Back in 2008, players were introduced toCall of DutyZombies inside Treyarch’sCall of Duty: World at War. A bonus mode that went unmentioned up until release, Zombies was created by a small group of developers just having fun, and the little survival mode became so enjoyable to Treyarch that it was included as a bonus easter egg unlocked afterCall of Duty: World at War’s campaign was completed. Though those that made the mode did not expect it to go anywhere, as many believeda Zombies modein a serious FPS franchise likeCoDwould be received poorly, the opposite happened.
Call of Duty: World at War’s bonus mode became a surprise success, and in response, it was expanded upon withCall of Duty: Black Ops. With two maps at launch and several DLC maps released, there was plenty of content for fans to enjoy, and Treyarch had created a strong foundation to build upon. With systems like perks, Pack-A-Punch, and Wonder Weapons already in place from the previous Zombies entry, Treyarch was able to deliver a strong core gameplay loop from the beginning.
Aside from adding new features and challenges to make each map unique,the originalBlack Opsgamealso made easter eggs a focus. While main quest and side quest easter eggs have become more fleshed out and plentiful in the newer entries,Call of Duty: World at WarandCall of Duty: Black Opsboast some important pieces of the mode’s easter egg history as well.
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Call of Duty: World at War
The start of everything,Call of Duty: World at Warsaw Zombies grow from a one-off survival experience into something more. With each map, Treyarch came closer and closer to modernizing the mode. While Nacht Der Untoten was basic, barebones survival, Verrukt introduced players to perk machines and an easter egg song with vocals. Shi No Numa sawthe debut of dogs, moving Mystery Boxes, the Wunderwaffe DG-2, and the Ultimis crew. Der Riese finally gaveCoDZombies a real story, hiding radios around the map for players to uncover while they unlocked their first Pack-A-Punch machine. With Treyarch still finding its footing and building the mode up, though, easter eggs were limited and only one small quest existed.
Der Riese - The Fly Trap: The briefest main quest in history, this quest saw players playing a game of hide and seek withSamantha Maxis— the demonic girl controlling the undead hordes. After shooting The Fly Trap, players found and shot three teddy bears hidden around Der Riese, with Sam talking to the player after each one. Angrily shouting “You Win… GAME OVER” once all were found, the quest was complete — though players received no in-game reward for finishing it. Still, it was Treyarch’s first attempt at a story-related quest, and it helped players get to know Zombies’ original antagonist a bit better.
Call of Duty: World at Warfeatured a few side easter eggs as well, though there were a lot less than what is seen in recent maps. These include:
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Call of Duty: Black Ops
WithCall of Duty: World at Warlaying the groundwork for what the mode would ultimately be, the originalCall of Duty: Black Opswas able to put the mode on the map. Treated as less of a side mode and more of a third game mode from the get-go, players were given two launch maps and a full season of DLC content — including thefirst Zombies only map pack, Rezurrection. Main quests also took on a more standard form in Ascension, with Kino Der Toten being the last time an original Treyarch map released without a full main quest.
Ascension - Casimir Mechanism: Guided by Dr. Gersh, a scientist that was part of the Ascension group and tormented heavily by Samantha, players repairing this device serves as the map’s main quest. The objectives include players sucking a generator into a black hole with the Gersh Device equipment, pressing switches at the same time as other players, and riding the lunar landers to collect letters. After doing this and then shooting a black hole with the map’s special weapons, Gersh will be freed and Samantha will scream at the group to “come find her.” The reward is a 90 second Death Machine in the original version, a bit of a lackluster drop given the work that goes into the quest.In Zombies Chronicles, however, players are given all the perks for completion.
Call of the Dead - Ensemble Cast: The only DLC map in the firstBlack Opsgame to take control away from the Ultimis crew, Call of the Dead became a fan favorite for its winter setting and unique gameplay features. It also features a fun main quest, with the cast of a George Romero film helping Ultimis complete their objective — as the group of misfits is stuck behind a door for the quest’s duration. With funny portions of the ester egg seeing the actors get Vodka for Nikolai, the quest is memorable, and the ultimate goal is to get Richtofen the Golden Rod so that he can complete his “Grand Scheme.” Once finished, players will getthe Wunderwaffe DG-2instead of a Death Machine each time they kill the George Romero mini boss.
Shangri-La - Time Travel Will Tell: A fun main quest, this easter egg saw players assisting two explorers trapped in a time loop while helping the villainous Richtofen accomplish his goals. Featuring a day and night cycle that greatly changed thevisuals of the map, players were given some more confusing objectives like matching symbols and turning dials in a certain direction. One of the harder easter eggs to complete due to most players needing a guide to assist them, Shangri-La’s main quest easter egg is not for the faint of heart. In the last step, players will be given dynamite, blowing up the wall behind Pack-A-Punch to access the Focusing Stone — the other item Richtofen requires. All perks will also be award upon completion.
Moon - Cryogenic Slumber Party: The most ambitious main quest inBlack Ops 1, Richtofen’s Grand Scheme requires Call of the Dead and Shangri-La to be complete before it can be fully finished. Once these are done, whoever isplaying as Richtofenwill have both the Golden Rod and Focusing Stone in their inventory. The first part of the easter egg sees players opening the MPD device to reveal Samantha, with the next seeing Richtofen swapping bodies with the demonic girl. At the end of the quest, Sam’s father Ludvig Maxis destroys the earth with rockets in the hope that he can limit Richtofen’s newfound power. Players get a 90 second Death Machine for the first half of the quest and a Perkaholic for the second half. While some steps like Simon Says and getting certain box items are tedious, the easter egg is exciting and evolves the story in a major way by dethroning Sam and making Richtofen a proper antagonist.
Apart from hidden radios that detail character backstories, there are several side easter eggs inCall of Duty: Black Ops. Here are some of the best:
With Moon’s main quest easter egg ending on a huge cliffhanger, players were curious as to where the story would go next. InCall of Duty: Black Ops2, they got their answer, as Zombies' gameplay, narrative, and easter eggs evolved in a major way.
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