Do all BO3 Zombies players need DLC?
The short answer is no – the full Black Ops 3 zombies experience does not require purchasing any DLC content. But for hardcore Easter egg hunters and high round fanatics, the additional maps, gumballs, and quests offered in DLC packs add tremendous replay value worthy of the price tags.
Popularity of BO3 proves strong base game zombies
BO3 endured as an active zombies title years beyond its 2015 release, indicating the solid foundation Treyarch built into the core experience:
| Year | Average Players | Peak Players |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 53,397 | 89,921 |
| 2017 | 29,224 | 60,396 |
| 2018 | 15,656 | 35,149 |
| 2019 | 8,402 | 20,567 |
Steamcharts player data for BO3
These healthy player counts well after launch demonstrate that many casual and classic zombies fans happily grinding on Shadows of Evil and stock Zombies maps alone, no DLC required.
Shadows of Evil offers full quests minus DLC
While only one proper full map, Shadows of Evil hardly feels lacking. Its dialed in 1930‘s film noir vibe, mystifying Apothicon mythos, and multi-layered main Easter Egg quest including boss battle with the Shadowman himself left many spellbound for months:
[image]Adding humor and personality are four playable characters straight out of a comedy crime caper – Nero the Magician, Jessica the Femme Fatale, Vincent the Cop, and Campbell the Boxer. Their quips and banter remains some of the most iconic zombies character writing.
For casual survival players, the map‘s winding canals, rift portals, and strange rituals provide engaging backdrop to rack up points. Or one could spend countless hours mastering the map‘s intricate rituals, symbols, hidden songs, buildables, and side quests underlying its occult mythology.
DLC maps cater to Easter Egg hunters
But for zombies completionists determined to solve every cypher and unravel convoluted multi-map storylines, BO3 DLC packs add 8 remastered classic maps that greatly expand scope for theory-crafting. The community referendum to include these brought back fan favorites specifically to reward the hardcore base.
Gobblegum perk machines also took customization to new levels, with over 15 gumball types allowing wild abilities from spawning power ups on demand to freezing all enemies briefly. Hardcore high-rounders could now leverage gums for record setting runs.
[image]And map-specific challenges like completing Revelations‘ super Easter egg granted special cosmetic rewards and bragging rights. Ultimately the DLC served the loyal, vestted Zombies community that craved deep questing beyond Shadowman in Shadows of Evil.
Conclusion – strong foundation plus optional expanded universe
In summary, Treyarch cleverly layered BO3 Zombies to accommodate all player types. The passion and effort poured into Shadows of Evil offers newcomers and casual survival fans an inviting onboarding point. And the Chronicles DLC unlocked an expanded universe catering specifically to the Easter egg obsessed contingent that each year sinks more hours into chasing leads across all Zombies titles in a way no other fanbase does.
So while not mandatory, the DLC maps stand the test of time for good reason – they offer countless more head-scratching, theorizing, puzzle-solving gameplay for those already hooked on the mode‘s singular vibe. Both camps can enjoy BO3 zombies immensely. But certain player types will clearly appreciate additional areas to roam and mysteries to unpack across those 8 iconic chronicles maps.
