Contrary to popular belief, Call of Duty has evolved over the years. It’s just that we get a new entry so often that it feels like every installment is the same as the previous ones (they aren’t). And, while the most recent installments haven’t been too original, Activision Blizzard does indeed put a lot of effort into making each game, employing roughly a dozen studios to work on the franchise exclusively. This includes Raven Software, which, to most, is a name associated with Call of Duty: Warzone. But, as it turns out, there was a time when the Wisconsin-based studio could’ve worked on a standalone Call of Duty: Zombies game.
Apparently, Activision once explored the idea of a live-service game centered around zombies. This project, which never came to fruition, was in development as early as 2011-2012, showcasing the forward-thinking approach of the developers and the potential for expanding the Call of Duty universe in unique ways.
The Zombies mode first made its appearance in 2008’s Call of Duty: World at War, developed by Treyarch, and rapidly gained a dedicated fan base. Its blend of survival horror elements with the first-person shooter mechanics of Call of Duty struck a chord with players, leading to its inclusion in subsequent entries of the series. The mode’s popularity is something that has always fueled discussions and desires for a standalone game, something that Activision has yet to explore seriously, at least publicly.
According to a former Raven Software employee, Michael Gummelt, the Warzone studio was working on an ambitious live-service project based on the Zombies mode between 2011 and 2012. However, the project faced a major hurdle as it was canceled after the studio that “owned” the Zombies IP, presumably Treyarch, raised issues with the project’s direction.
Raven Software had, and still has, the expertise and vision to potentially transform the Zombies mode into a live-service game. Live-service games, characterized by continuous updates and evolving gameplay, were becoming an increasingly popular genre at the time. However, the exact reasons behind Treyarch’s decision to pull back the project remain speculative.
Nevertheless, it’s unclear how this Zombies-focused game would have differed from the traditional content offered in the Call of Duty series or how it would have aligned with the evolving trends in gaming during that period.
The idea of a standalone game based on the Call of Duty Zombies mode has been a recurring concept within Activision. The success of the Black Ops III: Zombies Chronicles, which bundled various Zombies maps into one package, serves as proof of the enduring appeal of the mode. The community’s constant requests for remakes and new content suggest a strong appetite for more dedicated Zombies experiences. This interest hints at the potential success such a standalone game could have had, had it happened.
The exploration and eventual cancellation of a live-service Call of Duty Zombies game highlight the challenges and the complexities of expanding beloved game modes into new formats, balancing creative ambitions with the realities of intellectual property rights and market trends.
Raven Software last took the lead on the single-player campaign for 2020’s Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War.
