For the first time in over a decade, Grief returns! If you’d asked me back in 2012, I never would have imagined being excited about it coming back in a future game. I was not a fan of Black Ops 2 Zombies at launch and saw Grief as nothing more than one of the many throwaway Zombies modes that frustrated more than it inspired.
That was until I played Cell Block Grief, where I finally understood what Treyarch was going for. It was still an uneven experience, but I could see the frantic nature of surviving while indirectly causing your opposition trouble had potential. The chaos of Cell Block Grief will live long in the memory.
The concept was sound, but it was nowhere near ready for prime time. Matches often reached a stalemate, with both teams comfortable enough that neither would conquer or concede. The change to the end goal in BO6 Grief looks like a shrewd decision: rather than trying to survive a round longer than the other team, your job is simply to wipe them. The first team fully down loses.
The advancements in hardware since 2012 will undoubtedly have helped create a better mode, ensuring larger hordes, more weaponry, and consistent performance (touch wood). Back then, balancing wasn’t up to today’s standards either. We now receive multiple patches and hot fixes weekly and think nothing of it.
Grief’s unique selling point is its “indirect PVP.” Players are focused on surviving the horde, but their decisions can impact the opposition. You can’t gun them down, but you can lure Zombies towards their position with a well-placed distraction. Additional opportunities to “grief” your enemies exist via body blocking, slowing down movement by shooting/knifing them, and activating traps to lock them in locations. In an era of battle royale, extraction shooters, and hero shooters, it’s not only unique—it feels inherently Zombies.
I have no issues with Zombies crossing into Warzone—it already has several times—but I draw the line at shooting other players in a Zombies mode. You can call me old-fashioned, but that’s how I see it. I’m relieved that Treyarch has the same philosophy and is doubling down on indirect PVP.
What’s exciting about Grief is that it allows a different flavour of Zombies to prop up the mode between round-based maps. If we must continue down the live service road Call of Duty is set on, having a mode where Treyarch can add “content” eases the pressure of delivering round-based Zombies maps each season, letting the Zombies Team have the time necessary to create quality, meaningful experiences.
I’ve enjoyed all of the BO6 maps, but it’s evident that The Tomb is not at the level we expect of a post-launch map. You could throw Liberty Falls in that column, too, but I’d give it the benefit of the doubt since it was a casual map akin to The Giant and came alongside Terminus at launch.
I like the decision to include Team Richtofen and Team S.A.M. as warring factions. It makes Grief feel like it’s happening in the Dark Aether universe, even if it isn’t something Treyarch is committing to lore. Having both characters as announcers is a nice touch. It may come as no surprise that I’m a loyal Richtofen man, but I respect the S.A.M. heads. As mentioned in my Shattered Veil review (cheap plug, I know), Eddie and Sam are the through line between Aether and Dark Aether. Whether they’re at odds with each other, co-existing, or chilling out in the background, I want them to be involved in Zombies.
As optimistic as I am, I wouldn’t expect Grief to take over. It’ll likely attract a hardcore following, with many bouncing off it. Still, it’s another component of Zombies that can receive frequent updates, keeping the mode in people’s minds and potentially attracting new players.
What kind of updates? Well, you’d imagine each new round-based map will add new Grief arenas to the pool. I’d even be open to letting some multiplayer maps join the fray! Nuketown and Rewind, the map set on the outskirts of Liberty Falls, are two strong contenders.
Treyarch could also add new methods to grief players. There’s a solid variety for launch, but the possibilities are near-limitless. I’d like to see one that hides the player’s HUD. Oh, and bring back meat!
New weapons, augments, and GobbleGums have the potential to transform strategies, and Treyarch’s commitment to balance using the Ranked Play weapon ban system is promising. It should lead to a healthy game mode where there isn’t just one way to play. It’s also a good excuse to finally use some of the GobbleGums I’ve been saving, like Phoenix Up.
On the flipside, removing Wonder Weapons from the mode feels overly cautious. Granted, it may be unfair to rely on the randomness of the mystery box, but I’d like to see a way to include them. Maybe via a separate objective or a higher difficulty grief zone? Hopefully, Treyarch sees the people’s cries for Wonder Weapons. I’d even settle for the Ray Gun, the MK2 and the Wonderwaffe!
Whether Grief is the success it looks to be on paper remains to be seen. I’m impressed with what Treyarch has shown off; it’s caught my attention, but I’ll need to see how it plays. It’s a welcome distraction while we wait for Janus Towers, which I now assume is the finale to Black Ops 6 Zombies, and COD 2025 news. It may have taken thirteen-odd years, but Treyarch has finally given Grief another chance — and in a video game landscape that demands content more than ever, it might be just what Zombies needs.