Best Call of Duty Zombies modes, ranked

Ever since its introduction in Call of Duty: World at War in 2008, the Zombies mode has been an integral part of the COD franchise. Since Zombies has seen so many different adaptations over the years, fans often talk about which rendition is the best. In this mode, players battle unending waves of undead while collecting points to buy weapons and perks as well as unlock new areas of the map.

Every Zombies iteration introduces new locations, characters, elaborate Easter eggs, and hidden mysteries. The experience has evolved over the years, offering new mechanics and features while retaining its essence. As a result, some COD titles' Zombies modes have stood the test of time, while others have fallen short.

This article will rank the best Call of Duty Zombies modes.

Note: The items on the following list have been ranked based on the writer's personal preferences.

Rankings of the best Call of Duty Zombies modes

11) Call of Duty: Vanguard

The reason Vanguard is so low on the list is that it didn't have all the elements that made the original Zombies mode so adored. Nonetheless, the game used its World War II backdrop in terms of visuals and themes to enhance the experience, which is great.

Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies (Image via Activision)

Players were given a hub world that teleported them to zones with a limited number of zombies instead of the classic progression system. While unlocking areas improved the challenge and opened up new opportunities for the players to access new weapons and ammo, the mode in this title significantly deviated from a traditional Zombies experience.

10) Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Advanced Warfare had new movement mechanics that were integrated into Zombies. This offered re-playability and a twist to the typical experience provided by the mode.

A snap of the Exo Zombies mode in Advanced Warfare (Image via Activision)

The game is remembered for introducing Exo Zombies, a mode slightly straying from the typical Zombies gameplay. This mode's new zombie types were created to counterbalance the advanced movement mechanics, providing a layer of complexity. However, this iteration was damaged by its forgettable maps.

9) Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare

Infinite Warfare re-introduced many core Zombies mechanics, like wall buys and Easter eggs, along with some new elements like knife mechanics. While these knife mechanics didn’t return in future games, the mode is still fondly remembered as one of the first zombie modes developed by Infinity Ward.

Retro-themed Zombie mode in Infinite Warfare (Image via Activision)

Infinite Warfare’s Zombies mode brought a fresh and vibrant vibe with its nostalgic 1980s amusement park. The bright and neon-themed setting made it stand out in the COD series.

8) Call of Duty: World War II

World War II didn't see any major modifications in terms of Zombies. However, this iteration of the mode had improved and more realistic gameplay. It presented a more gruesome depiction of the undead compared to what had been seen previously.

WWII had a more realistic depiction of zombies (Image via Activision)

Apart from that, WWII's mode was not very different from what was seen in the Black Ops games. Although the overall experience it provided was enjoyable, it didn’t offer anything new to make this version stand out from the rest.

7) Call of Duty: World at War

World at War introduced the Zombies mode, laying the foundation for what would become a beloved staple in the Call of Duty franchise. In this game, the mode is unlocked after completing the campaign, surprising players with its innovative gameplay.

World at War introduced Zombies to the world (Image via Activision)

Boarding up windows, unlocking new areas, and earning currency to get fresh weapons as well as upgrades gave a sense of progression.

World at War deserves an entry on this list for introducing Zombies to the world and becoming one of the most influential entries in the franchise. It set the standard for all subsequent COD titles.

6) Call of Duty: Black Ops

Building on the foundation laid by World at War, Black Ops had a Cold War setting for Zombies and featured political leaders from the era.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies (Image via Activision)

The maps for this mode were created to strike a balance between giving protection and keeping players vulnerable. For instance, it offered small spaces for safety while still leaving enough room for the undead to overwhelm you if you don't deal with them swiftly. This — along with the setting — made the maps fun to play.

5) Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

The Zombies mode in Black Ops 4 was split into two storylines: Aether and Chaos. While the former was not well received by fans, the latter was praised for its fun and enjoyable gameplay experience. Without a campaign, Activision’s priority for Black Ops 4 was Blackout, COD's very first Battle Royale mode.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Zombies (Image via Activision)

Although the dual storyline mode divided fans' attention, the two narratives offered re-playability. That said, if the developers had decided to put all their focus into one mode instead of two, maybe Black Ops 4 Zombies could've been better.

4) Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

Black Ops 3 took the series to new heights by refining and expanding upon the core mechanics. The introduction of Gobblegum added a new layer of strategy, allowing players to tailor their gameplay to their preferences. The fast-paced action and the different varieties of enemy types offered by this mode were refreshing.

A snap from BO3 Zombies mode (Image via Activision)

The only downside to this BO3 Zombies is that many fans felt the maps in this mode weren't as good as what the previous Black Ops games offered.

3) Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Instead of the traditional round-based format that had been a staple in the Zombies mode, MW3's iteration had a large map, Urzikstan, filled with points of interest as well as hordes of the undead. This game combined elements of DMZ with classic Zombies mechanics like Mystery Boxes and Pack-a-Punches for the mode.

MW3 Zombies in 2024 (Image via Activision)

MW3 Zombies' increasing difficulty and variety of tasks kept players engaged, while its open world facilitated exploration. Fans rapidly embraced this different approach, making MWZ one of the best additions to the Call of Duty: Zombies franchise.

2) Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Cold War took the best elements of every Zombies mode and put them together with new-gen graphics. Moreover, this version saw a lot of updated mechanics. The mode received updates and new maps after the game's launch, which significantly improved the experience.

A snap from Black Ops Cold War Zombies (Image via Sportskeeda)

BOCW Zombies also includes a special mode called Onslaught, which allows two players to go on a co-op adventure against the horde in maps that were previously only available in the standard multiplayer modes.

1) Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Black Ops 2 took what had made previous iterations of Zombies successful and elevated it with innovative features, custom game modes, as well as memorable maps that featured special gameplay modes such as Grief and Turned.

Black Ops 2: Zombies is considered the greatest Zombies mode in the whole franchise (Image via Activision)

Widely considered the best Zombies mode in the Call of Duty series, Black Ops 2 had fans fully satisfied with inclusions like Tranzit, an open-world map within the Zombies mode that offered a new level of freedom for exploration.

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Edited by Soumyadyuti Ghosh