Black Ops Cold War Year 2 Content Is 'Focused On Zombies'
They say what is dead may never die, and when it comes to Call of Duty, that seems to be the mantra of Black Ops Cold War Year 2. With news that 2020's period-piece shooter will be the most supported CoD game ever, that doesn't mean we're about to chuck Cold War into an early grave in favour of the mysterious Vanguard - or are we?
It's no secret that we love Zombies. From its humble roots - introduced as a mode in 2008's World at War - the Zombies name has become a staple of Treyarch titles and is even rumoured for its own standalone game.
While Cold War critics have claimed Zombies content has been like a show-shuffling George A. Romero zombie, rest assured there's sure to be new content that's ready to bite a chunk out of fandom in Year 2.
How will Cold War Year 2 be focussed on Zombies?
Despite Treyarch tweaking its fine-tuned Zombies formula, it's important to remember it's been five months since FireBaseZ launched and that we have a pretty lacklustre two Survival maps until Mauer Der Toten releases as part of the Dark Aether arc. Yes, we've enjoyed the experimental Outbreak Mode and seeing munchers invade the map in Warzone Season 3, but is it enough?
According to insider information, there could be a plethora of Zombies content clawing its way into Cold War for the end of 2021 and into 2022. Noted leaker Tom Henderson has sparked hope of more Survival maps to make up for the paltry number we currently have. Added to this, more Zombies content would undoubtedly mean more cosmetics. It's been noted plenty of times that Samantha Maxis' long-awaited arrival is still restricted to her default skin and her bizarre (but brilliant) "Death's Veil" bundle.
Importantly, all of the above has spurred us toward the idea of Zombies Chronicles 2. Released in 2017 as a DLC bundle for Black Ops III, Chronicles gathered the good and the great of Zombies maps and rebuilt them with the game's souped-up engine. There's been speculation about a sequel since the first released, so now seems like as good a time as any to serve up Zombies Chronicles 2 on a blood-soaked platter.
Does Cold War Year 2 need more Zombies content?
Whether you fancy yourself as a bit of a Rick Grimes and love shooting up zombies on your screen, or whether you'd be doomed to be the first one out in a zombie apocalypse, Cold War has definitely been slow on the uptake. Crunching the numbers (and skulls), Cold War was the first Zombies experience to launch with a single Survival map since World at War.
Maybe we've become used to a well-rounded Zombies experience, but compared to Call of Duty: Black Ops featuring Kino and Five, Black Ops 2 dishing out TranZit and Die Rise, Black Ops 3 delivering The Giant and Shadows of Evil, and Black Ops 4 giving a whopping four Zombies maps on day one, Treyarch has been holding out on us all.
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In May, Treyarch promised to do better and outlined what's ahead for Zombies. Back then, the developer said, "Development is already underway on more Zombies content for future seasons...We appreciate everyone’s patience while we continue development on our next map, and hope you have a blast with all the other Zombies content coming in the meantime". Hopefully, it isn't a case of too little too late.
While Black Ops Cold War has been a far from perfect experience, Zombies was supposed to be a jewel in the rotten crown. Instead, most find themselves looking ahead at Vanguard and hopes we'll get to kick the ass of Nazi zombies. If we continue at the current release schedule, it means Black Ops Cold War would end Season 6 with just four Survival maps - which is the same number Black Ops 4 had when it launch.
Just like the zombies themselves, we're hungry for more, but as with all things Call of Duty, expect those at the top to hold out until someone inevitably leaks their plans early.
