Call of Duty: Vanguard's Zombies mode has been officially unveiled, with a lot of details coming out about the mode's perks, upgrades, and the continuation of the Dark Aether story.
Treyarch have revealed a large selection of gameplay details for Zombies in Call of Duty: Vanguard, in a recent Blog Entry on their website. We got a deeper look at "Der Anfang", the new objective-driven Zombies experience that comes at launch. In addition, we got a deep-dive into the game's new Dark Aether powers, entities and artifacts, the 32 new Alter of Covenants upgrades, weapons, perks, and more.
Honestly, it was a pretty insanely exhaustive reveal, delving us into the depths of this year's CoD Zombies experience, and answering almost all of our questions. We weren't really expecting such an in-depth reveal, but to be fair, the game is out in only a few short days (as of writing), and we're certainly pleased by what we've discovered. Here's everything you need to know before you dive into Zombies in Call of Duty: Vanguard...
What's Returning to Zombies in Call of Duty: Vanguard?
A number of key features are returning to Zombies in Call of Duty: Vanguard, including systems that we expect from any Zombies mode, and features that were added in Black Ops Cold War. We'll break them down in a table, to make them easier to digest.
| Standard Returning Feature | Returning Feature from BOCW |
Mystery Box | Crafting Table |
Pack-a-Punch | Custom Loadouts |
| Perks | Armor |
| Monkey Bomb | Exfil Systems |
Please keep in mind that many of these features may be returning from previous Call of Duty games, but will be changing in rather significant ways. We will break down what's new throughout the rest of this article, and this will include both wholly new features and systems, as well as evolutions of previously existing mechanics.
What's New in Call of Duty: Vanguard's Zombies Mode?
Here, we'll break down everything that we currently know about Zombies in Call of Duty: Vanguard. This will include and focus on solely new mechanics that will be featured in Vanguard, as well as returning mechanics that are seeing significant changes.
What is "Der Anfang"?
"Der Anfang" is the opening Zombies experience that will begin with the release of Call of Duty: Vanguard. The name, which translates to "The Beginning" in English, hints at what Der Anfang will be – our introduction to Vanguard Zombies. Now, we don't want to spoil too much for you, so we won't dive into how this new mode will tie into the Dark Aether universe and story. Instead, here's what Treyarch had to say about the "Der Anfang" itself:
Get right to the action and step into a portal, transporting you via Dark Aether magic to the crux of the fight, whether that means battling the undead on the rain-spattered rooftops of the Hotel Royal or trudging through the swamps of fan-favorite Shi No Numa. Between objectives, explore the ever-expanding forward operating base in Stalingrad to access classic upgrades such as Perks, weapon upgrades, and the Pack-a-Punch. In Vanguard Zombies, it’s not long before you’re wading knee deep in the undead.
Now, this was obviously all known to us from the original Zombies reveal (check out the reveal trailer below), but is important as it sets the context for the following information. "Der Anfang" will span across four locations when it drops. These locations – including Stalingrad, Merville, Paris, and Shi No Numa – will be the playgrounds wherein we'll interact with and use the mechanics described.
What are Dark Aether Entities, Powers, & Artifacts?
In Call of Duty: Vanguard's Zombies Mode, you will be able to call upon four different artifacts. Each of these are rival Dark Aether entities, each of whom oppose Kortifex the Deathless and Wolfram Von List, the game's chief antagonist. Each of these entities will provide you with various Dark Aether powers and artifacts. We imagine that there will be more added in future seasons, but here are the four Dark Aether entities and their associated powers and artifacts, as taken from the Treyarch Blog Post.
- Dragon of Saraxis: Spawns an aethereal explosive, dealing massive damage to enemies who set it off.
- Mask of Bellekar: Cloaks you in Dark Aether, masking your presence from enemies for 5 seconds.
- Sword of Inviktor: Sparks a ring of aethereal flame to boost damage for anyone within its radius for 15 seconds.
- Horn of Norticus: Summons a frigid vortex, damaging enemies with the initial blast and slowing those that enter.
The Dark Aether entities and artifacts will serve as four different in-game characters, providing "unique gallows humor and commentary throughout the game". We're going to be honest here, this particular feature will be a very positive change from the drab and boring commentary we got from the different operators in Black Ops Cold War!
All New Upgrades & The Alter of Covenants
We will have access to a selection of eleven Covenants when Vanguard launches, each of which have multiple rarities. This is a massive new feature in Call of Duty: Vanguard's Zombies mode, with the Alter of Covenants providing a selection of very powerful abilities. You can equip these abilities throughout Zombies matches, and three can be equipped at any one time.
After each objective is completed, the selection of specialties you can choose from will change. In addition, alternative ammo types are being incorporated into Covenants "for the best of both worlds". Each Covenant will feature multiple rarities, which means that we will have a total of 32 new upgrades in Call of Duty: Vanguard! Here is the complete list of Covenants that will be available at launch:
- Bloodlust: Melee attacks do more damage and heal you.
- Resurrectionist: Revive allies faster.
- Brain Rot: Chance to turn enemies to your side.
- Cryofreeze: Chance to slow enemies.
- Death Blow: Critical kills return bullets to the clip.
- Ammo Gremlin: Stowed weapons refill ammo from stock automatically.
- Dead Accurate: Consecutive hits on the same enemy do more damage.
- Splatterfest: Enemies killed by explosions may explode.
- Unholy Ground: Deal more damage while stationary.
- Cull the Weak: Deal more damage to slowed or stunned enemies.
- Mother Lode: Chance to keep Equipment after using it.
The thing that makes Covenants so powerful, though, are their upgraded rarities. One example that was cited by Treyarch was that "While the Rare version of Cull the Weak deals +50% damage to slowed or stunned enemies, the Legendary version can deal a whopping +100% base damage in addition to +100% critical damage". When combined with other appropriate additional abilities, these Covenants will be insanely powerful!
How do Upgradable Perks Work?
Perk Fountains will be found across your forward operating base in Stalingrad, providing you with upgradable perk abilities. Whilst perks have been featured in other Zombies experiences before, Treyarch are taking a very different approach in Call of Duty: Vanguard. One of the biggest changes will be that the base tier of each perk will be free, and "you'll be able to upgrade each perk up to Tier 4 in-game".
Each perk will offer powerful upgrades as you progress through the tiers. After Tier 1, you will need to pay a certain amount of Essence per Tier Upgrade. Those costs are as follows: 2,500 for Tier 2, 5,000 for Tier 3, and 7,500 for Tier 4. You will keep your base-level perks if you die, since the first tier is actually free! Here are the five Perk Fountains that will be available in "Der Anfang":
- Fiendish Fortitude: Increases health.
- Diabolical Damage: Increases critical damage.
- Venomous Vigor: Boosts health regeneration speed.
- Demonic Frenzy: Boosts reload speed.
- Aethereal Haste: Boosts movement speed.
Weapon Acquisition, Upgrades, & Tiers
Weapon Tiers will now tie to their Pack-a-Punch level, with loot chests, the Mystery Box, and powerful enemy drops replacing traditional Wall Buys. In other words, you'll no longer be able to purchase weapons from Wall Buys, and instead will need to pick them up from the above-described locations, and manually upgrade them at the Pack-a-Punch machine with Essence. These upgrades will cost 7,500 Essence, 15,000 Essence, and 30,000 Essence for levels one, two, and three respectively. Additionally, pre-packed weapons can now drop from Sturmkriegers, or be awarded from the Mystery Box. Weapon Tiers are color-coded as follows:
- White: Unpacked
- Blue: Pack-a-Punch Level 1
- Purple: Pack-a-Punch Level 2
- Orange: Pack-a-Punch Level 3
We're streamlining weapon upgrades while keeping the Pack-a-Punch as crucial as ever in #Vanguard Zombies.Weapon Tiers are now defined by their Pack-a-Punch level:* White: Unpacked* Blue: PaP Level 1* Purple: PaP Level 2* Orange: PaP Level 3 pic.twitter.com/xeJ8MZriwn
— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) November 1, 2021
How Will Loadouts & Builds Work?
Similarly to BOCW, you'll be able to bring custom loadouts into Zombies in Call of Duty: Vanguard. However, there are five preset classes that will also allow you to get familiar with not just the new weapons, but also the new artifacts. All starting weapons will begin at the lowest level, of course, and you will need to upgrade them, and find other weapons, throughout each match. The five preset classes are as follows:
- Aether-Trooper: Default Assault Rifle, Energy Mine
- Night Legionnaire: Sten SMG, Frost Blast
- Wrath Hammer: Bren LMG, Ring of Fire
- Revenant Eraser: Gracey Auto Shotgun, Aether Shroud
- Ghoul Hunter: M1 Garand Marksman Rifle, Energy Mine
Builds will be the combination of your chosen Covenants, Artifacts, Perks, and Weapons each and every game. Through this combination "you'll create powerful new builds, and discover personal strategies to help you survive further into the next match". This will be key to the Zombies experience in Call of Duty: Vanguard, and means that this new Zombies mode will offer more variation, choice, and freedom, than any that have come before it.