With Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, the popular shooter series has once again received a zombie mode. Unlike its predecessor, this one is turn-based again. This means you fight wave after wave against increasingly stronger and faster undead. But which Black Ops had the best zombie mode?
What kind of ranking is this? Treyarch’s World at War marked the beginning of the Call of Duty zombie mode, but it really gained momentum with the “Black Ops” series. MeinMMO editor Dariusz has therefore wondered which Black Ops had the best zombie mode and ranked them in a tier list.
The ranking is purely based on the personal opinion and player experience of the author, which you are not obliged to agree with, of course. Instead, feel free to let us know in the comments how you would rank the modes.
S-Tier – The best zombie mode of all time
Black Ops 3 probably has the best maps of all zombie modes and brought innovative features like the gum mechanics. Moreover, the faster movement is simply much more enjoyable than in its predecessors. Additionally, there were custom zombies on PC, allowing players to create their own maps.
A-Tier – Strong modes, but not at the top
Black Ops 2
Black Ops 2 managed to improve some aspects of the zombie mode gameplay from Black Ops 1, even though Black Ops 1 already had a very good overall package. The major weakness of BO2 for me is the maps. Except for Origins, they don’t match the quality of its predecessor or successor.
Black Ops 1
With Black Ops 1, the overall package is simply right. The maps, the gameplay, the perks… it was just fun and quite simple. The successors were able to refine the concept somewhat and compensate for smaller weaknesses of Black Ops 1.
B-Tier – A solid foundation with untapped potential
Black Ops 6
The zombie mode of Black Ops 6 gets a lot right. There are cool gums, perks, the maps are not a complete disaster, and it seems successful in creating a good player experience for both experienced zombie players and beginners – although the mode could be a bit tougher.
However, I find the whole system with the augmentations unnecessary. Sure, it’s another incentive to grind, but it complicates the assembly of your own loadout unnecessarily. One gets the feeling that you must first organize your augmentation research before you can start a run.
The major strength of Black Ops 6 for me is the new omnimovement. It is a lot of fun for me in both multiplayer and zombie mode and even allows the latest installment of the series to surpass Black Ops 4 in my book.
Black Ops 4
The gameplay of Black Ops 4 was good, but it could not keep up with the first three parts of the series. While playing, I just felt that Treyarch wanted to introduce innovation to the mode with Black Ops 4 that no one asked for, and that was simply not well implemented.
C-Tier – The worst Black Ops, but…
Cold War
In Cold War, the gameplay stands out because it is really fun. The maps didn’t quite appeal to me compared to other BO installments. Additionally, Cold War felt more repetitive and less challenging than other zombie modes. I just couldn’t get on with Cold War.
But there is – pardon the old phrase – light at the end of the tunnel: Cold War is indeed the last place in our “Black Ops Zombie Ranking,” but it certainly does not have the worst zombie mode. Vanguard and Modern Warfare 3 (2023) would rank far down on a list of all zombie modes. For me, MW3 missed the mark so badly that I’m not even sure if I should mention it in such a list.
If you want a few tips for the zombie mode of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, I’ve compiled 15 quite helpful pieces of advice for zombie newcomers on MeinMMO: CoD Black Ops 6 Zombies: 15 tips for beginners on how to survive more rounds
