The Call of Duty Zombies storyline is not for everyone. It takes one glance at the official timeline for the original Aether universe to recognize just how complex the survival mode’s narrative is, with circles of lore from different dimensions twisting together in an attempt to make everything cohesive. Throw in completely different universes from developers like Sledgehammer Games and Infinity Ward, universes like the Chaos story that have been retconned into the active plot, and a soft reboot via the Dark Aether universe, and it quickly becomes a mess when trying to follow what matters for the current releases. Me, though? I happen to love that mess.
While there is undoubtedly value in a tight, linear narrative like what is seen in the brilliant Last of Us games, deliberately convoluted stories can provide plenty of fun long after players have rolled credits. The Kingdom Hearts franchise is notorious for having an engaging but hard-to-follow storyline, as is Metal Gear Solid, the latter of which includes some of my all-time favorite games. I’ve loved watching gamers discuss the theories about Returnal, piece together details about FromSoftware’s worlds by analyzing item descriptions, and so on. As such, it’s hardly a surprise that I adore Treyarch’s Call of Duty Zombies stories, whether it’s the Aether universe and its iconic characters, the under-appreciated Chaos saga, or the currently unfolding Dark Aether universe that is explored in Black Ops 6.
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Admittedly, Call of Duty Zombies’ current storyline has been significantly easier to follow than its predecessors. Likely realizing how unwelcoming to newcomers the old methods of storytelling were, as key info was hidden within radios that players had to track down or cyphers that puzzle-masters had to decode, Treyarch has prioritized clearcut storytelling with its Dark Aether narrative. All key information is presented to the player as they do the main quest - something made even simpler thanks to Directed mode - while recordings and documents now exclusively offer interesting tidbits that are not essential to understanding what is going on. However, even if the storytelling has gotten less vague and the potential for crackpot theories has died down, Treyarch likely still has some tricks up its sleeve, and I think I’ve spotted one. I don’t think Weaver, Grey, and Carver are actually going to die - at least not anytime soon.
There May Be More Going on With MWZ’s Dead Bodies Than Meets the Eye
For anybody who did not pay attention to Modern Warfare 3’s open-world Zombies mode, MWZ, the notion that these three characters are dead may come as a bit of a shock. However, it takes just one look at MWZ's intro cutscene to realize that a majority of the Terminus crew has seemingly met a grisly fate, with the skeletal remains of Weaver briefly focused on in the MWZ intro cinematic. Around him are three other bodies, two of which seem to match Carver and Grey, with the third body being unknown. While it would make sense if it were Maya, the fourth member of the playable Black Ops 6 cast, it certainly doesn’t look like her. Perhaps it is Strauss, Peck, Raptor One, the fan-favorite Blanchard, or someone else. Regardless, a majority of these corpses are characters players are actively watching the journey of in BO6, so unveiling that they seemingly die at the end of its story would be quite the spoiler.
However, I have a feeling that Treyarch might be misdirecting fans with this reveal, and that the crew isn’t dead at all. Instead, like their beloved Samantha Maxis, they could be trapped within the Dark Aether. There are a few points supporting this idea, such as:
- Ravenov saying that he was the one to “stay back” in regard to his allies. If he knew they were dead, he’d likely use language like “survived” instead. He also sobered up instead of falling deeper into alcoholism, perhaps wanting to be in a good state of mind to help his allies eventually exit the Dark Aether.
- The Aetherium device the four bodies are surrounding likely serves a deeper purpose. It’s unclear what exactly this machine was used for, but it’s hard to imagine it was a suicide tool, as the characters could simply shoot themselves instead of using some complex device.
- MWZ lore mentions that the heads of Requiem were slowly dying due to Dark Aether exposure, so perhaps they abandoned their bodies and sent their souls into the Dark Aether to continue their mission.
As for how exactly the Dark Aether crew could exist without their bodies, players need look no further than Panos. While there are still a lot of questions surrounding this Liberty Falls scientist, who was manipulated by a seemingly dark force within the Dark Aether, the important thing to note is that he has successfully left the realm despite not having his body. Essentially a spirit of energy, the main quest sees Panos tricking the unnamed Operator of Liberty Falls into “swapping spots,” restoring his body by turning the player into a Dark Aether spirit. While Panos’ story will likely continue within the upcoming Janus Towers map, it is this act of deception that could be a glimpse at how the Terminus crew lives on. Now allied with Richtofen, it is easy to imagine Eddie having the know-how to reverse Panos’ trick and send the cast into the Dark Aether, where they could one day escape like Panos did.
One of the more exciting Call of Duty 2026 leaks suggests that there will be bolder map designs comparable to Black Ops 3, with the reports specifically mentioning a space station inside the Dark Aether as a setting. To me, this sounds like the perfect playground for the BO6 crew after they hook themselves up to the machine and enter the Dark Aether, as it would explain how such a station is accessible.
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Keeping the Black Ops 6 Crew Alive Would Be a Better Path Forward
I truly hope I’m right about the MWZ corpses, because I’d certainly be a bit disappointed if the BO6 crew turned out to be a case of one-and-done. Maya has received some solid development, even getting the first character-specific CoD Zombies side quest, but her crewmates’ stories feel far from finished. Grey re-uniting with Sam (and her daughter from MWZ, Ava) feels essential but is unlikely to happen in Janus Towers, while one map does not feel like enough time to offer redemption for Weaver. Not to mention that Carver is still, unfortunately, the “Ultimus Takeo” of the current group, as his dialogue has been largely bland, and he feels disconnected from the rest of his group. Instead of just abandoning him and his allies, I’d love to see Treyarch continue working to make the entire group beloved, as I think they could become truly memorable with time.
Still, with Call of Duty 2026 rumored to pair up Richtofen with his classic allies Dempsey, Nikolai, and Takeo, perhaps Treyarch will end up killing off the current crew to make space for the legends of old. This is a hard approach to argue against, as even if the current characters are written brilliantly in Janus Towers and beyond, it is hard to imagine them ever coming close to Primus/Ultimus, as the bar is just too high. Call of Duty has always embraced nostalgia, too, whether it be through its many multiplayer map remakes or BO6’s Prestige rewards. With this in mind, perhaps the best case scenario for the Terminus crew is to fill Victis’ shoes, being the “number two” crew that is sent around on missions to help the more iconic main cast.
With Janus Towers just months away, I’ll know if I’m right about where the story is going soon enough. Though I started playing Zombies in World at War, and long for the days of the mode’s peak in Black Ops 3, I still think there’s plenty to appreciate about modern CoD Zombies. As such, I’m hoping Treyarch does right by BO6’s characters, and their fate in MWZ being a fakeout would give the studio more time to fully realize their potential.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- October 25, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- IW 9.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - PlayStation, Xbox, PC
WHERE TO PLAY
Forced to go rogue. Hunted from within. This is Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
Developed by Treyarch and Raven, Black Ops 6 is a spy action thriller set in the early 90s, a period of transition and upheaval in global politics, characterized by the end of the Cold War and the rise of the United States as a single superpower. With a mind-bending narrative, and unbound by the rules of engagement, this is signature Black Ops.
The Black Ops 6 Campaign provides dynamic moment-to-moment gameplay that includes a variety of play spaces with blockbuster set pieces and action-packed moments, high-stakes heists, and cloak-and-dagger spy activity.
In a best-in-class Multiplayer experience, players will test their skills across 16 new maps at launch, including 12 core 6v6 maps and 4 Strike maps that can be played 2v2 or 6v6.
Black Ops 6 also marks the epic return of Round-Based Zombies, the fan-favorite mode where players will take down hordes of the undead in two brand-new maps at launch. Post-launch, players can look forward to even more exciting maps and groundbreaking experiences dropping into both Multiplayer and Zombies.
- Genre(s)
- FPS
