It seems like 115 Day came early, as Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 fans not only received a thrilling trailer for the Zombies map Ashes of the Damned, but a massive intel drop for the mode and all its features. There’s plenty to be excited about for the upcoming iteration of the mode, as in addition to new versions of the original CoD Zombies crew, BO7 will offer:
- A Wonder Vehicle featuring upgrades like TEDD’s head, a Wunderwaffe turret, and three Margwa heads.
- A new Wonder Weapon called the Necrofluid Gauntlet, which can fire spikes for ranged damage in addition to high melee damage and the ability to pull in drops.
- Both the Ray Gun Mark 2 and original Ray Gun can be found in the Mystery Box.
- A bear mini-boss called Zursa and Ravager special enemies, which attack in packs and can latch on to the Wonder Vehicle.
- Confirmation that perks and research progress from Black Ops 6 Augments will carry forward.
- Confirmation of Classic mode, properly known as Cursed mode in BO7 Zombies.
- Details on the new perk Wisp Tea, which allows players to summon four spirits, each with different abilities.
- Changes to the power-ups, like Max Ammo now refilling equipment, random perks now dropping regularly, and Fire-Sale reducing wall-buy and trap prices.
- The reveal that CoD Zombies’ survival mode will be playable in the BO7 beta.
As interesting as all the other info above is, it’s that final point that has left myself and many other longtime Call of Duty Zombies fans stunned. While cynical players will point to the fact that Treyarch and Activision are simply pulling out all the stops to regain interest in Black Ops 7 following the early backlash to the game, the reason for Zombies being playable early doesn’t really matter. It’s unequivocally a big step forward for the franchise, and a healthy thing for the mode as a whole.
Beta Testing For Black Ops 7 Zombies is a Game-Changer
Ever since Call of Duty began holding public betas part way into the PS4 generation of consoles, I’ve hoped that CoD Zombies would be a part of these test periods. I still remember saying to my friends that it’d make every beta feel a bit more special, arguing that Treyarch could simply disable quests and Easter eggs so that there were still surprises at launch. Sure, part of this was probably just me being excited for a new iteration of one of my all-time favorite co-op experiences, but considering that Zombies is the main reason myself and others still follow the franchise, it only makes sense to give it the mode the possible chance to thrive. While it would be harder to justify representing modes like Black Ops Cold War Zombies that only offer one launch map within the beta, there’s no real reason that Black Ops 6 couldn’t have allowed players to get an early look at Liberty Falls, the smaller of the two starting maps. Not only does beta testing get more eyes on the game, but it allows players to find issues and criticize certain elements so that a developer can polish up a title before release.
The first public beta for the Call of Duty series was 2015’s Black Ops 3. Since then, every new release has had a beta period.
The much-hated Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies mode could have benefited greatly from being included within the Vanguard beta, as players could have made it clear that the objective-focused style wasn’t what they wanted to see. By the time the complaints started to spread, Treyarch had already designed another map in that format, and when it shifted back to survival gameplay there was only room for two round-based maps in Vanguard Zombies. Had the pushback happened sooner, the game could have had an extra round-based map and a better version of Der Anfang before players had stopped caring, making it a title worth revisiting from time to time like all the other games with Zombies modes. While I highly doubt BO7 Zombies will be near Vanguard Zombies in quality — or any mode for the forseeable future, for that matter — having it in the beta practically guarantees this won’t happen, and it shows Treyarch is confident in what it has cooked up.
Black Ops 7 Zombies’ Beta Appearance is the Perfect Taste of What’s to Come
The best part about Black Ops 7’s beta featuring Zombies is that Treyarch and its fans are having their cake and eating it too. Not only do players get to experience part of the new Zombies mode early, but they aren’t playing Ashes of the Damned itself, meaning that everything from its undead bears to its never-before-seen Wonder Weapon and Wonder Vehicle will be saved for launch day. Instead, players will be testing out the game’s first Survival map known as Vandorn Farm. If Survival maps sound similar, it’s because they were a feature from the cult classic map TranZit, as players could enjoy round-based gameplay on segments of that sprawling arena in Black Ops 2.
Like Town Survival in BO2, Black Ops 7 Zombies’ first Survival map will have a Pack-a-Punch machine as well as a Wunderfizz, allowing players to experience the full breadth of perks and upgradeable weapons come October 5 (October 2 for those who pre-order to get early access). Easter eggs and storytelling will have to wait until launch and the full-sized Ashes of the Damned map’s debut, but for players craving some old-school round-based Zombies, this farm map is likely to be the exact type of content they’re looking for. The simple formula of killing, upgrading, and surviving is ideal for a week-long beta, and could appeal to players who find something like Ashes of the Damned too complex. Treyarch including this kind of content in its beta tells gamers Zombies will have something for everyone this year, which is a big win for the game. And for me, Treyarch bringing an end to the days of Zombies-less betas sees a wish I’ve had since I was a teenager finally being granted.