For Call of Duty Zombies fans that have followed the mode since its inception, it is impossible to forget the first time that they spawned into the Nacht Der Untoten bunker. A brilliant post credits surprise, being swarmed by the undead was terrifying, as players had no idea what to expect from the bonus content. While Zombies was designed as a fun project by a handful of Treyarch developers, and it could have been nothing more than a one-and-done bonus mode, it quickly became a massive hit. Now, Zombies has grown to be a defining aspect of Treyarch’s games, and it owes much of its success to Nacht Der Untoten and its strong first impression.
Though there is no denying that the small map was innovative and exciting back in 2008, there is very little that can be done on the map beyond surviving. As a result, Call of Duty Zombies fans have grown a bit tired of seeing and playing on Nacht Der Untoten. It is undoubtedly one of the most important maps in the mode’s history, and holds a special place in the hearts of both the community and Treyarch developers, but players have seen it in nearly all of the studio’s Zombies modes. To get an idea of just how often Nacht Der Untoten has appeared, it is worth looking at Treyarch's various iterations of CoD Zombies.
Call of Duty: World at War and Black Ops - OG Nacht Der Untoten
The version of Nacht Der Untoten that started it all, most players who played it will always think back to Call of Duty: World at War’s take on the map. From the grenade corner to the staircase debris that any experienced player knows not to remove, a lot of Nacht is full of nostalgia. Other quirks like the sniper cabinet and radio help to give the map personality, though it is quite basic for the most part. As for the Black Ops remaster that was included, it played largely the same, though Mule Kick allowed players to carry a third weapon - helping with survival into higher rounds.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - Nacht’s Cameo in TranZit
The most missable of all the Nacht Der Untoten variants from over the years, some TranZit players will never even visit this broken down version of the bunker. This is because it is hidden through some wheat fields and fog, making the journey to it difficult for players who do not know exactly where they are going. Though there is little to do inside this version of Nacht apart from picking up a Jet Gun piece, it is a fun homage that should put a simile on the face of veteran players.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 - Revelations and Chronicles
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 features two versions of Nacht Der Untoten, with the first one appearing in Revelations. Considering that Revelations is meant to be a celebration of Zombies history that compiles many maps into one play space, it is no surprise that the original map made a comeback. Here, it served as the main hub, connecting the various areas and allowing players to complete challenges or access classic Zombies songs through the radio. The Zombies Chronicles version was another proper remaster of Nacht Der Untoten, which not only included Mule Kick like in Black Ops 1, but also added a Wunderfizz and Gobblegum machine. This allowed players to get more perks and use new strategies to reach even higher rounds, making an overplayed map like Nacht feel at least a little bit fresh. The Samantha Maxis music box Easter egg was also a nice touch.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Die Maschine and Forsaken
After skipping Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and giving players a much-needed break, Nacht Der Untoten came back and made two appearances in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. The first was in Die Maschine, as it served as a key chunk of the map - though this version felt much different, as players did not stay in the bunker the entire time. With a majority of Die Maschine being new, Nacht felt like a fun homage as opposed to the main focus, resembling its TranZit appearance. As for its other (and currently final) cameo, Nacht was accessible as one of the Arcade mini-games in Forsaken. While the limited ammo made this version fun, players had seen so much Nacht at this point that it hardly felt special.
With the deeply flawed Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies bringing back Shi No Numa as opposed to Nacht Der Untoten, perhaps fans have finally seen the last of the map. Though its gameplay is too simple for Nacht to be considered truly timeless, Call of Duty Zombies would not exist without it. As such, the constant celebration of the beaten-down building is understandable - though hopefully Treyarch prioritizes original locations instead of bringing back Nacht yet again with its next release.