After a rough launch and a lackluster start to Season 1, many Call of Duty: Vanguard players had given up on the game’s version of Zombies. With how little the mode resembled its predecessors and just how much was missing, it is hard to blame the community for being so down on the co-op portion of the game. However, Treyarch seems determined to save Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies, with the next update for the mode addressing numerous issues.
With 115 Day falling on a Saturday this year, Treyarch decided to move its annual blog post celebrating all things Call of Duty Zombies up a bit. The post in question sees the developer being candid with the Call of Duty: Vanguard fan base, acknowledging some of the biggest problems that players have had with the Der Anfang. A clear plan for improving the mode now seems to be in place, and while it may never be exactly what longtime Zombies fans want, the 115 Day info is still a big step in the right direction.
Needed Content For Round-Based CoD Zombies Fans
Following the controversy about Der Anfang being an objective-focused mode, Treyarch was quick to assure round-based Zombies fans that they were not being left behind. The developer promised that content aimed at those who love the traditional mode was in the works, and while a proper round-based experience may not be on the way just yet, the new objective type is the closest thing to it.
Called Void objectives, these missions will task players with surviving through rounds just like they would in classic Survival maps. Fittingly, the first Void objective will take place in Shi No Numa. While it is unclear if the entirety of the original map will feature, or just the small area included in Der Anfang, the gameplay loop sounds like classic Zombies. The Void objective will bring an endless amount of Zombies in waves, and it will allow players to Pack-A-Punch their guns and survive for as long as they wish. They can return to the Stalingrad hub whenever they want to after three rounds have passed, with players earning a point bonus and other rewards the longer they survive.
For players who want a traditional Zombies experience, this is a massive step in the right direction. While classic features like wallbuys, buyable doors, and Wonder Weapons are still missing, players can now access the old style of gameplay in Der Anfang. The best part of this feature is that Treyarch is not waiting until Season 2 to release it; the update will be live at 9 PM PT on January 11, giving players a reason to return to Zombies immediately. With how desperate players have been for Survival content, releasing the Void objective as soon as possible is a good move on Treyarch’s part. Gamers should now have a place to grind Zombies camos, killing large groups of the undead for as long as they want.
Pack-A-Punch Camos, Server Pause, And More
However, the addition of a small round-based experience is not the only issue that Treyarch addresses in the 115 Day post. Pack-A-Punch camos are finally coming, a mechanic that has been part of Zombies ever since Pack-A-Punch itself was introduced. These are being added alongside the Void objective and will come in three different colors. A different camo will be applied with every upgrade tier, with the first camo shown being dark purple and boasting a unique pattern.
While server pause for Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies will not be part of this midseason update, Treyarch has confirmed that it is coming soon. Treyarch also admits that the process has taken longer than it would have liked, though it does clarify that adding server pause is not as simple as flipping a switch. The change to the newer engine has forced Treyarch to learn many new systems, including the move away from player-hosted servers. The developer thanks players for their patience in the post, and fans will hopefully get more info on the mechanic soon.
The blog post also highlights content that was already confirmed for the midseason update of Call of Duty: Vanguard Season 1. This includes Von List’s office, a new location on the map that players will use to reach the Void objective and uncover more story intel. The War Machine and Death Machine are being added as buyable killstreaks, while the Combat Shield and new melee weapons are coming to the Mystery Box. Treyarch also details the upgrades coming with the Tome of Rituals, a mechanic that lets players upgrade their Artifacts with Sacrificial Hearts. An additional Aether Shroud Charge and Ring of Fire letting players pull ammo from the stock are some of the possible upgrades, showing that the buffs are significant.
Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies’ Brighter Future
The 115 Day update from Treyarch makes it clear that the midseason update is the biggest for Call of Duty: Vanguard yet, with the patch addressing some of the biggest concerns that the community has had. The mode still has a long way to go, but thankfully, it appears that Treyarch is aware of this. The rest of the blog post highlights what is coming in Season 2 and beyond, and it gives players a reason to be a bit more optimistic about the future of Zombies.
The delayed Der Anfang main quest is confirmed for Season 2, as is “more survival gameplay” - indicating that Void objectives will be added for areas beyond Shi No Numa. A new enemy type is coming, as are “multiple” Wonder Weapons - with the original Ray Gun and a brand-new weapon being serious possibilities. However, the most exciting reveal is that a new hub map is coming to the game in Season 2. The map will feature new arenas and the hub itself will be a “completely original location,” a clear response to the criticism that Stalingrad is just a reskinned version of Red Star from multiplayer.
Treyarch even teases one last piece of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War content in the form of an Operator, with some theorizing that it could be Requiem Director Richtofen. Overall, this 115 Day post was exactly what the community needed after a rough couple of months, and hopefully Treyarch continues to provide exciting updates like this for the rest of Call of Duty: Vanguard’s life cycle. While the mode undoubtedly has a long way to go, there is finally a reason to be optimistic about its future.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Treyarch