Despite an awkward embargoed preview event with content creators sparking some early concern, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies has finally gotten fans hyped thanks to the first map's intro cinematic. While players will be able to have a better understanding of the mode following an info dumb in late September, what is known is quite promising. BO7 Zombies’ new villain resembles The Ghoul from Fallout, which instantly makes him intriguing, and the game's Ashes of the Damned will be an expansive homage to TranZit, a deeply flawed cult classic with tons of potential. Perhaps the most obvious point of excitement is the return of the original 4 Zombies characters, though this very comeback could create a problem for the game in the long run.
After the ending of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies’ Reckoning map, fans wondered whether the Terminus crew would be retired in favor of the original four characters, who have come back with fresh looks and backstories. It turns out that Treyarch won’t be having players choose at all, as all eight characters will be dedicated Operators in Black Ops 7. In theory, this should be a boon for the game, as players should get to hear more unique conversations than ever by mixing and matching the different cast members. However, unlike Alpha Omega, where characters were always selected at random for players, gamers will be able to choose exactly who they want to be — and that’s going to be a problem for half the cast.
On the bright side, Black Ops 7 players will get to carry forward the main quest reward skins from BO6 Zombies, so they’ll have an alternate look for each member of the Terminus crew if they completed every Easter egg.
Black Ops 7 Zombies Players Will Likely Just Play as the O4
There’s simply no denying the popularity of Dempsey, Takeo, Richtofen, and Nikolai. These characters debuted in the third Zombies map ever released, Shi No Numa, and were the main focus of the Aether narrative that lasted over a decade. For better or worse, CoD Zombies fans simply care more when these characters are actively involved in the storytelling for the mode, which has led to interesting concepts like the Chaos story being abandoned. Now, after trying to forge its own path for a few Call of Duty games’ worth of content, the Dark Aether saga is returning to the well with brand-new takes on the O4.
Regardless of whether players are happy to see this iconic crew again, or disappointed because they feel that their ending in Tag Der Toten has been cheapened, there’s no doubt that they will make up the vast majority of lobbies for Ashes of the Damned and beyond. Naturally, this leaves the Terminus crew at risk of becoming something of an afterthought, as though Treyarch will undoubtedly put effort into their dialogue, players will be unlikely to hear these conversations unless they seek them out online. A new version of Edward Richtofen that is fully aligned with the Nazi party (even helping it win World War 2) is simply more interesting than an underdeveloped character like Carver. And even if the new version of Richtofen lacked the bold backstory that he has been given, players would still be likely to choose him because of nostalgia and a deep love for one of Nolan North’s best roles.
Perhaps the Terminus Crew Should Have Been Retired After Black Ops 6
Realistically, when looking at the Terminus crew, there’s a case to be made that their journeys are over, as they have reached the following points in their character arcs:
- Weaver was essentially obsessed with killing Richtofen, only to have his views challenged upon meeting him face-to-face in Shattered Veil.
- Carver was in a similar boat to Weaver, primarily focused on stopping Richtofen only to then shift focus to stopping (or helping) S.A.M., which he has since done.
- Maya’s goal was basically finished in Citadelle Des Morts, as she avenged her brother via a special cinematic in that map. Since then, she’s just been along for a ride.
- Dr. Grey finally got closure during The Reckoning, regardless of which ending she chose, as she either freed or destroyed SAM in honor of her lost love.
Sure, Treyarch can certainly still take these characters further, with Grey potentially building a bond with MWZ’s Ava Jansen one day, but BO7 would have been the ideal time to cut ties. Perhaps they could have served as map guides like Blanchard and Peck, or left radios and documents to find throughout the maps, but actually making them playable seems like a lot of wasted effort. Perhaps Treyarch will give them such interesting dialogue and story content that they become must-play characters, but it seems far more likely that everyone will choose to control the heroes they know and love from when they were kids. As such, maybe Treyarch would have been better off doubling down on the O4, giving them even more dialogue and conversations instead of splitting them between eight total cast members.
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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
