Everything we know about Zombies in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Just in time for Halloween season, Activision unleashed a ton of exciting information for the Zombies mode coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War when the game launches later this year.

What is Call of Duty Zombies?

"Zombies" refers to an immensely popular game mode within the Call of Duty franchise that began with 2008's Call of Duty: World at War. Scientific experimentation done by Nazis created a hellish zombie virus, and players are tasked with defending a limited area for as long as they can.

The mode was adapted and upgraded as part of the Black Ops sub-franchise and has appeared in every installment since, so for Activision to offer a first look on September 30 at the new Zombies mode coming to Black Ops Cold War came as no surprise.

The wave-based combat can be played solo or as a co-op group of up to four. Over the years, the mode has increased in complexity with new puzzles, weapons, and even different zombie types. They all share a unified continuity going back to the original game.

According to a Call of Duty blog post, this latest iteration "includes new ways to progress, classic fan-favorite Perks, and an arsenal of Cold War weaponry that will help survivors dominate the legions of undead."

What is the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies story?

Based on the intro cinematic revealed as part of the September 30 presentation, experimental technology leads to a new zombie outbreak during the Cold War.

"Following the discovery of disturbing World War II-era experiments conducted deep within an underground facility in Poland, a terrifying threat has re-awakened during the Cold War," the official description for this new Zombies mode reads. "Led by Grigori Weaver, the CIA-backed international response team known as Requiem is tasked with investigating the unnatural phenomena lying within Projekt Endstation."

Though the outbreak was sealed shut many years ago, "unexplained events and anomalies manifesting around the globe." A CIA-backed international response team led by Grigory Weaver (from the original Black Ops) investigates while a Soviet-led rival group called Omega seeks to harness the power. There's even a KGB spy called Sam who appears in the trailer to tip Weaver off.

What does "die maschine" mean?

While it may look like a cognate that's pronounced "die machine" in English, "Die Maschine" — which is the name of the intro cinematic — is a German phrase that means "the machine." This connects to the Nazi history of zombies within the Call of Duty franchise at large, but the Call of Duty blog post about the new mode does confirm that this is also the name of the first map.

"With more than a nod to “Nacht der Untoten” – the map that started it all – “Die Maschine” takes place in the early ‘80s, but its roots reach back even further into the past," the post reads.

Will Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Zombies have cross-play?

Yes! Just like regular Call of Duty multiplayer, will have cross-play across console generations. So someone on Sony PlayStation 4 can play with Xbox Series X players.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War will be released November 13, 2020.