When is the round-based Zombies mode coming to COD Vanguard?

COD Vanguard players were unhappy to find that the game shipped without round-based maps for its beloved Zombies game mode, but it appears that the developers at Treyarch are working to amend this issue.

Although the new round-based Zombies maps won't be arriving in COD Vanguard's third season, Treyarch announced on April 14 that its next Zombies maps wouldn't be a retread of Terra Maledicta. These new maps will emulate the classical gameplay of Call of Duty's fan-favorite Zombies gameplay.

Treyarch also confirmed to COD Vanguard players that the next Zombies map would be a recreation of Call of Duty: World At War's "Shi No Numa" map. According to the developers, this recreation will be playable on June 22, 2022, alongside the first day of Vanguard's Season 4 update.

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COD Vanguard: What we know so far about the remade Shi No Numa map

A zombie strikes in COD Vanguard (Image via Activision)

Shi No Numa is often regarded as one of the most beloved Zombies maps of all time as it was released in the first game to feature the now-adored game type.

According to Treyarch, the remade map will bring an all-new main quest for co-op players, including side quests and Easter Eggs. A new area in the map will be implemented, ready to be explored, and new Pack-a-Punch camos will also be available. The narrative is also being reworked to better suit the "Dark Aether" storyline of COD Vanguard.

Shi No Numa, the Swamp of Death, should feature much of what made the original map special. Players aren't wrong to expect classical zombie-slaying traps like the Flogger and Electro-Shock mechanisms. It won't be a one-to-one remake of the map as the previous story following the World at War cast has been concluded for quite some time.

As Shi No Numa has been confirmed to continue the Dark Aether storyline, this has led some Vanguard players to speculate as to how this will be enacted. Since the new map is being complemented with an additional area not seen in World At War, this has made some players wonder if this new area will lead into the Dark Aether itself.

Considering Shi No Numa isn't the last round-based map to be released for Vanguard, it may be possible that the beloved Swamp of Death may be leading to a final encounter in the shadowy dimension itself. Perhaps this last encounter will occur in a round-based map released after Shi No Numa, but details are unclear at the moment.

When Activision and Treyarch release Season 4's content roadmap, players may be provided with a clearer picture of what's to come.

Regardless of what lies ahead, Zombies players can rejoice that they're finally receiving some much-needed attention from Treyarch. Season 3 of Vanguard was considerably light on content, and things were especially sparse for Zombies players. Hopefully, the future is bright for this dedicated community of players, and they can enjoy the conclusion of the Dark Aether story sooner rather than later.