Image: Activision Blizzard

All new features in MWZ: Open-World Zombies

CoD Zombies is all grown up now.

Anthony Yates

Published: Oct 5, 2023 03:07 pm

Zombies is a massively popular game type in Call of Duty and has evolved so much since its humble beginnings on Nacht Der Untoten. Over the years, Zombies has matured into a game mode people buy Call of Duty for. There’s even a speedrunning community for it! With the imminent arrival of Modern Warfare 3, Treyarch has spilled the beans on what to look forward to in the upcoming MWZ. Here are all the new features in MWZ: Open-World Zombies revealed at the Call of Duty NEXT showcase.

All new features in MWZ: Open-World Zombies

Treyarch revealed a ton about the new Zombies mode, now called MWZ. The developers say their goal was to maintain the classic Zombies experience but take it into the modern era with a higher player count and even vehicles. Treyarch also mentioned they can fit more Zombies into a single space than ever before, which should be awesome (and terrifying) to see.

Call of Duty Zombies has fostered a hardcore community, but care has also been taken to make the mode approachable for newcomers. The edges of the map are less of a threat than the center, so new players can get a feel for the mode from the sidelines. If you’re a pro, you can rush the middle.

How does the map work?

The open-world map holds 24 players; you can enter alone or as a squad. Much like combining teams in DMZ, groups can team up to form ‘Super Squads.’ No matter how you play, each Zombies session has a 1-hour time limit. At that point, a storm starts to close around the map, strengthening the enemies.

Treyarch mentioned that Story Missions will task players with exploring parts of the map. Players can also use Buy Stations and Score Streaks.

Does gear persist between rounds?

Treyarch seems to have borrowed a few ideas from DMZ. If you survive a round, you bring any weapons you had back to base. These can be used in future runs, and you can do the same with perks.

Are there any returning features?

The map is different, of course, but Treyarch has confirmed that several Zombies staples are returning, including:

Perk Machines
Pack a Punch
Wall Guns

There’s also a new Wonder Weapon, which looks like it hurls balls of energy that hit a ton of Zombies at once. The developers confirmed the weapon has an alternative firing mode that launches the player. In Zombies, you often meet your inevitable end because of poor positioning, so this is a huge change.

Treyarch was careful not to divulge any details, but Easter Eggs are confirmed for MWZ. Veterans will likely celebrate as secrets play a massive part in Zombies lore. An AI faction of PMCs was shown off toward the end of the Showcase and will feature in some story missions.

Treyarch revealed a lot about MWZ during the Showcase, and the mode looks very ambitious. If this evolution of CoD Zombies works as well as it seems, fans have much to look forward to.