Summary
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Zombies has subverted expectations in the best of ways. While it may not be the round-based gameplay that longtime fans crave, it is an enjoyable alternative that has attracted a lot of newcomers to Zombies. An open-world experience heavily influenced by DMZ, MWZ thrusts players intoUrzikstan, the large map that was recently released withinCall of Duty: Warzone. According to Treyarch, this will not be the only map released within MWZ, though future additions could have some weaknesses alongside their strengths.
While Treyarch has not shared exact details about what futureCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Zombies maps will be like, it is expected that they will be the maps released withinWarzone. WhileVerdansk’s rumored returncould see Zombies fans battling the undead throughout the beloved location once again, there are two confirmed small maps forWarzonethat fans are assuming will come to Zombies. These maps are Fortune’s Keep and Rebirth Island, and given their size, they could feel significantly different from Urzikstan. Additionally, Vondel and Ashika Island have already been carried forward toWarzone, which are smaller maps that could also be reused for MWZ, though they would have the same strengths and weaknesses as Fortune’s Keep and Rebirth Island.
The Upsides and Downsides of Small Maps in MWZ
Small MWZ Maps Could Hurt The Mode’s Identity
Currently,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3Zombies excels because of its open-world premise. Gamers are free to drive around the map and fight in a different area in each of their matches, with a large play space also allowing for two dozen players to populate the same map. There is enough room to house big fights like the Legacy Fortress, while contracts that span large areas like Escorts and Convoys are viable. For a smaller map, some of these mechanics would undoubtedly have to change. Players who like doing Escorts and driving cars could miss having them around, especially if Treyarch does not replace them with new contracts and different vehicles like helicopters.
Smaller maps would also mean less players in one play space, which would also mean less team-ups and friendly interactions - a concept that MWZ is built around. Massiveboss battles like Orcasand the other Aether Worm fights would be less likely, while each of the zones could be smaller, meaning the map will grow old sooner. Plus, assuming that Fortune’s Keep and Rebirth Island are the maps that make their way over to MWZ, players could be disappointed in a lack of brand-new maps. After all, Urzikstan is just a repurposedWarzonemap, as are these two locations.
Though it has a different aesthetic, Rebirth Island is essentially just Alcatraz from Blackout, which is the location used for the beloved Zombies mapMob of the Deadand its reimagining Blood of the Dead. Featuring it in MWZ could have the downside of reminding players how great the round-based version was, reigniting the demands for survival content.
Small MWZ Maps Could Feel More Like Classic Zombies
Still, small MWZ maps would have the natural advantage of feeling more like the classic experience fans know and love. While they are likely to keep a focus on contracts instead of restoring round-based gameplay where players open doors and fight off waves of the undead, Fortune’s Keep andRebirth Islandhaving so many buildings and less open space will guarantee plenty of close-quarters fights. The lower player count that would surely come with these maps would theoretically enable more Zombies spawns too, a welcome tradeoff for players looking to grind camos or fight large trains of the undead. For players who want classic Zombies, being able to explore the entire map on foot while fighting bigger groups of enemies could be closer to what they are looking for.
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)
WHERE TO PLAY
The war has changed. Call of Duty returns with an all-new campaign, modernized versions of classic Multiplayer maps and an open-world PvE Zombies experience. The campaign, a direct sequel to the record-breaking Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, sees Captain Price and Task Force 141 face off against ultranationalist war criminal Vladimir Makarov as he extends his grasp across the world. In Multiplayer, the 16 maps that launched with Modern Warfare 2 in 2009 return with upgraded graphics, new modes and innovative gameplay features. In Modern Warfare Zombies, team up with other squads for the first time ever as you work together to survive in the largest Zombies map yet
