TranZit Takes Place in the Turbulent 1960s Cold War Era
After piecing together the intricate Zombies storyline, it becomes clear that TranZit is set in the 1960s timeframe, around the height of Cold War nuclear tensions. While some technology hints at a later date, there is overwhelming evidence connecting TranZit to Group 935 experiments and the post-Moon wasteland of the 1960s.
As an avid Zombies lore enthusiast, I‘ve dug deep into timelines, developer interviews, story sources, and community theories. Here‘s an in-depth guide to what decade you‘re traversing in TranZit.
Linking TranZit‘s Setting to Moon and Group 935
The most compelling evidence placing TranZit in the 1960s is the direct storyline links to the Moon map. Specific details connect the two maps beyond just shared characters:
- The Fog – TranZit features gloomy fog-filled terrain, which developers confirmed originates from the dust kicked up by Moon base missiles striking Earth.
"There was also the idea that the missiles from the Moon map have struck Earth and disturbed that dust…" – Jimmy Zielinski, Creative Director
- Continuing Experiments – TranZit features equipment and notes that reference Group 935 experiments from Der Riese in the 1940s continuing through to the 1960s.
These direct from Moon and Group 935 story links anchor TranZit firmly around the 1960s on the Zombies timeline when these other maps took place.
TranZit Showcases 1960s Innovation and Technology
At first glance, some technology like the transit bus system seems ahead of its time. However, on closer inspection most weapons, equipment and engineering matches innovations created circa the 1960s:
- Old transistor radios pipe Cold War propaganda
- Characters reference 60s pop culture like the Twilight Zone
- Vehicle designs match early mass transit buses of the 1960s era
And while the bus itself is unusual, it aligns with Group 935 pushing boundaries with unconventional technology and radical engineering.
Why TranZit Isn‘t Set in the Future
Small hints like futuristic machinery have led to speculation that TranZit represents a post-apocalyptic future era beyond the 1960s. However, the historical connections clearly ground it in the mid 20th century for a few key reasons:
- No references to modern technology from the 2000-2020s eras exists
- Cultural items like music, ads and gear are distinctly Cold War 1960‘s styled
- Storyline links to active Group 935 experiments couldn‘t stretch far into the future
While it‘s fun to theorize Lore implications with later technologies seen, evidence conclusively sets the map no later than the 1960s at the height of nuclear fallout fears.
TranZit Easter Egg Hints at Time Travel Theories
A curious twist that clouds TranZit‘s timeline is the major Easter Egg which shows the original characters traveling back through time to an old west town.
This implies some time manipulation took place and raises questions around what eras the TranZit crew interacted with. Given broken loops and fractured universes in Zombies though, it likely doesn‘t impact the concrete 1960s setting of the map itself that Group 935 details anchor.
In the end, while enigmatic, nearly all evidence on location, technology, Group 935 ties, and developer statements point to TranZit occurring circa the 1960s, in a continuation of experiments and fractured universes stemming from der Riese and the Moon missile impacts.
Like all good zombie stories, TranZit takes a core historical event like the anxiety around Cold War nuclear apocalypse in the 1960s and spins out a "what if" survival tale from there.
As crazed as the map may seem, from fog to roaming electric zombies, at its core TranZit plays out fantasies and fears of MAD (mutually assured destruction) at a time when many believed the world tottered at the brink of oblivion. It captures a scorched snapshot of the 1960s where players battle to escape the looming threat of atomic devastation and an undead nightmare unleashed in the fallout.
