Ten years ago, Treyarch introduced Zombies in Call of Duty: World at War as an easter egg, and in that time the incredibly passionate community that grew around it has turned Zombies into a phenomenon and an essential part of the Call of Duty experience. Now, the studio that started it all is back with the biggest Call of Duty Zombies launch ever, with three full-fledged, fully-loaded Zombies experiences on Day One.

Zombies has always been about the shared journey for the characters, as well as for the tightly knit teams of friends who joyfully compete to be among the first to uncover the latest or deepest secrets. As with the rest of Black Ops 4, Treyarch has gone back to the drawing board to begin a brand-new chapter in the Zombies story.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Zombies marks the beginning of a new storyline that is separate and distinct from the Aether story, with a new world, new characters, and new enemies. Drawing from both real and mythical history, you will be introduced to a new enemy: an ancient order hell-bent on transforming the world to fulfill their nefarious agenda…

IX features our intrepid new heroes battling it out with the undead in a brand-new setting (and timeline!) for Zombies. Black Ops 4 Zombieswill include a full suite of weapons, including the over-the-top gunplay and Magic Box goodies that you have come to expect in this fan-favorite experience.

The Black Ops Zombies team thought it might be nice to send the characters somewhere grand and luxurious for a change – a setting where they could kick back and enjoy the ambiance. What could go wrong? Take a look at Voyage of Despair in the video above.

In addition to a new beginning with new characters, players will also have new ways to play:

• Custom Mutations brings 100 different, customizable options that can change the fundamental rules and systems of the gameplay experience: zombie speed, health, trainability, type, player damage, Magic Box functionality, and much more.
• Treyarch will also introduce the Black Ops Authenticity Stamp system to give players a shareable code stating exactly what was achieved and what settings were used. This will provide the ultimate bragging rights for custom competitions and third-party scoreboards.
• Zombies will feature bot support! This will allow solo players, or players without a full team of four, to experience the full narrative, co-op experience.
• Zombie Rush is a brand-new mode that simplifies the game experience to create a whole new tempo of gameplay. Perfect for welcoming people into the Zombies universe, and an enticing challenge for grizzled veterans alike. Black Ops 4 will also feature an in-game tutorial to introduce new players to Zombies, as well as the return of adjustable difficulty levels.  

To whet your undead appetite even further, here’s a peek at the third Zombies experience that will be included with that game at launch - Blood of the Dead, where you might notice some familiar characters.

There is much more Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Zombies info to come in the months ahead, so stay tuned for more as we count down to the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 on October 12. 

For more intel about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, be sure to visit CallofDuty.com/blackops4 and follow @CallofDuty and @Treyarch on Twitter.