I’m an Old-School CoD Zombies Fan, But I’m Honestly Not Hyped For Black Ops 7’s Classic Mode

Despite Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies doing a lot of things that the community wanted, from the return of Grief mode to a choice-based Easter egg quest, there’s a certain part of the community that simply cannot enjoy the modern Zombies formula. These players miss the CoD Zombies of old, hating the simplified points system, loadouts, Warzone-like armor, and even exfils. While I’m fortunate enough to like the new and old CoD Zombies styles, those who detest today’s take on the mode have been getting increasingly vocal about wanting a return to form. Based on a new leak, they’re seemingly about to get their wish in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, though I’m not exactly thrilled about the way said wish is getting granted.

According to credible leaker @TheGhostOfHope, Treyarch is seemingly poised to reveal the long-rumored Classic mode for Black Ops 7, a feature that has reportedly been in the works since early BO6. While all leaks should be taken with a grain of salt, this source has proven reliable before, and if they’re correct now, then the community can expect the following features from this mode:

• No armor
• No mini-map
• No exfils
• Four-perk limit
• Players start only with a pistol
• Classic point system returns
• Separate wall-buys and Mystery Box guns
• Certain weapons will be banned

Considering how long I’ve been a Call of Duty Zombies fan, all of this should be right up my alley. I have fond memories of rolling credits on World at War as a pre-teen only to be terrified by undead foes suddenly running toward the screen, and I had a good laugh at seeing former U.S. presidents gear up for a battle with zombies in Five’s intro cinematic. I have a deep love for characters like Richtofen, nostalgia for building the staves on Origins, and a fondness for the days of map-specific HUDs and gimmicks. Cursed mode may not completely restore that feeling, but it could certainly feel closer to what other longtime players want. Me, though? I worry it’ll just overcomplicate things for Treyarch, split the player base, and feel less fun to play than it should due to the omission of certain modern features.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies’ Classic Mode Could Be More Than Treyarch Bargained For

While the Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies community is understandably hyped for the presence of Cursed, it’s worth considering the potential drawbacks. First and foremost, there’s the idea that Treyarch will essentially have to develop two versions of every map. Modern Zombies is built around the existence of armor, meaning that basic enemies, CoD Zombies mini-bosses, and major bosses hit extremely hard, as Treyarch expects players to constantly be on top of armor management so that these blows are softened. This steadily increasing difficulty is a must for high round play, but if the attack speed, move speed, and damage numbers aren’t adjusted to compensate for a lack of armor in Cursed, this alternate form of play could feel incredibly unfun. Additionally, Treyarch needing to work on two modes at the same time could limit resources for side quests, balancing, bug fixes, and so on, as the studio could be spread thin.

Even if Treyarch nails Cursed mode’s balancing and is able to keep the mode active and healthy alongside the Standard playlist, there’s the issue of splitting the player base to worry about. It’s a problem Battlefield 6 is poised to face due to Closed and Open weapons both being featured, as not committing to one side of the argument can do harm in the long run. Instead of everybody winning and getting what they want, one side often feels ignored while the other is favored. If the game lacks players, which tends to happen for all titles as they age, only one of the two paths could be populated. It could take longer to search for matches for all sides, as while fans of one style could be slowly iced out, there’d surely be some searching for the style they prefer when they could all be in one playlist. This approach is also likely to lead to groups being split up. For example, I can see myself preferring to play Cursed, but I have friends who have only started playing recently that would be scared off by the increased difficulty or would feel confused, as modern Zombies is all they know. As such, I’ll probably be stuck playing Cursed on my own, which is a bit of a shame.

Not All Features of Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Zombies’ Classic Mode Are Created Equal

In addition to the aforementioned concerns, there’s the simple fact that I don’t love all the changes Cursed mode is set to make, and I don’t imagine I’ll be alone. After all, just because something is older doesn’t make it better, which I think applies to both exfils and the four-perk limit. In the case of the former, wanting exfils removed feels like something that is purely done for the sake of a “back in my day” claim, as exfils can already be ignored for players who prefer to play until they die. As far as the latter is concerned, a four-perk limit is simply too restrictive, especially when crutch perks exist. Every single match players will buy Juggernog, Quick Revive, and Double Tap, leaving them with just one slot to experiment with. This means that all the time spent grinding CoD Zombies’ Augments would be largely pointless, as players would hardly see all their upgrades in action. For all its flaws, BO4 Zombies was right to address crutch perks, as it’s very likely that players won’t enjoy the perk limit in Cursed mode because of them.

Though I’m happy Treyarch is experimenting with bringing back traditional Zombies features like starting with a pistol, a points system that rewards skill, and no armor, I wish it didn’t mean the return of a strict perk limit and the loss of exfils. Perhaps Cursed private matches will let players choose which of the features they want active and disabled, though this may be wishful thinking. Ideally, I would have preferred if Treyarch either stuck with the modern formula or fully committed to a return of the classic one, as I’m worried this mode will harm more than it helps. If it’s not handled perfectly, the crowd it’s aiming to please will only get more negative, leading to another post-launch cycle full of endless arguing. However, if it is great, then the player base could be split, with old heads swearing by Cursed and casuals sticking to Standard. From there, if Treyarch ever wanted to re-unite the player base in a future game, it would have to kill off one of the modes, meaning a portion of players will inevitably be disappointed.

Ultimately, though I’m thrilled with the idea of spawning in without a loadout again, I can’t help but feel as if one form of play for CoD Zombies — regardless of which one was used — would have been better than having two starkly different options.

Released

November 14, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs