For a vast majority of the Call of Duty Zombies fan base, Black Ops 3 served as the peak of the mode. Shadows of Evil was a complex launch map full of personality, while the DLC season introduced classics like Der Eisendrache and Gorod Krovi. The Gobblegum system added depth, the story delivered excellent lore developments alongside emotional scenes, and the engine the game used allowed for strong visuals to be present. All of this culminated in Zombies Chronicles, a massively successful expansion that delivered remakes of beloved Zombies maps from Treyarch’s other games.
Given the strong sales for the map pack and its eight remakes, it was only natural for players to expect a second Zombies Chronicles to be released. While Black Ops 4 reimaginings like Tag Der Toten were solid, they were not the same as faithful remakes, and the Victis crew’s maps remained untouched. Unfortunately, despite several rumors stating that Zombies Chronicles 2 was in development at some point, it has never been released. This has led to some ambitious members of the Call of Duty Zombies community remaking maps themselves, and the results could not be any better.
The Distant Dream of Zombies Chronicles 2
Call of Duty fans have been expecting to see Zombies Chronicles 2 since 2018. Many thought Black Ops 4 Zombies would receive a second year of DLC that introduced the Chronicles 2 content to the game, and according to several content creators, that was the plan early on. Unfortunately, the game turned out to be divisive, with many of the same content creators being negative about the title. This, combined with Treyarch needing to develop Call of Duty 2020 instead of Sledgehammer, supposedly led to the second year plans being scrapped.
However, Treyarch apparently did some work on the maps, and sources like Tom Henderson have suggested that the studio is just waiting for an opportunity to release the content. With Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies also flopping, and Black Ops Cold War no longer being the active game, perhaps Call of Duty 2024 will finally be the title where some official remakes of Die Rise, Buried, and TranZit released. Alternatively, players with a PC can enjoy remakes of those maps much sooner.
Zombies Chronicles 2 Maps Are Being Remade for BO3 Custom Zombies
A few of the maps that could have been included in a hypothetical Zombies Chronicles 2 have already been remade and can be downloaded through the Steam Workshop. Mob of the Dead was crafted by JARIK and MOTOLEGACY, while Five was rebuilt by Barry Smootherson. Right at the start of 2023, a remake of Call of the Dead released, with the developers COPFORTHAT, DMAC_442, and PLANET doing an incredible job of crafting an updated version of the map that feels like Treyarch itself designed it. Classic weapons are present, mechanics like George Romero return, and a few other secrets are introduced, with the result being a map that looks and plays just as well as any remake from the original Zombies Chronicles.
A Die Rise remake funded by YouTuber MrTLexify and being developed by Zela is in the works, as is a Buried remake from Slayin. A TranZit remake has been in the works for some time, too, with developer VerK0 showing off the progress done on areas like Bus Depot. This remake is visually stunning, removing all the fog and lava that made TranZit such a chore to traverse. As a result, a version of TranZit that is more fun to play could be delivered, which is exactly what fans hoped for from an official Treyarch version.
The Call of Duty Zombies community handling Zombies Chronicles itself comes with a massive pro and an equally large con. On the positive side, once the community members have developed the maps, players can access them free of charge - something that would likely not be the case with an official Zombies Chronicles 2. On the downside, though, Custom Zombies for Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is only accessible for PC owners. With PlayStation and Xbox users making up a large portion of the Call of Duty player base, those groups not having access to the community-made maps is a bummer. Still, if Treyarch never plans to release an official Chronicles 2 for Call of Duty Zombies, then players may want to consider getting a PC to enjoy the excellent work of their fellow fans.