Call of Duty: Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode is a game unto itself, as this trailer reveals

The first gameplay trailer for Call of Duty Black Ops 6’s Zombies mode launched on Thursday, and was accompanied by an enormous post on the Call of Duty website detailing everything fans can expect when the game arrives Oct. 25.

It’s almost too much to condense, so we’ll hit the high points and leave the details — especially the convoluted lore of why we have Zombies in the Philippines and West Virginia, to those most interested. First, the trailer:

The two launch maps are Terminus, which we saw in the narrative teaser trailer earlier in the week; and Liberty Falls, the one set in West Virginia. Each map will have a main quest that the fireteam will be left to their own devices to solve, as round-based Zombies play returns.

But the main objective is revealed, usually after players find their way to the Pack-a-Punch machine where players buy and upgrade weapons. That means they’re free to explore the map before getting on task.

“One of the more thrilling aspects of Round-Based Zombies is the complete freedom you’re given to investigate a variety of odd, out-of-the-way, and seemingly innocuous parts of the map,” Treyarch wrote. “Sometimes there’s nothing to find. Sometimes, an audio log, document, or strange artifact offers a clue to further discoveries. Occasionally an entire hidden set of objectives is unearthed.

“Veteran Zombies players should expect plenty of Side Quests to discover as you dig deeper into the secrets of Terminus Island,” the studio added.

Get to the choppah!

There’s also an extraction element, as players who sense the tide turning against them might want to call for Raptor One in the chopper, secure the LZ, and get out of Dodge. Or they can hold out and see how far they can go. “Either way, your personal best is tracked and logged, so you know when you’ve bettered a previous attempt.”

The rest of the blog discusses in great technical detail things like HUD improvements and customization options; how Omnimovement provides more cinematic (and entertaining) gunplay; the weapon set and its upgrade paths; and of course a taxonomy of the undead horde players will face.

It all adds up to a “mode” that could really be its own game, which speaks to the value Treyarch is stuffing into something that also has a narrative single-player campaign and of course, Call of Duty’s trademark standard multiplayer accompanying the main game. Check it all out, but give yourself a lot of time to do so.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches Oct. 25 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Two public betas will be staged to begin September. The first is for those who pre-order the game; it runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 4. The second is open to everyone, and it runs from Sept. 6 to Sept. 9.

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