Call of Duty: Vanguard has been regularly criticized by just about every corner of the Zombies fan base. A lack of easter eggs has left gamers with nearly no secrets to hunt for, while Wonder Weapons are limited to a lackluster shield and the ever-present Ray Gun. Server pause proved to be incredibly limited after finally being added, while balancing issues see a majority of the weapon lineup being useless. With the few loyal fans unable to unlock Dark Aether camo due to a major bug, nearly every aspect of the mode has been deemed a failure by the community.
Undoubtedly the most controversial aspect of Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies is the format of the mode, as Treyarch chose to do away with the round-based formula that brought the studio a decade of success. Despite efforts to appease round-based fans with an objective type that added some limited Survival gameplay, many had no interest in seeing more objective-oriented maps. Clearly, Treyarch has listened, as it is completely shifting its plans for Call of Duty: Vanguard by switching over to round-based maps. Sadly, though, this may be too late to make a difference.
The Challenge of Reviving a Dead Zombies Mode
The biggest issue with the switch to round-based is that so much of the Zombies fan base has given up on Call of Duty: Vanguard. After Terra Maledicta’s easter egg disappointed and the map doubled down on the objective-focused approach, those that still had hope for the mode lost any reason to care. The major YouTubers known for Call of Duty Zombies quickly moved on to other games, as the latest Zombies mode was unenjoyable and viewers did not show any interest in watching content based on it.
While it is great that all the criticism about Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies is inspiring change, it remains to be seen how many players will actually return when the first round-based map releases. The community reaction to the game was similar to what was seen with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Zombies, only to a far greater extent. The DLC maps for that game received less coverage from content creators and less hype from fans, as many had already moved on due to the buggy launch and some controversial changes. With Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies having the roughest start imaginable, history could easily repeat itself.
Vanguard's First Round-Based Map is a Reimagining and Not Fully New
Another thing that could prove problematic is that the first round-based map in Call of Duty: Vanguard is a reimagining of Shi No Numa. Call of Duty Zombies fans have played Shi No Numa to death, as it has been remastered twice since its original debut in Call of Duty: World at War - three times if counting the main hut’s appearance in Der Anfang. While the map is a classic and was key to Zombies’ early success, it is hard to imagine an older map getting the community as excited as a fully new map would.
It is also worth looking at how Call of Duty Zombies’ past reimaginings have been received. Blood of the Dead was seen as a major step down from the original Mob of the Dead, with everything but its story being seen as a letdown. Alpha Omega was seen as a major disappointment, as it lacked the replayability of the original Nuketown Zombies and did not feel like something that would be the penultimate map in the Aether saga. While Classified and Tag Der Toten were better received, standout features from the original maps like the Pentagon Thief and George Romero were nowhere to be seen.
For the record, a reimagining is the right route to take for this version of Shi No Numa, as it allows Treyarch to add things that the original map lacked. Not only can a new location be added onto the map to make it a bit bigger, but so too can Pack-A-Punch and proper easter eggs. These are all good additions, though the map will surely suffer from a bit of fatigue since it will mainly be comprised of an area that gamers have seen a lot of in the past.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is Already Halfway Through Its Life Cycle
The other issue with the Shi No Numa remaster, and the biggest of all, is when it is coming. With Call of Duty: Vanguard not built for round-based content, Treyarch must design the systems from scratch, meaning that the Shi No Numa remaster will take a lot of time to develop. As such, it will not be available until after Season 3, meaning that fans have months of waiting to endure before the round-based map arrives. This means that gamers have no reason to return to Call of Duty: Vanguard anytime soon, giving them even less motivation to eventually come back when there is something worth playing.
With Shi No Numa seemingly targeting a Season 4 release, and only a few more Seasons of support for Call of Duty: Vanguard scheduled, there may only be time for one more map after Shi No Numa drops. This means that Call of Duty: Vanguard could end up with two objective-focused experiences and two survival maps – the most lacking content lineup for a Zombies mode yet. While Treyarch could always support Call of Duty: Vanguard for longer, keeping it alive throughout Modern Warfare 2’s life cycle, it seems more likely that the mode will be left behind sooner rather than later due to the negative player response.
Sadly, it would also be problematic if the Shi No Numa reimagining (and any other round-based Vanguard maps) are well-made. If Treyarch were to surprise gamers with a classic that is on par with Origins or Shadows of Evil, then players would have to keep the massive game that is Call of Duty: Vanguard downloaded just to play that small amount of content. This is less of an issue with other Call of Duty Zombies games, as they are full of maps to enjoy, but Call of Duty: Vanguard seems poised to only have a couple round-based maps by the time its support comes to a halt.
To be clear, it is great to see Treyarch listening to its community and shifting its focus away from a style of Zombies that just wasn’t working. Unfortunately, there is a lot working against the developer. Had the switch to round-based happened sooner, there may have been a chance to save Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies. With the first round-based map being several weeks off, though, it will be extremely hard to revive the mode. Even if the Shi No Numa reimagining and whatever comes next are great, Call of Duty: Vanguard’s reputation may remain unchanged. Fans have already deemed this Zombies mode a failure, and while it would be great to see a comeback story, Treyarch is facing a huge uphill battle.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
