The Call of Duty Zombies community may have taken a big hit with the release of Vanguard, as that version of the mode was universally panned, but many are hoping Treyarch will turn things around with its next title. Not only will traditional round-based content likely be the main focus from the very beginning, but based on a recent job listing, Treyarch is looking to expand and improve its Outbreak mode.
The first proper attempt at an open world Call of Duty Zombies experience, Outbreak made its debut as one of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’s post-launch releases. Though many still preferred round-based Zombies, Outbreak had its strengths, like a more casual gameplay loop and some challenging Easter eggs. As a result, Outbreak had its fair share of fans, and those players would love to see it become even better with the next iteration.
Improving The Fundamentals of Outbreak
For starters, Treyarch can and should treat Outbreak more like Call of Duty: Warzone 2’s DMZ mode in the sense that Call of Duty’s Operators are constantly dropping back into the same Outbreak zone. This way, Treyarch can continue adding in new Wonder Weapons and enemy types whenever they debut in round-based maps. By setting Outbreak between Firebase Z and Die Maschine, it was canonically impossible for the CRBR-S and Chrysalax to be incorporated.
Additionally, more objective types and side activity variety from the get go would be welcome. While Outbreak eventually expanded to include fishing, roaming Ordas, and new types of chests to unlock, the mode was a bit barren when it first debuted. With Treyarch having plenty of time to craft its next Outbreak experience, it should make sure that it launches with a whole lot of new side activities as well as all the old ones. Additional primary objectives would be welcome, too, as even the great tasks like Holdout can start to get old after a while.
Lastly, and most importantly, more minor quests like the music Easter egg would be good to see. Aside from this task, collectible hunting, and Black Ops Cold War’s Super Easter egg, there are few secrets to find inside of Outbreak. Though Treyarch certainly put thought into Outbreak’s two main quests in Black Ops Cold War, the lack of side quests was a major bummer. With so much space to play with, it would be exciting to see some more minor Easter eggs introduced in the new and improved Outbreak.
Making Outbreak Feel More Like Traditional Zombies
While adding extra variety to Outbreak is a great place to start, fully original locations is the biggest must for the next iteration. Outside of Ruka’s secret bunker and the area across the bridge on Sanatorium - both of which were Easter egg-exclusive locations - all of Outbreak’s play spaces were pulled directly from multiplayer maps. Having no fully original maps was a bit of a bummer, as Outbreak felt less hand-crafted than a round-based map because of the locations players fought through.
If the next Outbreak experience could give players an original area to explore, like Alcatraz Island from Mob of the Dead or the Group 935 base on the Moon, searching for loot and clearing each building would be a lot more exciting. If Treyarch were to revive and expand upon old locations like TranZit, it could include classic landmarks like the Diner and Town to get nostalgic players hyped. The original Outbreak’s biggest weakness was a lack of personality, so some handcrafted Call of Duty Zombies maps with areas specifically built for fights against the undead would be a huge step in the right direction.