Zombies in Call of Duty games were introduced alongside World at War in 2009 and have since ruled players’ hearts. Black Ops Gulf War is likely to continue its legacy despite speculations of Treyarch calling it a day for zombies. Treyarch has a central role to play in this, as it was the company that developed the game mode in the first place.
The next installment in the franchise has been under development since Cold War, making it the CoD game with the longest development cycle. Though the title is likely to be called Gulf War, no official announcement has been made by Activision at this point.
It Is More Likely That Black Ops Gulf War Will Have Zombies
Some CoD data miners have found traces of the upcoming game’s files indicating Zombies will return. The first file shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) includes the text ‘kortifex.‘
Kortifex returns? pic.twitter.com/MZD0CcWjql
— COD Warfare All the news (@CODWarfareForum) March 17, 2024
This suggests the zombie antagonist of the same name featured in Vanguard Zombies, dubbed Kortifex the Deathless. He is described as a deity and a lord who is associated with Dark Aether, a dimension in Treyarch’s zombie storylines.
Another file contains the text ‘ava‘ which might be associated with a character of the same name that first appeared in the Modern Warfare 3 zombie storyline.
Those lift models I found are named AVA.
Could mean Ava is in gulf war? pic.twitter.com/XW08twQHte
— COD Warfare All the news (@CODWarfareForum) March 17, 2024
A little has been known about the character, but she is portrayed as a theoretical physicist who has worked with Viktor Zakhaev, an antagonist featured in multiple CoD games. This is not it; another post shared on X indicates that Dark Aether portals will return in the next game.
Dark Aether Portals are making a return pic.twitter.com/HPWiqaflde
— COD Warfare All the news (@CODWarfareForum) March 17, 2024
Though the story has been well-received by the fans, they believe it is not as good as the Aether storyline. Opinions may vary for different storylines, but Zombies as a whole have become one must-have aspect of CoD games for fans.
The Brain Dead Have Kept Fans Hooked on the Game
Last year, it was also rumored that round-based maps would be added to the game, aligning the gameplay with the traditional Zombies experience. Moreover, the game may also see the addition of objective-based maps, a feature last seen in CoD: Vanguard in the form of Der Anfang and Terra Maledicta.
The recent CoD game wasn’t received by fans worldwide, despite being a commercial success. For the first time, Activision included open-combat missions in the game, which has probably been the worst decision the company has made throughout its existence. Thanks to Zombies, players are still hanging on to the game.
Gulf War might respond in kind, which could wound the Black Ops franchise, as was the case with Modern Warfare. A potential release window for the game is anticipated to be in October 2024, with Treyarch likely to lead its development.
Do you think the next CoD game will include a zombie mode? Tell us in the comments.
