When the world of Black Ops 6 Zombies was first unveiled, there were some concerns about its designs. The clunky HUD and the overly bright Liberty Falls map were the talk of the town, sparking a call for change. Thankfully, the BO6 team has revealed an upcoming update that brings us back to the Zombies we know and love.
The Call of Duty Zombies Mode Prep post gives us a glimpse of what’s changed. First, there’s a new look to its Liberty Falls map, which now appears much darker. The location’s initial bright appearance didn’t go over too well amongst the Zombies community, as the series’ maps generally have a doom-and-gloom look. With this new update, we’re returning to this approach to up its creepy dynamic. You can take a look at a comparison (the old one on the left and the new one on the right):
The blog mentions that it will have “gorier set dressings and new environmental audio” to help set the mood for the undead mode. Plus, it indicates that a new Main Quest will bring a sense of mystery, going along with Zombies’ traditional Easter Eggs.
The latest update also shows a cleaner display for the HUD that’ll make navigating easier. Many of the HUD elements beforehand took up a lot of room on the screen, differing from what we’ve seen in Black Ops 3 and other Zombies iterations. These elements have, thankfully, gotten an organization upgrade through different placements. In particular, the perk icons are much closer together, as well as the addition of a character portrait on the bottom-left corner (the old version on the left and the new one on the right):
As a long-time fan of the series, I’m thrilled to see these changes bringing back the classic Zombies feel while introducing new elements for a fresh experience. However, I’m still curious about the GobbleGum HUD, given that it will now have a unique reward animation.
Besides the HUD and Liberty Falls map changes, the blog dives deeper into many other Zombies subjects, such as Augments, Perk Colas, and exclusive Operators. One of the major reveals is the implementation of 108 Augments, which boost the performance of various materials. It’ll be interesting to see what upgrades players will make once Black Ops 6 drops, bringing a wave of meta loadouts.
The team behind BO6 also encourages players to take on the role of one of the Dedicated Crew Operators for the best story experience. This includes characters such as Grigori Weaver, Elizabeth Grey, Mackenzie “Mac” Carver, and Maya Guinaldo.
More and more details are expected to come as we approach the official launch of Black Ops 6. So, make sure to get yourself ready for its launch on Oct. 25, 2024.
