Activision confirms 'large-scale' Zombies mode coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War

Earlier today, word of a new, "large-scale" Zombies mode leaked onto the Call of Duty website. It was quickly taken down, but now it's official: Activision has laid out what Call of Duty fans can look forward to in the upcoming Season Two of Call of Duty: Warzone and Black Ops – Cold War, including new operators, weapons, maps, multiplayer modes, and the continuation of the Dark Aether story in Outbreak.

It seems that the CIA-backed agency known as Requiem is having a hard time keeping up with its Soviet counterpart, Omega Group, so when Dark Aether outbreaks begin happening in the Ural Mountains, squads of agents must seize the opportunity to "complete the deadly experiments that few have survived" in order to get caught up.

Not that it sounds like a terribly scientific process, mind you. 

"Continuing the Dark Aether story, Outbreak takes place across massive play spaces throughout the Ural Mountains, packed with new enemies, team objectives, player rewards, and intel to discover on foot, in vehicles, or by jump pads. Whether it's hunting down elite enemies using a satellite tracker, escorting a Rover that detects dimensional portals, or holding out against zombies in a confined Dark Aether zone, agents of Requiem will need to complete these investigations before they can Exfil… or risk entering a Dark Aether portal to a new region for even more rewards."

The Season Two roadmap, which you can lay eyes on below, also indicates that a Zombies Outbreak Challenge Event will run from February 25 to March 11.

Four new operators are coming to both Black Ops - Cold War and Warzone, including:

• Naga: Warsaw Pact (Launch Week) - Born in Laos and raised through decades of conflict, Kapano “Naga” Vang is a former warlord who grew rich trafficking drugs and weapons through the notorious Golden Triangle.
• Maxis: NATO (In Season) - Following her rescue from the Omega Group at “Firebase Z,” Maxis prepares to join Requiem on the frontlines to fend off outbreaks throughout the Ural Mountains.
• Wolf: NATO (In Season) - Terrell Wolf learned to hunt in the bayous of Louisiana surrounding his grandparent’s home. Entering service on his 18th birthday in memory of his fallen brother, he now stalks more dangerous prey as an elite Delta Force sniper.
• Rivas: NATO (In Season) - Karla Rivas' experience growing up in Nicaragua surrounded by the Menendez Cartel and their wars with rival gangs drove her to dedicate her life to ridding her country of their influence, using guerrilla tactics to weaken them by any means necessary.

And of course new firepower and other tools of the trade are on the way to both Cold War and Warzone.

• FARA 83: Assault Rifle (Launch Week) - This fully-automatic assault rifle is a heavyweight among its peers, as it claims one of the fastest fire rates in its class and outstanding effective range for solid damage.
• LC10: SMG (Launch Week) - A well-rounded full auto submachine gun, the LC10 grants CQB Operators the ability to stretch fights out into the mid-range on a smaller, agile weapon platform thanks to its solid accuracy and extended effective damage range.
• Machete: Special (In Season) - Manufactured from a durable steel blade, the Machete is a broad foot-long blade tempered to maximum toughness in order to withstand chipping and breaking.
• E-Tool: Melee (In Season) - Put your enemy six feet under with the E-Tool, a military style tri-fold shovel typically used to dig a defensive fighting position.
• R1 Shadowhunter: Special (In Season) - This crossbow’s simple and lightweight design allows for great handling and quieter eliminations.
• ZRG 20mm: Sniper (In Season) - Built for sharpshooters who need power to eliminate targets at extremely long ranges, this bolt-action sniper rifle boasts a faster bullet velocity than any other weapon in its class, as well as the ability to eliminate Operators with a single shot to the head, chest, or shoulders in exchange for a slower fire rate.

The battle royale Call of Duty: Warzone will also undergo some changes, including the addition of new points of interest, an ominous warning that "within Verdansk, something major is beginning to rumble deep underground," and a couple of new game modes: Exfiltration, a battle to find and hold a portable radio long enough to call for an extract (naturally, whoever is holding the radio will be marked as an HVT, as if they were under a Most Wanted Contract, on the tactical map—have to keep the action hopping), and Rebirth Island Resurgence Extreme, an intense, respawn-enabled Resurgence mode firefight for up to 90 players. Exfiltration will be available throughout the season, while Rebirth Island Resurgence Extreme will run during the Season Two launch week.

One thing that's not coming in Season Two, however, is a new map: We speculated that the cinematic trailer released earlier this week was a sign that a new battle royale locale was on the way, but that does not appear to be the case. Maybe next time.

A rolling update scheduled for 9-11 pm PT will bring Season Two to Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War on February 23, while Warzone's seasonal update will roll in during the same hours on February 24. The new season begins on February 25, and you can get the full details on what's coming at callofduty.com.