Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 arrives later this year, which includes Treyarch’s iconic Zombies mode. The developer has revealed new gameplay and details for the upcoming round-based Zombies mode. Here we highlight all of the biggest announcements for Black Ops 6 Zombies, including the new save and join features, Wonder Weapons, Gobblegums, and Easter-egg details.
Black Ops 6 Zombies launch maps
Treyarch has revealed that Black Ops 6 Zombies will launch with two brand-new round-based Zombies maps called Terminus and Liberty Falls. Both maps will have connected storylines taking place at the exact same time.
Terminus is a nighttime map set on a remote prison island, which continues the Dark Aether storyline from Black Ops Cold War’s Zombies. This map features the returning cast of Weaver, Carver, Strauss, Dr. Elizabeth Grey, and the pilot known as Raptor One. More story details and the cinematic trailer for Terminus can be found here.
The Liberty Falls map is set in a West Virginian town overrun with Zombies. The full map and more details will be revealed during the Call of Duty: Next event on August 28.
New ways to play, save, and join mid-match
Black Ops 6 Zombies will give the option to play in either first-person or third-person perspectives, with an in-game toggle to switch between views mid-match. Treyarch says third-person will let players see Black Ops 6’s omni-movement in a different way.
Players can now join their friend’s ongoing Zombies matches, if there is room in the party. This also means there is an option to rejoin a match if there is a disconnection issue.
There are also customizable HUD presets to give players more options, including a “Legacy” setting that removes the minimap and positions elements in the same place as the HUD in Black Ops 3.
Zombies also features the new Save and Quit feature for solo players. Solo players have the ability to save a match and quit so they can pick it up later on. Everyone will have one save slot for this feature.
New and returning features
Easter-egg quests
Secrets and Easter eggs are a staple of Zombies mode, and Terminus is confirmed to have a traditional Easter-egg quest for players to solve. Several side quests can be uncovered as well, and players are encouraged to explore the island and uncover hidden secrets.
Treyarch describes Terminus as “one of the largest round-based Zombies maps ever created,” and says the map offers tactical rafts that players can use to fully explore the prison area, ocean, and smaller islands.
Black Ops 6 will include traditional and guided versions of the Easter-egg quest. The game will launch without a guided approach for the main story Easter egg, allowing the community to work together to solve the quest.
Later in the season, players can expect an optional guided version of the main quest. This focused guidance through the main quest will cap the rounds to certain stages of their quest progression. All additional side quests and other Easter eggs will be disabled to prioritize the narrative experience.
This method of starting with traditional quests and later guided options will apply to the seasonal round-based maps coming with post-launch content.
Classic Zombies features
Players can also expect plenty of classic features for Black Ops 6 Zombies, including Pack-a-Punch, the Mystery Box, Wonder Weapons, Wall Buys, Power-Ups, and perk machines.
The Wonder weapon for Terminus is the BeamSmasher. This is described as being comparable in size and shape to a light machine gun, and it features a single barrel emitting a super-charged and incredibly damaging Aetheric beam with two firing modes.
At launch, Terminus will include the following classic perks with base effects:
- Jugger-Nog: Increase maximum health by 100
- Quick Revive: Reduce the health regen delay time by 50%. Reduce the time it takes to revive an ally by 50%
- Speed Cola: Increase reload and armor replating speed bonus by 30%
- Stamin-Up: Increase movement speed
- PhD Flopper: Immunity to all self-inflicted damage and status effects. Dive to prone triggers an explosion, which increases the higher you fall. Immunity from fall damage while diving to prone
- Deadshot Daiquiri: Aiming down sight moves to enemy critical location. Increase enemy critical damage
- Elemental Pop: Every bullet you fire has a small chance to apply a random Ammo Mod effect
Melee Macchiato is a brand-new perk that replaces the weapon gun butt with a deadly punch that sends enemies flying.
Field upgrades and augments return from Black Ops Cold War. Field upgrades are the elemental abilities that can be equipped, with Aether Shroud, Frenzied Guard, Healing Aura, and Energy Mine all returning. Dark Flare is a new field upgrade, which is described as a massive energy beam that deals lethal shadow damage and penetrates everything in its path.
Augments are the upgradable tiers that players can unlock to improve the power of their perks, ammo mods, and even the field upgrades.
Zombies currencies
Both Essence and salvage currencies return from Black Ops Cold War Zombies. Essence is essentially the points used to open doors and purchase items such as perks, weapons, and Pack-a-Punch upgrades.
The Salvage currency are the junk piles scavenged from fallen enemies, but unlike Black Ops Cold War’s salvage rarities, Black Ops 6 only uses one rarity type. This will be used to upgrade weapons to a higher rarity, as well as crafting of lethal, tactical, and support equipment.
Exfils and loadouts
Taking more features from Black Ops Cold War, players will once again have the option to exfil from the map safely, or they can choose to play until they die in a more traditional manner.
Customized loadouts also return, so players can choose to start their match with weapon builds of their choice. Zombies-specific challenges and camos will also be available.
New Mutant Injection turns players into Manglers
Players will be able to craft the support items from Black Ops Cold War, which includes the self-revive, RC car killstreak, and sentry turret. The game also introduces the new Mutant Injection support item.
Mutant Injection turns players into the Mangler special enemy type. Players grow an additional three feet taller, become clad in plated armor, use the Mangler’s heavy attacks, utilize their sprint speed, and some other ability that’s listed as “redacted.”
GobbleGums return
GobbleGums return from Black Ops 3. These are single-use items that offer a brief limited-time ability. Players can create a loadout for up to three GobbleGums per match, and additional GobbleGums can be earned in-game.
GobbleGums come in a variety of rarities: Rare, Epic, Legendary, Ultra, and Whimsical, with the general rule that the higher the rarity, the more powerful the effect of the GobbleGum–the exception being the Whimsical gums that only give a unique visual effect.
GobbleGums cannot be dropped or shared, but players can swap to a different pack at any time during a match by using the in-game menu. Any unused GobbleGums are kept between matches, and so players won’t lose them even if they happen to disconnect from a match.
Notable returning gums include:
- Perkaholic – Gives the player all Perk-a-Colas in the map
- Wall-to-Wall Clearance – Wall Buys cost only 10 Essence
- Free Fire – Firing weapons consumes no ammo for the next 60 seconds
- Soda Fountain – The next perk purchased gives an additional random perk
The Call of Duty: Next event will also include live gameplay and news for multiplayer. Several Black Ops 6 leaks have surfaced ahead of the big event, including a potential new Warzone map filled with water, and a new game mechanic that lets players use their enemies as meat shields.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 releases on October 25 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC.
