When talking about the peak of Call of Duty Zombies, most gamers will point to Black Ops 3. Not only does that game hold up visually and mechanically over 7 years after its initial release, but its lineup of maps was top-notch. Shadows of Evil and The Giant offered depth and nostalgia respectively, while a great DLC season followed. This DLC run was capped off by the tremendous Zombies Chronicles expansion, which revived eight classic maps and was, by all accounts, a huge success for Treyarch.
Unfortunately, despite the original Zombies Chronicles 2 feeling like a no-brainer for Treyarch, it has yet to happen. Rumors suggested that it was planned for the underrated Black Ops 4, but with Treyarch needing to move to Black Ops Cold War in 2020, the game’s DLC plans were supposedly shortened. Then, reports suggested that Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies could have contained the Chronicles 2 remakes, but the poor reception to the mode and its initial objective-focused style meant that would not have worked. Thankfully, Call of Duty 2025 could finally give fans the expansion they have been hoping to see for years now.
Why Call of Duty 2025 Could House The Zombies Chronicles 2 Map Remakes
Call of Duty 2025 is Supposedly a Direct Sequel to Black Ops 2
A recent leak suggested that Call of Duty 2025 will be a sequel to the futuristic portion of Black Ops 2. Specifically, it will supposedly be set in 2030, and though this is purely speculation, the campaign could bring back Alex Mason’s son David for another bout of heroism. The game’s multiplayer is rumored to be composed of both original maps and Black Ops 2 map remakes, tweaking the approach taken by Modern Warfare 3 (2023). Considering that fans just experienced two years of Modern Warfare, two years of Black Ops games in a row seems believable.
If this 2025 Black Ops game will indeed be bringing back old multiplayer maps from Black Ops 2, a natural direction for its Zombies mode to take would also be remakes. This would work out perfectly, as the only maps missing from Black Ops 3 were Call of the Dead and several maps from Black Ops 2. Treyarch could release remakes throughout the year in the game’s post-launch Seasons, dropping the maps in their original order of release. Alternatively, it could launch with what is essentially Zombies Chronicles 2, and fully original maps could be added in post-launch Seasons instead.
What Content Could Be Included in Zombies Chronicles 2?
Assuming that Call of Duty 2025 goes the route of having original maps, Zombies Chronicles 2 could be released as a paid DLC, pre-order bonus, or free launch content. The expansion would likely include the following maps.
- Call of the Dead
- TranZit
- Nuketown
- Die Rise
- Mob of the Dead
- Buried
Of the above maps, the divisive TranZit would likely be the one to watch, as a modern day reimagining could let Treyarch fix issues players had with the original version. It could also be split into three additional survival maps via Farm, Town, and Bus Depot, with Custom Zombies maps like Daybreak showing that Diner would work as another small round-based location. With maps like Mob of the Dead, Call of the Dead, and Buried being classics, an old school map pack for Call of Duty 2025 Zombies could be a big success. Plus, with the game likely to offer many returning weapons from the original Black Ops 2, these hypothetical remakes could play just like they did over a decade ago. Regardless of whether it is released as a proper map pack and given the Zombies Chronicles 2 branding, or if all the maps simply get brought back throughout the game's life cycle, it seems like CoD 2025 is the likeliest place for these regularly requested remakes to appear.