Modern Warfare Zombies has garnered comparisons to CoD Warzone’s DMZ since the mode was announced. While both are extraction shooters with a heavy PvE element, Zombies featured no PvP (player vs player) combat whatsoever. It seems that is about to change.
Players Seemingly Face Off in MWZ
A teaser video was released earlier this week to promote the latest Call of Duty Endowment event. C.O.D.E. is a charity that helps Veterans find jobs after they’ve returned from their service. Call of Duty has long-featured bundles that allow players to purchase items to raise money to benefit Veterans. In Season 3 Reloaded, a new bundle for the Warrior Operator (pictured above) was released to do just that.
The teaser heavily features the new operator skin in different scenarios. Throughout the video, the character faces off against some Mil-Sim characters in Urzikstan. At first, this seems like standard gameplay one would expect to see in a Warzone teaser, but this is not the case. While MWZ takes place on Urzikstan, the main Battle Royale map in Warzone, the Zombified iteration is a bit different. Treyarch gave the map a unique skybox and lighting for MWZ, to create an atmosphere befitting the mode. The version of the map shown in the trailer is definitely the one playable in Zombies, featuring its signature purple sky.
PvP in MWZ Has Been Referenced Before
Typically, one may think this is just some developer trickery at play. After all, it would make sense to switch up the skybox or lighting for a teaser to get the right visual vibe. However, strings of code referencing PvP in CoD Zombies have already been data-mined. SemtexLeaks on Twitter shared a screenshot of code referencing PvPvE in Zombies all the way back in March 2024. They have a proven track record of showcasing content early, which usually ends up making it into Call of Duty later.
While the mode was initially believed to come out in Season 3, this seems unlikely now, since Season 3 Reloaded has come and gone. However, a PvP element in CoD Zombies would be an interesting shakeup in a later season. Modern Warfare Zombies is in dire need of major updates, and PvP would certainly be a unique take that might get players to engage with the mode again.
