I’m someone who finds something to enjoy in most things, even projects I realize are deeply flawed. This outlook certainly applies to Call of Duty Zombies, one of my favorite co-op experiences in gaming, as there’s no Treyarch-made survival map I truly hate playing. Even beyond Treyarch Zombies, I’ve found things to enjoy in every Call of Duty Zombies iteration. I loved the build-up to Exo Zombies’ surprise reveal, and its shake-up of the playable cast partway through. Infinite Warfare Zombies’ Super Easter egg remains unmatched, while Zombies in Spaceland is a Treyarch-level creation. WW2 Zombies' horror aesthetic was right up my alley as someone who adores Dead Space, which Sledgehammer developers played a part in creating. Even MWZ’s open-world experience had special moments like the Aether Worm fight. However, Vanguard Zombies is harder to be positive on - though I actually think it has a redeeming quality.
To be clear, Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies is the worst take on the mode in my eyes, just like it is for so many other fans. Having just two round-based maps - one of which was a remake and the other of which was a rework of an earlier release - was devastating. While Vanguard Zombies’ objective-focused experience could have worked as a secondary mode, it being the only form of Zombies in Vanguard for several months was inexcusable. The mode’s use of multiplayer assets was more extensive than in any other Zombies game, the demon-focused storyline jumped the shark, and there simply wasn’t a lot of depth to the experience. With all this in mind, I obviously want Black Ops 7 Zombies to be more like BO6 and older Zombies modes than this one. However, I also think BO7 could benefit from borrowing the one thing Vanguard Zombies nailed, and hasn’t gotten proper credit for because the mode itself was so heavily criticized: the Altar of Covenants.
This Bad Call of Duty Zombies Map is My Dream BO7 Remake, and No, It's Not TranZit
While there seems to be a fair bit of smoke around a TranZit remake for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, one other poorly received map could be even better.
Why Vanguard Zombies’ Altar of Covenants Was So Great
Essentially CoD Zombies’ twist on the roguelike genre, the Altar of Covenants was a mechanic that saw players gaining sacrificial hearts for completing tasks within a match. Players could only have 3 Covenants equipped at a time, with their quality increasing from Rare to Epic to Legendary as the rounds progressed. Each tier provided significantly stronger abilities, with some of the potential buffs provided by these covenants being incredibly useful, such as:
- Death Blow - Critical hits return a bullet to a clip (2 bullets at Legendary Tier)
- Splatterfest - Enemies killed by explosions have a chance to explode (the chance increases at higher Tiers)
- Unholy Ground - Deal more damage when shooting while stationary
- Swift Vengeance - Deal more damage the faster you move
- Brimstone - Constantly deal damage to nearby enemies
Sure, not every Covenant was particularly unique - some were just versions of ammo mods like Dead Wire - but the ones that were fresh added variety to the gameplay. Brimstone was a great take on the classic thorns buff, for instance, while Death Blow rewarded accurate players. A match could play completely differently depending on whether the Altar offered Swift Vengeance or Unholy Ground, as gamers would have to switch between training or camping depending on what appeared. Though Vanguard Zombies itself was so limited on content that this system never got to shine to its fullest, it truly was a brilliant addition that I’m desperate to see featured in a better game.
While there were only 11 potential Covenants, at launch more were added as part of Call of Duty’s post-launch seasons.
How Black Ops 7 Zombies Could Bring Back the Altar of Covenants
Though Vanguard Zombies shifting its focus back to round-based after launch meant a change in priorities that saw the Altar of Covenants fading into obscurity, it’s the perfect type of content for a seasonal system. Even in Seasons with no new Zombies map, fresh Covenants could be added alongside Gobblegums, Field Upgrades, and Ammo Mods. Black Ops 7 Zombies is rumored to be exploring the Dark Aether, too, so narratively, Treyarch can just have the Terminus crew stumble upon abandoned Altars found within the dimension. Mechanically, Treyarch would need to make few changes, simply awarding sacrificial hearts for completing SAM Trials (or the BO7 equivalent of that feature). If Black Ops 7 lives up to expectations and bring backs this concept, the one feature I enjoyed from Vanguard could finally get the love it deserves, as its only crime was being tied to a bad Zombies mode.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 66 /100 Critics Rec: 34%
- Released
- November 14, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
