Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies’ struggles have been well-documented, as fans were quick to share their disappointment with the mode as soon as the game released. Abandoning the round-based approach fans have come to know and love over the past 10 years, Der Anfang boasts an objective-focused style that strips away much of what Zombies fans have come to love. There are no small easter eggs to complete, there is no Wonder Weapon to wield, and the overall flow of each match is significantly different.
While many Zombies fans have been quick to abandon Call of Duty: Vanguard, returning to older games or custom maps on PC, some players held onto the hope that Season 1 would make some major changes to the experience of Der Anfang. Unfortunately, while there are some small additions and quality-of-life changes to be seen, this Season is unlikely to please any of the longtime fans who have been let down by the mode. Hopefully other Seasons provide bigger changes, because if they are all like Season 1, Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies will have no chance to recover.
All of Call of Duty: Vanguard's Season 1 Zombies Content
Season 1’s additions include a new objective type for Der Anfang called Purge. The mode will see players facing off against aethereal worms, with the goal being to collect Control Runes while waves of the undead continuously attack. The premise sounds very similar to Harvest, only with players not needing to deposit the Runes into moving Obelisks. If it really is as similar as it sounds, this objective type is unlikely to make Der Anfang feel any less repetitive.
Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies’ Altar of Covenants will be expanded with some additional upgrades. One of these is a version of Deadshot Daiquiri, and another is a take on the Dead Wire Pack-A-Punch effect - two things that were present in the past few Zombies modes on day one. Brimstone is another Covenant that deals damage to nearby enemies, while Scrapper provides more Salvage. Swift Vengeance is easily the most unique Covenant, as it provides extra damage when moving fast - making it useful with the Aetheral Haste perk. Other additions will see Launchers added to the mode as well as Seasonal Challenges being made available.
As is always the case with Call of Duty’s Seasons, there will be a midseason “Reloaded” update that adds some additional content. In the case of Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies, this is where the more impactful updates of the Season will be found, such as Von List’s Office. While details are scarce on what exactly this content is, it seems like it will be a new location players can visit while fighting through Der Anfang. Intel will surely be found in the office that hypes up Der Anfang’s upcoming main quest, and if objectives can be completed in the office area, it should add a bit of variety to the core gameplay loop.
The Tome of Rituals is another needed addition, as it provides upgrades for Artifacts. Given how powerful Field Upgrades were in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, the same abilities feel incredibly weak in Call of Duty: Vanguard since they cannot be upgraded. The Tome of Rituals should change that, though it is unclear if players will upgrade them via a currency like Aetherium Crystals or in each match via an upgrade station. Killstreaks and server pause are also confirmed to be coming.
While these quality-of-life upgrades are all welcome and are very similar to the additions made to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s Outbreak mode as the Seasons progressed, they do not fix the larger issues with the mode. Not only did Outbreak have a stronger foundation to build from, but it came alongside round-based content that fans love. By focusing completely on expanding Der Anfang, Treyarch is still not giving the community what it wants.
What Future Seasons of Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies Need To Focus On
Make no mistake, Der Anfang needs work to become a better Zombies experience. More objectives and areas are a good start, but it will also need to see some proper side content and easter eggs added. Outbreak consistently received things like the radio side quest, Orda boss fight, and Omega helicopters to shoot down. Similar, optional objectives should come to Der Anfang, giving players something to do in between main objectives apart from breaking the same crystals and opening the same chests.
Further, proper side quests need to come to Der Anfang. While the eventual main quest is obviously a necessity, the best Zombies maps have always had so much more to do than the main quest. Treyarch can start small with a hidden song, as fans would surely love to hear another original Zombies track of some kind. From there, small quests that provide free upgrades can help bring back the soul of Call of Duty Zombies, with the mode’s identity slowly returning. A Wonder Weapon is also a necessity, even if it just means throwing the Ray Gun into the Mystery Box. After all, Zombies fans should be excited when testing their luck, hoping that every spin will give them a Wonder Weapon. Currently, that feeling is nonexistent.
However, while focusing more on side quests and adding in a Wonder Weapon will help Der Anfang, Treyarch needs to add some round-based content to the game as soon as possible. Obviously, new Survival maps take a long time to develop, so it could be several Seasons before one is added. In the meantime, though, Treyarch could finally pull the trigger on Zombies Chronicles 2. Adding in TranZit, Die Rise, and Buried would instantly get fans invested in Zombies once again, even if the maps are added to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War instead. Having the Chronicles content could keep fans busy until Call of Duty: Vanguard is in a better state with its own round-based offerings.
Even making a proper Shi No Numa remaster available would go a long way to pleasing longtime fans. Treyarch has already brought back most of the assets needed for the map in Der Anfang, as players fight through the entire main hut whenever they teleport to the area. While the map is small and dated by today’s standards, adding it in would serve as a band-aid that allows the mode to recover. Many players would surely be content to fight through the Japanese swamp while Treyarch works on a new round-based experience, and systems like Pack-A-Punch could be added to modernize Shi No Numa a bit. Realistically, Treyarch is running out of time to save Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies, and Season 1 being so lackluster is concerning. Hopefully, some content for round-based fans comes sooner rather than later.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.