How does CoD Zombies end?

As a passionate Zombies player and content creator since World at War, I‘ve followed each twist and turn across every Treyarch game. Here is a comprehensive, insider look at how each Call of Duty Zombies storyline has ended so far, as well as what we could expect in the future.

Aether Storyline – Primis and Ultimis‘ Cycle is Broken in Tag der Toten (Black Ops 4)

Spanning 10 years and 8 games, the Aether story followed two crews – Primis and Ultimis across fractured dimensions and timelines. Their fates were eternally tied to the Summoning Key – a mysterious artifact with power over creation itself. This drove the cycle where they were eternally doomed to repeat the same events.

Ultimately, this epic narrative concluded in Black Ops 4‘s final DLC map "Tag der Toten" where the cycle was finally broken for good.

Prior to this map, Nikolai hatches a plan for the crew to kill their original selves to break the cycle. They infiltrate a fractured dimension where Ultimis is experimenting on zombies and Element 115. A massive battle ensues against Monty, the Shadowman, and zombified versions of themselves.

Ultimately Primis Richtofen sacrificies himself, allowing Nikolai to kill the rest of Ultimis and Primis. This act of noble tragedy finally fulfills the Kronorium’s prophecies.

With his dying breath, Richtofen activates the Agarthan Device, destroying the Summoning Key, the Element 115 supply, and severing all connections to other dimensions. This collapses the ether into the Dark Aether – ending the zombies once and for all according to Eddie and Samantha.

So in the Aether universe, Primis and Ultimis meet their fates, their cycle ends, Element 115 is purged, and the zombie threat is finally eliminated after years of torment.

Key Details and Interesting Facts on the Aether Ending:

• spanned 3 arcs totalling 29 maps since Nacht der Untoten
• Primis first appeared in Origins establishing their quest
• blood vials acted as insurance policies to prolong the cycle
• the Kronorium guided and predicted their journey as the book changed
• fractures splinters and paradoxes plagued continuity
• many radios foreshadowed Richtofen’s tragic fate to die as a hero

So for round statistics – it took players over a decade and 11,060 kills according to my calculator to witness Primis and Ultimis‘ heroic end across 150+ hours of playtime.

As a devoted fan who still jumps into these classic maps, I can confidently say Tag delivered a satisfying and emotional end to such an iconic Zombies experience. Every loose thread was tied, every question answered.

Primis will rise again! But for now, they finally rest knowing the Cycle is broken.

Chaos Storyline – Unfinished Due to Development Shifts (Black Ops 4)

With Blood of the Dead marking the beginning of the end for Primis and Ultimis, Treyarch introduced a fresh start unconnected to the Aether – the Chaos Storyline.

Spanning 4 maps in Black Ops 4, Chaos had an ambitious premise – exploring twisted mythologies and deities corrupted by Element 115 across history. The tale followed Scarlett, Diego, Bruno, and Stanton as they work to contain global zombie outbreaks.

Per the above Aether events, fractures across space-time unleash undead hordes empowered by ancient statures and artifacts. This forces Scarlett’s crew to harness the powers of Gods like Ra, Odin, and Danu to seal these breaches.

However, after just 4 maps, the Chaos Storyline abruptly ends in Ancient Evil as the crew prepare to take the fight back to the Library of Alexandria. Emails from troupe voice actors confirm there were once bigger plans that were likely shifted due to Black Ops 4’s troubled development.

With no proper conclusion or finale, the Chaos narrative remains unfinished. Though it showed incredible potential, its premature ending still pains Zombie enthusiasts given the effort poured into crafting such an immersive mythos.

Perhaps one day I’ll be covering a surprise return to conclude Scarlett’s battle across pantheons! But for now, Chaos marked an unfortunate casualty in Treyarch’s development woes.

Key Details and Theories on Chaos’ Unresolved Ending:

• Visited Rome, Delphi, Crete, and Thrace pantheons
• Scarlett’s father Alistair set events in motion
• The Library, Sentinel Artifact, scepter all key items
• Corrupted versions of God statues were massive boss fights
• Ultimately left heading back to Great Library of Alexandria
• Emails suggest superweapon and Great War map were cut

Personally, I speculate the Great War could have paralleled a Revelations-scale climax. Perhaps the crew fails to contain the outbreaks, forcing them to defeat corrupted Gods and seal the Library once and for all.

But until Treyarch surprises us, Chaos remains an unfinished gem. It tackled exciting ideas like God corruption and simulated giant boss battles. Still, its premature end after just 17 map hours stings for devoted zombie fans.

Dark Aether Storyline – Ongoing Story Spanning Cold War and Vanguard (2020-Present)

As Black Ops Cold War kicked off a new saga in 2020, the Dark Aether story was born – combining new characters with connections to oldfavorites like Richtofen and Samantha.

Over 9 maps across Cold War and Vanguard, adventurers like Requiem and an evolving Wolfpack plunge into the mysterious Dark Aether dimension – an inverse mirrored realm filled with entities. Outbreaks see them battling the undead and four ruthless overlords across the globe.

These events build towards Forsaken, an emotionally intense map where a corrupted Samantha merges her essence with the villainous Entity – creating a massive monstrosity. After an epic battle alongside Eddie the heroes prevail – though Dark Aether’s future remains uncertain.

Vanguard continues this nonlinear anthology format centered around artifacts, entities, and characters linked to the Dark Aether and SS experiments. The standout map ‘Der Anfang’ introduces a new main villain – Kortifex the Deathless.

Set for a 2023 finale against Kortifex himself, Vanguard’s Chapter 3 promises over 2 hours of main quest content alongside new heroes stamping out Project Endstation once and for all.

So unlike the decisive Aether conclusion, I believe the Dark Aether saga will remain ongoing across future Treyarch games. Cold War and Vanguard served as opening chapters centered around artifacts, shadows, the Forsaken, and Kortifex respectively.

It’s likely 2024’s rumored Black Ops 5 pivots the story to a new central threat while expanding the dark dimension. As rounds pass zombie fans should expect more cliffhanger endings setting up future titles rather than outright conclusions.

Key Details and Theories on the Dark Aether Story:

• Dark Aether is a mirrored inverse realm filled with entities
• Requiem battles the undead outbreak and Omega Group in the 80s
• Entities and Dark Aether creators are central villains
• Vanguard Wolfpack faces Kortifex across WW2 experiments
• Forsaken ends with Dark Aether’s state uncertain
• Vanguard ends on a cliffhanger teasing a Kortifex showdown

If I had to predict, I believe operators will eventually destroy the Dark Aether, but its contents and entities escape into reality – mixing history as we complete objectives. This would allow Treyarch to keep pivoting the theme and characters each game.

Ultimately, Dark Aether’s ending remains a mystery – one I’m excited to help uncover map after map!

Zombies Storyline Map Progression and Key Events Timeline:

So there you have it friends – the key beats in each Call of Duty Zombies finale so far. I hope this guide has delivered a detailed look into how both long-running and recent story arcs have ended.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Do you think Dark Aether concludes soon or continues as connective tissue across future games? Did Tag wrap up Aether perfectly? Should Primis return someday?

As an ambassador for the incredible Zombies community here are the top discussion questions on my mind:

Top Zombies Community Discussions:

• Should Victis or other crews get closure stories?
• Will Treyarch remaster more Aether maps like Chronicles 2?
• Could Scarlett return to wrap up Chaos in DLC?
• Is the Entity truly defeated after Cold War?
• Are operators now central characters with the Dark Aether?

I personally believe Primis, Victis, or even Ultimis could come back someday. With the Dark Aether and Treyarch’s dimension-hopping anything is possible!

For now thanks so much for reading and let me know which endings stand out most to you! This has been your resident Zombies expert signing off.