The Call of Duty Zombies community is currently in the worst place it has ever been, with even the early days of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 being a healthier time for the mode than what is being experienced right now. A vast majority of content creators and players have given up on Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies, with the mode lacking content and playing too differently from what fans are used to.
Alongside hopes that Treyarch’s next Call of Duty game will restore the reputation of Zombies, leakers have given fans a reason to believe that Zombies Chronicles 2 is coming in 2023. With next year’s Call of Duty title seemingly delayed to give Treyarch more time, and Activision teasing new premium content to keep fans busy, there are hopes that maps like Die Rise and Buried will be getting remastered. While it remains to be seen if this will really happen, fans would be wise to expect some changes to these maps that go beyond a visual makeover.
Potential Zombies Chronicles 2 Changes
If Zombies Chronicles 2 does become a reality, it is hard to imagine it releasing in the highly controversial Call of Duty: Vanguard. As such, the options available to Treyarch are the rumored standalone Zombies game or a DLC release for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. With Black Ops 3 used to house the original Zombies Chronicles, it is easy to imagine Black Ops Cold War serving as the home of Zombies Chronicles 2.
If this is the case, then the core systems of Black Ops Cold War will be introduced to the remastered maps, instantly changing the style of gameplay that fans encounter. An already easy map like Buried, for instance, could lose the little difficulty that it had once the armor system is incorporated. Likewise, an upgraded version of Stamin-Up removes fall damage in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies, so the main thing making Die Rise both fun and frustrating would be taken away.
Similar to how the original Zombies Chronicles used Black Ops 3 guns, Zombies Chronicles 2 would likely utilize a lot of Black Ops Cold War weaponry. While there would be special exceptions for Wonder Weapons and map-specific guns like the Remington New Model Army, the iconic weaponry of Black Ops 2 would likely not be present in the remasters. Players could end up using Buried’s chalk to place guns like the Krig 6 instead of the beloved AN-94, taking away a bit of the joy the original map provided.
For the record, change is not always a bad thing. The original version of TranZit is viewed by many as the worst round-based map made by Treyarch, though a lot of its issues were tied to the limitations of last gen consoles. As such, a new version of TranZit could allow Treyarch to realize the map’s full potential, getting its original vision out into the world. Less problematic fog, limited Denizen spawns, and ways to better counter lava damage are just some ways that the remastered map could be better than the 2012 version. Of all the possible remakes, a new take on TranZit would likely feel the most different, though this would hardly be a negative.
The original Zombies Chronicles featured gorgeous remasters that stayed faithful to the original maps, but there is no denying that they played differently from the old versions due to a different movement system and the inclusion of Gobblegum. With the hypothetical Zombies Chronicles 2, gamers should expect something similar. The heart of the maps will still be present, and the layouts will be the same, but the usage of modern Call of Duty Zombies mechanics would inevitably lead to an experience that feels a bit different.