How Black Ops 7 Changes the Rules of Zombies

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7’s launch is fast approaching. The latest installment of the popular FPS series promises an explosive co-op campaign, a comprehensive suite of multiplayer modes, and an all-new Zombies experience too. The recent Black Ops 7 trailer highlighted said Zombies content, showcasing a new driveable Wonder vehicle for players to commandeer called Ol’ Tessie.

Game Rant recently spoke with Treyarch’s design director Kevin Drew about how Black Ops 7’s Zombie Mode changes the game. He talked about the addition of the Wonder vehicle, and how that affects the flow of gameplay. He also discussed the game’s approach to shared progression, meaning players will be able to level up guns regardless of which mode they are playing.

How Ol’ Tessie Affects Black Ops 7’s Zombie Mode Gameplay

Black Ops 7’s Zombies mode has undergone numerous changes since the last installment, but none will perhaps alter the flow of gameplay as much as Ol’ Tessie’s inclusion. While the car can’t always be relied on, and won’t always be the go-to traversal choice since players can also utilize things like jump pads to quickly move from point to point, the map has been set up in such a way that players using Tessie will find it easier to navigate via the car. Perhaps most intriguingly is that, when in the foggy area between major POIs, Zombies ignore typical round-based rules, attacking more aggressively and spawning constantly until players reach a “safer” place to properly fight the hordes. For old school players, this will likely end up feeling similar to the supersprinters that chased the bus in Black Ops 2’s TranZit map.

”The rounds don’t behave the same way as before. The rules are different. The zombies are continually spawning, fog zombies that dissipate. So if you run into a dangerous area, they chase you out. They dissipate back. So they don’t follow the regular round rules….they’re very intense. There’s the route we want you to get the vehicle to drive to. Usually to the next point of interest. The whole map is really yours to explore and continue along each of the quests. ”

Black Ops 7’s Approach to Shared Progression

For many Call of Duty players, particularly those whose game time is limited and for whom the multiplayer is the most important aspect, playing the campaign or Zombies can almost feel counterproductive. To attempt to remedy this, Treyarch is fully leaning into shared progression, a mechanic that sees players being able to rank and level up weaponry regardless of which mode they are playing. Drew explained,

”It just felt so separate having two different progression systems. I think in the modern state of gaming, people just really value their time and want everything they do to feel like they’re not wasting time. And so that was just kind of the catalyst for shared progression. I saw a sentiment in Black Ops 6 where people were like, well, I can’t play the campaign anymore. It’s a waste of my time. We put so much energy into these campaigns, they are awesome. What if all it takes is for you to just rank up a couple times and level up some guns, and more people would play them? We can figure that out!”

Despite often being impressively bombastic and entertaining, Call of Duty’s campaigns are often overlooked by players who are eager to dive into the deep, addictive loop of multiplayer mode as quickly as possible. Shared progression across all modes is a smart way to circumnavigate this, and could benefit Zombies as well. Treyarch will undoubtedly be hoping this makes the game’s other modes more attractive to a wider range of players, and it will be interesting to see if it’s cracked the code when it comes to getting more multiplayer fans into Zombies and campaign content.