Treyarch Reveals Zombies Gameplay and Details for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

The wait is finally over; Zombies are back! Treyarch has officially given us our first look at the Zombies mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. In this reveal, we are introduced to the first installment in the Dark Aether story, Die Maschine, as well as a load of game mechanics and features to expect.

After more than a decade of hidden secrets and sneaky ciphers, long-time Zombies fans knew we’d get a bit more than just a surprise reveal out of the blue. Tune into the First Look video for a rundown on the important details of today's reveal.

Die Maschine

Taking place in the 1980s, Black Ops Cold War paves the way for a completely new Zombies experience that celebrates the heritage built since World at War. This is something fresh, with touches of the familiar... if you know where to look. It’s a new beginning, laced in legacy.

This is the first episode of the Dark Aether story... “Die Maschine".

Though set in the ‘80s, the origins of “Die Maschine” (pronounced “dee mah-SHEEN-eh” for all you non-German speakers out there) reach even further back in history. The discovery of a World War II-era experiment known as Projekt Endstation threatens to set off a new arms race between the superpowers, as each side attempts to harness the dark power at the heart of it all.

Features

For the first time in a Black Ops game, Zombies will blur the narrative lines between modes. Instead of being locked to one of four characters, you’ll play as the Operators from Multiplayer... and even some familiar faces from the single-player Campaign, including Russell Adler, Lawrence Sims, and even Sgt. Frank Woods himself.

These operatives are part of Requiem, a CIA-backed international response team led by Russian-American Grigori Weaver – another familiar face for long-time Black Ops players. Tasked with investigating and suppressing the abnormal phenomena occurring in the facility below, they will be guided by Weaver on their mission to find the truth.

Throughout their mission, Requiem team members will also come up against the Omega Group, a mysterious, Soviet-led organization hell-bent on researching (and possibly exploiting) the unexplainable anomalies manifesting around the world. And among the full cast of characters, you won’t be sure who you can trust and who to keep an eye on. One contact in particular – Sam – has access to KGB intel that may prove more than a little useful.

In many ways, Treyarch is bringing Zombies gameplay back to the foundations that players loved in previous Black Ops games, with some new twists and improvements along the way. You’ll find upgradable fan-favorite Perks including Juggernog, Speed Cola, and Quick Revive – complete with classic jingles and redesigned Perk machines – as well as the all-new Elemental Pop Perk to modify your ammo types in a pinch.

You’ll Pack-a-Punch your arsenal for massive upgrades, try to roll a Ray Gun at the Mystery Box, purchase weapons at Wall Buys, and fight off wave after wave of the undead in classic round-based survival. Everything you’d expect at the core of the Zombies experience is right where it belongs.

Treyarch is also upping the ante by bringing in new mechanics, like weapon rarities, discoverable loot, Field Upgrades, support weapons, persistent loadouts, and even the optional choice to exfil from the map with your squad when things get too hot... if you can survive the onslaught. If you’ve ever wanted to deploy a Sentry Turret or Chopper Gunner on a horde of zombies, we’ve got you covered. If you want to bring your own weapon into the next Zombies run with your squad, now you can.

Dead Ops Arcade 3

Treyarch has also teased the return of the Dead Ops Arcade mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. We can expect to see further details regarding this classic arcade mode in the future.

Stay tuned to @CODTracker on Twitter for full Call of Duty coverage, including the latest Black Ops Cold War news. In case you're new here, we also offer Player Stats, Leaderboards, and a Cosmetics Database for the latest titles - check us out!