Summary
Call of Duty’s modern Zombies modes have been a bit of a mixed hands. Following the arguablyunderratedBlack Ops 4, the era of maps with bold settings and complex Easter eggs came to a close, and the mode shifted to suit the franchise’s new live service model.Black Ops Cold Warmay have had a personality problem, but it was a very solid Zombies experience overall, introducing some positive changes alongside ambitious ideas like Outbreak. Then came the critically pannedVanguardZombies, which was followed up by the love it or hate it open-world experience that isModern Warfare 3Zombies. However, all of these modes share one struggle: seasonal content.
Clearly a victim of the shift away from theCall of Dutyfranchise’s map pack focus,CoDZombies has lost its consistency, as players previously knew exactly when they could expect new maps. With the newer games, it is unclear if players are going to be getting a map in a certain season or if it will instead be full of “filler,” and they have no clue whether a midseason patch will have lots of smaller additions or be relatively barren. This is something that Treyarch should keep in mind forCall of Duty2024, as above all else, this title needs a better flow for its post-launch Zombies content.
Call of Duty 2024 Zombies Has to Prioritize a Clearer Pattern For Updates
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is The Latest Example of CoD Zombies’ Seasonal Problem
Thus far,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Zombies’ seasonal updateshave had the same inconsistency seen in recentCoDZombies modes. Season 1 started off great, with the introduction of Dark Aether Rifts, a fresh story mission, and a new story mission to complete. Unfortunately, Season 2 looks like a huge step down, with the main update seemingly offering nothing at all, while the Reloaded update only offers another Dark Aether Rift, story mission, and a Warlord to fight alongside some schematics. This is a far cry from the new map fans were hoping for, as it would have been great to see a version of the returning Fortune’s Keep added to MWZ.
Unfortunately, this is the level of inconsistency that has become synonymous withCoDZombies’ seasonal updates in recent years. On one hand, it is hard to blame Treyarch, as Zombies has never been designed as a mode built around the now-common live service model where updates happen constantly. Still, this does not make the small Zombies sections in the roadmaps and season breakdown blog posts an easier pill to swallow, as it has never felt more like Zombies is just a small third game mode than it has in recent years. Whether it wasVanguardZombies’ truly dead Season 3 that only came with challenges and weapons, or MWZ’s Season 1 Reloaded content basically just being a Warlord, Treyarch has to start avoiding these lengthy windows where no meaningful content releases.
Thus far,Black Ops Cold Warhas handled post-launch Zombies content the best, even if Season 1 being limited to LTMs was problematic and Season 2 and 3 slowed down a bit by focusing entirely on Outbreak. This is a good sign, asBlack Ops Cold Warwas primarily aTreyarch game, and so too isCoD2024, meaning similar support could happen.
How Call of Duty 2024 Can Provide a Better Pattern For Post-Launch Zombies Updates
Ideally,Call of Duty2024 will find the proper cadence for updates so fans know exactly what to expect. In a perfect world, perhaps Treyarch can get to a point where every new Season launches with a fresh round-based map on day one. Then, with the midseason update, newOutbreak contentcan be added, as well as fresh side Easter eggs for the survival map that had debuted a few weeks prior. This is in addition to LTMs, challenges, and minor features, which should never be the only content added in a big seasonal update. Alternatively, the midseason updates could get the new round-based maps since Reloaded content is usually less exciting than the full season launch, which would make for a nice change of pace. Regardless, the idea is forCall of DutyZombies fans to always have something meaningful to look forward to.
Firebase Zreleased as part of a midseason update, so there is precedent for such an approach.
Having nothing to do whenCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Season 2releases means that they will be stuck waiting weeks for another big piece of playable content. While Zombies should not have to be treated like a live service experience, that is unfortunately the situation Treyarch finds itself in, and something has to change for it to survive in that realm. Currently, players have little reason to stick with Zombies all-season, as more often than not the mode feels like an afterthought when looking at the seasonal roadmap. InCoD2024, players should not have to worry whether they will be getting a good or bad Zombies season, as there should be a clear plan in place where Treyarch rotates back and forth between round-based releases and big Outbreak content, with neither mode seeing too much downtime.
