It seems like a silly question. After all, why would the newest Black Ops, with a renewed emphasis on real-world history, include something as over-the-top and ridiculous as Zombies? Especially considering we went as over-the-top as it gets with the flying squids and multi-verse nonsense. So, will Cold War have Zombies? Well, the answer is…
Maybe.
Probably. Though in what form, we can’t know yet. A full reveal is slated for August 26th, so we’ll have to wait until then to know whether the solo campaign will have its own Zombies mode or if it’s something like a limited-time event in Warzone.
What We Know About Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War
For a while now, Activision has been dropping little hints towards an upcoming Black Ops title that, in retrospect, explain the hitherto unexplained secret bunkers and Russian code-breaking stuff in Warzone. It seems the new narrative will be centered around the height of the Cold War and behind-the-scenes spy games that took place between the United States and the Soviet Union.
The trailer above focuses on a real-world Russian defector, Yuri Bezmenov, and a 1984 interview in which he warned American viewers of the dangers posed by what he saw as a not-so-cold War. The teaser also includes an allusion to an enigmatic figure of World War 2 and the Cold War, the Russian spy known only as “Perseus” who is thought to be responsible for the theft of nuclear weapon science related to the Manhattan Project — you know, the project that gave us the bomb. You know, that bomb.
Whether Perseus the spy will be a playable character or another NPC, there’s no way to tell.
What’s odd is the reference to Verdansk in the teaser’s description. What specifically this means for the state of Warzone’s primary map is, again, uncertain. But considering that Activision has stated the war zone will evolve with the canon franchise, we could be sure that even those who don’t take part in the upcoming Black Ops title will see some sort of changes related to it.
The presence of Perseus, the supposed thief of nuclear intel, and the vague reference to Verdansk coupled with the Warzone/Canon tie-in has led some to speculate that Verdansk might even be destroyed.
No word yet on whether or not the game will be cross-gen or CoD’s last dance on current consoles.
What We Know About Zombies and Black Ops Cold War + What We Hope For
Aside from a variety of fan theories and easter eggs, there’s nothing concrete about anything zombie related just yet. If they do manage to find a way to include some undead into what looks like a realist historical backdrop without shattering the illusion they’re clearly aiming for, it’ll be quite a feat.
One thing that caught our attention while sifting through the trailer was one element that could possibly connect the two: the name Perseus. Not only could it refer to the Russian spy, which would directly tie into the Cold War theme they’re touting — but it also happens to be the name of the Ancient Evil map’s main antagonist in Black Ops 4, the literal Perseus. It’s unlikely we’ll be seeing him again, but it’s an intriguing coincidence at the very least.
Whether we get Zombies or not, it seems it would be foolhardy for Activision to ignore the vibrant CoD Zombies community and the content they are quite vocal about asking for. Zombies is a huge attraction, if not the main one, for a large segment of the CoD player base, and many would like to see a return to the OG zombies formula that made it great in the first place — and not another bizarre and certifiably unnecessary attempt to “deepen” the Zombies lore and further convolute it in the process.
Zombies, whether for film, TV, or the console, were never meant to be complicated. If anything, Zombies are awesome because they’re just a simple plot device rather than a character – they have but one motive: eat some brains. They have but one move: bite. They don’t nest complex human desires or harbor the sprawling machinations of a brooding supervillain. They just wanna moan, eat some people, and call it a day. And that’s what made them such a wonderful gameplay mechanic in the original Zombies mode.
Hopefully, Activision remembered that this time around and if they have implemented some sort of new zombies mode, whether it be in the main game or a special event in Warzone, it’s more of the straightforward Romero-Zombie smashing craziness and less of the Lovecraftian interdimensional nonsense.
What do you want to see in the newest Black Ops? Do you think we see Zombies again? Is Verdanks going straight to oblivion?
