Call of Duty Vanguard Zombies: release date, Der Anfang, new Powers, Season 1

Call of Duty Vanguard will have a CoD Zombies mode, Activision has confirmed, one that takes the iconic Treyarch playlists back to World War II ⁠— here’s what we know about the next era of Zombies so far, from its release date, the new Der Anfang mode, fresh Wonder Weapons, and more.

Zombies will ⁠— as undead do ⁠— live on past Black Ops Cold War.

Activision has confirmed that Treyarch will continue working on their popular Dark Aether Zombies mode component, which will be shipped midway through the Call of Duty Vanguard release cycle as a seasonal expansion. 

This is, of course, great news for diehard Call of Duty Zombies players that were already bracing for a dearth of content throughout Vanguard next year. Instead, there are new maps, all-new storylines, and more coming in the next game.

Beyond that, a new Zombies experience is also set for Vanguard’s launch with “new horrors” invading familiar territory.

Here’s everything we know about the next era of Treyarch’s ever-popular Call of Duty Zombies game mode, including when it will arrive in CoD Vanguard, and more.

Call of Duty Vanguard Zombies revealed

After weeks of teasers and various leaks, Activision finally confirmed the future of CoD Zombies in an October 13 announcement. A full trailer arrived just 24 hours later, revealing how the future of Zombies will unfold in Vanguard.

We’re stepping back in time to WWII, where Zombies first kicked off in the CoD franchise. While a new round-based mapis yet to locked in, players will instead be fighting across a new “Der Anfang” mode to start with.

The experience comes with a slate of new objectives, Perks, weapons, upgrades, and the familiar Pack-a-Punch machine.

Vanguard Zombies release date & Season 1 update

Zombies fans certainly have plenty to look forward to with Vanguard. At launch on Friday, November 5, the new four-person co-op mode will be available as Vanguard launches with Der Anfang.

While this is just the start, Activision has promised more content will come with Season 1, which is set to go live on Thursday, December 2, 2021.

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This means we will be getting even more content just a month after the release of Vanguard. At this time it is unknown what the update will bring. While it’s unlikely to see a new map, this is a year of firsts for the Zombies community so anything can happen.

As more intel is revealed we will update you on what to expect when Season 1 comes out.

CoD Vanguard Zombies: Der Anfang

Rather than a typical round-based map or even a familiar Outbreak-esque experience, CoD Vanguard’s Zombies goes in a new direction. Der Anfang is the name of the new mode that aims to combine the best elements of all that came before it. The new experience will begin in Stalingrad, among the wartorn ruins, before expanding into different areas, similar to that of the Firebase Z and Forsaken maps in Cold War.

Classic Zombies fans will finally be able to return to the swamps of Shi No Numa, one of the most iconic maps in Zombies history. The fight will also take place at a Normandy-based Windmill location.

It’s in this mode where players travel through Dark Aether portals to visit various locations and clear new objectives. Along the way, teams will encounter new enemy types and wield new upgrades.

Rather than buying your way to new areas, completing objectives will be the key to expanding the map instead. Thus, clearing areas and following missions are essential to exploring the WWII locale.

New CoD Vanguard Zombies Powers

Although players will still have access to the usual weapons and items, some new Powers are on the way in Vanguard. Cold War fans will be pleased to know that Field Upgrade mechanic returns in a new form, now known purely as Artifacts. While their functionality is the same as a Field Upgrade, these mystically powered reiterations will tie deeply into the Dark Aether storyline.

Runes are also powered by the magic of the Dark Aether, which will add enhancements and buffs to the experience in exciting ways.

If you find a new Sacrificial Heart item during your session, it can be traded into the Altar of Covenants. Here, you can select from a random batch of upgrades that change each time around. This element of randomization not only adds to replayability, but it supposedly allows for “unique gameplay builds never before experienced in Zombies.”

Examples include Brain Rot, an ability that turns Zombies into allies, or even the simpler Ammo Gremlin upgrade that reloads non-equipped guns over time.

Be sure to brush up on every revamped Perk, the Altar of Covenants system, and the full set of Dark Aether powers before jumping in.

Der Anfang enemy types

Not only will players have to fend off the usual undead hordes in Der Anfang, but new enemy types are also on the way.

First are the new ‘heavy’ Zombie types in Vanguard. These meaty foes require far more damage than usual, but also rise from their graves with powerful weaponry in hand. Expect a tough fight if you see a heavy on the field.

“Boom Screamers” are another new enemy type in Der Anfang. As the name implies, these glowing red targets sprint at you and detonate if they make contact. Always be on the lookout and take care of these Zombies as soon as they appear.

Der Anfang Wonder Weapons

So far, Dexerto has yet to uncover what the new Call of Duty Vanguard Zombies Wonder Weapons might be. In Black Ops Cold War we got our hands on the Ray Gun, Monkey Bombs, as well as the new Binary Repeater, DIE Machine, RAI K-84 gun, and upcoming Chrysalax axe on the “Forsaken” map.

Once we have more details via leaks, we’ll update this article.

Vanguard easter egg

So far, little has been leaked in regards to the Call of Duty Vanguard easter egg. That said, there will definitely be secrets to uncover once the new battleground releases.

Right now, in Black Ops Cold War, Zombies fans are still wrapping their heads around the thrilling conclusion to the first chapter in the Dark Aether storyline thanks to the release of Forsaken.