. Season 6 will bring the fourth and final round-based map to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and while some fans are understandably saddened by the low map count, at least the current iteration of Zombies seems to be going out with a bang.
Thus far, players know that Forsaken will release on October 7, with next Thursday being a special day for the Zombies community. Thus far, Treyarch has given players an idea of what the map will look like and what it will feature, with several photos released as well as thirty seconds of gameplay. With an exciting new Wonder Weapon coming alongside a classic perk, Forsaken should be a good way to cap off the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War portion of the Dark Aether narrative.
The Story And Setting Of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s Forsaken Map
There are several things going on when it comes to the story of Forsaken, something that players who have kept up with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s intel will be very familiar with. The main goal of Requiem will be to extract Zykov from the Dark Aether before Omega does, as the Russian soldier holds the key to stopping the Forsaken. With the map named after this mysterious Dark Aether force, a being that controls the undead and has manipulated characters like Valentina, players may finally end up facing off with the entity.
While the Russian and American factions are fighting to reach Zykov first, the mystery of the Requiem director is also set to be addressed. Since Mauer Der Toten, he has been torturing Samantha, forcing her to use her powers so that she is fully aware of her strength. Sam may have a purpose that is ultimately heroic, as she could end up defeating the Forsaken, but the director has certainly gone very far when trying to push her. With all signs pointing to this director being Edward Richtofen, fans could be in for quite the revelation in this new map.
With a lot going on in Forsaken, Call of Duty Zombies fans can expect some big story developments, with a major cliffhanger likely as well. Treyarch has confirmed that this map will not only close the current chapter of the story, but open up the next one. How exactly this Cold War era narrative connects to a World War 2 prequel will be interesting to see. While time travel and a multiverse featured in the original Aether story, the Dark Aether Narrative has been fairly grounded thus far. As such, Treyarch will likely choose a few things to wrap up and leave some questions hanging so that fans can theorize about them.
While this map has a lot of moving parts and is setting up a big conclusion to the current story arc, its setting is rather unassuming. Instead of a big battlefield or a map set in the Dark Aether itself, players will be fighting in Anytown, U.S.A. Those who played through Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s campaign will know the area well, as this Russian training facility featured in the mission “Redlight, Greenlight.” Meant to mimic the terrain of an American city, this facility prepared Russian soldiers for a fight on foreign soil. It should make for a fun play space, even if it is made out of reworked singleplayer assets.
The Features Of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s Forsaken Map
From a gameplay perspective, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies’ last Survival map is adding a lot of new things for players to mess around with. One of the most surprising is a new mini boss type. It looks like a cross between a Hellhound and a Margwa from Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, with the three-headed dog seen charging at players in the trailer. It shoots a laser from its many mouths, though it is unclear if players will need to destroy all its heads to kill it like with Margwas.
Outside of this intriguing mini boss, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War players will get to wield a new Wonder Weapon. Dubbed the Chrysalax, this will be the first melee-focused Wonder Weapon in Treyarch Zombies. While there have been special melee attacks attached to weapons like Origins’ staves, and special equipment like Shadows of Evil’s Apothican Sword, this is a fresh concept for a map’s defining weapon. It looks powerful based on the brief swings seen in the trailer, and it will also boast the unique ability of having an alternate firing mode. With players able to shoot with the weapon, too, it should be useful in every situation. It will have its own quest, and can also be obtained from the Mystery Box or Trials.
While it remains to be seen if the Chrysalax will outdo the CRBR-S, the new perk being introduced alongside Forsaken will surely be more popular than Death Perception. While Death Perception has a lot of use in Outbreak, and is finally getting a perk machine in Forsaken, it is not as flashy as the map’s returning beverage. PhD Slider will boast the jingle and logo of the classic PhD Flopper alongside the ability to cause an explosion when sliding. When upgraded, players will be able to set off an explosion when falling much like they could when dolphin diving with PhD Flopper equipped. Another tier will give full explosive immunity, making the perk a lot like the original PhD.
Some new equipment will also be made available in Forsaken, and while the Hand Cannon should be familiar to those who play Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War multiplayer, the ARC-XD is a bit more interesting. A variant of the Black Ops series’ iconic RC-XD, this remote-control car is powered by an Aetherium Crystal. Essentially a mobile monkey bomb, the undead are attracted to the car. It will regularly emit a pulse that kills them, and its official description mentions that it can fit into small spaces. As such, it will likely be involved in some easter egg steps.
The last thing worth noting is the teleporter seen in one of the Season 6 trailers. It looks exactly like the one seen in Firebase Z, which heavily implies that players will use it to teleport to a new area just like they did on that map. This could let players go to somewhere beyond the secret Russian base, though this is purely speculation. Still, it seems likely that the fight with the Forsaken will take place on a grander stage, and these teleporters could certainly be used to reach it. Regardless, they should offer players a quick way to travel around the various parts of the map. With the Wonder Weapon, mini-boss, and story all seeming promising, Forsaken should be a ton of fun.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.