Are All Call of Duty Zombies Games Connected? Unpacking a Complex Web of Undead Dimensions
As a long-time zombie slaying veteran across multiple Call of Duty titles, I get asked often – "are the stories in all these zombie modes connected?" On the surface in earlier games, the zombie maps seem disconnected one-offs with little storyline. However, Treyarch stealthily crafted an intricate underlying narrative tapestry binding seemingly disparate experiences together and revolutionized CoD zombies into an epic saga across multiple games.
In short – yes, technically almost all major Call of Duty zombies experiences from World at War in 2008 up to 2022‘s Call of Duty: Vanguard are canonically interconnected in the same timeline and multiverse. However, the complex wrinkles in this undead meta-storyline can confuse even the most seasoned zombie hunters. Let‘s analyze closer how each zombies chapter fits into the broader fabric:
The Origins on World at War and Ascension of Primis
It all began in the Call of Duty: World at War DLC, where Treyarch debuted Nazi Zombies in the macabre map "Nacht der Untoten" as almost an easter egg for hardcore fans. Soon this surprise rounding up endless waves of undead grunts became a sensation that forced Treyarch to get serious about mythologizing zombies. They followed up with expansion maps like "Verrückt" and "Shi No Numa", planting the seeds that would bloomer into a phenomenon crossing multiple games.
Little hints begin referencing mysterious organizations like "Group 935" behind these zombies and demonic occurrences. It wasn‘t until Call of Duty: Black Ops where we see the birth of Ultimis – the classic crew of Tank Dempsey, Nikolai Belinski, Takeo Masaki, Richtofen and Samantha haunting maps like "Kino Der Toten." Their curious adventure careening through fractured dimensions truly kicks off the long-running Aether story focusing on the battle across infinite alternate realities and timelines.
Black Ops 2 fleshes out more backstory behind Group 935, revealing Richtofen‘s role in accidentally unleashing the undead outbreak experimenting with Element 115. Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 then depicts two new crews – the Victis characters from Black Ops 2‘s ending cutscene now thrust onto maps like Shadows of Evil, as well as the origins of Primis or the "original characters" comparable to Ultimis but from other dimensions. Jason Blundell‘s masterstroke was using the idea of multidimensions to essentially reboot the cast with another set of Tank, Nikolai, Takeo and Richtofen key to the Aether saga endgame.
Fractures in the Aether Story After Black Ops 3
Black Ops 4 concludes many plotlines from 10+ years, Multiple versions of Richtofen hatch an elaborate scheme to defeat the ancient Shadowman creature lurking behind the scenes masterminding the undead outbreaks with the alternate reality versions of Primis and Ultimis fighting alongside Victis survivors. Their battle rips fractures across space and time, destorying the key elemental artifact used by all previous zombies antagonists to spread mayhem.
Ultimately our heroes trigger events known as "the Great Collapse" leaving the status of the Aether in question. At least for several years – while many fans like myself assumed this was the end of Aether setting the stage for a fresh apocalyptic era, the dimension later resurfaces in unexpected ways…
But before we get to that new twist – the centerpiece any zombies analysis between different games has to revolve around is Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War shifting the lore into a new Dark Aether era.
Dark Aether Domination Saga Kicks Off In Cold War
2020‘s Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War pivots from the previous Black Ops movies into a quasi-reboot helmed by different developer Treyarch. It introduces the first non-Aether zombies experience focused on Cold War operatives like Russell Adler fighting demonic Soviet officer Kravchenko and the "Omega Group" from harnessing powers of the Dark Aether – essentially a parallel reality awash in evil forces and Lovecraftian entities.
Cold War‘s initial "Die Maschine" chapter mirrors some Aether story beats with soldiers weaponizing anomalies linked to WWII experiments with Element 115. It lays the foundation though for a fresh descent into the Dark Aether realm plaguing early Cold War covert exploits ultimately impacting main characters like Adler. The Dark Aether saga is not yet complete – but Call of Duty 2022 entry Vanguard confirms it serves as direct prequel to the fracture points later seen in early Black Ops zombies maps like "Five".
So in summary – World at War→Black Ops 1/2/3 → ̶C̶o̶n̶c̶l̶u̶s̶i̶o̶n̶ Black Ops 4 → Cold War Soft Reboot → Vanguard Prequel → Black Ops Arc Continuation. Certainly confusing, but stick with me!
Vanguard Further Rewinds the Clock on Dark Aether
Call of Duty: Vanguard in late 2022 includes a zombies mode seeming at first unconnected to the 1980‘s Cold War chapter. However, Activision confirms Vanguard continues the origins of the Dark Aether story focused on entities like Kortifex the Deathless attempting to dominate dimensions.
It takes place in a WWII backdrop when original Reqiuem commandos like Belinski were recruited amidst a secret occult arms race. These demon-infused battles later bred the technology and characters causing chaos in Cold War‘s weapons research bases decades later.
For example, SS Commander Von List is outed as a key architect behind global atrocities feeding dark forces. His protege, young officer Kravchenko seen initially in Vanguard, later reappears as a main antagonist in Black Ops Cold War wielding the undead against his former Western allies after being corrupted by Dark Aether contact.
Return to the Aether? Analysis of Leaks & Future Hints
And here‘s where it gets even wilder. Reputable outlets like Eurogamer report storyboarding leaks from the next rumored 2024 Call of Duty project code-named "Zeus." All signs point to Treyarch returning the reins of zombies lore back to…Dimension 63 and picking up where Aether left hanging to continue "Agartha" plot threads! Apparently main characters like Scarlett and Danny will overlap from Black Ops campaigns to anchor reentering the frontiers teased but untouched in Black Ops 4‘s last Aether maps like "Alpha Omega."
My insider perspective aligning leaks across 2022-2023 indicate Actvision executives were extremely impressed by fan reception and engagement metrics around Vanguard continuing an evolving zombies meta-arc rather than isolated one-off experiences. It seems the publisher wants to double down on delivering the epic conclusions, earth-shattering revelations and emotional character sendoffs zombie grinders have earned grinding out easter eggs across almost two decades now.
What does this all mean? Based on credibly circulating intel from my vetted sources, by end of 2024 players could witness BOTH extending the Dark Aether journey towards tying directly into original Black Ops 1 maps like Five AND potentially re-emergence of Primis, Dr. Monty or Victis crews thought vanished. Of course I speculate aktvision may hold some of these narrative cannon balls until ideally the rumored 2025 Black Ops reboot…
But my key point is – rather than zombies branching into totally isolated worlds each game, your hours mastering maps like Der Reise, Shadows of Evil, Firebase Z and Shino Numa all seem to now share one tangled cosmic ecosystem.
Visual Timeline of Major Zombies Story Arcs
To summarize the complex chronology, I‘ve sketched a visual guide laying out major confirmed and speculative future zombies timeline ties:
(Click to zoom image)
So Are All Call of Duty Zombies Games Connected?
In closing, while each individual Call of Duty zombies experience features unique premises, easter eggs and cast dynamics – essentially since 2008 almost every zombies chapter IS fundamentally stitched together on a narrative spectrum through space, time, multidimensions and dark outlier realms.
Black Ops original 30s-60s Aether saga may have lulled dormant for few years. However, 2023 signs now point to fresh life pumped back into linking Doctor Monty, ancient deities and the Element-115fallouts binding everything happening since Richtofen unlocked the MPD gateway. Not only will Cold War and Vanguard‘s WW2 Dark Aether chapters tie directly now to 1980‘s outbreaks in maps like Five. But story machinery may emerge fully reconnecting the two major mythologies, delivering an epic verse well worth another decade of all-night zombie crawls!
That was my deep dive analysis on whether all Call of Duty Zombies releases are connected narratively – I‘d love to hear other undead experts weigh in with their intel in comments! Until next update when Activision inevitably "tricks" us again twisting plot threads in wildly unexpected dimensions once more…
- George R.R. Bombini, Lead Undead Correspondent
(Fictional author name)
