We’re about a month out from Black Ops 7 and, to quote The Shadowman, “questions remain”. Questions are good, especially for a mode like Zombies, but there are a few things we were hoping Treyarch would clear up before launch. Enter the Zombies Dev Talk video, a six-minute Q&A session with developers Kevin Drew, Mark Maestes, and Steve Bianchi. The three of them covered a lot of ground, so let’s get into it.
First and foremost, it’s refreshing to hear Zombies devs talk candidly about the mode again. The video feels more like a conversation than marketing. It’s reminiscent of the old Jason Blundell interviews from the Black Ops 3 and 4 era: mentioning community theories, suggestions and feedback and explaining the rationale behind certain decisions. It’s something that has been sorely missed in Zombies in recent years; the mode has different needs than the other pillars of Call of Duty. The Dev Talk format works well, and I’ll take hearing developers discuss their game over a blog post any day.
After the launch of Black Ops 4, where things became increasingly toxic and high-profile names misused their platforms, I don’t blame any developer for avoiding a sit-down chat with the Zombies Community. These videos are the next best thing, allowing them to communicate directly with us in a controlled environment. That does mean they can sidestep any difficult questions, but Activision would likely shut those down in an interview setting anyway.
I hope we get more Zombies Dev Talks throughout the year. Maybe once we’ve uncovered all of Ashes of the Damned’s secrets, we could even get one from the Narrative team. It’d be great to clear the air on some of the questions and concerns players have about the Black Ops 6 chapter of Zombies.
Horses for Curses
I appreciate the attempt to keep Cursed Mode under wraps. There’s an emphasis on discovery, which is music to my ears after a year of blog posts revealing every nook and cranny of a map days before launch.
I was in favour of Cursed Mode being hidden and locked at launch, but it was a hotly contested topic. The new method, where the mode is unlocked for everyone after the World’s First Main Quest completion, is a solid compromise. It means the excitement doesn’t end after the outro cutscene; it’s a bit like the feeling Destiny players used to get when a Raid finished and something new was unlocked.
I’m not sure how Treyarch plans to roll out Cursed Mode for post-launch maps, but I’d be happy with this approach continuing. It’d put more eyes on the hunt and make all players searching for leads feel like they’re working towards something.
The confirmation that armour cannot be turned off in Cursed Mode will undoubtedly upset purists hoping for an authentic Classic Mode, but it makes sense. With enemy damage scaling in modern Zombies, it’s not as simple as removing armour—especially if Cursed Mode ramps up the difficulty with every relic activated. That’s not to say Treyarch shouldn’t look at ways to remove armour in the future. Maybe the idea of a No Armour relic will be revisited down the line. We know additional relics are coming post-launch, after all.
Once players get their hands on the game, I do think Golden Armour will put most fears to rest. It essentially removes the need to plate up and lets us focus on surviving whatever horrors Cursed Mode throws at us in the higher tiers. A visual overhaul of the armour system would go a long way in making it feel more at home in Zombies, though. I’m hopeful that’s in the works.
Based on what we know so far, I have a lot of faith in Cursed Mode. It’s shaping up to be a rewarding amalgamation of classic Zombies, modern Zombies, and Black Ops 4’s Custom Mutations. Let’s hope Treyarch is committed to supporting it because I honestly believe it could become a permanent fixture of Zombies and improve with each iteration.
While it hasn’t been outright denied, I doubt Cursed Mode will be available for Survival Maps. I think Treyarch would’ve made that clear during the reveal. That said, I hope it’s being considered, because being able to activate unlocked relics in Survival Mode would add another layer of replayability to an already packed Zombies package. I’d wait as many seasons as it’d take.
Heads Up
The most vocal concern coming out of the beta was the multiplayer HUD appearing in Zombies. Thankfully, Treyarch confirmed that a unique theme is on the way for launch and answered the question of why it wasn’t present at Call of Duty NEXT. As most guessed, the build of the game shown off at NEXT was several months old. The HUD simply wasn’t ready at the time. I still think a peek at the work-in-progress HUD would’ve been an easy win. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if Activision is against showing off placeholder assets in marketing materials.
It was interesting to hear the behind-the-scenes story of the X52 Resonator. I’ll admit, I was on board with the theory that the weapon was originally planned for Shattered Veil but was replaced by the Ray Gun Mark II. That doesn’t appear to be the case, but I do wonder why a weapon like the Resonator was created for a seasonal event. In a year where we’ve had multiple Wonder Weapons retreads, it would’ve fit in nicely on a Zombies map.
Ain’t That Super?
I wasn’t expecting a massive Super Easter Egg in Black Ops 6, considering Black Ops 7 is on the horizon, but I had hoped for a little something in Season 6. Not even a Dark Ops calling card for completing all the quests is disappointing. Alas, Treyarch confirmed it wants to do a Super Easter Egg the right way and is planning to deliver it in Black Ops 7. What that means? We’ll have to wait and see.
I’m not sure what I’d want to see in a Super Easter Egg. Maybe additional relics added to Cursed Mode that help you set up quicker? New skins for each crew member? A good reward should add to the gameplay while also giving players something tangible for their efforts. Imagine completing the BO7 super EE and unlocking every Black Ops 6 map (and I say imagine because I severely doubt it’s possible).
Balance and Composure
Treyarch acknowledged high rounds weren’t quite where they needed to be during the beta, and tuning will continue in the lead-up to Black Ops 7. The omission of Augments was also mentioned, which is a valid point. Augments will make players much stronger at launch, so there’s no sense in throwing the baby out with the bathwater until Treyarch monitors how players perform with everything available.
A later tweet clarified some tweaks to improve high-round gameplay, including boosting Legendary and Triple PAP damage. I’m not usually in the business of high-round games, but I did enjoy going for Round 50 in the beta, despite my concerns about firepower.
I’m not overly worried about any balancing issues at launch. Since Cold War, the Zombies team has done a good job of staying on top of any feedback about game health. They don’t always get it right the first time (just ask the speedrunners), but they aren’t afraid to roll back changes when needed.
The poor Doppelghast was slated during the beta. I defended it, and I’m glad Treyarch shares my sentiment: throwing a new enemy into the mix deep into the rounds is a good thing! I totally understand the Doppelghast fatigue, though. I’d like to see it again, but let’s give it some time to relax (and cleanse itself from social media).
Vermin, Parasites, Amalgams and Manglers not returning is also promising news. Unique special enemies are one of the key ways to diversify a Zombies map. I’m hopeful the rule of thumb is that every new round-based experience will introduce new enemies, while Survival maps pull from the current rogue’s gallery.
